Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
Should what you postulate happen, I agree it's a problem. But how likely is it to happen? How big a problem is it?
Reader manufacturers are in competition with each other. There is continual pressure to create new, improved models. Amazon has produced the Kindle 1, 2, DX and 3. Sony has unleashed a number of models, starting with the PRS-500, and going on from there. I expect new and improved nooks in the not that distant future. And that's just the big 3. There are a number of other vendors with their hat in the ring.
I really don't expect the vast majority of Kindle owners to suddenly decide that they want a Sony Reader. Why should they? They have good pricing and unparalleled selection at Amazon, and the Kindle app is available for other platforms like smartphones, if they decide they'd like to read, but not drag their Kindle along with them. I can't imagine what Sony would come up with that would be so compelling they'd be tempted to switch. Similar considerations apply to the other vendors.
Frankly, I see this as a non-issue. I know you loathe Amazon, and feel a need to justify your choice of reader, but personally, I'd find other justifications that are more readily defensible.
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Dennis
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This isn't about the Kindle vs the rest of the world. This is a DRM issue. I can easily see people getting bitten by DRM because they like the K3 and want one and have/had one that used ADE. Or the other way round. I was using Sony and Kindle as an example of non-interoperable DRM and what could happen if a switch was made.
An even better example could be Apple and iBooks. If you have an iPhone and use iBooks and have bought some eBooks via iBooks and then decided you wanted a reader and got one because it also supported ePub, you'd find out the ePub from Apple is not compatible thanks to the DRM. So really, all this format lock in is mostly due to DRM.