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My posts do seem to generate a reaction these days! Honestly, it's not on purpose.
First, we all have to be aware that our personal preferences do not necessarily reflect those of the broader public. The very fact that you post on this forum means that you are a technophile and an early adopter. So Harry, to you £150-£250 for a gadget may be an "impulse buy", while for the general public, this would be a major purchase.
Second, the analogy to iPods is not obvious. Listening to music is far more popular than reading books. And the average age (I assert without proof) of people buying books is older than that of people buying music; young people are not only more oriented to gadgets, but also have more disposable income. Mobile phones are a better analogy. People have the choice of paying full price for a phone versus taking on a contract. The vast, vast majority of people go with the contract option.
Third, the $200 option for a reader (which really is cheap! - I just paid 250 Euros for my Opus!) is perhaps fine for one person, but represents $800 for a family of four.
Canuck in Japan - hmm, my $20 figure was off the top of my head. Maybe it's possible to do a simple reader + 1 book/month for $15. That's the price of a World of Warcraft subscription. Or do a family plan where you can all share your books. And I agree with you, the Napster model is ideal. I would pay for that.
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