Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
I think, if the customer could come in with their device, purchase the e-book, and have it automatically downloaded into their device. That way, they see it there, ready to read... instant gratification, and very frictionless. (See, we're still on track here!)
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Or both, I would think. You don't want to lose the impulse purchases from those who didn't happen to have their reader along. Also, you'd still be able to buy them as gifts. Heck, flash memory is cheap, and you don't need much. Think of all that wonderful, wasteful packaging. Cardboard covers with fancy cover art, a few nicely designed sample pages to flip, and a blister-pack USB key on the inside back cover.
As long as it's combined with a universal format or it contains multiple device-specific formats (like software on Mac/Win CDs), it can still be frictionless.
Sometimes it takes a stupid idea to get the market off the dime. Besides, this particular stupid idea has one other hidden advantage. It allows the large booksellers to profit from e-books, as well. Right now, there's no incentive for them to throw their considerable influence behind e-books.