GOODEREADER announces crowd-funded 'ULTIMATE 6" EINK READER'!

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Barty

If you think about it, e ink readers are kind of pathetic. Look at the $10 android phone. It packs into a much smaller space a quad core 1.2Ghz cpu, sd slot, microphone, speaker, blue tooth, cell radio, Wi-Fi, camera (crappy camera, but camera nevertheless). This $200 reader does not even have sound. Ok I guess the e-ink screen and front light cost more than the cheap lcd, but really, don't the cheap phones show all the other components cost very little? And the fact that you have a larger form factor to work with makes design and assembly easier.

Eink readers are the smart phones of Soviet era Russian consumer electronics.

Please do not insult people that use ereaders.
Also very insulting to Rusians.
They are not pathetic, nor are they anything like a smart phone.
They are a niche item which people do pay for.
They are improving all the time.
People pay $200 every day.
If you don't like don't use them, but don't be calling them names.

[robko]

Originally Posted by Barty

Ok I guess the e-ink screen and front light cost more than the cheap lcd, but really, don't the cheap phones show all the other components cost very little? And the fact that you have a larger form factor to work with makes design and assembly easier.

Eink readers are the smart phones of Soviet era Russian consumer electronics.

Simple economics. Sure some people would like some or all of the functions you described. But how many more net Kindles would it sell? The price of a Kindle is based on what the market will bear, not the cost of producing it, so even if they could add all of the above for $1/unit, if they currently sell 1,000,000 units that's $1,000,000 in margin they have to make up. Sure they could increase the price by $1-2, but I'm willing to bet they have it dialed in and if they could raise it by that much and come out ahead they'd have already done so. You'd also have to add increased inventory of parts (camera, bluetooth etc) at the production plant, increased assembly complexity (sure they have more space, but it's going to be more to insert 8 things 4), increased customer service cost etc, etc on top of the $1 for parts. Yes they could add it all and for "minimal" cost, but the problem is there is likely little net economic benefit for them to do so.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Barty

If you think about it, e ink readers are kind of pathetic. Look at the $10 android phone. It packs into a much smaller space a quad core 1.2Ghz cpu, sd slot, microphone, speaker, blue tooth, cell radio, Wi-Fi, camera (crappy camera, but camera nevertheless).

...and the screen resolution is crap, and the the battery's gone by end of day. It might be fine as a cheap phone, but as an ereader it's close to the worst possible option. Some people prefer tools that are well suited to their purpose.

[HarryT]

I'd hazard a guess that the overwhelming majority of people who buy eInk readers already have a Smartphone, and buy eInk devices because they don't enjoy the experience of reading on the phone. Obviously those who are entirely satisfied with the experience of reading on phones have no need for eInk readers.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Please do not insult people that use ereaders.
Also very insulting to Rusians.
They are not pathetic, nor are they anything like a smart phone.
They are a niche item which people do pay for.
They are improving all the time.
People pay $200 every day.
If you don't like don't use them, but don't be calling them names.

Wow you are really taking this wrong. I use an e-ink reader myself, and only e ink to read books. Why do people assume that if anyone says the least bit critical thing about a product or product category, they must hate it or don't use it and don't know what they're talking about? On the contrary, I'm most critical of things I use and care about. The rest, I don't bother.

I was not trying to insult people, just pointing out something rather obvious.

Anyway, the answer is simple economics. Phones outsell dedicated readers by several orders of magnitude. That's the reason for discrepancy in pricing vs features.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

I didn't think you were insulting anyone Barty. I found your post quite funny.
As for the $10 smartphone though:



Apparently Goodereader guys are talking about launching the second part of their campaign in early 2016. What does that even mean? Are they going to do the fund raising thing again?

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Apparently Goodereader guys are talking about launching the second part of their campaign in early 2016. What does that even mean? Are they going to do the fund raising thing again?

Perhaps their claim of having put $25,000 of their own money into the project is true after all. If so, they will try to run campaigns until they have covered that.

Gotta love the comments on their campaign page. I wonder how many of them they wrote themselves. OTOH, there are 47 backers, so it might be some of them whistling in the dark.

[John Hopper]

I pledged a nominal amount (=$10) at the start of the campaign, as the basic concept interested me. However, as it developed - or rather failed to develop - and nothing materialised in the form of visual or video evidence, I became more sceptical. MK's lack of updates and failure to respond to comments made me feel this was not a serious campaign.

I contrasted it with Icarus's Indiegogo campaign for their 8 inch e-reader, where they updated contributors regularly and answered questions in a timely was with specific answers. I picked up one of these as I fancied a larger screen device with a more open system. Though their funding target was only 24% met, that's a lot better than 3% and they were going ahead with production anyway. It arrived bang on time just before Christmas. The device isn't perfect but it is usable and fairly versatile and I don't regret my investment in a larger screen e-reader. My contrasting experience of these two crowdsourcing campaigns in the same field has been a good lesson in how these campaigns can work (or not).

[Logseman]

I searched the thread and I didn't find the 3rd Law of Crowdfunding: Flexible Funding campaigns are a scam until proven otherwise.

[eschwartz]

It is there, though.

I know I made at least one sarcastic comment about trusting Flexible Funding campaigns...

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Funny that there's an article on their website from Jan 11th titled, "There will never be another Amazon or Kobo".
It focuses a lot on the software (books) side of things but near the article he refers to the hardware:

I firmly believe that it is not financially possible to make selling e-readers, tables and e-books happen anymore. This in turnstifles innovation*and results in small incremental updates that doesn’t really give users a reason to update. We have two companies left, Amazon and Kobo, and that’s it.

Is this a tacit admission that their ereader dream is dead?

[Cinisajoy]

I must say I love the typo in the quote since last time I looked tables still hold books very nicely.

[iatheia]

They decided to start a new campaign (without ever releasing their "ultimate" ereader to the masses). Supposedly, a 13.3" Sony dpt-s1 analog running full Android. At least this time they have a prototype, but I am not filled with confidence.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by iatheia

They decided to start a new campaign (without ever releasing their "ultimate" ereader to the masses). Supposedly, a 13.3" Sony dpt-s1 analog running full Android. At least this time they have a prototype, but I am not filled with confidence.

Here's the campaign link, $699 US plus shipping...
http://goodereader.com/blog/electron...-inch-e-reader
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...oid-e-reader#/

There have been only a few companies that offer Android e-readers, but never a 13.3 inch Android e-Reader.

Onyx?

You can think of our device as a Sony DPT-S1 on steroids, but it is cheaper, can run apps and read your favorite e-books.

So basically an Onyx Boox Max?

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Here's the campaign link, $699 US plus shipping...
http://goodereader.com/blog/electron...-inch-e-reader

Onyx?


So basically an Onyx Boox Max?

From the Indiegogo page

Anyone who donated to our Ultimate e-reader campaign will receive a special link where they can upgrade to this model. The savings will be huge, because we want to reward everyone who supported us.

Translation: you gave us money before and got nothing, so we'd like to get even more from you for nothing again.