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I agree with Hrafn that price and hardware matter, but I think software may be more important for some of us than he suggests, or at least it is for me. That is why I made the switch from Onyx Boox 60 to PocketBook Touch.
From a hardware perspective that is still a significant step ahead (Pearl+better touchscreen+improved speed), but I gave up on the HD that the Boox i62HD would have offered me because of the software differences.
E.g. I wanted to have dictionaries that handle inflected forms properly, and Onyx never got that right. And PocketBook has multitasking so that I can have 2 books open at the same time and very quickly (2 taps) switch between them.
From a hardware perspective, no brand is able to come up with a compelling upgrade rationale that will last. In the end, all advanced readers are very similar, although one brand may be a few months earlier with new stuff such as HD and frontlight than another brand. Even if PB comes up with a new product that is an interesting upgrade for existing users, other brands will have similar or even better hardware a few months later, for a lower price. If it were all about price and hardware, PB could never compete against the Kindles, Kobos and Nooks of this world.
When talking about PB's marketing game, I think they should put more stress on the fact that they have the most flexible software on the market, with more features than anyone else (and that is a gap that competitors cannot easily close). If you don't need all those features, fine, buy a cheaper reader that still has good hardware. But I think there are enough possible buyers who do want advanced software features, and PB had better find their niche there.
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