Funkstar
Lifted from the large “letter” on the front page of Amazon.co.uk
I have to say, these things are getting to the point they are tempting. I'll have to see what others think of them first though.
One thing I would like to see is a free download with every physical purchase, that would probably do it for me :)
I agree they're getting tempting with dropping prices, at least for the hardware, but I have a couple of reservations, at least one of them being a deal-killer for me.
The first reservation is a general purpose one. If I buy a book, I can read it, lend it to someone else, and then sell it on if I wish. If I buy an e-book, all I've got is a limited licence to use and explicitly not to give away or sell on. That would perhaps be acceptable if e-books were cheaper, or free when you buy the printed version ….. but they ain't.
Next comes remote revocation.
When Amazon got into a copyright mess last year by selling (via their store) content from a provider that didn't have the right to sell that content, Amazon reacted by remotely deleting content from user's Kindles … and content that the user had paid for too, and Amazon did it without permission, and without even advance notice.
Now, personally, I understand the copyright imperative. Amazon had facilitated the supply of material in direct breach of copyright, and acted to rectify that. They refunded the money paid by people that had bought this illegal material, so they were not out of pocket, even if they were a bit miffed, to say the least.
But the problems is that the fact that they did it highlighted the fact that they
can do it. And the issue for me is …. who controls the hardware I “own”? It's a bit like buying a book from a store, then finding that because the book had been stolen and sold to the store, they burgle me in the middle of the night and take the book back, and leave the price paid on my desk. If it's MY house, they don't have the right to waltz in and remove stuff whenever they feel like it, even if the reason was the legality of the book. So …. who really, for practical purposes, owns the Kindle, if
they control what goes on on it?
They also include in their T&Cs the right to automatically update the software, and don't, at least in their licence, allow me to decide if I want my Kindle updated or not. Again, I understand the “good” uses of this, but it is open to abuse too. I do not, for instance, allow Windows to auto-update. I decide if an update is necessary or desirable, not MS, and MS provide the facility for automatic background updates, but at least don't force them, on me.
And that brings me onto their “licence”, under which
all content you buy is controlled. What you buy is the rights of use that that licence confers, and no more. That makes me nervous about some of their T&Cs ….
Changes to Service.
We may modify, suspend or discontinue the service, in whole or in part, at any time
So …. all the money you've paid for e-books only provides access via their service, and they may pull the service at any time. And you've agreed to that.
Moreover, apparently and according to Amazon, that remote removal of content I talked about earlier happened because their
system acted that way when when the items were removed from the system. So it wasn't even an overt decision that Amazon made, apparently, to remove such content - their system did it, and content was removed from user's Kindles as a result of that computer decision. Great. Not.
So, hypothesising, what happens if Amazon go bust? What happens if they're bought out and the new owner decides to pull some or all of the service? And if anyone thinks they're too big or too successful for that to happen, well …. BP? GM? Nuff said?
And how about this bit of their T&Cs ….
Termination.
Your rights under this agreement will automatically terminate if you fail to comply with any term of this Agreement. In case of such termination, you must cease all use of the software, and Amazon may immediately revoke your access to the service or to Digital Content without any refund of any fees. Amazon's failure to insist upon or enforce your strict compliance with this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of any of it's rights.
I added the red emphasis.
So … hands up (other than me) anyone that's actually read the agreement you're signing up to? Yup, that's what I thought. So how can you be sure if you're doing anything to breach it, and if you do, you may have bought hundreds or thousands of pounds of books, and find you lose all access. And no refunds either.
Finally, privacy. This bit is perhaps more significant to my intended usage than it would be to many. My interest is not for buying books, newspapers or magazine subscriptions. It's mainly for carrying round work-related materials, like reference works, manuals, procedures, etc.
With that in mind, their T&Cs again ….
Information Received.
The software will provide Amazon with data about your Kindle and it's interaction with the service (such as available memory, uptime, log files and signal strength). The software will also provide Amazon with information related to the Digital Content on your Kindle and Other Devices (such as last page read and content archiving). Annotations, bookmarks, notes, highlights or similar markings you make using your Kindle or Reading Application and other information you provide may be stored on servers located outside the country in which you live.
….
Again, I can see how that maybe useful in some regards for syncing, etc, but to me, it’s absolutely a deal-killer if Amazon have the right, and indeed even the ability, to monitor what content I store on my Kindle, and they store annotations etc that may well be commercially sensitive and to which I may be under a duty of confidentiality myself.
All told, while I like many aspects of the idea and the device, there's too many things that make me nervous for it to be a serious contender.