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Originally Posted by DonaldL.
It's time for a unified ebook format and the end of DRM
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Imagine buying a car that locks you into one brand of fuel. A new BMW, for example, that only runs on BMW gas. There are plenty of BMW gas stations around, even a few in your neighborhood, so convenience isn't an issue. But if one of those other gas stations offers a discount, a membership program, or some other attractive marketing campaign, you can't participate. You're locked in with the BMW gas stations.
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But that is exactly the business model that operates in a number of markets: gillette are credited with inventing it - give away the razor and then make your money on the razorblades. The same model operates in the mobile telephony market, pay-TV, computer printers.
Savvier consumers pay extra for an unlocked mobile phone, but that's probably the exception rather than the rule.
There are lots of happy Amazon users out there and it's probably true that Amazon's strategy has given a huge boost to the adoption of ebooks. Whether it's good for the long-term health of the market is another matter.