Look how far we've come .... 8D

NatCh · 11-06-2006, 03:21 PM

First let me be clear that I don't mean these comments in any sort of snide or disparaging manner, 'cause I can see that they might come across that way, and I'd like to avoid confusion and offense that I don't intend.

That being said, I find the situation we're now in genuinely amusing.

Before the Reader came out, a majority of folks on MR were concerned primarily with the hardware, and whether it would be 'open' enough to allow free range of usage. Folks were doubtful about what formats it would use, and whether we'd be able to have any access to the OS/software. And almost all the comment on the content Sony was going to offer was in the vein of, "I won't use it, and they really shouldn't offer content and hardware both, as it's a disincentive to them to be responsive to the customers about either."

Now we've gotten our collective mitts on the thing, confirmed that we can use a fair (if small) range of file types, concluded that it's generally a dandy piece of hardware and the onboard software is fine, but not great, and already done a yeoman's job of hacking it (thanks to a truly gifted and clever few in particular -- you know who you are, there are enough of you that I won't do a list for fear of leaving someone out -- my hat is off to you).

So what are we concerned about now? Nothing other than the online store and the content in it that we were sure we wouldn't use, and they shouldn't offer in the first place. That just strikes me as funny.

I'm not trying to suggest that there aren't problems with the Connect Store or with the quality of some of it's offerrings, but I have to appreciate the irony of us now being most concerned with the parts of the package we were sure we didn't want and wouldn't use.

Laurens · 11-06-2006, 05:00 PM

Live and learn.

yvanleterrible · 11-07-2006, 11:43 AM

The $50.00 coupon was a masterful move. Anybody saw it coming? I'll say also, without trying to hurt, that facility often is an entrapment marketers use.

NatCh · 11-07-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

The $50.00 coupon was a masterful move

Good point, yvanleterrible, I think the Marketing folks' comment on it was something like, "the first taste is free!"

ChrisAllenFiz · 11-08-2006, 10:36 AM

The main points here are that

1) Once my free allowance is used I won`t be buying anything else because of the poor content, high prices, abysmal search, errors in book, etc. I`ll be providing my own content

2) Without a decent connect store the reader is pretty much useless for all but the geeks, and therefore is less likely to be updated as sales taper off.

yvanleterrible · 11-08-2006, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisAllenFiz

The main points here are that

1) Once my free allowance is used I won`t be buying anything else because of the poor content, high prices, abysmal search, errors in book, etc. I`ll be providing my own content

2) Without a decent connect store the reader is pretty much useless for all but the geeks, and therefore is less likely to be updated as sales taper off.

Maybe!
Being a regular internet shopper myself I can tell you that having an account in a virtual store makes it very very easy to surrender to temptation!! They're betting on this. If it works to 30% of account posessors, they're laughing all the way to the internet bank!

Alexander Turcic · 11-11-2006, 05:48 AM

I think it's just a seasonal change... Winter is approaching, with gloomy afternoons and dark early evenings. Right now I feel it's much easier to complain about things than to have constructive thoughts. Wait till it's Christmas time, and things should improve again...

Cthulhu · 11-11-2006, 08:53 PM

Alexander:

I am quite keen to see what the results after Christmas are. Then we'll see how many non-geek folks think enough of the Reader to purchase them as gifts for their friends & loved ones. Further, it will have been a few months since Forum members first got their toys.

11-06-2006, 03:21 PM	#1
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Look how far we've come .... 8D First let me be clear that I don't mean these comments in any sort of snide or disparaging manner, 'cause I can see that they might come across that way, and I'd like to avoid confusion and offense that I don't intend. That being said, I find the situation we're now in genuinely amusing. Before the Reader came out, a majority of folks on MR were concerned primarily with the hardware, and whether it would be 'open' enough to allow free range of usage. Folks were doubtful about what formats it would use, and whether we'd be able to have any access to the OS/software. And almost all the comment on the content Sony was going to offer was in the vein of, "I won't use it, and they really shouldn't offer content and hardware both, as it's a disincentive to them to be responsive to the customers about either." Now we've gotten our collective mitts on the thing, confirmed that we can use a fair (if small) range of file types, concluded that it's generally a dandy piece of hardware and the onboard software is fine, but not great, and already done a yeoman's job of hacking it (thanks to a truly gifted and clever few in particular -- you know who you are, there are enough of you that I won't do a list for fear of leaving someone out -- my hat is off to you). So what are we concerned about now? Nothing other than the online store and the content in it that we were sure we wouldn't use, and they shouldn't offer in the first place. That just strikes me as funny. I'm not trying to suggest that there aren't problems with the Connect Store or with the quality of some of it's offerrings, but I have to appreciate the irony of us now being most concerned with the parts of the package we were sure we didn't want and wouldn't use.

11-06-2006, 05:00 PM	#2
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	Live and learn.

11-07-2006, 11:43 AM	#3
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	The $50.00 coupon was a masterful move. Anybody saw it coming? I'll say also, without trying to hurt, that facility often is an entrapment marketers use.

11-08-2006, 10:36 AM	#5
ChrisAllenFiz Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 173 Join Date: Oct 2006	The main points here are that 1) Once my free allowance is used I won`t be buying anything else because of the poor content, high prices, abysmal search, errors in book, etc. I`ll be providing my own content 2) Without a decent connect store the reader is pretty much useless for all but the geeks, and therefore is less likely to be updated as sales taper off.

11-11-2006, 05:48 AM	#7
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	I think it's just a seasonal change... Winter is approaching, with gloomy afternoons and dark early evenings. Right now I feel it's much easier to complain about things than to have constructive thoughts. Wait till it's Christmas time, and things should improve again...

11-11-2006, 08:53 PM	#8
Cthulhu Technologist Posts: 488 Karma: 585237 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: I'm between Cities Device: SONY Reader PRS-500	Alexander: I am quite keen to see what the results after Christmas are. Then we'll see how many non-geek folks think enough of the Reader to purchase them as gifts for their friends & loved ones. Further, it will have been a few months since Forum members first got their toys.

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