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Originally Posted by markbot
1) Sony sucks. It is not committed to this business in the way Amazon is.
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That's a pretty brazen statement. Several analysts think Amazon will drop out of the hardware end in the next 2-4 years. So since you have made the claim, what data do you have to back it up? If it is just a wild claim, then it is as vaild as saying that within 2 years Amazon will go bankrupt and B&N will buy Amazon's assets for 1 cent on the dollar from the bankruptcy court.
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Originally Posted by markbot
2) Amazon's customer service is the best there is. I consider the entire customer experience and relationship when buying an ereader...not just the function of the device.
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Then why aren't you buying from B&N? I find there customer service much better than Amazon's; in fact, my personal experience with Amazon's customer service was so bad years ago that I stopped buying from Amazon altogether. So what data do you have that Amazon's cs is the best there is? It may well be, but I really hate such broad unsupported claims touted as fact. Reminds me of too many politicians.
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Originally Posted by markbot
3) I believe in Jeff Bezos. He is a great CEO and the Kindle is his pet project. No one can foretell the future, but great execution in the present is a good indicator of execution in the future.
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Here you got me. Although I find it hard to say that Bezos is a good CEO, everyone is entitled to their opinion and even to have the wool pulled over their eyes. It would be helpful if you would list the criteria against which you measure Bezos' performance so we know the basis for the judgment.
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Originally Posted by markbot
4) While the hardware is not the best, the Kindle device will have the lowest cost in the future. I say this because of the superior economies of scale that the Kindle has over rivals. It is by far the most popular reader. The lower per unit hardware costs should translate into lower prices and/or better features.
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Lots of wild guesses here. If economy of scale is the driver, Sony should win hands down. Considering that no one knows how many Kindles or any other devices have been sold, it seems pretty difficult to conclude that Kindle is the number 1 seller worldwide or that Bezos will lower prices even if Amazon does get economy of scale. What data do you have that backs up your pronouncements?
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Originally Posted by markbot
Room for improvement
1) Hardware design lags Sony in several respects
2) Amazon's ebook pricing is getting less competitive, especially on older books.
3) I'm not entirely sure about the margin structure...but I would think that at some time in the future the Kindle needs to be in physical retail locations. They don't want to end up like Dell. Early adopters are more comfortable with buying over the net.....more mainstream buyers prefer to touch and feel. As prices decline, you want casual consumers to make impulse buys while at the store.
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Seems to me that many of these points negate your earlier pronouncements. Are you, perchance, a politician?