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Old 07-30-2010, 10:45 AM   #1
davidspitzer
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Unhappy Sony thinks quality will win out (for them)

Well goodbye Sony - I enjoyed your efforts in the ebook market. Sony ebook in my opinion are no more and in some ways are less in terms of quality then the a Nook or a Kindle. Oh, Sony what is up with your marketing department?


http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/30/s...kindle-intend/
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Old 07-30-2010, 10:56 AM   #2
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Sony's way of differentiate itself from the other electronic manufacturers has always been about quality and design. It's what make up the SONY brand. When people looks at SONY they think of quality. By sacrifice on quality, it's risk to loose that image.

It could be a good strategy but can also be a really bad one in an environment where everyone are looking for cheaper price.
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Old 07-30-2010, 10:57 AM   #3
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"innovate the hell out of those leatherette cases"

Glad I wasn't drinking when I read that or it would have come out my nose.
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Old 07-30-2010, 10:59 AM   #4
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"innovate the hell out of those leatherette cases"

Glad I wasn't drinking when I read that or it would have come out my nose.:laugh:

you mean a :snortle:
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Old 07-30-2010, 10:59 AM   #5
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Time warp.
They're stuck in 2008.
The problem with being a close follower is that sometimes the market leaders put on the afterburners. They're trying to paper over the fact that they have no answer at hand for the new Nook/Kindle models so they harumph and pretend it's beneath them. (When nature gives you lemos, you pretend you like lemonade.)

Sony relies overmuch on brand loyalty and it works to an extent.
But relying on brand loyalties and adoring fans blinds you to the reality that other companies also make quality products. And *they* aren't blind to the shifting sands of an expanding marketplace.

A lot of people expect Sony to intro new hardware this fall. Maybe even with the pearl screens. But if Sony thinks they can rely on new screens and brand loyalty to let them position themselves as a Premium brand they're in for a rude awakening:

Lost in all the K3 price-and-screen hype was a little quote from Bezos on how they intend to get Kindle into *new venues* besides Target and the airport Kiosks. Translation: Kindles at retail. (And Nooks at retail, too.)

Which means people will see the Kindle and Nook screens as readily as the Sony screens.
And they'll see the prices. If Sony's prices aren't in line, the sales won't be either.

Sony's currently at number three and bucking for number five if they keep their head in the timewarp.
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:04 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by OrcaBlue View Post
Sony's way of differentiate itself from the other electronic manufacturers has always been about quality and design. It's what make up the SONY brand. When people looks at SONY they think of quality. By sacrifice on quality, it's risk to loose that image.
Yes, but they also have to deliver that quality. At the moment they do so on build quality and style, but are lagging behind on memory, ePub firmware support, battery life (given the figures quoted for page turns), page turn speed, font sizes, let alone additional features such as TTS and audio.

After making this statement the next Sonys need to be a real step forward - which would be great to see, if so.

Graham

Last edited by Graham; 07-30-2010 at 11:06 AM. Reason: Inserted the relevant quote
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:05 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by mrscoach View Post
"innovate the hell out of those leatherette cases"

Glad I wasn't drinking when I read that or it would have come out my nose.
It's funny/snarky, but not even that would do any good: even there they are trailing badly already.
http://www.geeksugar.com/New-Kindle-...ndle-3-9583419
http://www.ebookreaderguide.com/2010...ers-and-cases/
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:10 AM   #8
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When a device becomes obsolete in less than a year (my PRS-700) and there is no attempt to maintain the firmware on that device, I'm not even sure that quality is going to be a consideration in my next purchase.
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:11 AM   #9
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Over all, I prefer to have many competitors in a market. It gives consumer's choice and promote innovations. With IREX gone, I would say it is a sad day indeed. I would like to see SONY, Barnes and Nobles, and Borders stay competitive.

Each readers has its own unique features. This allows consumers to pick the readers that fit their needs. I wouldn't want to see Amazon to be the only one in town.
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:13 AM   #10
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When a device becomes obsolete in less than a year (my PRS-700) and there is no attempt to maintain the firmware on that device, I'm not even sure that quality is going to be a consideration in my next purchase.
It true PRS-700 owners got the short end of it. SONY should have let them to trade in for PRS-600 with a big discount.

Last edited by OrcaBlue; 07-30-2010 at 11:15 AM.
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:20 AM   #11
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If Sony want's to compete on quality it has to be quality overall, not just the perceived quality of the physical device. They need to get their software into shape on both the desktop and reader side of things. They need to make their readers Mercedes and Porsches compared to B&N and Amazon's Fords and Chevys. Right now the only thing they have is the perception that they're higher quality because of the metal casing while everyone else is plastic. There's certainly room for a higher tiered group of readers and Sony can fill that.


On the bookstore side of things I think they should open it up so you don't have to use their software to buy books. I know plenty of people who avoid buying there simply because they don't want anything to do with Sony's software.
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:23 AM   #12
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Sony used to own the high quality and design market for consumer electronics. Someone else has taken that chair
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:30 AM   #13
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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.
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:45 AM   #14
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Sony used to own the high quality and design market for consumer electronics. Someone else has taken that chair
But do we really know that someone is Amazon? Has anyone actually used one of the final, production K3s yet? For all we know, Amazon really did have to skimp on quality, and use cheap parts to get the price-point down to where they did. When the Sony PRS-700 was announced there was a whole lot of excitement here - the light and the touch screen were considered serious advances.....until we actually had them in our hands. I'd like to see some reviews a month or so from now when real units get out there.

Sony has always done well with quality and I think they've really kept their ear to the ground as far as features. The touch screens are great interfaces, the build quality is excellent, they added a dictionary as customers requested, they added Epub support - even to models as far back as the original PRS-500. They have a variety of options for screen size and price point (and beat Amazon to the sub-$150 point). They DID slip up on the PRS-700, but recovered quickly (although I'm one of those owners that wishes they would acknowledge that the 700 DOES exist and could use some firmware love). And at least the 700 flubbed because they were trying to move forward, not because they were sitting pat.

Don't get me wrong - Amazon appears to have a major winner on their hands - one of the lowest prices around, the first use of a new generation of e-ink screen, and Whispernet is still a major advantage (at least for one segment of the market). I'm just not ready to count Sony out because Amazon beat them to the punch with their new model announcement. I AM curious though because to my knowledge we haven't even heard rumors of any new Sony models this year.
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Old 07-30-2010, 11:48 AM   #15
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But do we really know that someone is Amazon?
Oh, I was talking about Apple
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