Waiting for the Amazon (Tablet!)

As I wrote before, I took my 3G Kindle to my vacation trip to Peru. After my mobile data had been being cut off by Orange (no data roaming to Peru), the Kindle proved to be the great backup window to the world. It worked as expected, I was able to connect whenever I wanted over any 3G or EDGE network there (for free!) and also read the books I took with me, including the Lonely Planet guide. Until I broke it. I had it in my backpack and have no idea what happened. I must have sit on it or whatever... The display crashed and that was it. Quick realization of the importance of backups (like a paper copy of my flight tickets).

After returning home, I contacted Amazon, explaining what I did. They said they were very sorry, but not to worry, as they were shipping me a new one. For free, no questions asked. I talked to them last Tuesday, and the new Kindle arrived on Friday morning. Not a bad timing, considering I was sent from the USA and had to cross the Atlantic and clear the EU customs before it reached my home. Amazon instructed me to ship back the broken one and tell them my shipping costs, so they will refund even that. I have never expected such treatment, considering the broken Kindle was my fault. And I guess I will remain a very loyal customer of theirs. A huge quality - versus - ROI win for them.

To express my joy, on the same day I talked to Amazon, I ordered two new books. One of them right as a follow up to my Peruvian adventure - the Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. The book tries to explain the last 15 thousand years of human history and answer the question why Europeans dominated the New World. Especially of interest of mine has been, what is covered in the fist section: what exactly happened on November 16, 1532 in Cajamarca, where Pizarro with his 168 men conquered the Inka army of 80 thousand soldiers.

Reading the book, I found it helpful to have a map of the World to look up the places mentioned there. So I brought my iPad to the sofa and realized how stupid I had to look with two tablet - like devices, shuffling between them on my laps... I was reading the book on the Kindle, as it is by far the most convenient device to read an ebook (because of the e-ink matte screen). At the same time I was using the glossy bright iPad to operate the Maps application. Can't we have just one device to do this? Certainly we can, there is a software Kindle app for the iPad. But really the bright and glossy screen on the iPad is difficult on eyes for prolonged reading.

But Amazon is working on new Kindles and new tablets. So likely they will come up with something providing the best of both worlds? A best (can be monochrome) screen with some easy interactivity (touch) and a hassle - free, worldwide Internet connectivity, supported by purchases of content they provide?

Amazon is a content monster. Of course they have books. But remember, they also have an Android application store (which BTW may grow to be the biggest Google competition). And they are unique, already having negotiated worldwide data deals with mobile network operators. Three ingredients that combined together may really push them to the front of the crowded tablet market. Would not you want a tablet, that has a no contract, worldwide 3G connection, a screen visible in a sunlight, and a week long battery life? I would. And that combined with Amazon's policy on solving support issues (like my very own described above) would be a no-brainer purchase decision for me.