Will Amazon Take Apple Head On?

Both The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Wed, Feb 3rd that Amazon had acquired a start-up company called TouchCo in New York.   As the name would suggest, TouchCo specializes in touchscreen technology.  This technology will probably enable Amazon to bring color and touchscreen to the Kindle.

So if  the iPad was just a larger iPhone, why would Amazon be so concerned?

Add to this the rumor that Amazon is adding Apps to the Kindle ...and...well you start to get the picture that the iPad is indeed a Kindle killer.  Who wants a 1980's black and white looking screen with a real keyboard interface as the only way to navigate the screen?  Amazon has to catch up to stay in the game but only if it perceives itself as a computer company.  Consider also that Apple already has about 140,000 Apps and through the SDK (Software Developer Kit),  developers will be able to port these to the iPad.

Amazon should focus on what it does best, an online retailer and a distributor of books.  Taking on Apple and Steve Jobs is a formidable challenge.

So will there be a Kindle 3 or a Super Kindle?  Probably, but Apple is now the game changer.