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March 07, 2008

Amazon should buy Zinio or Texterity

Categories Emerging Ideas 
webMags.jpg

Ok, you're probably thinking, "Zini-what and Texteri-who?"  Zinio and Texterity are both companies that convert print editions of popular magazines into digital replicas that can be read online.  The digital edtion looks just like the original magazine, ads and all, but boasts some very handy features like searchable text, web-links, and a simplified table of contents.  You can check out sample magazines by Texterity and Zinio for free.  Both have some impressive titles and offer way more selection than is available for the Kindle.  As I wrote before, I think magazines could be a killer app for the Kindle, but they need more titles and a way to deliver full-color editions which can be read from your PC.  Purchasing either Zinio or Texterity would help accomplish both those objectives.  Of course, Amazon already has it's own Amazon Online Reader which delivers faithful reproductions of books, so the actual software and methods may be less attractive then the magazine titles they would gain in an acquisition.   Also, both Texterity and Zinio have created online readers optimized for the iPhone, which could prove to be a tough rival to the Kindle.  By purchasing Zinio or Texterity, Amazon could control their competition better or even profit from it.

Comments

Yeah Greg, I was wondering if there was an e-book software/application for my ipod touch. I'm currenty using mine for web-browsing and watching movies on my way to work, but I also love to read while I'm at it. Btw, I miss you!

There really isn't a dedicated reader application for the iPod touch or iPhone yet. I'm sure there will be one when native apps become available in June.

However, if you set up your e-mail account on the iPod touch using the "Mail" application. Then send yourself a PDF of a book or whatever, you can read it when you're offline. You just have to get to it from the Mail application.

I totally agee. If the Kindle were to handle Zinio magazines I would by one in a heartbeat. As a person with a physical disability I love reading magazines on my computer. To me it is a match made in heavan

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