Amazon Kindle: What are the chances...

I have no official information, but I'd be surprised if it was coming soon, or even at all because of Kindle's app pricing structure. (Kindle still don't officially support other apps, their software development kit is still in limited beta. But their app pricing structure is available.

The problem is the massive amount of data that would need to get transferred onto the Kindle. That means the app couldn't be free as it would be way more than 1Mb ("Active content applications that are smaller than 1MB and use less than
100KB/user/month of wireless data may be offered at no charge to
customers.")

Instead, "Kindle active content must be priced to cover the costs of downloads and
on going usage". That would mean you'd have to pay a fortune to get your Logos resources on your Kindle.

Not only so, but even apps you pay for "must have nominal (less than 100KB/user/month) ongoing wireless
usage". Without ongoing wireless usage, even Logos' iPhone app is just a reader - and Kindle don't allow other readers on their device, so they wouldn't allow an app that just allowed you to read Logos books.

To get around this, you'd either have to charge a monthly fee for using Logos on the Kindle, or go to enormous expense of building the functionality of a mobile Bible software package Kindle when Logos haven't even managed that on the much more popular/powerful iPhone.

Either way, Logos on Kindle would be prohibitively expensive, both for Logos, and for users.

Michael Anda said:

That's too bad, Mark.  You've definitely spoiled my October with that news.  Perhaps a good chunk of November too.  

The good news is that for the price you would have paid for app usage you can purchase and Ipad :-)

Floyd Johnson said:

Another option, for private use only, would be to print one or two resources and turn them into Kindle resources.  I have seen Mobi and pdf software printers for example - formats that are readable on the Kindle.  It would not be legal to share these files, but I do not think it would out of line to create such material for personal use.  The cost is in terms of time, rather than dollars, if you choose this route.

In the iPhone/iPad forum there's some info of people's experience with Kindle.  I think it would be good for reading, and not all Logos books bristle with biblical quotes, cross references etc.  I hope to get a Kindle when I go to England for Morris Proctor's seminar in February, probably also an iPad, and am having to contain my soul in impatience till then.  My sister could forward it to me, but even registered post is uncertain here.  Once I got a chit for a parcel for someone else in my P.O.Box.  When I looked at the chit at home, I saw it was not for me.  My neighbour handed it back at the [post office and the boy he gave it to said:  You've got the chit, so take the parcel if you want!  If that were to happen with a Kindle, the insurance might say it had been signed for and refuse to believe it was not my signature.....  So I wait till February.  Maybe Anchor Yale will have released their resources to Logos by then??[;)]

Alan Charles Gielczyk said:

I just don't get it, one can read kindle books on the iPad AND use Logos, why would anyone choose a kindle? I have spent time with the device and do not see the attraction of the eink. Personally I think it's a marketing ploy that has worked to Amazons favor. Buy an iPad, I am not one af those apple nuts, I use pc for my computing needs, but I can see the writing on the wall.

Since, as indicated above, I chose a Tablet PC and installed the Kindle App.  It works well   And that is why I have not purchased a Kindle for myself.

On the other hand, my wife uses a more traditional laptop - we purchased a Kindle for her - even after installing the Kindle App.  Her 17" laptop was too big to lug and uncomfortable for reading on the road or in bed.  

As with most computing decisions, there is no "one size fits all."  Hearing how we have made our decisions may assist in the decision make process for others.

The other way to use the Kindle is using its in-built browser to visit library.logos.com. I am now using this to read longer books in places where I don't want to take my laptop (for example bed). The only down side is that you can't alter the text size, which is just slightly smaller than I would like. The advantage over the method of converting Logos book to a Kindle book (which is quite straight-forward and does not take long) is that you can access the footnotes and bible references fairly easily.