When Amazon’s Kindle arrived last year it first seemed like bleeding edge, then a novelty. Being an early adopter, I put my toes in the water and started using one. It solved some issues for me, being a frequent traveler. Rather than choosing one book, I could have all the books I was currently reading “fit” into my shoulder bag and come along on the trip.
Much like the iPod and Apple’s iTunes Store – the Kindle shops from Amazon.com and can buy books, magazines, blogs and other digital media. It supports Audible, MP3’s and a few other unprotected media formats. Also like the iPod, it is a fairly closed architecture in that it supports some open standards – but is tied to its manufacturer and most value comes from the manufacturer’s store. While I am not a DRM fan as I believe business models have shown that non-DRM media can make money – I also believe it is opening new markets like the iPod did and am willing to be patient as the business model expands.
From a wealth management perspective, I also started thinking about how I could use this device in the workplace, with advisors and staff.
