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Old 10-21-2007, 12:59 AM   #12
ebookie
Entrepreneur
ebookie began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 36
Karma: 10
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: California
Device: Iliad v2
Subsidy model ala cell phones

Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesdmanley View Post
hardware price was the biggest deterrent for me. if it werent for the sonycard offer id never have considered buying a reader. $300 will buy a lot of paper and toner. marketing?
So I hear you on this, however would you pay $99 if you also had to sign for a two year subscription to an electronic newspaper at $30/month ?

This was the model that cell phones used fairly effectively to jump start a desirable, but for many (I know most of you were born with cell phones in your crib but I was one of those old guys who knew I time when they didn't exist! ) unnecessary luxury. I remember my friends saying "Why carry around a bulky phone like that when anyone I want to talk to can easily page me and I can get back to them?" Phones were $1000 and pagers were $20.

So an electronic newspaper can share the burden with you, they will post you a paper (and yes it will have advertisements in it) and you get a cheap e-book that you can use for lots of stuff besides reading the paper. If their subscriber base is over 50,000 they can sell adds to make up the difference between your subscription fees and their costs.

--Chuck
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