Quote:
Originally Posted by FlorenceArt
Basically, you have to choose between Amazon and other stores. I hate Amazon for forcing us to make that choice, but I have to admit that for English language books, they have an incredible selection, and their website, search engine, and reader feedback functionalities are unequalled.
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1- The reason the Kindle environment is so smoothly integrated and simple to use is because it is a closed environment. TINSTAAFL. Everything has a price.
2- People forget Amazon set their business model in place and started shipping Kindles *before* there was an ePub annointed "standard". Unlike Sony, they've seen no reason to abandon a business model that works just to get people to "like" them. So far, there doesn't seem to be much reason to change either. Being liked or hated doesn't much matter to them.
It's not as if they are going out of their way to annoy anybody (except maybe Adobe--but that's a common sport these days, just ask Apple) or to *force* anybody to do anything. They're just running their business in a way that works for them, counting on consumers to buy or not buy as makes sense for *them*.
They have a good ebookstore with a great catalog at decent prices that is easily accessible from a variety of different devices and a decent enough dedicated reader at a decent enough price. For some people, that is enough to commit to the Kindle environment.
Others have other needs that are best served elsewhere. Which helps competitors survive. One size does not fit all in any market. Variety is good.
It is up to us to identify our needs and distinguish between must-have's and like-to-have's and nice-but-no necessary's.