Even recent Amazon products that complement its own tablet have stumbled when it comes to interface design. is functional, but can be frustrating to use, and lacks any sense of design. I've had similar experiences with the current Amazon shopping and music store apps on Android. Just like the Android Cloud Player, both the Android and iOS Amazon shopping and music store apps fail to provide the level of flexibility and integration consumers have come to expect thanks to Apple.

Look and feel has never been Amazon's strong suit. Amazon has always excelled at its behind-the-scenes technology. Its recommendation engine is famous for getting us to buy just one more thing, and its One Click-Payment system and ability to track things bought online make it the darling of e-commerce sites. Match those capabilities with a killer, aesthetic interface, and Amazon could have a winner.

The one exception to my Amazon interface frustrations is its apps for iOS and Android. The apps are not perfect, but they do go far in showing that Amazon is capable of giving thought to, and executing, well-designed, visual products.