Everyone Wants a Kindle - For $50

[pilotbob]

I think alot more is needed than a good price... I think $99 or so will be the sweet spot there.

But, screen clarity has to improve and yes color with speed as good as the monochrome stuff, and weight, battery life and durability. Then content has to much improve....

Of course, as tablet PC's improve and eBooks reader improve they will start to converge on each other. As someone posted on another thread, take a look at the fabled Crunchpad project.

BOb

[Lo Zeno]

Originally Posted by Teyrnon

Hmm, sure but what kind of features would a $50 reader have?

It depends on "when".
As time goes by and technology gets cheaper (it always gets cheaper), features will cost less and less. I paid my first mobile phone, years ago, three times more than my current mobile, and my current mobile has twice the features the first had.

So, I think, a reader paid $50 in 2011 will just have the "next page" and "previous page" button and read just 2 formats, while a reader paid $50 in 2020 will have even wireless and dictionary support, and ability to tak notes.

For color e-ink and touch screen, add another $100 to the bunch not because that's what they will cost but because for the last years "add touch screen" has always meant "add $100" (or "add €100 in europe"

[basschick]

i must be missing somethint. the apple products i am aware of always cost more than the competition - the iPod, iPhone, their laptops and desktops all cost more than other brands' good quality offerings.

Originally Posted by carlobee

this is very true! Apple has successfully and strategically priced its products so as to reach a majority of the market. they have even captured the third-world countries because of this strategy.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by basschick

i must be missing somethint. the apple products i am aware of always cost more than the competition - the iPod, iPhone, their laptops and desktops all cost more than other brands' good quality offerings.

Yes, that's my opinion too. I don't understand Apple like an example for cheap prices.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Yes, that's my opinion too. I don't understand Apple like an example for cheap prices.

I thought it was meant ironically. Apple products aren't "cheap".

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by Ea

I thought it was meant ironically. Apple products aren't "cheap".

Tell me about it, I want a new IPOD Touch but the lowest they go for is $229 at the Apple store and I can't bring myself to pay that. I would buy it at $150, eventhough, I think that's still expensive.

Originally Posted by Lilly

Tell me about it, I want a new IPOD Touch but the lowest they go for is $229 at the Apple store and I can't bring myself to pay that. I would buy it at $150, eventhough, I think that's still expensive.

Yet you have a $300 Sony and a $370 Kindle... I guess you value those more even though they are less versatile.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Tell me about it, I want a new IPOD Touch but the lowest they go for is $229 at the Apple store and I can't bring myself to pay that. I would buy it at $150, eventhough, I think that's still expensive.

You could get yourself a new Zune HD.... although I don't think the have nearly the facilities of an iPod touch. The iPod touch is the best PDA and hand help gaming machine out there these days without going full smart phone. It also plays music files I think.

BOb

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

The iPod touch is the best PDA and hand help gaming machine out there these days without going full smart phone.

While its game capabilities are pretty decent since its a secondary feature of the device, its nowhere near as good as a psp or nintendo ds due to the limited nature of the control system.

[mikaelalind]

One scenario that I read about in a Swedish Paper was that you pay, let's say 1 euro for the reader, but then you pay 14 euro every month, and get's access to all the books older than a year, and if you wanted recently released books you had to pay extra. It is a good idea, but I am not sure it will work.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by mikaelalind

One scenario that I read about in a Swedish Paper was that you pay, let's say 1 euro for the reader, but then you pay 14 euro every month, and get's access to all the books older than a year, and if you wanted recently released books you had to pay extra. It is a good idea, but I am not sure it will work.

True. Americans will never accept that European funny-money, particularly if they mistake the 1 Euro coin for a Canadian $2 coin.

- Ahi

[mikaelalind]

Originally Posted by ahi

True. Americans will never accept that European funny-money, particularly if they mistake the 1 Euro coin for a Canadian $2 coin.

- Ahi

Oh I know. I think the plan was to implement it in Sweden, but if other countries want to follow, I think that is possible.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by mikaelalind

Oh I know. I think the plan was to implement it in Sweden, but if other countries want to follow, I think that is possible.

He he. I was joking, you know!

I think it's actually a brilliant idea. Perhaps the moratorium should be not 1 year, but 2-3 or maybe as much as 5... but the basic concept is brilliant!

It gives publishers ample opportunity to make big bucks immediately after publication, and long-term (potentially perpetual) profits (proportional to readership, one would hope) on no longer fresh-and-new books that are all but freely handed over to the reading public.

- Ahi