[rationalbiker]

Originally Posted by PHugger

[*]Amazon's first attempt at designing and selling a consumer electronics gadget was less than stellar

I'm really not sure what standard you are using to gauge "less than stellar" by. Apparently quite a few people have determined it is the device they prefer over the Sony. Are you just basing this off the fact that you don't like how it looks instead of its functionality?

Making the move into consumer electronics is a big step and may not be the wisest decision ever made in the business world.

Then again, maybe it will be. Just being 3 months into their venture with a consistently sold out product and what appears to be a 6-7 week back order in demand could suggest either or both of two things; their supply line is too limited or their demand is too great. The later would offer initial indications of success rather than failure. Add this the fact that eBay has a bustling (though slowing) secondary market for the Kindle at prices higher than Amazon and that is another indicator of success. Personally, I think 3 months time is not enough to make the call either way. Let's see where the Kindle and Amazon's ebook sales are in a year.

'Hey we can make some money on this thing.'

I would hope so. That's what businesses do, determing products or services that consumers need with the intent to make profit. Wouldn't be much of a business if they didn't do that.

This is their first attempt at designing a product in this market - perhaps a bit arrogant to assume that success in one business makes you smart enough to succeed in another where you have no experience.

When they first stepped into selling books online perhaps it was arrogant to assume that they could successfully compete against brick and mortar stores. The nerve of those upstarts.

Businesses expand and enter new territories all the time, typically not based on arrogance but on calculated risk. That can be the sign of a good business and of a good businessman; taking risks. While some may characterize risk-takers as arrogant, I would characterize this particular risk as bold instead.

As long as the Kindle is in the picture, this isn't going to happen. Perhaps Borders can put the Sony Reader on a more even content footing with the Kindle. Currently I'm far from starving for content on my Sony Reader, but having more options is very appealing.

Yes, more device options is certainly appealing as well. This is a great reason to hope the Kindle is successful. Strong (arrogant) competition from Amazon may spur other device makers to sweeten the pots for their readers. It's called competition and it's generally considered a good thing for consumers. Competition requires that companies do not just rest on their laurels, that they stay sharp in improving their products and services.

While it is hard to determine anything of real measure with comparative sales figures, I've read more than a few posts in different forums about people being brought into the e-reader world for the first time by the Kindle. That coupled with quite a few glowing reviews suggests it may be premature to call Amazon's venture a failure or "less than stellar".

Time will tell. Until then, hurrah to the arrogant upstarts of the world!