I’d love an e-reader with more than one storefront
The absurdity of this idea doesn’t make me want it any less
My Kindle is one of my favorite devices. I use it to read at work during lunch breaks, to unwind at home in the evenings, to relax during the weekends, and other times in between. I regularly hunt Amazon’s e-books page for discounts and use my library’s Overdrive collection to maximize the value of my e-reader.
As much as I love my Kindle, I don’t love being tied down into Amazon’s ecosystem. This company makes the best e-readers, but the lack of real competition means it effectively owns the market. It would be nice to have more options.
So, I’d like to talk about a crazy idea: an e-reader that connects to multiple storefronts. The ideal would be one that could purchase directly from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the Kobo store, and probably others as well. Although this idea has very little chance at success, I find the thought of an e-reader connected to different stores very appealing.
First, I don’t consider iPhones and iPads as a viable option for reading. These devices can connect to multiple stores (like iBooks and the Kindle store), but I don’t like reading on a bright screen. My eyes get strained and I don’t find it nearly as relaxing as reading on a Kindle. What I’m envisioning is a device sharing the e-ink screens of Amazon’s Kindle family (and similar devices).
The benefits of a dedicated e-reader that can purchase books from multiple destinations should be obvious. No longer would we be tied into Amazon’s pricing and ecosystem (or any other one, for that matter). If there’s a sale on the iBooks store, or the Kindle store, anyone could take advantage of it.
Of course, it’s obvious why the Kobo and Kindle e-readers don’t allow access to any storefronts beyond their own. This is a hallmark of digital consumption — purchasing options are nearly always limited. You can only buy iPhone apps from the App Store; you can only buy Nintendo games from the eShop, and so on. Companies benefit from limiting the purchasing options of customers, and it’s in their best interests to keep doing so.
Digital purchasing doesn’t have to be constrained, though, and there are exceptions to the rules above. Users can buy games for computers from multiple places (Epic, Steam), which brings much-needed competition to the market. However, the companies that run these game platforms are different from the ones who actually make the computers and operating software, something that isn’t true of a Kindle or Kobo e-reader. So, for e-readers, limited options may be inevitable.
Unlikely as it is, I still can’t help but imagine an e-reader that brought more freedom and purchasing power. Access to nearly any book in the world in just a few taps is a wonderful thing, but it stings a little to know that e-readers could be even better than what they are.
