Interesting People mailing list archives
Re: Kindle 2.0
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:58:51 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed () reed com> Date: February 10, 2009 9:46:47 AM EST To: dave () farber net Cc: ip <ip () v2 listbox com> Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Kindle 2.0The day the Kindle ads start claiming it offers "access to the Internet", I hope people will think carefully about truth in advertising. Access to the Internet is a well-defined term, and is what cable and fiber based companies offer today for a monthly subscription fee. "The Internet" itself an all-encompassing term, which means best efforts delivery of packets to every reachable destination on the Internet.
Merely being able to access part of the World Wide Web is not access to the Internet. It is simply "access to part of the World Wide Web".
See: http://www.dpsproject.org for a very clear and simple definition of this important issue in a legal context.
David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message:*From: *"Michael Kende" <Michael.Kende () analysysmason com <mailto:Michael.Kende () analysysmason com >>*Date: *February 9, 2009 1:51:30 PM EST *To: *<dave () farber net <mailto:dave () farber net>> *Cc: *<zittrain () law harvard edu <mailto:zittrain () law harvard edu>> *Subject: **RE: [IP] Kindle 2.0* Interesting question. In my view this should definitely not be limited by regulation, which in some ways would have a perverse effect. Thedevice is aimed to access books, and only access books or other contentdownloaded from Amazon (or documents sent to the device by the owner). If there was a net neutrality rule requiring access to web sites, thiscould simply lead to shutting off all web browsing, rather than openingup the browsing, as browsing is clearly a secondary use of the device (indeed, if it is activated today, I haven't tried it). And is it a slippery slope to wonder whether net neutrality could then force open the interface to allow other content to be downloaded? Amazon does not hold itself out as an ISP, and the Kindle is not positioned as a webbrowser, so setting aside the general merits of net neutrality, I cannotsee the benefits of applying it in this case. Michael -----Original Message----- From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net] Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 1:27 PM To: ip Subject: [IP] Kindle 2.0 Begin forwarded message:From: Jonathan Zittrain <zittrain () law harvard edu <mailto:zittrain () law harvard edu >>Date: February 9, 2009 12:23:23 PM EST To: dave () farber net <mailto:dave () farber net> Subject: Kindle 2.0 [for IP?]Amazon has just introduced its second-generation Kindle book substitute.As a reader, I'm intrigued -- I can download a bunch of books and apparently use it for days without a charge. Looking at the overall IT ecosystem, I'm also intrigued, but for opposite reasons.The downloading takes place over an "EVDO modem with fallback to 1xRTT; utilizes Amazon Whispernet to provide U.S wireless coverage via Sprint's3G high-speed data network."[1] The connectivity needed to download books and browsing certain other sites is free of charge: "The Kindle Store enables you to download, display and use on your Device a variety of digitized electronic content, such as books,subscriptions to magazines, newspapers, journals and other periodicals, blogs, RSS feeds, and other digital content, [*]as determined by Amazonfrom time to time[*]."[2] ... "Amazon provides wireless connectivity free of charge to you for certain content shopping and downloading services on your Device. You may be charged a fee for wireless connectivity for your use of other wireless services on your Device,such as Web browsing and downloading of personal files, should you electto use those services."[3] So there appears to be a more generic Webbrowser -- how locked down it is I'm not sure, but the overall platformdoes not allow third party apps, and I wonder if it even allows things like Flash -- and Amazon will charge fees TBD for going outside the sandbox. Suppose that Amazon does indeed get to (1) choose what Web sites its users can visit or (2) choose what Web sites will incur a wireless access fee (to the user). I'm curious whether people think eitherpractice should be banned or limited by regulation, e.g. as a violationof network neutrality. If a standard ISP did this, would it be a problem? Does the fact that Amazon is both ISP and hardware provider make the situation better or worse? At some level a specialized device won't substitute for "standard" Net access and one wouldn't complain about limitations, any more than one complains that standard cable TVservice doesn't allow Web surfing, even if the set top box can tune to ahandful of specialized Web site front ends for "enhanced" content. (In fact, some televisions themselves now do this, along with Blu-Ray disc players.) On the other hand, it's clearly a platform convergent with everything else -- one could imagine bringing only a Kindle on a trip and managing web and primitive email access from it. I think we'll be faced with more and more of these hybrid Internet appliances. I'm worried about the end of the ethos of the mainstream hobbyist PC -- defined as the general public being able to define what code they want to run, without interference or undue shaping by gatekeepers -- and see appliances (and managed web services like the Facebook and Google apps platforms) as substitutes rather than complements.[4] Best, JZ -- [1] - <http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00154JDAI> [2] -<http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200144530&#c <http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200144530&#c >ontent > [3] - <http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=kin2w_ddp?nodeI d=200144530&#wireless > [4] - <http://www.futureoftheinternet.org> Jonathan Zittrain Professor of Law Harvard Law School | Harvard Kennedy School of Government Co-Founder, Berkman Center for Internet & Society <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu> ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------This email is confidential and is protected by copyright. When addressed to our clients it is subject to our terms and conditions of business.Analysys Mason Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Bush House, North West Wing, London WC2B 4PJ, UK. Registered number 05177472. Tel +44 20 7395 9000. Email enquiries () analysysmason com <mailto:enquiries () analysysmason com> or visit www.analysysmason.com <http://www.analysysmason.com>------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now> <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ > [Powered by Listbox] <http://www.listbox.com>
------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
Current thread:
- Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 09)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 09)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 09)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 10)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 11)
- Re: Kindle 2.0 David Farber (Feb 12)