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Customer experience review: Amazon Kindle
Amazon made headlines a few months back when it launched the Kindle, its new handheld device - an ebook reader. After a recent recommendation from a friend who owns one, I bought a Kindle and have used it enough to review the customer experience.
If you haven't tried out a Kindle, a few clarifying details are necessary to set context:
• The Kindle costs over $300, and it comes with no books pre-installed - only the owner's manual.
• With some exceptions, you'll have to buy anything you want to read. For example, a novel that sells on Amazon for $15 may cost $7.50 to download onto the Kindle. There's no time limit on the text - it will remain on the Kindle until you delete it - but all you get, of course, is the download - not a paper copy.
• The Kindle's screen is in black-and-white and doesn't light up. This makes it easy to read during the day. At night, like reading an actual book, you'd need some light source to read the text on the screen. (See photos of the Kindle.)
With that context set, here's the "hook" of my review: the Kindle is fairly good, and it's bound to improve. With several fixes to its customer experience, this little device could become (or remain) the leading platform for reading ebooks for many years to come - and could very well transform the entire publishing industry.
But that all depends on the experience.
Pros
The current version of the Kindle has two main wins in its customer experience:
1. It's really easy to turn the page. Much like the button on the original Apple mouse, or the Pause button on a TiVo remote, it's impossible to miss the most important button on the Kindle: NEXT PAGE. If you're reading a book, you need that more (and more often) than anything else. The Kindle's large NEXT PAGE buttons, on both the left and right sides of the screen, are clearly labelled with text - not cutesy icons, like many car controls these days. Kudos to the design team for delivering on that essential.
2. Getting a new book is really fast. Whenever you want to buy a book to download onto the Kindle, you simply go to the Kindle store on Amazon (via any computer or the Kindle itself, which can connect wirelessly) and click the "buy" button. So far that's about the same as buying a printed book on Amazon - nice and easy. But unlike buying a printed book, when you click "buy" in the Kindle store, the book is available within a few seconds.
The difference in delivery speed in huge. With two-day shipping or even paying for overnight shipping for a printed book, a large chunk of your customer experience with Amazon is spent waiting - hours and hours. What's the speed differential between 48 hours and four seconds? By my count it's something like 50,000 times faster. When comparing two experiences, that's a benefit-multiplier you almost never see. And that one number - a key metric in how much the customer experience improved - will make a big difference for the Kindle business.
However... as I said above, to really succeed in the long term, the Kindle will need to deliver some fixes to its current experience. The Kindle's design team is populated with veterans of Palm and Apple who surely are aware of many of these issues, but for what it's worth, here's what I'd suggest:
Cons
1. The search function doesn't work well. I've always thought that a major advantage of digital books would be to search backwards to find earlier references to a character or place name. On the Kindle, the search finds every reference in every work, anywhere on the device.
2. It's unclear how to upload content onto the Kindle (for example, uploading a Creative Commons-licensed book to read, rather than having to buy every book I read on the device). I know there are ways, but the interface doesn't make it clear, and the user manual is not much better. It's not enough to expect users to Google "Kindle user forum" to ask early adopters for hints. It should just work, like the Kindle store does.
3. Other than NEXT PAGE and PREV PAGE, the button design is awkward. Sitting on valuable real estate is a BACK button that doesn't have a clear role, whereas the "home" button is no bigger than any key on the keyboard. The scroll wheel button feels awkward and makes too much of a "thwack" when it's pressed. No fun for repeated use (for looking up footnotes, say).
4. Speaking of the scroll wheel: since it's not mapped to the page itself, trying to read a Web page on the Kindle - like a New York Times article, or a blog post - is a bizarre endeavor. When I want to scroll down the Web page, I have to avoid the scroll wheel and instead press NEXT PAGE. And when I want the next Web page, I have to avoid NEXT PAGE and push the scroll wheel. Huh? (I understand the UI-consistency reasons behind this; but the current Kindle UI just doesn't work well for Web reading. It's optimized for book-reading, which is fine - but the Kindle needs to change somehow, if Web-reading is to stay as a primary feature.)
5. The pricing models are strange. I can understand $7.50 for a novel, given that I'll receive it in a few seconds. But $15 per month for the New York Times, with an interface that's far inferior to the (free) version on the Web? How about $2 per month to read a blog? I understand there are bandwidth and licensing costs, but c'mon - charge by the kilobyte or something, with reasonable rates, or else the Kindle won't be an attractive option for online content.
6. Speaking of which, it's not cool to pay over $300 and then have nothing to read when the device arrives. Amazon requires the customer to pay again for their first book. The Kindle should come pre-loaded with some sort of credit, redeemable at the Kindle store, for people to start their Kindle experience right away with the book of their choice.
And that's about it, for the current version. I've heard other Kindle users complain about the shape of the device - it's not rounded or iPoddy enough to their tastes - or the reload speed of the text on the page. But neither of these is a significant factor. Once people get into reading a book, the buttons and (especially) what's on the screen are the main elements in the experience.
And besides, secondary factors like those - including the weight of the device, which is on the heavy side for a handheld device - will improve naturally, as the technology continues to become smaller and more efficient.
One secondary benefit I like a lot - a little detail that, I think, goes a long way in the experience - is the sleep image. Whenever you put the Kindle to sleep (to save battery life), the Kindle shows a picture - often of a famous author or a beautiful manuscript - that reminds you that this isn't just a technology gadget. Rather, the designers seem to say with this feature, the Kindle is just another way to live the reading life. Brilliant authors are still just as good when their words are digital.
See also:
• Walt Mossberg reviews the Kindle
26 Comments:
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More Amazon Kindle
Total Experience — Jun 19, '08 – 9:12 AM
In a previous post I pointed out that there are a number design factors that weighs in to determine experience success. With the Amazon Kindle, portability and convenience outweigh other reported design flaws. Good Experience author Mark Hurst offers h......
My first thought when I read about the Kindle is why couldn't they develop a licensing arrangement with public libraries so that I could download books books (perhaps not free, as with a real book) rather than buy them?
Hmmm. Call me old fashioned but it's a bit like comparing a one night stand to a long lasting relationship. I know which I find the more satisfying. And you can hold a book!
The Kindle sounds great, but not so great that I want another device. I'd like to buy books for my iPhone. I know it's not perfect for reading, but it's good enough. I read content with it fine, especially from Google Reader, which strips away formatting nicely, even when I go to site from the Google Reader snippit.
Why can't I do this? DRM. Digital Rights Management. If it wasn't for DRM, then Amazon would be selling text that could be downloaded and read on any device.
But because publishers don't trust their customers, Amazon has to invent a book safe called the Kindle.
Imagine the money publishers would make if all of the books on Amazon were available as PDF's or, better, TXT.
All the publishers have to do is ask their friends in the music industry, because Amazon currently sells DRM-Free MP3 downloads from most of the major labels.
Thanks for the great review Mark. I'm looking forward to seeing the 2nd gen of the Kindle, especially if they address some of these issues and books become more widely available.
Yes, but what happens when you're reading in the bath and you accidentally drop it?
In 1998-2000, I worked on the previous round of eBook devices (SoftBook Reader, NuvoMedia RocketBook, Gemstar eBook). Other than wireless connectivity -- it was a big deal when SoftBook added Ethernet support beyond the 56K modem -- and ePaper, I haven't seen indications that there's anything "better" about the Kindle and the Sony device vs. those from almost a decade ago. I'd love to see a comparative review -- convince me that eBooks have actually come somewhere in the past 8 years!
I've found a "good enough" reading experience on my Motorola Q -- free or paid -- at dailylit.com. Get public domain works free or new works at reasonable prices in installments. Nice way to work through those classics you never get around to. If your daily installment isn't enough you can request the next one right now and it comes to your e-mail. Kindle should work with dailylit.com or the Gutenberg project. And I love the library idea, Barb D.!
I've had a Kindle since the day it came out. Short answer -- love it! But...
Primary benefit to me is the ability to store multiple books in a single unit making it awesome for travel. Also, the immediate gratification of reading a book upon pressing purchase can be hard to beat.
The downsides are meaningful, though. I don't particularly care that there was neither a book nor credit for purchasing a book after paying $300. C'est la vie. But, if you download a book with charts / graphs / pictures, forget it. You'll find them very challenging to read and the titles tend not to link with the picture. Another frustration is rejoining a book you've set down for a while. With a physical book, you flip through a few of the pages immediately ahead of the dog-ear to remember the narrative. That's a very challenging task with the Kindle.
Finally, I realized after a few books that there are some books that make total sense to purchase on the Kindle. These are books that I read on a plane, then quickly discard or pass along. Think Robert Ludlum, John Grisham, etc. On the other hand, there are those books I'd like to put on my bookshelf to return to time and again. Yes, the Kindle stores your book purchases forever (on the Amazon site). But, I get visceral pleasure from seeing books that I've read in a living room bookshelf. These books range from literary classics -- Tolstoy, anyone? -- to recent fiction -- David Guterson's new book based in my hometown of Seattle.
I should note that I've never even considered using the Kindle for periodicals. That's what the new 3G iPhone is for!
Mark,
Even after your review, I can't see any real advantage of the Kindle over a book. A Kindle is more unwieldy than a book, is harder to read than a book (being screen-based), and doesn't have the same range of titles. As to waiting a few days for an Amazon delivery (or even just going to the local bookshop), most people won't mind at all.
And I just can't imagine that we will see a Kindle club where reading aficionados gather round wine and cheese with their Kindles instead of a pack of books!
The customer experience of a Kindle fails to match that of the printed, paper-based book.
No contest really!
Interesting overview, but I think the Kindle - which is aimed at and priced for the US market - needs to be looked at alongside the iLiad which has acceptance in the UK, Europe and other markets. Overpriced and not universally linked to the Amazon super store, it is nevertheless better designed, better looking and easy to use - and competitive, with many e-stores ofering Mobipocket books at well under $10. Compare and see.
Thanks for the review Mark. I've had a Kindle for a month now and I love it. A couple of things...
The back button seemed useless to me until I started reading newspapers, then it's really handy for moving up the article - section hierarchy.
Something else I think is going to make big waves with the Kindle is Amazon's Digital Text Platform - which means that anyone can publish to the Kindle and charge micro-payments for downloads.
http://dtp.amazon.com/
Also, folks might enjoy the Charlie Rose interview with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos:
http://tinyurl.com/2kyjwr
Cheers!
Call me both old-fashioned and naive, but I just can't understand the purpose of something like Kindle. What's the advantage over a printed book? What's wrong with taking a book with you on a plane or wherever you go? And really, how hard is it to turn a page? As far as instant gratification associated with downloading a book, I can't get that either. If I need a piece of information urgently, I'll find it through a Google search, but I actually enjoy waiting for the arrival of a great book. And besides, you seem to be forgetting, Mark, that there are (still!) brick-and-mortar book stores usually within 5 minutes of wherever we are. So if you're really craving that book this very moment, why not take a drive or walk to your nearest Barnes&Noble?
Hi Mark,
Sorry for this length. But you struck a nerve. I've been using my Kindle for months and months now, after many years with my old Rocket eBook.
This first generation of Kindle isn't perfect, certainly. The buttons are unnecessarily noisy, and there will be an easier way to read in the dark, some way to light that screen that isn't a backlight. I also need an alarm. There is an embedded clock, so let's have it. I am a busy woman and often can read in only the littlest interstices. A "stop reading now" alarm would make so much sense.
The Kindle is a godsend for me. I strain my eyes at computer screens all day and realized somewhere along the way that I had stopped reading books. They grew uncomfortable without me realizing it. The Kindle, with it's electronic ink display is far, far more comfortable than even black ink on white paper, and I can nudge up the text size without finding or looking as if I'm using an assistive device.
I'm an editor and the very easy way (though yes, not publicized well) for me to email manuscripts to my kindle was the big tipping point. I can have the reading experience in mss. form without killing many, many trees for the many, many mss revisions typical in my work.
I love to read the classics, and downloading and emailing Project Gutenberg text to my Kindle is so fast. I've been a pig and have downloaded and sent far more than I'll ever read especially of those marvy Transcendentalists. I do the same easily with Cory D's books and the wonder of MIT's generous faculty publications.
The thing Bezos has missed is the tribal nature of Kindle users. If you like your Kindle, you're probably a rabid reader and are known to your friends as one. There should be a free download-of-the-month or a selection of them for Kindle owners. We would make great digital marketers for new books.
And you're so right. The newspaper experience is crazy. The blog reading experience is crazy. Still, I'd give my right arm to have google reader subscriptions on my Kindle. That's all coming though. I'm sure of it...
I've had a Kindle for about two months. My primary reason for purchasing was that I was tired of not having my NY Times delivered to my home before I left for work. I love the Kindle! Every morning my NY Times is there -- even when I'm out of town. There are user experience flaws -- The Kindle is not immediately intuitive. But I've learned how to hold it so that I don't accidentally press Previous when I wanted Next. And the wireless delivery of newspapers and books is masterful. Even my slightly techno-phobic husband is in awe.
The one thing that Amazon seems to have missed in their marketing is " Green" , the good thing with the KIndle device is no trees died in the process, there was no fuel spent in transporting it, albeit it;s not bio degradable either is it ?
If you take your Kindle to the loo does it come back out with you?
More... Mark, the community at mobileread has made it a lot easier for Kindle users to find and download public domain and creative commons-licensed work...
Open the web browser on your Kindle, go to this link:
http://www.mobileread.com/mobiguide
Let that mobi guide download. The guide is a book that will be available, just as any other book would be, on your Kindle. It can be updated any time you want, and you will want to update it regularly, because the contents promise to change constantly.
The book lets you browse downloadable content, then provides links to download the works over the whispernet.
Represents a lot of work and a lot of goodwill by a lot of people.
Thanks, Julie, good resource!
You note that the Kindle does not come with any books. To the best of my knowledge, neither do any media viewing/listening devices. No one complains that their iPod doesn't come with any music.
It's sort of apples-and-oranges to compare the iPod and the Kindle in this case. The iPod doesn't come preloaded with music, but it's easy to transfer your current music library (or burn your CDs to make one), and have hours of listening without buying a thing extra. With the Kindle, there's no easy way I can get books onto the device without going to Amazon and buying them. Imagine how different it would be if you could download the (printed) books on your shelf right into the Kindle!
That's a good point, Mark. I'm not familiar with the Kindle - if you have eBooks on your computer, can you upload them to the Kindle right away?
Not that I know of. You can email plaintext files to the Kindle and read the emails there - but transferring files to the Kindle in general is pretty obscured in the documentation... and I doubt that any other ebook format would make it. There's more detail than you probably want on this page: http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2007/11/19/15-things-i-just-lea.html
P.S. Nice blog - cool pics of Tel Aviv architecture.
Re: No initial content - Even Seth Godin suggested to Bezos to have free books on it to start, volunteering his own I believe! Would've made much more sense. Good opportunity to market books and the device and the format all at the same time.
Also, with hardware issues with things like the buttons, people'll have to buy new ones in the future instead of just upgrading the software. The buttons should've all been touchscreen or softkey buttons for more flexibility. Make it more of a cross with PDAs. This way, people will hesitate to buy one until new versions come out and the format won't get popular until then.
Peace.
Actually, some music players do or did come with music. The Rhapsody-enabled Sansa e200 devices were pre-loaded with a smattering of tracks in various genres, aimed so that there could be an out-of-the-box experience. Similarly, at least one release of the SoftBook Reader also came with a pre-load of a dozen or so "classics".
Of course, inevitably, anything pre-loaded is just a sample, because whatever is there isn't anything you are likely to want to keep, long term. Or at best, you want the 10 country tracks and not the 100 rap, rock, kids, and new age ones.
iTunes does a great job with their weekly free song and some free video options. Even if it's not in a genre I like, I at least listen to the snippet, and I've pulled a few good songs out of the freebies.
Seems like a weekly selection of free sample chapters would be a great enticement for the Kindle, even if there weren't any total books for free.
Key point:"Speaking of which, it's not cool to pay over $300 and then have nothing to read when the device arrives." IN customer experience first impressions are so important. In this case they lose the opportunity to optimize a customer's buying experience by providing some content to provide immediate enjoyment when the $300+ purchase arrives. Also, what better way to advertise books for sale than by including some excerpts on the Kindle? PC manufacturers have known and used this for years.
I, myself, am also Kindle champion as well, and I think that there are a number of intangible “cost” savings and benefits to consider as well the monetary paypack over time.
First of all, think of the convenience the Kindle provides you. Now, you can read all of your favorite newspapers, blogs, books, magazines etc. anywhere and everywhere. You do not have to worry about the weight and size of your reading material and about how you will transport it on the move.
Second, you can do and learn more with what would have been wasted down time while you wait for this or that. You can just pull it out whenever you have a few minutes here and there.
Third, think of the environmental cost savings. If we, as a collected whole, begin to do more and more of our reading from “paper-like” digital devices, we will be cutting down less trees, maintaining and even increasing oxygen levels and perhaps even fighting global warming.
Fourth, you begin reading content that you may have otherwise missed and will become more and more educated/cultured as you seek out new and different reading materials.
All in all, while $359 for this device plus the cost of the books etc. seems high, you are getting a great deal of value out of it, be it value from convenience, value from supplementary education, value from environmental protection or other value.
I still would reccommend this to anyone! Please visit http://www.prokindle.com!