Quote:
Originally Posted by artificial
It would be better for Kobo, and better for the end-user, but I don't think Borders would like that idea very much!
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Yeah, but If I buy a Kobo epub book from Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart is going to have the Kobo eReader advertised on it...but I already had a Kobo eReader I bought from Borders, I'm going to be miffed when I find out the stuff isn't integrated. For better or worse, the common Kobo brand is going to set user expectations for a certain amount of integration.
Kobo could still allow its partners to customize certain aspects of the app (or web interface control for that matter) if they allowed their partners to feed content into it. For instance, showcase stuff at the site like video, community, retention programs, etc. But Kobo could still coordinate the ebook management on the backend. Maybe both sides can win.
The Kobo Coalition would be better banding together and differentiating on the experience for the consumer instead of trying to artificially "own" the consumer, fragmenting themselves, and not reaching critical mass. You can get away with it if you have market dominance, but Kobo isn't there.