Quote:
Originally Posted by rcentros
Unless I'm remembering wrong, the Libra 2 was reportedly Kobo's best selling eReader up to the time they quit making it. So I don't think saturation was an issue.
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I can't count how many decent companies are gone because the folk at the top got greedy and went for MORE Profit per unit (some simply, because the top get bigger commissions) route and dumped the bread and butter ones.
IMHO this is just what happened with the Libra Color.
The Libra2 R&D + fixtures had to be paid off by then. Warehousing it would be the main expense of keeping it in the lineup. So why kill a model off that, as this thread alludes, will never lead to a
Color as a replacement, sale in the future?
Change the case to a new color (almost a 0 cost update) or add a faster XYZ and leave the package alone (no tooling or accessory changes needed). Fix what is wrong
(There were 2 or 3 silent generations of my EZReader. Paint issue. No Calendar-Clock that survived a power cycle in the first 2. The closeout one I later bought had both fixed.)
Look at some (really) older products. (the early) VW bug had multiple engines that just bolted in, in the same basic body used for decades. The majority of spare parts were the same. They mostly just changed the trim and color (fairly cheap to do). Both VW and the aftermarket thrived.
And there is a bit of a safety net if your company does make a dud of a market choice. The
old faithful device keeps the lights on until the next success.