Quote:
Originally Posted by vxf
Yes, but no other company has the tendency to downgrade their products as often as SONY.
The new PRS T1 is a step-down compared to the 950. Smaller screen, no 3g, separate stylus, no metal casing...
Kind of what they did with the ps3 - stripping down features to make it cheaper and cheaper.
That is what irks people. Replace it with a superior model... no-one will complain. But when you replace it with something which is no better, and arguably worse...
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Yes, it is a smaller screen, by an inch, and no 3g, and no metal casing, however the stylus is optional. From what I've seen on it in various demos, the stylus is entirely optional.
Sales had dropped off compared to previous years, with 800,000 being sold in 2010, compared to 1.1million in 2009. Compared to competition, they'd dropped to 5th place. At a stock holders meeting they skipped over the ereader section of the company, and wouldn't discuss it. Also, so far for 2011, they've refused to discuss number, unlike previous years. Either they weren't happy and didn't want to share what they felt shame over, or something else drastically changed within the company.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pinecone
Sony sold all the PRS-x50 devices they made.
At times, they were selling for WELL above the retail price.
So why would you want to compete on price?
Does Ferrari compete on price?
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You've claimed this numerous times, yet to have shown any proof. Also, you can sell out of something, but only because you make very few of them. If you charge ferrari prices, you can get away with it, because you're more than making up the per unit costs, but the ereader market can't really afford Ferraris, and Sony is no Ferrari. Ferrari offers leagues better performance, insane build qualities and extremely luxurious features that the competition doesn't. What did Sony offer that was leagues better than the competition? Collections for organizing, and aluminum housing? That is mimimal for the the price they charged compared to their competitors. I love my Sony, and only Sony has really interested me in the ebook market, but I have to admit their faults.
Also, I've yet to see the x50 line sell for more than MSRP. I've seen a couple of screwball people on ebay mark the starting bid price for over MSRP, but not actually sell (one guy has been relisting the same auction for months, and hasn't had a sale since he raised his price back in December).
Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy
I think the T1 is OK as a replacement model for the 650 (discontinuing that one); discontinuing the 950 could have gone either way. They should have kept the 350 though.
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But the question is could they have made the 350 at enough of a price difference to make it worth while. You have to remember the 350 was selling for more than the T1. Why would people pay more for a device that does less, for slightly smaller size?