Ramblings of an e-ink fanatic:)

[Pajamaman]

If Amazon sold larger e-ink screen devices the price would drop on the larger screens. Thier lack of interest is then effectively keeping the prices higher. That's a negative in my book.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

If Amazon sold larger e-ink screen devices the price would drop on the larger screens. Thier lack of interest is then effectively keeping the prices higher. That's a negative in my book.

Given the cost of the Oasis, if Amazon did come out with a larger screen Kindle, the price would be extortionate.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given the cost of the Oasis, if Amazon did come out with a larger screen Kindle, the price would be extortionate.

Yes, Amazon has gone the way of Apple with its Gold Mac. Amazon are focusing on creating a status-oriented product to generate more revenue. Money for old rope, basically.

In actual fact, I can't think of an occasion when Amazon has innovated hardware in any real way in the e-ink category. They have always been content to remain one step behind the competition and add competitors features to their products. They have not been a force for innovation in the e-ink market, and their dominance of the market has had braking effect on choice, especially in the US market.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

Yes, Amazon has gone the way of Apple with its Gold Mac. Amazon are focusing on creating a status-oriented product to generate more revenue. Money for old rope, basically.

Exactly! Except for the fact that Amazon—unlike Apple—still makes and sells cheap eink Kindles and Fire Tablets that anybody can afford, of course. But other than that ... spot on!

[barryem]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Exactly! Except for the fact that Amazon—unlike Apple—still makes and sells cheap eink Kindles and Fire Tablets that anybody can afford, of course. But other than that ... spot on!

I think that's exactly been Amazon's big innovation. They made really good ereaders affordable.

Of course that's a two edged sword. While it means most people can afford a first rate device for reading it also means nobody else can really compete with them so we don't get a lot of choice in the devices that are available.

Amazon is, in a sense, kind of a benevolent dictator in the ebook market. They provide a really first rate ereading environment and we better like it or else.

Barry

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by barryem

Amazon is, in a sense, kind of a benevolent dictator in the ebook market. They provide a really first rate ereading environment and we better like it or else.

Or else you continue to read Kindle books with their app on a non-eink device of your choice; or you buy epubs from a variety of other retailers and read them on their eink devices, or with their apps on a host of other devices. Readers gonna read.

[robko]

Originally Posted by barryem

I think that's exactly been Amazon's big innovation. They made really good ereaders affordable.

I'd argue that point. Amazon (and Sony and B+N) only brought their devices down to an "affordable" price point after Kobo entered the market with a device at 1/2 the price of theirs. Albeit, the 1st Kobo device was definitely not as good as the Kindle, but it was at a price point that made me buy where Kindle was priced more than I was willing to pay (and availability in Canada was a challenge at that point). So yes, they did bring their price down for a good ereader, but IMHO that was directly in response to competitive pressure rather than true innovation.

[Pajamaman]

Amazon did release the DX which was an innovation. Then pulled it It's sad too see old DX's on ebay still fetching $120. The demand is there. Amazon is not interested in meeting the demand and the market is too closed for another producer to get into the market. If large e-ink devices were in the stores, people would buy them.

[Katsunami]

For me, a 9.7 inch reader like the DX would be too big in for use in portrait orientation. I'd rather have a 10.1 - 12 inch reader that can show two pages side by side in landscape mode.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

For me, a 9.7 inch reader like the DX would be too big in for use in portrait orientation. I'd rather have a 10.1 - 12 inch reader that can show two pages side by side in landscape mode.

I think the key is to sell e-ink e-readers of sizes larger than 6", no matter the size. We can thank Kobo and Onyx for their attempts to innovate here. This will reduce the cost of production of larger screens in general. The trouble is at the moment is that production is bottle-necked by a refusal of large companies, and particularly Amazon, not to offer the larger formats to customers who would clearly by happy to buy them.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

The trouble is at the moment is that production is bottle-necked by a refusal of large companies, and particularly Amazon, not to offer the larger formats to customers who would clearly by happy to buy them.

I would buy that if they hadn't already offered the DX. Why has there not been a DX2? My guess would be sales weren't as strong as they anticipated.

Then if they release a DX2 and market it as a premium device (to make up for lower sales numbers), they would be accused by users here of charging an exorbitant price.

[Katsunami]

The DX is a very old reader, and was thus very expensive because of its size. That would be one reason for people to opt for the smaller one.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

The DX is a very old reader, and was thus very expensive because of its size. That would be one reason for people to opt for the smaller one.

That doesn't explain why there has never been a sequel.

The original Kindle was $399 on release and sold like hotcakes.

When the DX was released at $489, the Kindle 2 was going for $359, I believe. And the DX dropped to $379.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

That doesn't explain why there has never been a sequel.

Probably because it took them years to sell through all of the DX inventory they had.

The original Kindle was $399 on release and sold like hotcakes.

When the DX was released at $489, the Kindle 2 was going for $359, I believe. And the DX dropped to $379.

When the original Kindle was released there wasn't much competition. By the time the DX and K2 were out there was a little more competition with more stuff on the horizon. The iPad also came out and the tablet market grew huge with a flurry of Android tablet releases. While a tablet may not be a replacement for everyone wanting a large screen eInk reader it did shrink that market a lot.

The original DX was $489, the DXG $379

The K2 went from $359--->$299--->$259 and then when B&N dropped the price of the Nook to $189 Amazon immediately followed suit.

[DiapDealer]

In my opinion, dedicated eink readers are a niche market. A large screen dedicated eink reader is a niche of that niche. Anyone who thinks Amazon (or anyone else) would make buckets of money by (re)introducing a large-screen dedicated eink device is deluding themselves, in my opinion. They're projecting their niche wants onto others.

Eink technology has maxed out its usefulness. It will take a brand new screen technology that leverages some of the advantages of eink--while still being technologically and financially viable in traditional, mainstream screen applications--to shake things up. Anything that doesn't do high-resolution, smooth-as-silk, color video will remain niche forever. Not dead. Just one size-fits-all, what-you-see-is-what-EVERYONE-gets niche.