Quote:
Originally Posted by myle00
But given the Archos 70/101, their price is<350 which is as good as the 902 and better than the 903 and the specs are really good. Even compared to the IQ it's only double the price but much superior, so why doesn't everyone buy it? In terms of software is there anything in the IQ better than those tablets?
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902/903 are eink based readers and the *only* Non-kindle readers at that size today. (Plus, they are cheaper than KDXG.) They are (likely) competent readers with a lot of software features you won't find elsewhere but that is just what they are: ebook readers, not PDAs, not computers, not webpad tablets. Until now, Pocketbook readers have always shined above other readers because of their stable, flexible, and customizable software. Most people who buy them (and the older eink readers) buy them with the understanding that what they're buying is book reading devices, *not* computers. Also, some people are either committed to ePub or loathe Amazon or both. 902/903 lets them indulge and still get a good product. (shrug) They are *not* intended to compete with Archos or the iPad as those are first and foremost mediapads. (Archos' other products are portable media players, not ebook readers.) There really isn't enough overlap (other than price) for cross-shopping them.
The IQ is a different critter; it *is* a webpad.
Android-based just like dozens of other models. (It's almost a fad, these days.) It's calling card is the price point; not the touchscreen, not fancy niche features that most buyers at any price point won't use much less entry-level buyers. There are at least two other companies selling variations of the same core hardware.
What makes the IQ different is the reputation of the company behind it, the two year warranty, and the solid metal case (for those that care about it). There is also the Pocketbook-specific software which, if it ever gets stabilized and brought close to parity to the eink readers should offer true added value above and beyond the android webpad baseline.
Most of us buying the IQ today are doing it more understanding that the Pocketbook component of the software is an unfinished product and the only thing certain is that we are getting a stable, flexible, well-built, *LOW-END* android webpad tablet. Mine is still in transit but that is what I bought; the ability to install arbitrary Android reader apps without having to hack the device, to have Kindle reader side by side with Kobo, Nook, Aldiko, FBReader and (eventually) Overdrive reader. To be able to get to Last.FM, MSN Messenger, Facebook, youtube and most websites, to open Audible drm'ed audiobooks.
Me, I'm buying a toy to play and explore with; it's my XMAS present to myself. It might turn into a daily use tool. I might buy a few more to gift my siblings for XMAS (hence my early buy, before the updated firmware is confirmed). At that price point (it is half the Archos price, almost half the NookColor--which needs hacking to do what IQ does natively, a third to a Quarter of an IPad) I can afford to be disappointed. At worst I get a generic Android webpad, at best a color PB360; either way, I know I can live with the outcome.
Other peope will have their own value propositions.
To some people, USB Host is a must-have; thus I pointed out the Archos.
To some people, capacitance touchscreen is a must-have and they don't mind convoluted hacking processes or the higher price; those are buying NookColor.
To some people, the absolute lowest price, lower than the IQ, outweighs the two-year warranty and (the promise of) extra Pocketbook software amd they go with the Pandigital Novel.
And some will only buy Sony or Apple products.
There is no product that will clearly fit *everbody's* needs. Not now, not ever. This means there is room for diversification and competition; every vendor can get a slice of the pie, most consumers can find a satisfactory product. The trick is knowing exactly what you need and what you are buying and not assume anything, 'cause assumptions might prove unwarranted and lead to overly ambitious expectations and disappointment.
It is up to each buyer to do their research, define their value proposition, and make a realistic assessment of the product's suitability to *their* needs. The vendor's duty is simply to make the best product they can at their chosen price-point and be candid about what it does and doesn't do and then support it to *that* extent.
Fair enough?