Deep Jive Interests » Amazon

Could Anyone BUT Amazon Do “Frustration Free” Packaging?

Tony Hung — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:24:11 +0000

You may have heard that Amazon has decided to some pretty amazing stuff with “Frustration Free” packaging with its 19 most popular items, moving away from plastic clamshells that might was as well be bullet proof. I have ranted on this before, and I think its fantastic that Amazon has gone — and is continuing — to go to lengths to find a solution to this problem: by going directly to manufacturers to help repackage these items that make sense.

Why hasn’t anyone else done this? Probably because Amazon is the only one who could.

Consider that bulletproof plastic clamshells exist for (the perhaps erroneous) reason of deterring retail theft, and you’ll realize that Amazon probably went to these manufacturers and said “hey — there’s no threat of that when you order online.”

Couple that with the thought that Amazon is probably the only 900 lb online gorrilla that has the clout to do this sort of thing first — and the fact that most manufacturers and packagers will be happy to grab the halo effect of seeming more environmentally friendly, and it looks like a slam dunk.

In fact, if its a success, one wonders how fast the rest of the online e-tailing industry will follow suit. If and when it’ll ever impact retail packaging … well, one can only hope.

The Kindle Is Fugly, Awkward, And … Biased Against Lefties?

Tony Hung — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:57:19 +0000

I haven’t held one yet, but if Robert Scoble could act as my proxy, then I’d have to say that Amazon’s Kindle is one fugly awkward looking piece of … jeez, well, “technology”. I mean, its flashing screens between pages look like something you’d see in an LCD screen back in the 1980′s — you know, the ones where you had to use screen savers to prevent phosphor burn.

One other thought? Why is the Kindle biased against lefties? I mean from the looks of it, its oriented to righties, as the sharp edges protrude to the right, so that your right hand can hold it comfortably. Furthermore, it also looks thicker on the left as it tapers to the right.

Besides these issues, as jkOnTheRun notices that you *must* hold it at the bottom with your thumbs and not on its sides as you would … well, a *book* — as holding it on its sides will invariable start scrolling the pages front or back.

Anyways a few initial thoughts about the Kindle based on some video reviews; I’m not sure if I’ll ever hold one of these myself as I don’t plan to pony up almost $400, and Amazon (unlike Apple) doesn’t have any retail stores to try it out. Furthermore, I doubt I’ll run into any early adopters up here who will have any to actually try it out as well.

Oh well. :P