What do you think the Amazon Kindle means for the Sony Readers?

[astra]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I am going to purchase it for $9.99 and then read it on my 505. Plus I won't have DRM.

Nasty you

Btw where do you usually buy them?

[markbot]

Content is king. When Jeff Bezos says his goal is to one day have every book ever written in any language in electronic form on Amazon....you understand that is an idealistic goal....but it is a goal nonetheless.

The CEO of Sony would never even consider making such a statement because Sony just sells hardware.

This illustrates the vital difference between the 2 camps.

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by markbot

The CEO of Sony would never even consider making such a statement because Sony just sells hardware.

You should mention that to Sony Pictures, Sony-BMG, and the CONNECT e-book store. They seem very confused on the issue.

[astra]

However, they should not forget about hardware as well.
I would never buy Sony if it looked like Kindle even if had the same content as Amazon for 1/2 of amazon's current price. I would prefer paper books instead.

[carchase]

To me, the Kindle means that I'm going to be more reluctant to buy .lrx content. I don't want the Kindle now, but if the next generation looks better and amazon offers way more books than Sony, I could see myself making the leap eventually.

That means that I better stick to non-DRM books or .lit files which can be decrypted if I want my purchases to leap with me.

[astra]

Originally Posted by carchase

That means that I better stick to non-DRM books or .lit files which can be decrypted if I want my purchases to leap with me.

I stick to this position regardless of my next reader.

[carchase]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

I stick to this position regardless of my next reader.

I would too, except it's a pain for me to buy .lit files while at work (which is where i do a lot of internet browsing ). I don't have administrator rights to activate the reader on my work computer, so I have to do all the grunt work -- decrypt, etc -- at home, which is less convenient for me.

I lucked up and got the connect software installed a while back while an admin was on my computer.

[bingle]

Originally Posted by Andy Baird

It's clear that Amazon, having decided that they can't wait for the hidebound publishing industry to wake up to reality, are taking a loss on these books in order to prime the pump and get Kindle (and the whole ebook concept) off the ground. It's a risk, but they have the deep pockets to do this for as long as it takes; Sony doesn't.

I think you're right. And I'm glad Amazon has done this - it's a bit like Google finally just deciding to drag the book industry into the digital age kicking and screaming. I really think this will be good for the ebook industry as a whole. We're already seeing the "halo effect" from the Kindle - someone in this thread mentioned they bought a Reader after all the excitement from the Kindle. And for some reason, the press is now talking seriously about ebooks and ebook devices, as if Amazon created the market (and perhaps they did, with their content).

Originally Posted by Andy Baird

And Amazon is 100% committed to this venture, risk or no. Jeff Bezos says: "This is the most important thing we've ever done." That's not just hype. I'm convinced he's right.

I'm a little skeptical. It hasn't been so long since Amazon first started making a profit in general. This is a big risk in many ways (subsidizing content, subsidizing connectivity, getting into electronics manufacturing... Not to mention just the general risk of the ebook market.) They're obviously taking the right steps, showing that they know and understand what the risks are, but it's still risky. I think if it goes badly, they might be forced to pull out.

Originally Posted by Andy Baird

In the long run, I think Sony's best bet is to stick to their knitting--meaning selling sleekly designed hardware--by licensing the Kindle platform. I think once Kindle gets going, Amazon will be only too happy to offer licenses to other hardware makers. After all, they are in the content business... so the more readers out there, the better, as long as they all tie into Amazon for purchases.

*sigh* I hope you're right, both that Sony will be willing to license the platform, and that Amazon will be willing to have others develop their electronics. It really would be a great combination, and reduce the risk for both parties, while highlighting their strengths.

But Sony has been so incredibly stubborn in the past, especially when it comes to selling content. They seem to think they can be a content powerhouse all by themselves, leading to acts of incredible hubris.

And you wrote above about Bezos' very personal attachment to the idea and the device. The man thinks it's beautiful, in fact - it's like his child. Would Amazon really be willing to license out the device construction? If so, why wouldn't they have partnered with someone for the Kindle 1.0? They either want to control every aspect of it, or they have aspirations of entering the hardware business (Kindle == iPod?). Either way, they're not going to want to let go.

For the sake of the ebook market, I hope they do partner up, though.

[KlondikeGeoff]

Originally Posted by bingle

*sigh* I hope you're right, both that Sony will be willing to license the platform, and that Amazon will be willing to have others develop their electronics. It really would be a great combination, and reduce the risk for both parties, while highlighting their strengths.

I agree with what all you wrote.

The ironic thing is that years ago, and for quite a while, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble had content, and quite a bit of it, for the old Rocket eBook. I bought a lot of books from them for that device before Gemstar gave up on it.

Having been burned that time, I won't spring for a Kindle until am sure it will survive.

[mollybo]

Originally Posted by carchase

I don't have administrator rights to activate the reader on my work computer, so I have to do all the grunt work -- decrypt, etc -- at home, which is less convenient for me.

I lucked up and got the connect software installed a while back while an admin was on my computer.

I don't have admin rights on my work computer, but run and can access Connect from a USB drive. Just copy the entire working directory from your home computer onto the USB drive, copy the "my books" directory from My Documents, run the program from the USB drive and then reimport the books (since the program will be looking for them in the old directory structure).

[Penforhire]

Put me in the group that figures the Kindle is good for e-readers in general. We need volume sales to promote continued e-ink investment. We are not at the end of the road yet. In fact, it feels like we're early adopters of the technology.

I bought the 505 for my wife for Xmas. That's why I joined up. If it works as well as I hope I'll be buying a second reader for me. I'm on the fence whether that'd be another Sony or possibly the Kindle.

As far as how the Kindle affects my view of the Sony? I already don't like the idea of Sony-only LRx files because I have the long view. I won't likely be using the same device in five years but I'll sure have the same library. So even if the Kindle was never released I'd be trying to hedge my e-book investment. I'm doubly suspicious of the Kindle format future, thinking they'll take it all away some day.

I imagine the properous future of e-books is the Netflix/Blockbuster Online subscription model. Change me a fixed monthly fee and allow me access to "x" number of texts at a time that I never actually own. the Kindle would allow this sort of model, beaming me new books and killing old ones remotely. I'm not saying it is ideal. Many of us like to "own" books and this is just renting. But I think it'd be a feasible model for economic success in the e-book world.

Amazon has the book-clout to go there. Apple is another entity with enough marketing savvy and buzz to get it done too. I'll be surprised if they don't enter this arena soon. I already think of e-readers as Ipods for books.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

I imagine the properous future of e-books is the Netflix/Blockbuster Online subscription model. Change me a fixed monthly fee and allow me access to "x" number of texts at a time that I never actually own. the Kindle would allow this sort of model, beaming me new books and killing old ones remotely. I'm not saying it is ideal. Many of us like to "own" books and this is just renting. But I think it'd be a feasible model for economic success in the e-book world.

This is basically what Sony tried with the original "Librie" book reader in Japan. It was a commercial catastrophe. Seems that people just don't like "expiring" content when it comes to eBooks.

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is basically what Sony tried with the original "Librie" book reader in Japan. It was a commercial catastrophe. Seems that people just don't like "expiring" content when it comes to eBooks.

This seems to be a repeating problem. So many marketing types approach the digital world by assuming that content is content, regardless of what those bits represent. It just doesn't work that way. Just because they're all digitized doesn't mean that what goes for digital music will go for digital books or digital movies or digital television shows. This holds for the way people want to use them, buy them, shop for them, keep track of them, search for them--virtually every aspect.

[vrf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is basically what Sony tried with the original "Librie" book reader in Japan. It was a commercial catastrophe. Seems that people just don't like "expiring" content when it comes to eBooks.

I think the Netflix model would make more somewhat more sense. You can keep the book for as long as it takes to read it. Then when you want more, the old one(s) expire.

[WilliamG]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I am going to purchase it for $9.99 and then read it on my 505. Plus I won't have DRM.

How do you buy it for $9.99 and read it in the 500/505?