Quote:
Originally Posted by GA Russell
I have no idea how many people are like me. I'm sure that many early adopters just want to own the latest toy. But I figured that my eBook reader would pay for itself with 8 public domain books which I intended to read anyway.
Your $300 figure might be high, but I can imagine that many purchasers of 5" screen models figured that their device would pay for itself in a year or two's time.
In the fall there was a thread about a survey that said that most Americans would wait to buy until eBook readers cost $50. I have to think that those were people who don't read very much. Typical Americans! And I suspect that they were thinking to themselves how low the price would have to be before the device paid for itself, given the amount of reading they do.
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see, i think you're going about it with a completely different logic than the typical consumer. i don't think the typical consumer is looking at eBook readers as something that will save them money. i believe its more about convenience. here's a device that is as big as one book, but i can store hundreds (thousands?) of books on there and take them all with me anywhere i go. its portable, its convenient, and i can buy a book at home and have it instantly instead of having to go to the store or waiting for it to arrive in the mail.
THAT has got to be the primary motivation behind the typical consumer. to a lesser extent, some of them who may be more "green" minded, may also see it as something to save a few trees. but while some here may justify it as a cost savings at some point, i truly honestly don't think that a typical consumer sees it like that. most have no idea what the cost difference is between an eBook and a physical book.
which gets me back to my original point in that the cost of entry is still too high and for that price it offers too little. my $300 price figure was trying to be about an average considering the most popular eBook readers out there are probably the kindle, the nook and one of the bigger sony's, but that's a total guess on my part.
i'm a major gadget hound, and i would have a hard time paying over $150 for a dedicated eBook reader. but that's just personal preference of course.
but you see, those "typical americans" who won't pay over $50 for an eBook reader, how many of them probably own smartphones or laptops or an iPod/MP3 player of some sort. probably a lot!! THOSE people are the market that Amazon and others so desperately want. THAT'S how you really make some money, but tapping into the "typical american". if you want to dominate, you have to think big. i honestly think that's exactly what apple is trying to do and the publishers are betting on apple being right.