Quote:
Originally Posted by CommonReader
Obviously Sony is more of a hardware company than a bookstore. Therefore they didn't really have the same position in the market as Amazon and B&N. People wouldn't buy a Sony reader because they were keen on buying books from Sony. Yet people will buy their readers from Amazon and B&N just because they buy most their paper books there as well.
If Sony can't sell their readers in the US because the market is dominated by cross subsidized readers then perhaps they should just abandon the US market and concentrate on more attractive markets.
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Cross subsidized?
This bit of appoligism is commonly used to excuse Sony's lack of competitivness, but it's just SILLY.
Having seen pre-loaded disposable cell phones selling for $20 and NON-'subsidized' 7 inch Android tablets selling for as little $99, it's pretty hard to believe that either B&N, Amazon, or Kobo is losing money on their readers.
And if Sony ran their Reader Store better, they could have had the same 'cross subsidy' advantages as Amazon. They just blew it.