Irex DR1000S - Now $860 Wait, What!?

[davidspitzer]

I think this deserves to be talked about in the main news forum - $860 is a $110 price increase on a already peak priced item in the field.

I'm sorry - I bought one at $750 and I thought that was really above a realistic price point. I have a very specialized need going to law school and being able to read large law texts while traveling.

$860 seems like an impossible price point to sell such a specialized product. I think people will end up turning to other solutions at that price point like tablet pc's or netbooks

I am not sure I understand Irex's strategy here. It may be costly to produce, but there is really very little profit to be had with hardware only now-a-days.

They should have sold the product at a loss if they had to, to get market penetration and worked out an attractive content distribution arrangement themselves or even with a partner - they have mobi support yes but it is weak and not nearly as integrated as the Sony or Amazon offering. The real profit is in the content. I fear Irex may be doing themselves in with these kind of moves and that just makes me a little sad, as I believe this technology has a lot of potential

Take Apple, whether you hate them or love them, IREX should to take a few pages from the Apple handbook on how to market to the masses. I hope they get their act together

[Dr. Drib]

I don't live in mythic splendor (as fantasy writer E.R. Eddison once wrote), and it has now become further removed from contemplation.

I know there's going to be something else out there shortly, perhaps in about one year.

Don

[acidzebra]

I would have to pay 699 EUR = ~968 USD (VAT included) if I bought the S reader model at irexshop (where is the SW wireless model anyway?).

The weird thing is it is listed at 599 at selexyz (a book store)
http://www.selexyzdownloads.nl/index...roductID=61440
and this Dutch ebook general interest site
http://www.ebookreaders.nl/irex_digital_reader_1000s

At any rate, I could part with the cash, I just can't justify buying a reader at those prices, and I'm a linux-loving tinkering ebook geek.

[HarryT]

"Foreign" prices often fluctuate with exchange rates. Eg, Bookeen have adjusted the Sterling price of the CyBook several times as the pound to Euro exchange rate has changed.

[joblack]

Take a look at the declining dollar price (in relation to the dollar) - that will be the reason.

Originally Posted by davidspitzer

I think this deserves to be talked about in the main news forum - $860 is a $110 price increase on a already peak priced item in the field.

I'm sorry - I bought one at $750 and I thought that was really above a realistic price point. I have a very specialized need going to law school and being able to read large law texts while traveling.

$860 seems like an impossible price point to sell such a specialized product. I think people will end up turning to other solutions at that price point like tablet pc's or netbooks

I am not sure I understand Irex's strategy here. It may be costly to produce, but there is really very little profit to be had with hardware only now-a-days.

They should have sold the product at a loss if they had to, to get market penetration and worked out an attractive content distribution arrangement themselves or even with a partner - they have mobi support yes but it is weak and not nearly as integrated as the Sony or Amazon offering. The real profit is in the content. I fear Irex may be doing themselves in with these kind of moves and that just makes me a little sad, as I believe this technology has a lot of potential

Take Apple, whether you hate them or love them, IREX should to take a few pages from the Apple handbook on how to market to the masses. I hope they get their act together

[dadioflex]

Edit.

[Oletros]

Originally Posted by davidspitzer

Take Apple, whether you hate them or love them, IREX should to take a few pages from the Apple handbook on how to market to the masses. I hope they get their act together

Please, no, I prefer that iRex doesn't learn anything from Apple, one of the greedier companyes out there.

Specially for non USA countries

[ShellShock]

I imagine that if IREX sold at a loss then they would quickly be bankrupt--you need deep pockets for that kind of agressive marketing--like Microsoft, who I believe have subsidised hardware in the past (XBox etc).

[davidspitzer]

Originally Posted by ShellShock

I imagine that if IREX sold at a loss then they would quickly be bankrupt--you need deep pockets for that kind of agressive marketing--like Microsoft, who I believe have subsidised hardware in the past (XBox etc).

Yes but it either has to be a commodity like a pc and you sell a jillion of them or you make your money on content; kind of like getting the razor handle for practically free so you buy thier refills. My point is I do not see the long term economic sucess of this device based on hardware only. It is my ascertion that they should have had a better content system or partnership online before they released the device.

Raising the price on an already overpriced specialty item does not seem to be the way to penetrate the market place.

In terms of my apple comment, you may hate them but you can not argue with sucesss as people queue up in line to wait for thier next product. They can charge a premium for thier ipods, because they have a well thought out and comprehensive content distribution channel that locks thier customers to thier hardware (Itunes)

THe announcement today of Itunes going DRM free is a brilliant move becuase they have such a large market share that they took away thier competitors only differentiator.

Bottom line is that $860 is to much money without a good content hook. The only differentiator is the larger screen for PDF viewing, but i think that market is to small (even though I am one of them) to support the device long term

[ePossum]

In terms of my apple comment, you may hate them but you can not argue with sucesss as people queue up in line to wait for thier next product. They can charge a premium for thier ipods, because they have a well thought out and comprehensive content distribution channel that locks thier customers to thier hardware (Itunes)

I didn't but my ipod (1st gen nano) because of the distrbution channel - I bought it because I thought it was sexy!!! I was prepared to pay a bit extra for such a beautiful (and still functional) object. I'm sure I'm not the only person who bought an ipod for this reason (and remained oblivious to the mechanations of itunes)

Back to iRex - I personally don't think that their longevity is dependant on $100 dollar fluctuations in pricing, so much as on their ability to define a niche market, and consistantly strive to meet the needs of that market.