is sony reader going to vanish?

ebooker · 09-16-2010, 02:19 AM

according to recent poll, less than 1% of new ereader buyers are considering the sony reader. 40% want an ipad (ugh), 30% want a kindle, and 6% want a nook.

personally i love my sony reader. I'll be sad if the line vanishes.

kartu · 09-16-2010, 02:24 AM

Sony could have spent a bit more on ads, indeed.
However it's hard to take "40% want iPad" seriously.
But amazon seems to respond to it:

viviena · 09-16-2010, 02:28 AM

Well, the article is from the start of March. The Kindle 3 hadn't even come out yet, let alone the new Sonys. There's probably even better awareness of the Kindle now, and with that might come an interest in alternative e-ink devices such as the Sony Readers. At least, I hope so -- a bit of competition in the marketplace is always healthy.

thymaster · 09-16-2010, 03:38 AM

The thing about the iPad is that it's got a "coolness" factor to it. The kindle and nook is for serious readers and their love for books. Sony doesn't have this coolness besides the touch screen.

I think if Sony wants to win votes it's gotta start rallying. Library, coffee shops, beaches and airport are good places to start the eBook revolution. Most people I know still don't know what a Kindle or a Kobo is. People are still carrying paper books to these trendy places. If people start reading on their eReader at coffee shop, others would be curious and follow. Start replacing paper books with an eREader in every movie scenes. Promote eReaders at schools and give students discounts and ebook coupons. If sony thinks they aren't competing on quality, they are in for a shock of their life.

yts06mgr · 09-16-2010, 05:51 AM

I think Sony Reader will stay for sometime because the poll just meant about the US market and not international. B&N has no presence outside of US and Amazon's actual presence is only a few countries while Amazon provides international version of Kindle. Sony covers over hundreds of countries and regions, so maybe the outcome of pole may be different if researched internationally.
Believe it or not, Sony has been in the eBook reader business the longest and I still appreciate their effort and presence.

GlenBarrington · 09-16-2010, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yts06mgr

Believe it or not, Sony has been in the eBook reader business the longest and I still appreciate their effort and presence.

I agree, and it's weird for me. Sony has been so boneheaded in so many consumer products categories that I had developed a generic contempt for all things Sony.

But my new interest in dedicated eReaders has changed that. When I survey the readers for my personal use, the Sony readers, particularly the PRS3XX series have consistently been the devices that best meet my needs and tie me up least in proprietary B.S. That is NOT something I am used to from Sony.

Their readers aren't perfect, but they still meet my needs the best. Hang in there Sony!

Richey79 · 09-16-2010, 07:04 AM

The Pool Ad might come back to bite Amazon (and Sony as well) if there does turn out to be a provable hardware issue with Pearl screens overheating and slowing-down in the sun.

Sony always seem to have relied on word-of-mouth advertising and some (pretty paltry) store presence to sell their readers. Perhaps this is the point at which they need to try to push for wider market recognition and show they're serious about their ereader division.

It would be a shame to lose their products, because they are enjoyable for very different reasons to Amazon's. Their timing in releasing their new models could have been better (to put it kindly). If they'd managed to release two months earlier, they might have managed to steal at least some of the enthusiasm for K3. This is the problem for Sony - people on MR will consider the Sonys before making a purchase decision, Joe Public will look at the missing 'buzzword' features and price and immediately discount them.

I don't personally think the Sonys need wireless, and quite like having to connect them to a PC to transfer files. I'm pretty sure that mass opinion is against me on this, however. That issue and price are the two that may well put Sony's ereaders at a significant disadvantage in the market place. I'm betting they'll release at least one more generation, though.

- I was recently talking to my parents (60s, UK) about ereaders. It turned out they were well aware of their advantages and had looked at them about four years ago. They'd come close to buying a couple (even at £400, or whatever crazy price they were back then). They were Sonys, of course, and that meant that they would seriously consider them now, presuming that the higher price means better build quality.

Interesting that this longer history of store presence might work out as an advantage for Sony. Good for them, I say.

jaxx6166 · 09-16-2010, 10:21 AM

It's football [American] season here in the States. I remember last year's ad campaigns. I wonder if Sony will keep Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake as its spokespersons.

Around this time last year, Sony ads started demoing their new products, including the readers quite heavily during the games and on primetime television. It usually featured sports and entertainment stars pretty much in love with the Sony products. . I wonder if Sony will keep the trend up, considering they just launched an all new Reader line right before the football season started...hrm...food for thought?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cONRdBIFXA

thename · 09-16-2010, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richey79

They were Sonys, of course, and that meant that they would seriously consider them now, presuming that the higher price means better build quality.

Sony has recognized and focused on this tendency. I think most of us Sony owners didn't explicitly assume higher price meant better but are willing to pay the difference for the feature set and we don't seem to be alone (see Kindle 3 pricing divergence).

On a more direct note, I think the touch feature could very well be the seller. I seem to remember a Sony exec explicitly stating their surveys found most potential buyers to prioritize a touchscreen over wireless. A coworker of mine after seeing various blog posts on the 350s essentially said "yeah, I'll pay $40 extra for a touch screen." My wife will be replacing her Kindle 2 (picked up after she rejected the PRS-700's glarey screen) with a PRS-350 as soon as possible. As a PRS-lover, I hope they're not alone.

ebooker · 09-16-2010, 02:59 PM

the prs feature set is unique, and for me, perfect. I really hope they dont screw up the marketing/pricing and thus deny themselves the market.

GlenBarrington · 09-16-2010, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxx6166

It's football [American] season here in the States. I remember last year's ad campaigns. I wonder if Sony will keep Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake as its spokespersons.

Around this time last year, Sony ads started demoing their new products, including the readers quite heavily during the games and on primetime television. It usually featured sports and entertainment stars pretty much in love with the Sony products. . I wonder if Sony will keep the trend up, considering they just launched an all new Reader line right before the football season started...hrm...food for thought?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cONRdBIFXA

I can tell you are a football fan, you assume products are released in the fall because of football and not becuause of the the Christmas BUYING season! But that's OK! Maybe it truely is all about football, though I don't think I'll ever get used to Australian Rules Football.

I remember, years and years ago, when ESPN was very new and didn't have much of a budget to compete for US sports, they would air Aus. Rules Football. I would watch it, thinking I should understand what is going on. But just as I thought I was getting the hang of it, all understanding would just disappear. So close, yet so FAR away!

jaxx6166 · 09-16-2010, 08:50 PM

Well, Glen, they need to build up the excitement

I'm not that big of a football fan as I appear. But, they do play a big game on turkey day, which is just before black friday....hehe. It's like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

astra · 09-17-2010, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebooker

according to recent poll, less than 1% of new ereader buyers are considering the sony reader. 40% want an ipad (ugh), 30% want a kindle, and 6% want a nook.

personally i love my sony reader. I'll be sad if the line vanishes.

40+28+6+1=75%
Where is the rest?

ebooker · 09-17-2010, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

40+28+6+1=75%
Where is the rest?

here's the original survey, from changewave.
looks like the other 25% were "dont know".

charleski · 09-17-2010, 10:20 AM

Even I, who usually avoid adverts like the plague, have been unable to avoid the Kindle ads that are popping up on the Underground in London. Amazon's certainly putting some effort into getting into the mass market and Sony needs to step up a bit.

The more robust Sony models are clearly better suited to use while playing football.

09-16-2010, 02:19 AM	#1
ebooker Banned Posts: 140 Karma: 16076 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NYC Device: sony prs-650!	is sony reader going to vanish? according to recent poll, less than 1% of new ereader buyers are considering the sony reader. 40% want an ipad (ugh), 30% want a kindle, and 6% want a nook. personally i love my sony reader. I'll be sad if the line vanishes. Last edited by ebooker; 09-16-2010 at 11:54 AM.

09-16-2010, 07:04 AM	#7
Richey79 mrkrgnao Posts: 241 Karma: 237248 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PRS650, K3 Wireless, Galaxy S3, iPad 3.	The Pool Ad might come back to bite Amazon (and Sony as well) if there does turn out to be a provable hardware issue with Pearl screens overheating and slowing-down in the sun. Sony always seem to have relied on word-of-mouth advertising and some (pretty paltry) store presence to sell their readers. Perhaps this is the point at which they need to try to push for wider market recognition and show they're serious about their ereader division. It would be a shame to lose their products, because they are enjoyable for very different reasons to Amazon's. Their timing in releasing their new models could have been better (to put it kindly). If they'd managed to release two months earlier, they might have managed to steal at least some of the enthusiasm for K3. This is the problem for Sony - people on MR will consider the Sonys before making a purchase decision, Joe Public will look at the missing 'buzzword' features and price and immediately discount them. I don't personally think the Sonys need wireless, and quite like having to connect them to a PC to transfer files. I'm pretty sure that mass opinion is against me on this, however. That issue and price are the two that may well put Sony's ereaders at a significant disadvantage in the market place. I'm betting they'll release at least one more generation, though. - I was recently talking to my parents (60s, UK) about ereaders. It turned out they were well aware of their advantages and had looked at them about four years ago. They'd come close to buying a couple (even at £400, or whatever crazy price they were back then). They were Sonys, of course, and that meant that they would seriously consider them now, presuming that the higher price means better build quality. Interesting that this longer history of store presence might work out as an advantage for Sony. Good for them, I say. Last edited by Richey79; 09-16-2010 at 07:09 AM.

09-16-2010, 10:21 AM	#8
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	It's football [American] season here in the States. I remember last year's ad campaigns. I wonder if Sony will keep Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake as its spokespersons. Around this time last year, Sony ads started demoing their new products, including the readers quite heavily during the games and on primetime television. It usually featured sports and entertainment stars pretty much in love with the Sony products. . I wonder if Sony will keep the trend up, considering they just launched an all new Reader line right before the football season started...hrm...food for thought? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cONRdBIFXA Last edited by jaxx6166; 09-16-2010 at 10:27 AM. Reason: Gave up trying to embed.

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09-16-2010, 02:24 AM	#2
kartu PRS+ author Posts: 1,637 Karma: 2446233 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-300, 505, 600, 650, 950	Sony could have spent a bit more on ads, indeed. However it's hard to take "40% want iPad" seriously. But amazon seems to respond to it:

09-16-2010, 02:28 AM	#3
viviena Evangelist Posts: 412 Karma: 520610 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canberra, Australia Device: Currently Kobo Clara HD and Aura One, iPad	Well, the article is from the start of March. The Kindle 3 hadn't even come out yet, let alone the new Sonys. There's probably even better awareness of the Kindle now, and with that might come an interest in alternative e-ink devices such as the Sony Readers. At least, I hope so -- a bit of competition in the marketplace is always healthy.

09-16-2010, 03:38 AM	#4
thymaster Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 34074 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kobo Aura Edition 2	The thing about the iPad is that it's got a "coolness" factor to it. The kindle and nook is for serious readers and their love for books. Sony doesn't have this coolness besides the touch screen. I think if Sony wants to win votes it's gotta start rallying. Library, coffee shops, beaches and airport are good places to start the eBook revolution. Most people I know still don't know what a Kindle or a Kobo is. People are still carrying paper books to these trendy places. If people start reading on their eReader at coffee shop, others would be curious and follow. Start replacing paper books with an eREader in every movie scenes. Promote eReaders at schools and give students discounts and ebook coupons. If sony thinks they aren't competing on quality, they are in for a shock of their life.

09-16-2010, 05:51 AM	#5
yts06mgr Nameless Being	I think Sony Reader will stay for sometime because the poll just meant about the US market and not international. B&N has no presence outside of US and Amazon's actual presence is only a few countries while Amazon provides international version of Kindle. Sony covers over hundreds of countries and regions, so maybe the outcome of pole may be different if researched internationally. Believe it or not, Sony has been in the eBook reader business the longest and I still appreciate their effort and presence.

09-16-2010, 02:59 PM	#10
ebooker Banned Posts: 140 Karma: 16076 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NYC Device: sony prs-650!	the prs feature set is unique, and for me, perfect. I really hope they dont screw up the marketing/pricing and thus deny themselves the market.

09-16-2010, 08:50 PM	#12
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	Well, Glen, they need to build up the excitement I'm not that big of a football fan as I appear. But, they do play a big game on turkey day, which is just before black friday....hehe. It's like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

09-17-2010, 10:20 AM	#15
charleski Wizard Posts: 1,196 Karma: 1281258 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505	Even I, who usually avoid adverts like the plague, have been unable to avoid the Kindle ads that are popping up on the Underground in London. Amazon's certainly putting some effort into getting into the mass market and Sony needs to step up a bit. The more robust Sony models are clearly better suited to use while playing football.

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