Quote:
Originally Posted by kacir
Well, I never looked at it from this point of view. But I think that the units are identical.
You might, hoverer, have provided a hint about the availability of the PB360PLUS model
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All I know is that wireless certification for the US market is a one-stop, three month process. Europe requires individual certification in each of the 50 or so nations. (Don't know how the certification costs run but that might make a difference in the decision on which markets to ship to and when.)
I also know that the only wireless Sony, the 950, took ages to show up anywhere but the US. And I'm not sure how broadly available it is.
Also, PB360 is the top-selling PB product in the US but we don't know if the US is the 360's top-selling market.
And finally, didn't somebody say PB went with Foxconn for the 6xx/9xx because Netronix was volume constrained? The 360-plus is still a Netronix-built reader, no? There may only be so many pluses to go around...
As I said, we really don't know much of what goes on in the black box called Pocketbook Global or what challenges they face.
We do know the game is changing from the days when, as you say, the barely usable iRex could "sell like hotcakes" or, more recently, when companies like Cool-Er and BeBook could *brag* of annual sales of 25000 units.
I think that when it comes to ebook readers, we are very close to the end of the beginning; the point where the rules get firmed up and the window of opportunity closes up for small players. Vendors that don't measure up in terms of volume won't have access to the latest component tech or volume pricing needed to be competitive.
Ebook readers are becoming a global business; we're not there yet, but we're headed there. Pocketbook is one of four that can credibly claim to be there. That much is hopeful.
But at a time when even Sony's long-term ebook future is in doubt...
I dunno, guys...
Bigger issues loom.