Kindle App Releases New Feature: Audio/Video Books

by DorothyD on June 29, 2010

In 2008, Vook was founded by Bradley Inman and it was completely unique. Using a blend of media to accentuate the text in a book was unheard of prior to that point.

Since then, vooks have gained momentum and sales, offering reader’s fiction and nonfiction options that are enhanced in ways with which traditional print books and audiobooks cannot compete.

Kindle offer audio/video book

Until now, Vook has been largely on its own in this field… but this week Amazon announced that the Kindle will now offer audio/video books.

Amazon is stepping up its game. The eReader market is becoming ultra-competitive as shown by the recent major price chopping of the Kindle and nook devices. It would seem that Kindle is ready to push forward with the latest technology, adding audio and video-enhanced book selections to its iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch apps.

Audio and Video in a Book?

Do you really need audio and video in a book? No. I mean, really, c’mon! It’s a book! Words and pictures (when necessary) are all you NEED. So, why bother with enhanced books? Well… I’ve looked at some vooks. They are cool and the videos are interesting, but quite honestly they are unnecessary. Especially in fiction, I find them to be superfluous to the content. Gimmicky, if you will.

Nonfiction Vooks – Mixed Feelings

I have also looked at a few nonfiction vooks. My take on those has been mixed. The supposedly inspirational book that was enhanced with video of the guru talking was boring and borderline offensive. I would have much preferred to simply read the text. In fact, the videos were so off-putting that I didn’t even finish reading the book.

Great for How-to Books

In my opinion, audio and video enhanced books are best suited for how-to books. Exercise books with video of the proper form for completing a certain movement? Great. A knitting book that has video of the stitches? That would be awesome for me because I stink at knitting. Cooking? Well… I guess that depends. I don’t need video of someone telling me how to cut vegetables, but if there was a higher level cooking skill that would be enhanced by video… that might be very helpful.

Don’t Need Video

I have to be honest, here. I don’t want anybody to “tech up” my books. I’d love an eReader, so I could carry around several novels with me and always have the ability to download a new one if I want, but all I need is the text. If I have the audiobook version of a novel, I just want to listen to it. I don’t need video.

by invoking the readers imagination by using words!. No a/v necessary

I’m Good

I’m fine, really. Just tell me the story. My kids have a computer, an iPod, a gaming system, television… they don’t need books to compete with that. Books are quiet. Books are calm and soothing. Books are exciting and scary and emotional. Books take us on journeys and teach us new things. And they do all that by invoking the reader’s imagination by using words!. No a/v necessary.

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Written by :

DorothyD

AudioforBooks.com Author

Reading and writing are my passions. I read a lot of paper books as well as listen to audiobooks utilizing playaways from the local library. I listen to most of my audiobooks on my iPod. I read about one book/week and am rarely seen without one in hand. Come along and discuss this article in our friendly community forum.