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Originally Posted by rhadin
Why do you think the Kindle is the future? Right now it has the wireless, but that will be changing (i.e., other devices will soon have wireless capability). Once Kindle's wireless 'advantage" is neutralized, I see nothing that makes the Kindle the eink device of the future. (I'm not suggesting that it is not a good device or that the Sony is better; just that I don't understand your comment.)
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You may be partly right here; Bezos is quick to point our Kindle's advantage by reducing "friction", thereby making it cheaper and easier to buy new books. It's the same philosophy behind Amazon itself, one-click buying, etc. Make it easier for people to buy, and more people will buy from you.
However, what are these other eInk devices offering free wireless? All the ones I've seen announced are just cheaper or larger readers but without wireless. WiFi is not entirely the same; you need a hotspot. These small companies are going to have to team up with cell phone providers to provide a truly equivalent offering.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhadin
If you are referring to the "breadth" of offerings available at the Amazon Kindle bookstore (as opposed to the device itself), even that is a fleeting advantage. Amazon's competitors are only now gearing up (e.g., Barnes & Noble) and publishers are becoming increasingly wary of Amazon. Besides, a lot of Amazon's advantage in this regard is one of price -- the $9.99 bestsellers -- but that advantage will eventually fade. First, it is not forever sustainable by Amazon as a loss leader. Second, Bezos recognizes that his primary goal is to make money, not lose it, which contributes to the lack of sustainability. And, third, once publishers get real about their ebook pricing, Amazon will adjust its prices as will its competitors. I think competition will be more along the pbook model.
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That's certainly the other part, but Bezos has shown through past endeavours that he's willing to take a loss for years in order to expand into a market segment. While prices for most ebooks may creep upward (as they've already been doing) I don't see the $9.99 bestseller price going away, at least not until the economy is doing better.