For Reading on the Run, iPhone Trumps Kindle

Dear Steve Jobs:

Earlier this year, you were quoted as saying "people don't read anymore." This was in response to Amazon's Kindle, the electronic-book (e-book) device you dubbed a "flawed" concept.

As someone who loves to read (and has plenty of friends and family members who feel the same way), I am seriously disappointed in you.

Obviously there's nothing flawed about the concept of the Kindle, which has been a sell-out success since its debut last December. In fact, the hardware itself has some notable flaws, not the least of which are its high price and rather ugly design.

And, yet, people love the thing. They relish a lightweight, paperback-sized device that holds hundreds of books and can download new ones on the run, no PC required.

Now let me clue you in on a little secret: The iPhone is a better e-book reader than the Kindle. (Same goes for its similar sibling, the iPod Touch.)

Consider: The Kindle is a single-purpose device.

Sure, it can display newspapers and blogs in addition to books, and even access Wikipedia, but ultimately it's a text viewer.

The iPhone is - well, duh. But it's also a music player, movie theater, photo viewer, game system, Web browser, e-mail client, GPS navigator, and a lot more. (The Touch isn't a phone, but does most of these other things.)

It's smaller, thinner, lighter, and way, way sexier than the Kindle. And it taps the same high-speed data network for on-the-go downloads.

Granted, the iPhone's battery life isn't great, but most people recharge daily anyway. It also has a smaller screen - 3.5 inches versus 6 inches on the Kindle - but I find it perfectly comfortable for reading.

Plus, it's much brighter, and it's a touchscreen: You can turn pages by swiping your finger, just like in a real book.

And let's not forget the most important consideration: price. The iPhone starts at $199; the iPod Touch, at $299. As noted, both models perform significantly more functions than the Kindle - which costs $359.

Consequently, I think the iPhone and iPod Touch could blow the Kindle out of the water.

There's just one problem: The iTunes Store doesn't sell e-books.

Why not? It sells audiobooks. (Apparently people don't read books, but they do listen to them.) By not offering e-books, you're missing an incredible opportunity. Two of them, actually.

First, there's money to be made. The Kindle is proof of that. You've already got a store in place; you just need to make the content available. I'll bet book publishers would line up down the street for a chance to hawk their tomes on iTunes.

Second, you'll encourage more people to read. Anyone packing an iPhone could also be packing a novel - perfect for those unexpected "down times," like a long line at the post office or the doctor's-office waiting room.

If, as you say, people don't read anymore, it's because we have limited time and countless other distractions. By making books available on a device you'd no doubt like everyone in the country to own, you might just change that unfortunate truth.

One last thing: I'm already reading e-books on my iPod Touch thanks to a third-party service called eReader. I don't particularly care who gets the money I spend on books. Do you?

Hugs,

Rick