7 Reasons Why TechCrunch’s New Tablet Can Crush The Kindle

Posted on Jun 3, 2009 - 8:48 PM PST

CrunchPad by TechCrunch

As you can see in my interviews, I love reading books. When I saw TechCrunch's upcoming tablet computer, the CrunchPad, I instantly knew that it could be the mainstream reading device that the Kindle still hasn't become.

Here's why I think it could kill the Kindle.

#1 The CrunchPad makes piracy easy

TechCrunch itself said that piracy might be the Kindle's savor. The CrunchPad makes reading pirated books even easier than the Kindle because you don't have to figure out how to get all the illegal books on your device. You just use the built-in Web browser to read them.

#2 Nobody really needs E-Ink

Amazon brags that the Kindle's E-Ink technology is so easy on the eyes that it finally makes it easy to read for hours on a device. But the truth is that must of us spend hours every day reading on plain old computer screens and we do just fine. The CrunchPad's screen is good enough.

#3 People don't read books

The typical person starts 5 books a year (not finishes, but starts) and one in four people read zero books. (See the data for yourself.) Are they really going to spend money on an expensive device like the Kindle just so they could read 5 books?

#4 People like porn

Porn helped the VCR take off, it helped grow the web, and it even helped get people excited about about mobile web. But the Kindle can't handle porn and the CrunchPad can.

#5 Single-use devices are a waste

Remember when your phone only made calls? Could you go back to that? How about when your computer could only do work? Or when an XBox could only play games? The Kindle can only do one thing well, but the CrunchPad can give you access to just about anything on the web.

#6 People like colors

When USA Today launched with its color print, the other newspapers laughed at it and called it a McPaper. But today, even the New York Times and Wall Street Journal accepted that color helps stories come alive. As you can see from the picture I included here, the CrunchPad makes the Times look vibrant. Would it look as good with the Kindle's black text on a gray background?

#7 Real creativity comes from the community

I switched to Firefox because it let me add plugins that browser creators never imagined I'd want. Nobody can predict what users want, but if a product allows addons, the developer community can experiment till they find the hits. The Kindle is a closed device that you can't hack, but the CrunchPad is just begging for experimentation.

Bonus Reason: DRM sucks

I own a bunch of books that bought in the ereader format -- with the ereader DRM. Do I have to re-buy them so I can read them on a Kindle? If I rebuy them with the Kindle DRM, will I have to rebuy them when the next device comes out? DRM sucks because it means customers don't own the conent they buy. The Kindle is all about DRM. The CrunchPad, because it has a web browser, is open.

What do you think?

TheFrosty @ WPCult

Very great read, I would agree with #4.

Andrew Warner

If the Pre wants to compete with the iPhone, porn is probably going to be a
big reason.

Timothy Kephart

I'd be curious as to the battery life and also if they can get publishers to allow their content to be put on the device. The kindle has Amazon and they can always add color to later versions.

Andrew Warner

True, most people don't read more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. A tablet's
battery is fine for that.

chiropractic

I can use it in the office and make believe I'm taking notes. :)

Andrew Warner

That one should be Bonus Reason #2

AJ Kumar

How much does it cost?

Andrew Warner

I don't think they said yet.

ChrisNwakalo @CIKN

Yeah the possibilities for this are pretty intriguing but im sure Apple will come out with one pretty soon so it will all depend up the price

Andrew Warner

Those are the rumors I'm hearing on Mac Break Weekly.

alexhoule

Agreed! I usually flip my laptop when I read long medical ebooks.

http://bit.ly/18QpFW

Andrew Warner

Really? Love to see a picture? So you make the laptop open like a book?

alexhoule

Exactly. In my PDF reader (evince on linux) I flip the page right of left then I physically flip the computer. I'll send you a picture tomorrow.

You're right about the LCD screen. It's not that bad on the eye.

Ralphs Girl

#1 If I wanted to read on a browser I could use my computer/laptop/netbook
#2 Just because I have to spend hours each day doing it, doesn't mean I like it, or that it's healthy for the eyes. E-ink gives my peepers a break.
#3 While data don't lie, it is certainly true that data can be massaged to say anything you want. While reading has waned in recent years, Kindle owners, many who were your typical 5-book-a-year-readers once, are now reading 5 books or more each month. Kindle makes is easier to read anywhere. Since we are merely seeing a prototype of this new device, there is no way to know if people will like reading on it enought to read MORE, which is something that routinely happens with the Kindle. Talk to me again when this device has sold a million devices and has user forums with members from all over the world.
#4 I have never in my life bought a device for porn, and I can't imagine ever doing so. But if you've got a taste for it, you can get books of a certain genre that some would consider "porn".
#5 Hmm, My phone still only makes calls, I only watch TV on my TV for the most part, I make toast in my toaster. What's the point? The more tasks a single device can do, the more expensvie and harder to use it becomes. This is a non-reason to me.
#6 Who cares? I didn't buy Kindle to read newspapers on. If I wanted to do that, I'd buy a DX. And if you look closely, in the display picture, most of the color is in the ADS, which I never look at anyway. I find it distracting.
#7 Hm, you can't hack a Kindle? Oh please, go the amazon.com and tell the folks on the Kindle Forum that. Or better yet, Kindleboards.com. People have become 'famous' in the Kindle Communiting inventing hacks for the Kindle.

DRM: Most people agree DRM sucks. However, your claim that people have 're-buy' content is bogus. There are plenty of easy-to-use programs that will convert YOUR DRM files to .mobi or other kindleable formats. I read PLENTY of non-DRM books on my Kindle.

It's pretty sad when a site writes a review dissing a device they've never actually spent any time using. jealous much?

Ima Furst

Look, why'd you even get a Kindle? You're obviously anti-progress. And "#6 Who cares?" You're saying you don't like color, or you're not a person, or both. Oh, and you don't like porn. Great.

You're being so contrary and antagonistic that you're coming off a little arrogant. What's the matter? Do you own stock or something? (If so, good luck with that!)

Andrew Warner

I'm glad that Amazon came out with the Kindle. I want them to succeed.
I just think the way to do that is to be more open and to focus less
on the device and more on the content.

Amazon is starting to do that. The device is starting to matter less
and less in their vision. I bet one day you'll even be able to read a
Kindle book on a CrunchPad.

Andrew Warner
(sent from my mobile)

Andrew Warner

This is one of the most detailed responses I've ever gotten. Thanks for spending the time.

If you (or anyone else who's reading this) know of a way for me to convert my eReader books to the Kindle or to the Stanza format, I'd love to know it. I'd be very grateful. But I don't think that exists.

Vaibhav Domkundwar

Totally agree. I am looking forward to the CrunchPad as well.

Andrew Warner

Looking forward to it. I think Amazon should just make a Kindle reader within the browser. That way they can be hardware agnostic.

Frank

You may think your fine using that computer screen, but in reality, its damaging your eyes pretty good. Maybe should have done some research before spouting off on that one. A vast majority of people also gets headaches from the eyestrain within two hours of using a screen.

I read five books a month. I can also count five people I know, off the top of my head, who read at least one book a month (no, none of them are in school).

Andrew Warner

Do you read them on a Kindle?

I agree that for some people, no digital device makes sense. But for those who like digital readers, Crunchpad may be the Kindle.

Chris

Why read on difficult-to-carry electronic devices?
I have an iPod Nano with me all the time, and I listen to all (audio-) texts
and other content (like the fantastic Mixergy interviews). A whole library of (audio-) books is on this microscopic device. And I don't have to hurt my eyes any more, after the long working hours on my notebook.

Andrew Warner

I'm like you. I've read lots of books on my old Treo.

It was especially convenient when I was backpacking through Europe and couldn't find many English books and didn't want to carry a large load.

scotmac

What? You need to get your facts straight. The kindle has a browser. The Kindle is based on linux, w/ the source *published*, and is thus INFINITELY HACKABLE!!!