MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Sony PRS-600 Listed At $100 [Selling Error Now Corrected]

afa · 05-17-2010, 02:35 AM

If Sony really is viewing their eBookstore as nothing more than an add-on to the Readers, they need to rethink their strategy. Content is the way to go.

Don't forget that the real reason for the massive success of the iPhone is not the hardware (which, touch screen aside, is middle-of-the-pack) but the ease with which you can access and manage your content, particularly as pertains to media and 'apps'. The way in which iPhone integrates with iTunes Store is the reason the majority of people enjoy the iPhone experience.

And the fact that Apple has created a closed ecosystem whereby you have to get said content through them is the reason iPhone (and maybe soon iPad?) is arguably their most important product.

Similarly, a large part of the Kindle's success is the integration of Hardware and Market Place. It's not something as simple as marketing. Sony is a giant multi-billion dollar corporation that has been around for a lot longer than Amazon, so it's not like they don't know how to market their products. The advantage Amazon has is, as someone pointed out above, that being a content provider is exactly what they do, and they're good at it.

All these large companies have struggled to really make an impact on the Internet. They're too stuck in their old ways. It's not a coincidence that the largest and most successful online businesses (from Google to eBay to Amazon) are companies that came about barely 15 years ago; companies for whom the Internet is their business, and not an afterthought.

*EDIT*
Getting back to the original topic, what do you guys think is the better deal - the Touch for $199, or the upcoming Kobo Reader for $149?

On the one hand, the Sony is $50 more. On the other, it does have some more features. Touch screen, built-in dictionary, annotations/note-taking, etc. Not to mention the fact that Sony is a bigger and more recognisable brand, and possibly might have better product support (though I'm not sure how good Kobo may be). But, at $149, the Kobo is easily the cheapest 6" e-Ink reader, and does seem like a bargain.

Any thoughts?

05-17-2010, 02:35 AM	#99
afa The Forgotten Posts: 1,136 Karma: 4689999 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Dubai Device: Kindle Paperwhite; Nook HD; Sony Xperia Z3 Compact	If Sony really is viewing their eBookstore as nothing more than an add-on to the Readers, they need to rethink their strategy. Content is the way to go. Don't forget that the real reason for the massive success of the iPhone is not the hardware (which, touch screen aside, is middle-of-the-pack) but the ease with which you can access and manage your content, particularly as pertains to media and 'apps'. The way in which iPhone integrates with iTunes Store is the reason the majority of people enjoy the iPhone experience. And the fact that Apple has created a closed ecosystem whereby you have to get said content through them is the reason iPhone (and maybe soon iPad?) is arguably their most important product. Similarly, a large part of the Kindle's success is the integration of Hardware and Market Place. It's not something as simple as marketing. Sony is a giant multi-billion dollar corporation that has been around for a lot longer than Amazon, so it's not like they don't know how to market their products. The advantage Amazon has is, as someone pointed out above, that being a content provider is exactly what they do, and they're good at it. All these large companies have struggled to really make an impact on the Internet. They're too stuck in their old ways. It's not a coincidence that the largest and most successful online businesses (from Google to eBay to Amazon) are companies that came about barely 15 years ago; companies for whom the Internet is their business, and not an afterthought. EDIT Getting back to the original topic, what do you guys think is the better deal - the Touch for $199, or the upcoming Kobo Reader for $149? On the one hand, the Sony is $50 more. On the other, it does have some more features. Touch screen, built-in dictionary, annotations/note-taking, etc. Not to mention the fact that Sony is a bigger and more recognisable brand, and possibly might have better product support (though I'm not sure how good Kobo may be). But, at $149, the Kobo is easily the cheapest 6" e-Ink reader, and does seem like a bargain. Any thoughts? Last edited by afa; 05-17-2010 at 03:14 AM.