Rumored Sony Layoffs: Ebook Readers Affected?

[ProfCrash]

No one said that there were that many people in the e-reader department. Only that their e-reader division could be susceptible to cuts or cutting altogether because Sony's e-reader does not appear to have improved its market position even with the introduction of the T1.

[FizzyWater]

Isn't this an annual Springtime question? Seems to me, beginning sometime between March and May, retailers start discounting the current Sony readers to get rid of stock, and then there's a few months where it's harder to find one in a B&M store. Then October rolls around and we all wait to see what the new ones do.

Overall, I thought the T1 was a step back (disclaimer: WiFi is not important to me) with one exception - they finally improved the percentage of change between font size changes! Plus, it would be nice to be able to switch fonts, if the eBook allows it. It wasn't enough for me to trade up from my 650, though.

[nesler]

Originally Posted by Phogg

People got used to buying Sony readers knowing that book lists and collections would have alphabetic tabs to search through them quickly. The lack therof lost Sony's established grip (which Amazon and Nook had utterly failed to budge) on the heavy reader/collector market.

That isn't a market. That's a niche, and it's a small one. E-readers have tended to catch my eye out in the wild--airports, public transportation, etc--and I've only ever seen two makes: the Kindle and the Nook. And frankly, having had the opportunity to talk to a number of people about their devices... they're not that knowledgeable about the e-reader market. It's entirely exposure-based, and what two readers are they exposed to? The Kindle, because everyone has heard of Amazon at this point, and the Nook, because customers see it when they go into Barnes & Noble.

Sony's site doesn't have that kind of draw online, and they aren't a featured presence in any store. In stores that actually carry a variety of readers, it tends to be the also-ran: you see people futzing with the Kindles and the Nooks, and the Sony is hanging out in the least prominent spot, looking forlorn and unwanted.

They don't have a market, because nothing about their product draws attention: poor online presence, poor in-store presence, and the lack of a popular bookstore tie-in. They're boned.

Incidentally, Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs recounted a rather interesting chapter in the early history of the iPod and iTunes, and made note of the fact that Sony was particularly acrimonious about it, given their music and hardware holdings, and so they tried to develop a similar hardware/online-music fusion... and utterly failed. Just couldn't do it.

Frankly, they haven't had a market-defining product since the Playstation. They should thank their lucky stars that that line is still popular.

(And incidentally, the T1 launched in October, and the two previous generations launched in August, so it's still a bit early yet to be clearing out the T1s...)

[Kumabjorn]

According to Nihon Keizai Shinbun's (Japan's WSJ) website Sony is dismantling their TV production and 5,000 of the layoffs are within that sector. The other 5,000 are more or less part of prior announced restructuring. I don't think e-Readers will be impacted.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

According to Nihon Keizai Shinbun's (Japan's WSJ) website Sony is dismantling their TV production and 5,000 of the layoffs are within that sector. The other 5,000 are more or less part of prior announced restructuring. I don't think e-Readers will be impacted.

I wouldn't think so either. Sony's problem is that flat screen TVs went from being a luxury good to a commodity in just a couple of years, and Sony couldn't get the prices it was expecting because other companies were offering the same tech for much much less.

[plib]

I haven't bought anything Sony since their rootkit fiasco, and I have no plans to buy anything from them in the future. I don't even look up reviews on their products in initial purchase investigations. My version of voting with my wallet.

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

According to Nihon Keizai Shinbun's (Japan's WSJ) website Sony is dismantling their TV production and 5,000 of the layoffs are within that sector. The other 5,000 are more or less part of prior announced restructuring. I don't think e-Readers will be impacted.

Thanks. That's the kind of rumor I was wanting to hear about. It doesn't mean Sony won't slash their ebook reader staff, too, but at least they aren't mentioned as one of the prime targets for the cuts.

[pphilipp]

Just posted so I can be the person to turn that '666 views' into 667! LOL

[ProfCrash]

Is the e-reader division large enough to be mentioned in the press? Sorry to be pessimistic but I can see mentioning the TV division, Sony is known for its TV's. How many people know that Sony makes an e-reader?

[Kumabjorn]

Actually, that is probably exactly why the e-Reader division will not be affected. It is so small that savings there will not make a farts dent in a sulphur factory.

[Shopaholic]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Actually, that is probably exactly why the e-Reader division will not be affected. It is so small that savings there will not make a farts dent in a sulphur factory.

That pretty much sums up what the hubby & I were thinking!

[danskmacabre]

When I was looking at Ereaders early last year I wanted a Sony Ereader. They looked really nice. But then the Kobo Touch came out a lot cheaper and had the features I was looking for anyway.
Now I've bought into the Kobo brand, I bought a Kobo touch for my wife too for convenience of having the model and store to use for everyone.
If the Sony offers had been a bit cheaper I would have grabbed one and probably another later on.

I would want to see as much competition in the ereader market as possible. It's good for us consumers..

[carpetmojo]

Well, reading the possible new core areas, readers might last a bit longer - and Sony Store is now being run out in Europe , finally.....................

Interesting.........

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bu...y-7640824.html

Enjoy.