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Originally Posted by anamardoll
And I get all that. I'm not against an author trying to make a living. Just please don't tell me that ePUB is a dead-end because you can't read a B&N book on a Kobo reader. That same sentence is true about Amazon and anything Not A Kindle.
You want to make money and B&N customers like me weren't doing it for you? Fine. I get that.
But don't tell me that this is some kind of metaphysical decision that B&N and Kobo forced you into by doing the exact same things that Amazon does. That's where I feel like I'm being talked down to as a customer and a reader.
*my two cents*
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I don't think EPub is dead. Actually, I really don't think about EPub all that much because I don't have to. I do think that EPub is not a selling feature for the average e-reader user and I find it humerous that others at this site think that saying "But device X reads EPub" is some how going to sway a novice looking to buy a device. Because when it gets down to it, if that same novice compares bookstores they are going to find out that for most there is no difference in availablity and price of e-books for an EPub reader and a Mobi reader. If you a more of a niche reader they will probably find that the Mobi reader has a better selection.
It seems to me that too many folks are so invested in EPub that they don't get that for most folks it does not matter. So unless Sony, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and the smaller e-readers find away to make EPub matter they are faced with dealing with a Mobi reader that is dominant in the US and growing in popularity across the globe. All people know is that they can't buy books for a Kindle from Barnes and Noble and who cares.
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Originally Posted by murraypaul
I don't think anyone is saying that it is a dead end, just that it is hurting the ePub retailers ability to compete with Amazon. It isn't ePub vs Amazon, it is B&N vs Kobo vs Sony vs Apple vs Amazon. The ePub retailers are fighting amongst themselves just as much as against Amazon.
The difference is that Amazon have done it successfully and have a huge customer base to sell to. B&N and Kobo haven't.
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This. 100% This. And they should compete, they want to make the most money. The problem is that they way they are competeing is making it more likely that people turn to Amazon and the Kindle because of the size of the bookstore and how easy it is to buy books.
Most people could care less about the format. Heck, most probably have no clue that there is a difference in format. They want the reader that is easiest to use with the biggest selection of books and that is least expensive. Amazon tends to be the one who wins that battle.
The EPub market is fractured and that is making it easier for Amazon to whistle as it grows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by murraypaul
OTOH, there are many many more devices in the US (possible the world?) that can read Amazon DRM than any other form of DRM. From a sales point of view, that matters.
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What matters is that the Kindle has branded itself well enough that it is the dominate reader in the US. People refer to e-readers as Kindles. People know that the Kindle is available and that it is easy to buy books for. With the international version, Kindle is becoming a huge player on the international scene. Amazon is opening up more country specific stores. The Kindle is available in more countries then the Sony. It is far more available then the Kobo or the Nook. And since international users probably know as much about formats and DRM as American users, the longer the Kindle is out there, the more dominant it is going to become.
I have long said that it doesn't matter that everyone but the Kindle uses EPub. You can still get more books in Mobi then you can EPub because Amazon still has the largest e-book selection. That gap is closing but it is still true. So why does it matter if I can buy the same book at 5 stores when I can find that book at one store and they are all priced the same? And why does it matter if I am a large part of the population who probably buys all of my e-books from one store.
Amazon is winning at this time because its device is international, well marketed, has immediate access to a huge bookstore, and has excellent customer service.
Kindly tell me how being the only device to use Mobi has hurt Amazon?