There is a booming market for apps that allow you to read while offline. The two most popular of these apps, Instapaper and Pocket, let you save an article for later like on an airplane or in your underground nuclear bunker.
Now, Amazon is entering the game by offering the same service for the Kindle. A new app for Mac and PC allows you to “Send to Kindle” and then read on your e-reader or on a smartphone/tablet.
I think this gives the Kindle an edge in two big ways. One, most of us are likely to carry our Kindle with us when going into non-internet zones. That’s why we bring it, to pass away those long hours with books, but now we may be able to do so with articles and blog posts as well.
Two, we all know reading on an e-reader is preferable than doing so on the backlit displays of smartphones and tablets.
It will be interesting to see how this Kindle competition affects the market. I always thought that Instapaper and Pocket had a niche market. They must be scared to see the 10-ton behemoth, Amazon, entering the fray.