Sony thinks quality will win out (for them) - Page 3

calvin-c · 07-30-2010, 07:08 PM

I'm sure Sony has different units focused on different aspects of the market, but IMO they need to focus more on killing off the agency pricing model if they want their ereaders to sell. They might be right that consumer choice between ereaders might depend as much on quality as on price, but consumer choice between ereaders & paperbacks is the problem.

I used to spend several hundred dollars/year on ebooks-but in the last year I've spent only about $50-and don't expect to spend more in the future. Basically, I've switched back to paperbacks. Not because I like them better than ebooks, but because I can still buy them for a paperback price. ebooks at hardcover prices get a resounding NO from me.

SensualPoet · 07-30-2010, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennD

I'm mighty curious to see if Sony makes an announcement of some sort in the next few weeks. If they stay with what they have, I'll start to agree with the aim of this thread....but I think it's kind of pointless to compare a year old model with a product that is a month away from shipping.

That was a "milk through the nose" moment for me ... defending an early 2009 device (Sony PRS 300) against an Aug 2010 replacement model (Kindle 3 with updated higher contrast screen, wifi, free 3G, many other features) of a Oct 2009 (Kindle 2) device that was dramatically over-hauled in May 2010 (Kindle 2 with free international 3G etc). Amazon does not announce vapourware, unlike many other (smaller) players in the "gadget" industry.

Amazon has taken a page out of Apple's playbook: pre-announce a new device about a month ahead of the shipping date to stall sales of competitor devices. Honestly, knowing the Kindle 3 is coming out at $139 with WiFi on Aug 27, how many people are going to rush out to buy a Sony PRS 300, Kobo, Astak ... and might even pause considering the wifi only Nook?

Exactly how does Sony's "quality" win in this comparison?

And, not to sound churlish, but I have not noticed any complaints of Kindle build quality or lack of support when issues occur for individual customers. Amazon is "winning" the quality war by being "end-to-end" customer centric in customer care, core features, content, ongoing innovation. Without disparaging Sony, or Sony eReaders ... Amazon has consistently provided arguably better quality.

ZombieEatsYou · 07-30-2010, 09:47 PM

I had the binder my degree (not a HS degree, one of those big-a** bachelors binder/frame thingys) is in take a tumble and hit my 600 - hard enough to slightly dent the case. If I had a nook or kindle I guarantee it would have shattered it

J. Strnad · 07-30-2010, 09:58 PM

<<And, not to sound churlish, but I have not noticed any complaints of Kindle build quality or lack of support when issues occur for individual customers. Amazon is "winning" the quality war by being "end-to-end" customer centric in customer care, core features, content, ongoing innovation. Without disparaging Sony, or Sony eReaders ... Amazon has consistently provided arguably better quality.>>

Which is why it annoys me that they continue to trod the "exclusivity" track. If there were a single format available to all readers, Amazon would still get the lion's share of the business because of their selection and service.

Without this battle of formats, if we had one universal format (ePub) that everyone supported, and if a person could buy an ebook from Whoever and read it on their Whatever, Amazon could compete with B&N with Borders with Sony with Kobobooks, with individual bookstores, and they would grab the lion's share of the business because of their superior selection and service. The Kindle could compete with the nook with the Kobo with the Sony products on quality, features and price, and no one would have the motivation to sell at a loss to claim market share.

But no...greed wins out and the market is segmented and everyone has to sell their device at a loss in an insane "land grab" for market share that benefits no one, consumers least of all as we have to pick sides and limit our choices and accept crippled useability across devices, albeit devices we have picked up at unsustainably low prices.

Greed makes us stupid.

rblover · 07-30-2010, 10:17 PM

So-Davidspitzer-what is your gripe about Sony...price, programming...what? It seems that Sony can use more files in more formats, than anyone else. Have you had specific problems with downloading, or something? Why be vague?

fjtorres · 07-30-2010, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rblover

It seems that Sony can use more files in more formats, than anyone else.

Say what?!
Only if anybody else is nothing but Kobo and Kindle.

On file format support Sony is like third from the bottom.

delphidb96 · 07-30-2010, 11:24 PM

I'd much rather have ePub support on my K2 than have to get Yet Another Exclusive-file-format Device. But if I *do 'jump ship' it will be to a FAR BETTER device - or for ine that is incrementally better but has the same price point. From what I've seen, Sony is no better (other than the tank-heavy build) and costs far too much more.

boswd · 07-30-2010, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellmark

They're within $10 of their cheapest competition. Just because they aren't going to try and be the absolute cheapest does not mean they are committing suicide. And heck, some places sell the PRS300 for $139.99, matching the kindle price.

yes but with the Prs300 you are getting a smaller screen, no wireless, smaller internal memory. So why would I purchase that over a Kindle or a Nook for the same price?

astra · 07-31-2010, 05:03 AM

I love Sony's quality but I they lost the market this time.
6" ebook reader with new screen and wi-fi for £110? Noone is going to beat this deal. Including Sony. Unfortunately, they no longer boast superb quality too.
Their obsession with

Quote:

the only full touch-screen on the market

is their undoing.

The game is over.

SkyDream · 07-31-2010, 07:42 AM

If Sony didn't release a new exciting model by end of the year if think they are out of e-reader business.

(I believe) Amazon will release the Kindle DX Graphite with the new screen and new feature (unfortunately no ePub) and sell it international.
Other companies will follow with exciting new devices.

Sony ?
No new/better features for ages. You need to install 3rd party firmware to get new features.
No new/better hardware anytime soon.

So what about quality Sony ?

All PRS models are fine devices...a few years ago.

When K3 was announced i was excited about the new screen and the better software. Only the missing ePub support and the fact that i don't need a 3rd device kept me from pre-ordering. But a KDX3 may shift my mind and i'm not a quick buyer...

ProfCrash · 07-31-2010, 09:59 AM

The DXG already has the new screen and is available internationally. I would be surprised if the DXG is not upgraded to have the K3s new software features on the day of the K3 release.

Terisa de morgan · 07-31-2010, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Yeah, no wifi, but it really is a minor feature. Plus I'd say the use of epub is better, since you can buy from so many more places than with the kindle. Kindle, you're pretty much stuck with Amazon. Epub is all over the place.

Yes but... there're very few books that are published in ePub and not in Kindle (and usually they're DRM-free so, what's the matter?) And if we talk about prices in DRM-ed books, if Kobo has it and it's MMP originally, perhaps it will be cheaper. Unless that, Amazon usually has the lowest prices (altogether with B&N)

rogue_librarian · 07-31-2010, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

there're very few books that are published in ePub and not in Kindle

That might be true for the American market (not sure even there, but I wouldn't know), but it's not for the rest of the world.

Here in Europe such tentative steps as booksellers have taken it's all been epub. I'm speaking of the German market, mainly, but surely that's the case in Spain, too? Some people have made a serious investment in that file format, for them a Kindle is just not an option unless it supports it. The whole public library thing (epub only) has already been mentioned.

SkyDream · 07-31-2010, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

The DXG already has the new screen and is available internationally. I would be surprised if the DXG is not upgraded to have the K3s new software features on the day of the K3 release.

I'm just a few clicks away from buying a KDX but i'll wait and see if the software update will be available for the KDX too.

dsvick · 07-31-2010, 11:25 AM

I cant complain about the physical quality of my 900. I've only had it for about 6 months but so far so good. It does everything I bought it for and everything that the specs said it would. The biggest problem I've got is that it still does only what it did when I got it.

There has been no firmware or software updates, despite some issues that have been reported numerous times. There have been no updates of any sort. The nook, on the other hand, from what I've read, has had several updates. Sure a few of them have been to fix problems but there have been functionality additions as well.

I understand Sony, and other companies, don't want to give away updates when they can package them into a nice new reader and get people to buy an entire new device, but even a little something would be nice - just enough to show they haven't just stuck it on the market and forgotten about it.

And I'm only talking about the reader itself. You would think that they would notice that whenever someone mentions their software in a thread the very next post is almost invariably something along the lines of "You should check out Calibre". Are they not paying attention? Don't they care? Or are they that bad at communicating it? It is probably something of a combination of all 3.

Like I said, I love my 900, it is great, does exactly what I got it to do in exactly the way I thought it would. I'm still sure I made the right choice for my first reader without the benefit of knowing something of my usage requirements. I can safely say however, that my next reader most likely wont be Sony - not unless I see that they are making an effort.

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07-30-2010, 07:08 PM	#31
calvin-c Guru Posts: 787 Karma: 1575310 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Moon+ Pro	I'm sure Sony has different units focused on different aspects of the market, but IMO they need to focus more on killing off the agency pricing model if they want their ereaders to sell. They might be right that consumer choice between ereaders might depend as much on quality as on price, but consumer choice between ereaders & paperbacks is the problem. I used to spend several hundred dollars/year on ebooks-but in the last year I've spent only about $50-and don't expect to spend more in the future. Basically, I've switched back to paperbacks. Not because I like them better than ebooks, but because I can still buy them for a paperback price. ebooks at hardcover prices get a resounding NO from me.

07-30-2010, 09:47 PM	#33
ZombieEatsYou Groupie Posts: 176 Karma: 1001283 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Barricaded on the 2nd floor Device: Kindle Fire HD 7" & 8.9"/Sony PRS 950/Entourage eDGe/Acer A500	I had the binder my degree (not a HS degree, one of those big-a** bachelors binder/frame thingys) is in take a tumble and hit my 600 - hard enough to slightly dent the case. If I had a nook or kindle I guarantee it would have shattered it

07-30-2010, 09:58 PM	#34
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	<<And, not to sound churlish, but I have not noticed any complaints of Kindle build quality or lack of support when issues occur for individual customers. Amazon is "winning" the quality war by being "end-to-end" customer centric in customer care, core features, content, ongoing innovation. Without disparaging Sony, or Sony eReaders ... Amazon has consistently provided arguably better quality.>> Which is why it annoys me that they continue to trod the "exclusivity" track. If there were a single format available to all readers, Amazon would still get the lion's share of the business because of their selection and service. Without this battle of formats, if we had one universal format (ePub) that everyone supported, and if a person could buy an ebook from Whoever and read it on their Whatever, Amazon could compete with B&N with Borders with Sony with Kobobooks, with individual bookstores, and they would grab the lion's share of the business because of their superior selection and service. The Kindle could compete with the nook with the Kobo with the Sony products on quality, features and price, and no one would have the motivation to sell at a loss to claim market share. But no...greed wins out and the market is segmented and everyone has to sell their device at a loss in an insane "land grab" for market share that benefits no one, consumers least of all as we have to pick sides and limit our choices and accept crippled useability across devices, albeit devices we have picked up at unsustainably low prices. Greed makes us stupid.

07-30-2010, 10:17 PM	#35
rblover Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 26 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none as yet	So-Davidspitzer-what is your gripe about Sony...price, programming...what? It seems that Sony can use more files in more formats, than anyone else. Have you had specific problems with downloading, or something? Why be vague?

07-30-2010, 11:24 PM	#37
delphidb96 Wizard Posts: 2,999 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Citrus Heights, California Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V	I'd much rather have ePub support on my K2 than have to get Yet Another Exclusive-file-format Device. But if I *do 'jump ship' it will be to a FAR BETTER device - or for ine that is incrementally better but has the same price point. From what I've seen, Sony is no better (other than the tank-heavy build) and costs far too much more.

07-31-2010, 07:42 AM	#40
SkyDream Wizard Posts: 1,377 Karma: 9400 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Europe Device: PRS-650, iPod touch 4G, iPad 3	If Sony didn't release a new exciting model by end of the year if think they are out of e-reader business. (I believe) Amazon will release the Kindle DX Graphite with the new screen and new feature (unfortunately no ePub) and sell it international. Other companies will follow with exciting new devices. Sony ? No new/better features for ages. You need to install 3rd party firmware to get new features. No new/better hardware anytime soon. So what about quality Sony ? All PRS models are fine devices...a few years ago. When K3 was announced i was excited about the new screen and the better software. Only the missing ePub support and the fact that i don't need a 3rd device kept me from pre-ordering. But a KDX3 may shift my mind and i'm not a quick buyer...

07-31-2010, 09:59 AM	#41
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	The DXG already has the new screen and is available internationally. I would be surprised if the DXG is not upgraded to have the K3s new software features on the day of the K3 release.

07-31-2010, 11:25 AM	#45
dsvick Wizard Posts: 2,737 Karma: 635747 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northeast Ohio, USA Device: PRS-900	I cant complain about the physical quality of my 900. I've only had it for about 6 months but so far so good. It does everything I bought it for and everything that the specs said it would. The biggest problem I've got is that it still does only what it did when I got it. There has been no firmware or software updates, despite some issues that have been reported numerous times. There have been no updates of any sort. The nook, on the other hand, from what I've read, has had several updates. Sure a few of them have been to fix problems but there have been functionality additions as well. I understand Sony, and other companies, don't want to give away updates when they can package them into a nice new reader and get people to buy an entire new device, but even a little something would be nice - just enough to show they haven't just stuck it on the market and forgotten about it. And I'm only talking about the reader itself. You would think that they would notice that whenever someone mentions their software in a thread the very next post is almost invariably something along the lines of "You should check out Calibre". Are they not paying attention? Don't they care? Or are they that bad at communicating it? It is probably something of a combination of all 3. Like I said, I love my 900, it is great, does exactly what I got it to do in exactly the way I thought it would. I'm still sure I made the right choice for my first reader without the benefit of knowing something of my usage requirements. I can safely say however, that my next reader most likely wont be Sony - not unless I see that they are making an effort.

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