Kindle Kindle

Lots more on the Kindle out there, with the launch of Kindle 2. Some reports marvel about how sleek and neat the new version is. Others mention how Kindle / Amazon is getting the kind of ga ga reviews for its launch formerly reserved only for Apple. (I wonder if car companies look at these launches and think... I remember when....)

But there are also some naysayers doing a little backlashing.

There always are... those open code types are never happy.

Interestingly, even with its launch, Amazon is releasing its e-books to other platforms, compatible with its own competitors. It's as though Apple launched the iPod and immediately opened iTunes to other MP3 players - which definitely didn't happen. I think Amazon's strategy is smart business, however. Unlike music, the market for e-readers remains small. If this new way of reading is to become successful, the habits have to be adopted in a mass-market way. With only 500,000 Kindles out there, that leaves a couple hundred million Americans alone yet to be converted. In other words, there's room enough for options, and Amazon is wise to compete on the quality of its own product. This isn't just benevolent marketing, however. Amazon also gets a cut from those e-books whether they're downloaded to Kindles, iPhones, or that chip implanted in your fancy sunglasses.

Finally, Thomas Friedman, writing from India, his home away from home, mentions the possibility that Silicon Valley could one day go the way of Detroit. Does that mean their football team will suck, too? I forgot... maybe the Raiders and the Niners are leading indicators.