Questions for Kobo CEO for interview wanted - Page 2

jasonfedelem · 06-24-2010, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike_bike_kite

Price was their main selling point - so what's their plan now that a Nook can be bought for the same money? and seeing that the market is moving so quickly at the moment - how sure are they that this plan will still be competitive by the time they implement it?

Esp when the Nook has wi-fi at the same price.

J. Strnad · 06-24-2010, 08:19 PM

If you consider wi-fi a desirable feature. Once again, you're buying into the "more features is better" idea. Personally, I don't have any interest at all in wi-fi on my Kobo, and I definitely don't want an LCD screen at the bottom cluttering it up and sapping battery power.

It's like not wanting mayonnaise on my sandwich. I don't care if it's free, I don't want it. I want NOT to have it!

But I see your point and that of the people who said, "Kobo got press because it was much cheaper. Now it isn't much cheaper. So where does Kobo go from here?"

SensualPoet · 06-24-2010, 09:19 PM

J Strnad -- I whole-heartedly concur. Kobo's strength is it is simple. It delivers a superb 6" e-ink reading experience ... ePub from Kobo, other ePub vendors, and the public library. The bookstore is reasonably robust. The device fits comfortably in the hand and is very lightweight. Yes, you can't tweet on it ... or, to put it another way, exactly! You can't tweet on it!

Let me repeat: Kobo's strength is it is simple. And, you now what? That's actually worth something. "Cheaper" isn't everything. But, hey! In Kobo's case ... it still is.

ATimson · 06-24-2010, 11:37 PM

1) Are there any plans to work with their retail partners (especially Borders) to add gift card support?

2) Why are some titles priced differently between Borders' app and directly through Kobo? (I've seen both cheaper & more expensive.)

jasonfedelem · 06-25-2010, 10:42 AM

That's interesting. I never considered that some people might not want wi-fi, so I guess the Kobo serves y'all's interests well.

I'm a wi-fi junkie so that is important to me. Wish the Kindle had it, but I'll settle for whispernet.

pholy · 06-25-2010, 10:56 AM

It would be neat if I could Bluetooth from my computer, but I always want to keep a copy of the book on my own computer, so wifi to the device doesn't interest me.

Zyzomys · 06-25-2010, 12:37 PM

Are they going to add a dictionary to the Kobo? I almost bought one the other day at Chapters, but changed my mind when I discovered there was no dictionary. This is a real selling point for me. Of course when I got home I discovered that both the Nook and Kindle had dropped their prices - and both have dictionaries!

J. Strnad · 06-25-2010, 03:52 PM

I was wondering how a dictionary could be implemented with the Kobo's buttons. You'd have to be able to select a word, which means adding a cursor and some way to move it around and select text.

Once text was selected you could assign one of the side buttons to open the dictionary, or maybe a quick double-click with the center button would work.

But I can see that it's something that seems to demand more than a firmware upgrade, mainly because you have to somehow select text.

corona · 06-26-2010, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

If you consider wi-fi a desirable feature. Once again, you're buying into the "more features is better" idea. Personally, I don't have any interest at all in wi-fi on my Kobo, and I definitely don't want an LCD screen at the bottom cluttering it up and sapping battery power.

It's like not wanting mayonnaise on my sandwich. I don't care if it's free, I don't want it. I want NOT to have it!

Sorry if I'm a little off topic, but it's too good a point to pass up!

BenLee · 06-26-2010, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

If you consider wi-fi a desirable feature. Once again, you're buying into the "more features is better" idea. Personally, I don't have any interest at all in wi-fi on my Kobo, and I definitely don't want an LCD screen at the bottom cluttering it up and sapping battery power.

It's like not wanting mayonnaise on my sandwich. I don't care if it's free, I don't want it. I want NOT to have it!

But I see your point and that of the people who said, "Kobo got press because it was much cheaper. Now it isn't much cheaper. So where does Kobo go from here?"

Hmm.... Never knew that some people would really really NOT want certain features on their device if it didn't take away from the main functions. So you're saying for instance if you could turn off the wifi and the LCD screen, but have the OPTION to turn it on, you really wouldn't want to have those features on there for no additional cost.

Personally, I want as many features the device can fit, twitter and all, but only if I have the option of configuring it so that I could turn my device into a Kobo if I wanted to.

corona · 06-26-2010, 12:58 PM

Hardware can be bloated, too! (But then I own a car with almost half a million km on it.)

mike_bike_kite · 06-26-2010, 04:18 PM

I guess the question is do you mind paying as much for a simple device as for one with all the bells and whistles. I don't mind simplicity if it comes in at a cheap price and while $149 used to be cheap, it sadly just isn't any more.

Adding dictionaries and other "standard" features will please those that already own a Kobo but most new buyers would just expect these features as standard anyway.

Could they try moving to open source for the firmware (open inkpot perhaps) and then encourage applications writers by supplying an SDK - this would save costs and might produce some innovation. Then they could try dropping the price to $99 and offering some sort of limited deal on ebooks to get people hooked into purchasing ebooks - say 50% off any ebook for 6 months. Reducing the prices of all ebooks might not be a bad idea also. They need to do something drastic otherwise they'll soon be a memory.

J. Strnad · 06-26-2010, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenLee

Hmm.... Never knew that some people would really really NOT want certain features on their device if it didn't take away from the main functions. So you're saying for instance if you could turn off the wifi and the LCD screen, but have the OPTION to turn it on, you really wouldn't want to have those features on there for no additional cost.

Personally, I want as many features the device can fit, twitter and all, but only if I have the option of configuring it so that I could turn my device into a Kobo if I wanted to.

Depends.

I definitely don't want an LCD screen at the bottom of my reader. It adds weight and size even when off, and uses battery power when it's on.

The functionality of wi-fi pretty much requires a keyboard, either real or vitual, and now we're back to adding weight and size and putting more stress on the battery.

Also, the features you don't want invariably get in the way of the ones you do. I hate that my cell phone does all kinds of crap that I don't care about because it clutters the screen and stuff is always popping up that I have to get rid of before making a call.

I agree, though, that the bare bones Kobo needs to come down in price to complete for most people's attention.

I know that I am not the norm, being of the "less is more" philosophy, but that's how I've become in the rest of my life, too. I'm generally getting rid of stuff rather than adding more, in balance. The Kobo (or any other ereader) frees up a lot of space and gets rid of a lot of clutter.

SensualPoet · 06-26-2010, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

I know that I am not the norm, being of the "less is more" philosophy, but that's how I've become in the rest of my life, too. I'm generally getting rid of stuff rather than adding more, in balance. The Kobo (or any other ereader) frees up a lot of space and gets rid of a lot of clutter.

Actually, I'm not so sure you are in such a "minority". Life is complicated enough for many of us. Television promises a 500 channel universe -- but how do you figure out what's on? If you have a headache, there are dozens of choices over the counter medicines at the pharmacy ... but which is the best choice for you? And which is the best pharmacy for price or advice? OMG: do I now have to think about how well my pharmacist's IT department is at keeping my records private?

"Less is more" works for a lot of people: I just want to do "x" ... I don't want to take a five week course to learn how to turn on my computer (or my X-box) or send an e-mail. This group's mantra: I lead a complicated, busy life - I don't care for, and don't have time for, all that other stuff. The corollary is: "I don't want to pay for all that extra stuff I'll never use and you are forcing me to buy". A suspicion: Extra features = extra cost. There is a day of reckoning coming in many areas of consumer technology.

And it's not that consumers don't want choice: of course they do. And one of those choices is to simplify their lives, not complicate them further. "Empowerment" isn't just having 20 more options or features ... it's also about having just one that saves time and money. Given that choice, you'd be surprised how often a consumer is willing to make a trade-off.

For many, the $50 mp3 player is a better choice than an iPod. ("Geez. I just use the thing when I'm running or at the gym. Light, portable, cheap, basic random play; no brainer to load or charge. Touch screen? Yah, right, like I need to pay for that!")

The real opportunity here is for a leading brand, like Amazon's Kindle, to develop three or four products meeting wide swathes of consumers. Imagine a Kindle that has the basics (think Kobo), with nothing but e-ink, very basic library management, and 3G technology simply for buying and syncing. Then, a Kindle 2ish product, for more money, which layers on more features as it does today. Then a Kindle DXish product, for more money, larger screen, and better handling of files like pdfs. Finally, a colour Kindle DX 2 which handles magazine and colour newspaper content well ... that doesn't deliver a full iPad video experience but sellss at around half the cost. The overall brand, bookstore, customer service can be leveraged to best address each consumer segment with the experience each is willing to pay for.

So far, we've seen only single, or at best two tier, products from any brand: and that includes Amazon, Sony, B&N, Aztak, Apple. The needs of college kids with access to content AND the ability to take notes; the needs of older consumers who value library interaction; the needs of mainstream, not cutting edge early adopters, who are concerned that "it just works" but are willing to push the envelope somewhat ... who speaks for them? Lot's of promises of "next best thing" from existing players and countless wannabes ... but no manufacturer today offers a wide range of solutions to really storm the category and hold it.

Including something for the (substantially statistically large) "less is more" consumer.

afa · 06-27-2010, 12:37 AM

I was considering the Kobo as recently as a couple of weeks ago, also falling into the category of people who don't feel the need to spend money for a few extra features. With the price drop, however, I feel buying the Kobo now no longer makes a lot of sense. I wasn't willing to pay an extra $110 for the nook before, but with the price being identical, more features does, indeed, equal better, at least for me. Simply put, it's better value for money, which is never a bad approach.

I agree, however, with what SensualPoet said about choice. Manufacturers -- particularly the larger ones like Amazon, B&N and Sony -- should offer more variety to consumers. The Kindle is a perfect example. At $189 you have quite a good reader with a strong feature-set (apart from poor format support), then you have the DX for nearly triple the price,* and nothing in between.

* Well, it's more like 2.6 times the price. But still...

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06-24-2010, 08:19 PM	#17
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	If you consider wi-fi a desirable feature. Once again, you're buying into the "more features is better" idea. Personally, I don't have any interest at all in wi-fi on my Kobo, and I definitely don't want an LCD screen at the bottom cluttering it up and sapping battery power. It's like not wanting mayonnaise on my sandwich. I don't care if it's free, I don't want it. I want NOT to have it! But I see your point and that of the people who said, "Kobo got press because it was much cheaper. Now it isn't much cheaper. So where does Kobo go from here?"

06-24-2010, 09:19 PM	#18
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	J Strnad -- I whole-heartedly concur. Kobo's strength is it is simple. It delivers a superb 6" e-ink reading experience ... ePub from Kobo, other ePub vendors, and the public library. The bookstore is reasonably robust. The device fits comfortably in the hand and is very lightweight. Yes, you can't tweet on it ... or, to put it another way, exactly! You can't tweet on it! Let me repeat: Kobo's strength is it is simple. And, you now what? That's actually worth something. "Cheaper" isn't everything. But, hey! In Kobo's case ... it still is.

06-24-2010, 11:37 PM	#19
ATimson Evangelist Posts: 456 Karma: 1044878 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 4	1) Are there any plans to work with their retail partners (especially Borders) to add gift card support? 2) Why are some titles priced differently between Borders' app and directly through Kobo? (I've seen both cheaper & more expensive.)

06-25-2010, 10:42 AM	#20
jasonfedelem Zealot Posts: 118 Karma: 202232 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Texas Device: Kindle Paperwhite Gen2	That's interesting. I never considered that some people might not want wi-fi, so I guess the Kobo serves y'all's interests well. I'm a wi-fi junkie so that is important to me. Wish the Kindle had it, but I'll settle for whispernet.

06-25-2010, 10:56 AM	#21
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	It would be neat if I could Bluetooth from my computer, but I always want to keep a copy of the book on my own computer, so wifi to the device doesn't interest me.

06-25-2010, 12:37 PM	#22
Zyzomys Hooked on Phonics Posts: 122 Karma: 24 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Ottawa, Canada Device: Kindle	Are they going to add a dictionary to the Kobo? I almost bought one the other day at Chapters, but changed my mind when I discovered there was no dictionary. This is a real selling point for me. Of course when I got home I discovered that both the Nook and Kindle had dropped their prices - and both have dictionaries!

06-25-2010, 03:52 PM	#23
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	I was wondering how a dictionary could be implemented with the Kobo's buttons. You'd have to be able to select a word, which means adding a cursor and some way to move it around and select text. Once text was selected you could assign one of the side buttons to open the dictionary, or maybe a quick double-click with the center button would work. But I can see that it's something that seems to demand more than a firmware upgrade, mainly because you have to somehow select text.

06-26-2010, 12:58 PM	#26
corona Addict Posts: 324 Karma: 25168 Join Date: May 2010 Device: kobo	Hardware can be bloated, too! (But then I own a car with almost half a million km on it.)

06-26-2010, 04:18 PM	#27
mike_bike_kite Digitally confused Posts: 500 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: London, UK Device: KPW, K2i, Nexus 7 32gb, Kobo Mini	I guess the question is do you mind paying as much for a simple device as for one with all the bells and whistles. I don't mind simplicity if it comes in at a cheap price and while $149 used to be cheap, it sadly just isn't any more. Adding dictionaries and other "standard" features will please those that already own a Kobo but most new buyers would just expect these features as standard anyway. Could they try moving to open source for the firmware (open inkpot perhaps) and then encourage applications writers by supplying an SDK - this would save costs and might produce some innovation. Then they could try dropping the price to $99 and offering some sort of limited deal on ebooks to get people hooked into purchasing ebooks - say 50% off any ebook for 6 months. Reducing the prices of all ebooks might not be a bad idea also. They need to do something drastic otherwise they'll soon be a memory.

06-27-2010, 12:37 AM	#30
afa The Forgotten Posts: 1,136 Karma: 4689999 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Dubai Device: Kindle Paperwhite; Nook HD; Sony Xperia Z3 Compact	I was considering the Kobo as recently as a couple of weeks ago, also falling into the category of people who don't feel the need to spend money for a few extra features. With the price drop, however, I feel buying the Kobo now no longer makes a lot of sense. I wasn't willing to pay an extra $110 for the nook before, but with the price being identical, more features does, indeed, equal better, at least for me. Simply put, it's better value for money, which is never a bad approach. I agree, however, with what SensualPoet said about choice. Manufacturers -- particularly the larger ones like Amazon, B&N and Sony -- should offer more variety to consumers. The Kindle is a perfect example. At $189 you have quite a good reader with a strong feature-set (apart from poor format support), then you have the DX for nearly triple the price,* and nothing in between. * Well, it's more like 2.6 times the price. But still...

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