Review?

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by Alisa

In my humble opinion Amazon needs to start making some buzz about the Kindle. They have great visibility but they're not using it. I don't think most people have heard a single word about the upcoming launch.

Then again, since Amazon doesn't have a store presence, it might be to their advantage to let Sony legitimize the whole e-book reader concept for the mainstream market and get the chatter going. Then Amazon only has to sell its own unit by comparison. It no longer has to sell both the concept and the unit.

[NatCh]

Either way, Amazon is behaving rather oddly -- it's supposed to be 13 days til their launch and all we've heard is the launch date.

I would love to see Amazon and Sony make a whole lot of noise about e-books, nothing like a good clash of the titans to draw attention.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

Then again, since Amazon doesn't have a store presence, it might be to their advantage to let Sony legitimize the whole e-book reader concept for the mainstream market and get the chatter going. Then Amazon only has to sell its own unit by comparison. It no longer has to sell both the concept and the unit.

I do think a rising tide will lift all boats ultimately but if they're not going to support each other's formats then the choice of which reader is also a choice for many of which bookstore. That's the real revenue generator. I would imagine there is little or no profit on the readers even though it's a fairly big purchase for most consumers. We focus a lot on the choice of readers and many of us here are buying books without the DRM or downloading public domain works so that choice is less constricting. The consumer that I'm betting is the focus of their model is buying books at their bookstore and if they buy a 505 that bookstore is not Amazon.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by NatCh

Either way, Amazon is behaving rather oddly -- it's supposed to be 13 days til their launch and all we've heard is the launch date.

I would love to see Amazon and Sony make a whole lot of noise about e-books, nothing like a good clash of the titans to draw attention.

And we've heard about it because we're interested in ebooks. We're actively seeking out news. I don't think the average Amazon customer is even aware that this is coming.

[RalphTrickey]

Originally Posted by NatCh

Either way, Amazon is behaving rather oddly -- it's supposed to be 13 days til their launch and all we've heard is the launch date.

I would love to see Amazon and Sony make a whole lot of noise about e-books, nothing like a good clash of the titans to draw attention.

Was that even a confirmed date? I thought that was just a very good rumor.

[NatCh]

A point, that was just a very good rumor: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13756

October came from the NY Times, so it's probably reliable.

[High 5]

Originally Posted by NatCh

{snip}
I would love to see Amazon and Sony make a whole lot of noise about e-books, nothing like a good clash of the titans to draw attention.

The problem with that is that this market doesn't seem to have any real titans.
It seems to be more a matter of garden gnomes fighting over a small and rather smelly pond.
At this moment ebook readers are devices for gadget enthousiasts, hobbying programmers who need a challenge, a handfull of real ebook reading fanatics and a few executives who want impress their secretaries.

The titans will be clashing over an obscure device that more than 99% of your normal Joe's just shrug about and then forget because in their view reading an ebook means loading, formatting, converting, typesetting, swearing, startup, buttons, more swearing, waiting, charging, button pushing and scrolling, manual reading, updating, still even more swearing, calling repair centers, black/white only, huge initial costs, breaking nails and swearing.
"Right...get me my Donald Duck comic and stick that ebook stuff where the sun don't shine..."

No amount of noise is going to make a difference to that any time soon.

[Lloyd Harris]

Thanks for that - it made me laugh.

I have only had my Reader for a couple of weeks but have managed to keep things quite simple and straightforward. I have loaded a number of Sony's initial 'free classics' offer and a couple of the texts kindly downloaded onto this site. The operation of the Reader itself is also easy - and a pleasure to use. I am baffled by much of the techno chatter, but looking forward to the 'fix' which enables my Reader to make me a cup of tea in the morning!

My one concern is the lack of warranty - being in the UK

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by High 5

At this moment ebook readers are devices for gadget enthousiasts, hobbying programmers who need a challenge, a handfull of real ebook reading fanatics and a few executives who want impress their secretaries.

At this moment, that is more or less true. However, Sony and Amazon are clearly trying to change that. And while the world of e-books may presently be accurately described as a small, smelly pond, and Sony and Amazon are only slightly invested in the area relative to the rest of their endeavors, Sony and Amazon are both names that get notice from the average Joe. If those two start slugging it out over anything, even in a gnome-like fashion, people are likely to notice -- if only because they're such un-likely adversaries.

That's what I'm thinking, anyway.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by NatCh

At this moment, that is more or less true. However, Sony and Amazon are clearly trying to change that. And while the world of e-books may presently be accurately described as a small, smelly pond, and Sony and Amazon are only slightly invested in the area relative to the rest of their endeavors, Sony and Amazon are both names that get notice from the average Joe. If those two start slugging it out over anything, even in a gnome-like fashion, people are likely to notice -- if only because they're such un-likely adversaries.

That's what I'm thinking, anyway.

Let's not forget the recent Harlequin news, either. If they're successful, that could really change the demographics of the market.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Alisa

Let's not forget the recent Harlequin news, either. If they're successful, that could really change the demographics of the market.

From your lips to God's ears!

[yvanleterrible]

The companies responsible for eink and flexible screens are doing a good job with their prototype showings. They feature less intensive simple designs, in a certain way it's more a populist approach. They would have to be because their profit margins would depend more on units sold than exclusivity markets.

[High 5]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

The companies responsible for eink and flexible screens are doing a good job with their prototype showings.

We have been seeing those roll-up and/or a4 sized, easy-as-taking-a-leak prototypes for a few years now.
Newspapers absolutely love them whenever there is no real news around.
A nice picture with the ever so popular catchy title "Paper to disappear soon".
Usualy there's a few exclamation marks in the article itself.
Sometimes there is a labcoat type of chappie in the picture as well.
...he is smiling.

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

They feature less intensive simple designs, in a certain way it's more a populist approach. They would have to be because their profit margins would depend more on units sold than exclusivity markets.

They are like the cars you get on big motorshows, with an awfully high "O wow! I want to get me one of those!!" effect.
(There's the exclamation marks again, see?)
They are sleek, they are fast, cost effective, have two exhaust pipes and in of those you absolutely positively know you'll get the chicks.
They are also a con.

Study models they are called and one of the highly paid executives from the motorcompany itself is going to ride in them and he'll have one arm hanging loosely out of the window, the other arm around a supermodel of a very different kind.
The bastard!

The real model that will be coming out the next year has 6 cupholders, enough room for three kids and a dog, it has an adjustable ashtray and a cd-player as an optional extra.
It is also boring as hell and is mainly bought by secretaries who buy the thing because "it looks so cute in its standard pink colour and its ever so cheap".
You wouldn't want to be found dead in any one of them.

My point is ( I do tend to get lost in my own head, sorry) that even the big companies making ebookreaders mainly seem to do so as a study for integrating epaper in the devices that DO sell, like mobile phones.
We, the buyers take care of a little of the development cost.

Onwards towards colour epaper!!!
(stupid exclamation marks...)

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by High 5

We have been seeing those roll-up and/or a4 sized, easy-as-taking-a-leak prototypes for a few years now.
Newspapers absolutely love them whenever there is no real news around.
A nice picture with the ever so popular catchy title "Paper to disappear soon".
Usualy there's a few exclamation marks in the article itself.
Sometimes there is a labcoat type of chappie in the picture as well.
...he is smiling.



They are like the cars you get on big motorshows, with an awfully high "O wow! I want to get me one of those!!" effect.
(There's the exclamation marks again, see?)
They are sleek, they are fast, cost effective, have two exhaust pipes and in of those you absolutely positively know you'll get the chicks.
They are also a con.

Study models they are called and one of the highly paid executives from the motorcompany itself is going to ride in them and he'll have one arm hanging loosely out of the window, the other arm around a supermodel of a very different kind.
The bastard!

The real model that will be coming out the next year has 6 cupholders, enough room for three kids and a dog, it has an adjustable ashtray and a cd-player as an optional extra.
It is also boring as hell and is mainly bought by secretaries who buy the thing because "it looks so cute in its standard pink colour and its ever so cheap".
You wouldn't want to be found dead in any one of them.

My point is ( I do tend to get lost in my own head, sorry) that even the big companies making ebookreaders mainly seem to do so as a study for integrating epaper in the devices that DO sell, like mobile phones.
We, the buyers take care of a little of the development cost.

Onwards towards colour epaper!!!
(stupid exclamation marks...)

What!!! Don't ever downgrade exclamation points in front of me again!!?!!

What I mean is that a simple pure design (without cupholders ) means no fuss, no bells and whistles, even if the thing don't work now!!! Simplicity is a sign of 'not expensive' compared to 'tons of extras'. This is a good approach if you want to sell to Mr. Nocash, and a good way to bring a product to popularity. Take a look at the flexible display, it reminds me of a document protector, is that the look of something expensive? Simple is sold !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Images like that say 'Hey that's fantastic I can afford it because it looks ordinary'
S'all!!! Real simple!!!

[BKeeper]

Originally Posted by High 5

No amount of noise is going to make a difference to that any time soon.

Depends on how would you define soon.

Let's not forget that the rate at which technology becomes culture (the rate at which we incorporate gadgeds in a way that changes our life) is accelerating.

The examples are clear: cell phones, from luxury to commodity in 12 years and of course mp3 players (more precisely ipods), from nerds to Paris Hilton in 5 years.

It wouldn't take that much to change the market. going back to the ipod, the ipod hasn't been the end of the recording industry or the CD, that is not the point. The point is, the revolution is we know have access to milions of songs trough itunes. (I say it, even if I still hate DRM).

It is my understanding that you don't have to be a geek to purchase and read a book at the Connect store. The Amazon reader will be just as easy.

Release a good reader in the $ 100-200 range. Let publisher sign agreements with Amazon, Sony and bookeen to include coupons for discounted ebooks or readers in pbooks. (Amazon could easily do that).

Then content explosion will follow and the market will have changed, even if consumers habits will be slower to adapt.

My point is: do you really believe ituns song sales could exclusively justify the market shhift and the digital content explosion in the music industry?

Maybe in the end a noise and hype do play a role.

I for one am hopeful, hardware is almost ready, content and market are not that difficult.
(I say it and I have an iLiad.... boy am I hope-fool)