wonder if sony going to can ebook business

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by arciervo

personally I find the Kobo Touch to be much inferior to my PRS-T1, at least for the features that I'm interested in.

ditto for me. I am just glad to have bought the T1 before any of this, so I can enjoy it as it is.

[thomasn75]

I have just realised that sony has lost me as a ebook buyer. when I first got the t1 I had every intention of using their software and to buy books from them but as time dragged on I had to find other ways and ended up using kobo. as the sony software was so frustrating and difficult to use I got put onto calibre. so now I am finding myself not really bothered about registering with the new reader store uk, plus the book selection is still limited(but I assume will increase).
this is one of the reasons i see sony strugling to make money in this market. others will sell readers at a loss and make the money on the books but if sony is essentially only a hardware supplier they wont be able to compete long term, even if hardware is good.

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by thomasn75

I am wondering if sony is going to stops its ebook reader business after the announcement today.

Don't forget Sony's strong position in its domestic market - Japan.

Basically, Sony has no competition in Japan (Kindle is still not yet available there). In Japan's eBook reader sales chart, Sony's models occupy the top 13 positions. In fact, only 2 out of the top 16 places in the eBook reader sales chart are not Sony! They count different colors and different kits (e.g. sold with cover) as separate in the sales chart. In Japan, Sony is selling the PRS-T1, PRS-G1, PRS-350 and PRS-650 as current models.

Can you get more dominant that this? I guess not.
So I doubt Sony would give up its ebook reader business - though it is possible that it may withdraw from certain markets. But it would definitely continue to have new models for its domestic market.

[clashcityrocker]

Originally Posted by arciervo

Given Sony's dire situation, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they leave the e-reader business.

I wouldn't call their situation dire, they have plenty of profitable businesses, they just need to shed the unprofitable ones, or turn them around.

The American media has been on a Sony witchhunt for several years now. It started when Microsoft stirred the pot to ensure they got a foothold in the Nintendo/Sony Japanese gaming hardware market, and has continued ever since.

Right now, I don't trust a single word Engadget or frankly any other American "tech" news source says, it's almost always spun in a Pro-American (Microsoft/Amazon/Apple) and anti everyone else fashion, to try and bolster the failed American economy.

[thomasn75]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

Don't forget Sony's strong position in its domestic market - Japan.

Basically, Sony has no competition in Japan (Kindle is still not yet available there). In Japan's eBook reader sales chart, Sony's models occupy the top 13 positions. In fact, only 2 out of the top 16 places in the eBook reader sales chart are not Sony! They count different colors and different kits (e.g. sold with cover) as separate in the sales chart. In Japan, Sony is selling the PRS-T1, PRS-G1, PRS-350 and PRS-650 as current models.

Can you get more dominant that this? I guess not.
So I doubt Sony would give up its ebook reader business - though it is possible that it may withdraw from certain markets. But it would definitely continue to have new models for its domestic market.

Good point well made. I was not aware of the situation in Japan. I really hope you are right as I love my Sony reader and would hate to have to go some place else. Sony just frustrates me with their inability to keep up with the competition. once again i am reminded of why I had to cave in and get an Ipod as sonic stage(sony connect) software drove me mad.

[booklover6]

I love my T1. I hope Sony stays in the ereader business. It's a fantastic ereader, more versatile than my Kindle, though no one, now, can match the free 3G on one of my Kindles.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by thomasn75

Well maybe we will be ok. The reader store seems to have gone live today in uk.
Still not sure what sony review will mean for new ereader models etc

If Sony was planning on stopping the the eBook business, there is no way they would now start an eBookstore in the UK.

[geoffwood]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If Sony was planning on stopping the the eBook business, there is no way they would now start an eBookstore in the UK.

I wouldn't read too much into the fact that the UK store opened as I suspect it had been in the pipeline for months which were spent in negotiating deals with publishers and they aren't going to waste that investment. Things will go forward, business as usual, until it is official that they are abandoning the ereader business, if that is what they do.

[sabredog]

London Book Fair Sony news.

http://publishingperspectives.com/20...e-takes-shape/

[chrisridd]

It seems odd to me that Sony UK's website still doesn't point users on their "Get ebooks" page to their own bookstore. Just Waterstones, WHSmiths, and Mills & Boon...

Nor does their UK "press centre" website include their bookstore press release.

Is this normal procedure at Sony?

[idle]

I wonder whether Europe equals UK now. The headline seems to suggest that.

[carpetmojo]

In reply to the question posed - yes I think they should.

Why be just another online shop that can't possibly hope to catch up with the main competitors - and they aint going to make money on it, and on early viewing, gain rep/headlines....

I do wish they'd concentrate on the core business.

But the whole corp has got so diffuse by now ...........