06-16-2011, 06:48 AM | #196 |
Wizard
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Don't care what anyone says - I love the PRS'S, but, as I've maintained ever since I got mine, now two, I believe Sony are the ones who will eventually ( if not have already ) kill Sony ereaders, and probably for reasons we will never know for sure.
It's just ridiculous.......... |
06-16-2011, 06:53 AM | #197 |
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What Sony does this next generation will decide their Reader fate (IMHO).
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06-16-2011, 07:23 AM | #198 |
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^ I am inclined to agree with this. The market I think has come to a point where they have to now decide to s*^& or get off the pot.
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06-16-2011, 09:24 AM | #199 |
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I think Sony may be working on a wifi reader for the next round and if they do it right with the latest ADE, good software interface, and a reasonable price, they could be poised to take over. But I think Sony will have to drop prices on the 6" reader.
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06-16-2011, 09:38 AM | #200 |
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^ For sure, lowered pricing is an absolute must. Their Apple style pricing is not gonna work, not in this market.
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06-16-2011, 10:08 AM | #201 |
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Absolutely. From strong anecdotal and empirical evidence, the hardware and design quality may go unnoticed by the majority of public, if the advertised feature set doesn't appear to justify the price difference.
Getting back to Netflix vs Blockbuster, the price was IMO even more of a factor than the individual laziness. At least for me it was. In the beginning I signed up to the $5.99/month one-at-home plan, thinking that even if I only rent two DVDs a month, I am already better off that getting them for $4 at Blockbuster. RedBox automatic rental kiosks appear to be doing quite well, and their only advantage over Blockbuster is the price. |
06-16-2011, 10:19 AM | #202 |
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^ My thinking was identical.
I jumped on the Netflix bandwagon right from the start. In NYC, the shipping turnaround times were excellent and I often was able to watch upwards of 4-5 movies on average every month, all for the initial low price [I believe it was also 5.99USD]. I think my record was 7 movies in one month for that price...I certainly was among those who got the most for their money from Netflix, all from the comfort of my computer desk. |
06-16-2011, 10:46 AM | #203 |
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To Rajs.
I'm basically saying that company's core competencies easily turn into core rigidities when a market experiences a paradigm shift. Companies good at adapting to the new market has a huge advantage. Not sure why you brought that sprint analogy up except as a rethorical tool, as it seems we agree on the main point besides semantics. Sony has a certain way of doing business. In the age of customer inteaction and social networking, seeing businesses going that extra mile to create a buzz and interact with their customer base. Sony's silence isn't serving them well, especially not in the face of all the speculation about them disinvesting themselves of retailers and stock. |
06-16-2011, 11:16 AM | #204 |
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It looks like the only ereader available on Sonystyle.com is the silver PRS 350, as of tdoay. Every other models are listed as out of stock. So it seems that the communal idea that Sony is clearing their stock is true. Wonder what's next.
On a related news, the idea that Sony avoiding the US market for ereader isn't that farfetched. On news relating to their tablet S1 and S2, http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/s...-in-september/ the tablets are going to be sold in Europe first, in the "Sony Direct, UK department store John Lewis, and a third still-unconfirmed retailer." Then sell to US and other parts of world later, they speculate. So is Sony pulling the same trick for Android, bypassing the glut of Android tablets in U.S.? Also, selling in specialized stores -- Sony plans to sell these as high-end Android tablets? I wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the same plan for the next line of ereaders. Otoh, the prices for the NGP, aka Playstation Vita, is surprisingly cheap. A complete turnaround from earlier PS sales plans. |
06-16-2011, 11:17 AM | #205 |
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I almost never rent movies, but even I keep thinking I should get a Netflix membership just because of the deeper selection. The "long tail" is the biggest advantage, and why I buy almost everything online these days. Whenever I set out to buy things in person at a brick-n-mortar store I am disappointed. Clothing, computer stuff, all my hobbies, pretty much anything I care deeply enough about - I have become extraordinarily picky, and the internet has allowed me to do that. Between mega-stores like Borders and B&N, used bookstores, libraries, etc, books have always had a longer tail than most marketplaces, even in the brick and mortar world, but the various eReaders make that tail longer still, with all the indy stuff, the backlists, etc.
At least for Americans, and for an increasing number of other countries, we swim in a sea of advertising and are culturally indoctrinated to define our identities through consumerism. You are what you buy, your life is a work of art defined by *things*. Not saying it's good, but it is what it is, and within that framework we all want that long tail, so we can feel unique, because we buy different stuff. The internet offers us that long tail, in spades. There will always be a place for Sony's ereaders out on that long tail, if they want it. Moving up from the tail is the hard part. |
06-16-2011, 12:13 PM | #206 | |
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Quote:
From my experience, it was retailers getting rid of stock and dumping Sony, due to the crass way Sony conducted their business with those retailers. (Who were already struggling with high prices for a device, although of high quality, without any of the gimmicks competitors have.) rather than Sony taking any sort of a cunning market strategy decision ! Add to that the general apparent lack of interest from Sony about the products, or it's customers, and the die was cast. Should Sony stay in the market, and now bring out a "world beating" reader, it's these retailers, and their customers, that Sony are going to have to persuade that they've changed their attitude and business model ! With all the flak that's been flying about, I think they would have a hard job. |
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06-16-2011, 12:17 PM | #207 |
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Something that I think may not have occurred to everyone yet: Sony may not consider the US market to be nearly as important as we do. For all we know may be planning to get the bulk of their profits from Asia and/or Europe, and the US market and consumers get lip service because in the bigger Sony scheme of things we're not as important?
If that is their assumption, that would explain a lot. |
06-16-2011, 12:36 PM | #208 |
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^ This is as good a guess as any. Maybe something akin to military strategy? Perhaps Sony sees the USA market as being lost to them already, what with Kindle and Nooks. So instead of waging a futile effort in a major way, they shift their primary focus to other global markets, where ereading hasn't become quite as engrained/popular...yet.
The world is bigger than USA after all This would fit nicely with the recent announcement from Sony about pairing up with [? company forgotten] in this area, possibly only for Japan/Asia. |
06-16-2011, 01:03 PM | #209 | ||
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06-16-2011, 01:45 PM | #210 | |
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