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Originally Posted by Quoth
OTOH Google has a massive infrastructure compared to Apple and the Playstore and hardly sells ebooks at all.
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Not really the same thing. The Play store is built around apps and e-books are just a throw in. Google makes zero attempt to market or develop their e-book business because their bread and butter is search, not e-books. Apple isn’t in the e-book business either but they at least put a little more effort into it by developing a tablet, a reading app and a decent online store.
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Also being able to run the Kindle App has not much helped Android based eink makes & models.
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This is true. The experience of running the Kindle app on an Android e-Ink device is less than optimal as I’ve discovered with my Nova 3. My Oasis feels a lot snappier despite having underpowered hardware. But for me, the main benefit of Android e-Ink devices is the ability to side load books and use apps. Having the Kindle app is a nice bonus but not essential.
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So it's not simple. I do hope Kobo stays in the market, but having a bookstore isn't absolutely the answer. Look at Barnes & Noble!
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I never said Kobo needed a bookstore but they need have a presence in the US market. The average person the US has never heard of Kobo. I remember back in the day Borders used to sell Kobo devices but not a single store carries them today. You can see Kindles at every Target and Best Buy but when’s the last time anyone has seen a Kobo on a store shelf?
When I visited Canada, Kobos were on display at Chapters and available through Best Buy.
I believe Kobo decided a while ago not to enter the US market because they didn’t want to compete with a juggernaut in Amazon. Instead they focused on smaller markets in other countries. This is a mistake though as Kobo can still be profitable in the US even with a smaller presence. People want more options but nothing is available except Kindle. I could see them jumping ahead of B&N which has been stagnating for years.