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Old 08-21-2008, 07:23 PM   #10
Falbe Publishing
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Posts: 264
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Device: Sony PRS505SC
The absence of sales data on all fronts makes one initially think that the ebook readers are flopping, but the activity at this forum alone seems to indicate at least a healthy niche market.

Anyway, sealed lips all around might indicate that competitors simply don't want their numbers leaked, as Solitarywolf suggested. This is typcially an industry knee jerk response to most situations.

As for Amazon, it is probably keeping numbers secret as a marketing ploy so everyone is left guessing (and gossiping) about how the Kindle is actually selling. If the numbers are low, then Amazon would be embarrassed and it would make the product look unappealing. Now, if the numbers are high, then Amazon might have to worry about big stinks coming from other large corporate players like the bookstore chains and major publishers and book distributors because ebook reading could be about to undermine their markets.

I'm thinking that the secrecy is mostly about marketing buzz and avoiding the inevitable gloom and doom ebook naysayer crowd that would criticize any amount of sales as insufficient to topple the sacred p-book. (Side note: I think that books and ebooks will coexist happily in appropriate markets for a long time.)

To be realistic, Amazon needs to give its Kindle a couple years of solid marketing at least before they can call it a success or failure. As for Sony, I don't know what they do or what they want. I do like my Sony reader though.
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