Quote:
Originally Posted by kartu
Instead of competing on quality / price, corps compete on "who's patent portfolio is bigger / who got more nuclear lawyerheads".
If devices are actually produced by Foxconn and the likes, no wonder.
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With so many of the devices using the same parts sourced from the same locations, quality and price can largely be moot points, since many will end up with the same price floor. Their options are to either be increase features and draw more customers in that way, slash features to remove any cost they can to try to lower cost (such no wifi, cheaper style display, cheaper materials, less memory, reducing size as to reduce amount of materials needed, etc), or building brand loyalty and brand awareness.
All three of these points are being done in some capacity by everyone. Most have removed the ability of flash card usage, no longer supplying cases, having the devices not require software or have the software on the device removes the need to make and ship disks, and amount of materials (or type) needed.
Also, many are adding features, to try and make the devices easier to use, and more desirable. Nook Color now has app support, touch screens, etc.
The brand building is in effect big time, especially for B&N and Amazon. You see the commercials, the product placement, etc. You know the devices without even researching them. This is a point Sony has failed at, since for so long they've not needed to do much because everyone knows Sony. You see commericals for nook, iPad, Kindle, etc all the time, but when was the last time you saw ANYTHING for sony? I can only remember the Justin Timberlake and Peyton Manning Commercial from late '09 that saw very little airplay. This is one thing that Sony seems to be trying to change, due to the Pottermore partnership. I can only hope they don't fall on their laurels yet again, because more competition is good for the market as a whole.