Quote:
Originally Posted by RSaunders
If they could get this approach to work, like Apple did with iPod, then the Reader will be a business success.
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The above quote is a misuderstanding of the Apple approach. iTunes is a marginal money maker/loser for Apple since most of the song price goes back to the music company. Apple makes its money on the device, the iPod itself.
The proprietary approach for books is never going to work (Gemstar tried it, Sony tried it with the Librie) and if Sony reader or any other device is marketed on the make money on content approach, that device will fail sooner or later and deservedly so. The game analogue is flawed since you cannot play games any other way, while you can read books with your eyes and no device.
Make a good reader and charge enough to make a decent profit on it...
As I mentioned I never am going to buy an e-book that I cannot read on any reader that I want, and I am not going to spend on an e-book more than 6-7$ unless I get something extra of value to me (like the Baen 15-20 or so e-arcs that I spent 15$ happily to read 4-5 months prepublication, or JBU/GG where I bought e-arc subscriptions for 50$ year each). I am willing to pay for content but I am not willing to be ripped off.