6 ms·

Can someone venture some guesses as to what types of apps will be created? That screen seems like a terribly limiting factor for apps...

scscsc 17y ago
Non-realtime society games, learning foreign language kits (the kindle has audio output), a programming language (+ perhaps eulerprojet like contests). I was really excited about this one until I figured they haven't read RFC 5322 on email address validation since they can't validate mine: first.last+kindle@gmail.com.
gcheong 17y ago
I guess I'm not very creative, but one of the first thoughts to pop in my head was "I would really like to have a day planner on this thing".
gcv 17y ago
Plenty of apps don't need rapid refresh, or particularly fancy graphics. Weather apps, stock tickers, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, choose-your-own-adventure type games (even something like the old Adventure), a note taker, shopping list, fitness tracker... Combine these with the Kindle's wireless cellular link, add a little imagination, and I feel it has potential.
- jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
  The 15 cents per megabyte charge could be limiting at first. I don't know what an application might use and how frequently, so it might not be a concern at all. If it is, i'm sure the pricing will eventually go down to a number that is so low that it no longer is a concern.
  - melling 17y ago
    Let's hope they put wifi in the next gen Kindle's. It's crazy that they left it out.
    - sliverstorm 17y ago
      I absolutely love WiFi, and wish every mobile device had it, but I can easily see how it would appear useless in their original vision for the Kindle. Anything that is useless, is of course cut for cost reasons. Remember, the 3G modem really was only used in the first place so you can seamlessly buy books from anywhere, on the go. Anywhere there is WiFi, there is almost always 3G/1Rtt, and WiFi is more complicated for the uneducated consumer than an on-off connection as simple as cell phones. All the user even needs to know with cell phones is "I have reception" or "I don't", instead of signal strengths of different networks, what key & kind of key to use, what networks are not safe, and so on. Let's not forget one of the common reasons for hybrid 3G/WiFi usage is to avoid billing on the cellular network. Notice, that problem is gone for the end user with the Kindle.
      - pmjordan 17y ago
        Plus, I gather that public Wifi coverage in the US is pretty good. Elsewhere, not so much. Almost all publicly accessible access points in Europe aren't free and cost more than 3G data these days. (and yes, I do think that's completely ridiculous)
- mcobrien 17y ago
  Considering developers will pay for app downloads themselves, it seems likely that only wifi access will be available. That's going to limit a lot of the kinds of apps that are popular on the iPhone. Why even install a wifi-only weather app when you can use the (experimental) web browser that always works?
  - utnick 17y ago
    I don't think Kindles have wifi... I would guess amazon would only allow non-networked apps
Herring 17y ago
Hopefully some sort of folder system, since it seems Amazon can't do it.
rksprst 17y ago
I'd love to play chess on it + cross word puzzles.
sliverstorm 17y ago
Am I the only one who is dreaming of an email client? webmail doesn't do it for me. A real client would be amazing. Seriously though, let's consider. I hear of tons of apps that are really clever on the iPhone store, and many of them do not use the camera, gfx, gps or accelerometer. It's true the iPhone has more computing power, but both have 3G. My mind's not in a state right now to do a real comparison, but in my opinion, quite a number of the clever and/or useful iPhone apps I've seen could be ported to the Kindle. (this is not of course to say that's what should be done, or even that would be the limit- after all, Kindle has a much larger screen- just as an idea of the spread!)
- sliverstorm 17y ago
  Actually, I have just realized that the Kindle 2 has a faster CPU than the iPhone 3G by a good 100MHz (not 3GS)!
paulgerhardt 17y ago
I was on the verge of "jailbreaking" my kindle just so I could make a more effective Instapaper client.
netcan 17y ago
My guess is anything that has a lot to do with reading, since that is where the screen is actually an advantage, not just a tolerable disadvantage. Interactive books are an obvious thought. Interactive maps might also be useful.
romland 17y ago
MUDs! :) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD
jgamman 17y ago
scientific literature for researchers
- chris11 17y ago
  Support for LaTeX would be awesome.
ajaypopat 17y ago
Test prep software like vocabulary flashcards might be useful.

scscsc 17y ago

Non-realtime society games, learning foreign language kits (the kindle has audio output), a programming language (+ perhaps eulerprojet like contests). I was really excited about this one until I figured they haven't read RFC 5322 on email address validation since they can't validate mine: first.last+kindle@gmail.com.

gcheong 17y ago

I guess I'm not very creative, but one of the first thoughts to pop in my head was "I would really like to have a day planner on this thing".

gcv 17y ago

Plenty of apps don't need rapid refresh, or particularly fancy graphics. Weather apps, stock tickers, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, choose-your-own-adventure type games (even something like the old Adventure), a note taker, shopping list, fitness tracker... Combine these with the Kindle's wireless cellular link, add a little imagination, and I feel it has potential.

jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
The 15 cents per megabyte charge could be limiting at first. I don't know what an application might use and how frequently, so it might not be a concern at all. If it is, i'm sure the pricing will eventually go down to a number that is so low that it no longer is a concern.
- melling 17y ago
  Let's hope they put wifi in the next gen Kindle's. It's crazy that they left it out.
  - sliverstorm 17y ago
    I absolutely love WiFi, and wish every mobile device had it, but I can easily see how it would appear useless in their original vision for the Kindle. Anything that is useless, is of course cut for cost reasons. Remember, the 3G modem really was only used in the first place so you can seamlessly buy books from anywhere, on the go. Anywhere there is WiFi, there is almost always 3G/1Rtt, and WiFi is more complicated for the uneducated consumer than an on-off connection as simple as cell phones. All the user even needs to know with cell phones is "I have reception" or "I don't", instead of signal strengths of different networks, what key & kind of key to use, what networks are not safe, and so on. Let's not forget one of the common reasons for hybrid 3G/WiFi usage is to avoid billing on the cellular network. Notice, that problem is gone for the end user with the Kindle.
    - pmjordan 17y ago
      Plus, I gather that public Wifi coverage in the US is pretty good. Elsewhere, not so much. Almost all publicly accessible access points in Europe aren't free and cost more than 3G data these days. (and yes, I do think that's completely ridiculous)
mcobrien 17y ago
Considering developers will pay for app downloads themselves, it seems likely that only wifi access will be available. That's going to limit a lot of the kinds of apps that are popular on the iPhone. Why even install a wifi-only weather app when you can use the (experimental) web browser that always works?
- utnick 17y ago
  I don't think Kindles have wifi... I would guess amazon would only allow non-networked apps

Herring 17y ago

Hopefully some sort of folder system, since it seems Amazon can't do it.

rksprst 17y ago

I'd love to play chess on it + cross word puzzles.

sliverstorm 17y ago

Am I the only one who is dreaming of an email client? webmail doesn't do it for me. A real client would be amazing. Seriously though, let's consider. I hear of tons of apps that are really clever on the iPhone store, and many of them do not use the camera, gfx, gps or accelerometer. It's true the iPhone has more computing power, but both have 3G. My mind's not in a state right now to do a real comparison, but in my opinion, quite a number of the clever and/or useful iPhone apps I've seen could be ported to the Kindle. (this is not of course to say that's what should be done, or even that would be the limit- after all, Kindle has a much larger screen- just as an idea of the spread!)

sliverstorm 17y ago
Actually, I have just realized that the Kindle 2 has a faster CPU than the iPhone 3G by a good 100MHz (not 3GS)!

paulgerhardt 17y ago

I was on the verge of "jailbreaking" my kindle just so I could make a more effective Instapaper client.

netcan 17y ago

My guess is anything that has a lot to do with reading, since that is where the screen is actually an advantage, not just a tolerable disadvantage. Interactive books are an obvious thought. Interactive maps might also be useful.

romland 17y ago

MUDs! :) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD

jgamman 17y ago

scientific literature for researchers

chris11 17y ago
Support for LaTeX would be awesome.

ajaypopat 17y ago

Test prep software like vocabulary flashcards might be useful.