The Proven Original vs. the New Competitor

The holiday season is underway (it seems that annoying Christmas music is unveiled earlier every year) and I can’t help but think about my wishlist this year.

Being a web / technology junkie, there’s always some device that I’ve got to get my hands on.  Last year it was a smart phone.  This year it’s an eBook reader.  So now the question is, do I want the Nook from Barns and Noble or the Kindle from Amazon?  Let me re-phrase that…

Do I want the Kindle or the (maybe) Kindle Killer?

The Proven Original

The Kindle is the proven original.  It was first to market.  It’s now in it’s second generation, which means it had time to develop and work out the kinks.  I can be reasonably sure that I won’t be disappointed with the Kindle because of it’s already apparent popularity.

There’s certainly a solid case to be made for the first to market.  It was the purple cow.  The game changer.  The visionary.  Now that the Kindle is in it’s second generation, it dictates where the market goes.  It rolls out the features that push the product forward, and sets the bar for competitors.  It has the longer, more developed customer base (tribe).

The iPhone is the proven original.  It was the game changer.  And last I checked, the iPhone has not been killed (here’s a great post on why that is).

The New Competitor

The Nook is the new competitor.  It’s clearly marketed as the Kindle Killer.  It’s got the same price tag and the feature set is almost identical to that of the Kindle (with subtle differences).

Being the 2nd to market (or at least 2nd major player to this market) could be good or could be bad.  The goal of the Nook is not to define a new market or introduce a remarkable product.  The goal of the Nook is to enter an already proven market (thanks to the Kindle) with a better product.  Whether it’s really better or not remains to be seen.

Maybe the Nook truly improves upon the weaknesses of the Kindle.  Since we’re past the point of educating the market about eBook readers, Barns and Noble could spend their efforts on creating the best possible product.

The Droid is the new competitor.  When I was shopping for my smart phone, I was seriously considering the G1.  Android phones show more and more promise with each new supporting phone, but I still think iPhone is a step ahead in usability, and the community around it.

The Verdict

My inclination is to go with the proven original.  Last year, I got the iPhone.  This year I think I’ll go for the Kindle.  I just don’t fully trust the first generation of any product.  There are always kinks to work out and community feedback to process.  When it comes to electronic devices, the next generation is almost always better than the first.  And the game changer is almost always better than the piggy backer.

Of course, I can always stick with the real proven original:  Books.