Quote:
Originally Posted by DiapDealer
Because the US market doesn't want technological diversity. It wants integration. It wants innovation only if it comes in the form of an upgraded version of a device already in widespread use.
Also: eink is niche in the US. There's just not much room for diversity in niche.
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Eink is a niche everywhere.
The thing hobbyists like us often forget is that most people buy ereaders to read ebooks. Not to "fool around" with the display or the formatting. The driving traits are stability and access to the most books at the best prices.
So ereader sales are driven by the nature of the ebook market, not the converse. Most people decide first where they're going to get their ebooks and then look for a reading device that lets them get there.
In the US, that means that 70% of the market chooses Kindle. Which means they have no use for generic eink devices built for generic ebookstores. Of which there might be one or two zombies left but most of those were killed by the price fix era.
The other 30% of ebooks sold go out via Nook, Kobo, Apple, and Google. Nook ebooks are only readable via Nook readers and phones and tablets. No use for generics. Apple? Only via Apple hardware. Google and Kobo support PC-based transfer to generics (and Nooks. And tablets. And phones.) But neither registers above the single digits in market share (and there is some doubt whether combined they go higher than 10%.)
So right there, 90% of the market is closed to generics.
Still, that 10% is a decent sized market served by tablets, phones, Kobo, Nook, and, for hobbyists, eBay.
Now, the US ereader market is hardly starved for eink innovation. If anything, the US gets the new eink displays before anybody else. Usually through Kindle and Kobo.
Other variations, though?
The problem with most of the "innovative" and experimental devices is they come from tiny companies where sales of 5-1000 units is big business. (For comparison, Kindle needs over 10,000 display units just for their B&M retail partners.) Which is why those "innovative" devices with 2-3 year old eink tech end up at eBay or BangBangGood or other China, Inc online distribution channels.
The US is a big market that requires a big commitment to target directly. (Even Kobo hardly bothers. They can't even get their parent company to feature them on their website.) And with most ebook buyers more concerned with the books than the gadget the market for specialty gadgets is more than adequately served indirectly.
We hobbyists get our toys, everybody else gets their books from the walled gardens.
(If you need to blame somebody, blame B&N for the 4 hour price war of 2010.)