The "problem" with a company like Audible is that it can make a product like Kindle irrelevant...
by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2014/02/04 01:14 -08:00, original URI: http://sortingtherestallout.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-problem-with-company-like-audible.html
Time for something a little off the topic of anything remotely related to Microsoft.
Let's talk about some other people's products and applications that I use. ;-)
Just for example, I have had a Kindle since it first came out. 1.0, even. I used to read books - both ones I had read before but not in some time, and new books.
Now I never upgraded after that first one because for a long time I never saw it adding any features I needed. I'm not truly a typography wonk, so new versions weren't providing anything that I needed.
Until they put a free Kindle App on Windows Phone, and then I never used my Kindle again.
I didn't need to; I now had any book I wanted in the device I most like to use!
Nothing could get between me and my Kindle App.
Nothing except for...
There is this little company named Audible.
They read the book for you and more to the point to you, like other technologies such as Recorded Books and others that let you have the book read to you.
Because I don't know about you but as long as I can bookmark any the book I like I really don't need the book itself.
That's why I find "deals" about using Audible for your Kindle titles like Kindle owners can now download Audible audio books directly over WiFi to be freaking hilarious
Because if not for the fact that I may have bought the
Audible title from Amazon, I might never give Amazon another cent for a book!
Now not everyone reads books the same way as I do, so YMMV, but I doubt that I'm the only person who will not be reading books the way I used to read them.
Unless Amazon buys Audible or something they may find themselves unable to have control of how books are bought for many people.
I mean, it is great that the title might have been bought on Amazon, but it might not have been. And clearly this other company is now in control of discounts and deals and such.
One day, people will come to their senses and not buy two copies of every book, so the fact that Audible uses Amazon by default means that they didn't want to have to rebuild a storefront themselves when Amazon has one. So why not be an Amazon store? ;-)
The real advantage that Audible has is that often person reading the book is a celebrity or expert and that having them read it adds extra value that often translates into higher value.
Which often translates
higher prices. Some of which is likely due to the cost of compensating the celebrity or expert, but there is likely a lot of wiggle room there....
Now I just have to get "Love Monkey" by Kyle Smith and "How to Embalm Your Sister and Other Useful Skills" written by Darius the Dark into Audible's collection (both are in Kindle's!). Anyone have friends over at Audible? ;-)
I guess it isn't really a problem if people are happy to have their books read to them. That is good since it now covers how *I* use Audible. And I have learned a lot. I'll tell you about it in a later blog....
# Diego Elio Pettenò on February 7, 2014 at 7:18 AM:
Audible has been an Amazon company for quite a while....
# M. Scott Kaplan on February 9, 2014 at 9:30 AM:
Yes, I know. Just having a little bit of fun.... 😉
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