Yes, BoomTown Will Overpay for Apple's Pretty Version of the Kindle (Twice!)

May 8, 2009 at 6:00 am PT

Oh dear, I always forget that the camera is turned on 24/7 these days, knows all and sees all and then sticks it on YouTube.

Like this moment for me that came during a speech I gave last week at the Software & Information Industry Association’s NetGain conference in San Francisco, which was titled, “How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Tweet: What Interactivity Really Means for Real Businesses.”

While I talked about a lot of key trends, from persistent data to ubiquitous screens to the importance of voice, touch and gesture in future computing to the always-on state of online presence, it was this moment in the Q&A part at the end that got most noticed.

Someone had asked me what devices I use and also wondered if I had bought a Kindle from Amazon (AMZN).

Indeed not, as you will see, as I admitted that I was waiting to overpay for any similar and doubtlessly overpriced e-reader Apple (AAPL) will foist on me someday.

Here’s the video (please ignore my itchy ear thing and haggard look):

Tagged with: Amazon, Apple, camera, computing, device, digital, fanboy, gesture, hardware, Internet, Kara Swisher, Kindle, NetGain, persistent data, Q&A, San Francisco, screen, Software & Information Industry Association, Steve Jobs, touch, tweet, Twitter, video, voice, YouTube

comments so far. Add yours.

Steven Dustin

Kara, I think the proper term is “fugly.” Please make a note. Thank you.
http://davidgosse.com David Gosse

You are too funny Kara. I completely agree though. The Kindle is hideous and I too am holding out for something from Apple, or maybe the crunchpad from Arrington?
http://kara.allthingsd.com Kara Swisher

S:

Butt fugly, actually!
http://kara.allthingsd.com Kara Swisher

D:

A crunchpad from Arrington sounds like it will hurt.
Peter Milburn

It’s hard to look at any device now that is not all screen and feel inspired. Agree with all that ipad will likely win out. I’m trying to follow as many eReader developments as possible @redirectny.

On the other side of this issue (the content side) there are also many interesting developments in terms of digital newsstand services. The debate here http://blog.mygazines.com/?p=215 about the right of one digital newsstand to include digital editions from other providers is a preview of similar battles to come.