Walmart and Rakuten Announce New Strategic Alliance

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Alohamora

Now that's a surprise.

I wonder what this part really means.

More competition can only be a good thing.

It means you buy a card and then redeem it for a specific title (I asked)

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Apparently when the Kobo/Tolino alliance was announced (about a year ago) both ecosystems were supposed to co-exist.

They have to coexist, because Rakuten does not own the whole ecosystem. Rakuten Kobo is not the company that bought out Tolino, Rakuten was. Well, the part of Tolino that was for sale (hardware and software far as I understand - the part that used to be owned by Deutsche Telekom AG).

If Tolino does not own the manufacturing sites (unlikely), then it makes sense that Rakuten would be interested in using their preferred manufacturers which can be shared by Rakuten Kobo (more business equals cheaper prices). If Rakuten does not technically own them, and Kobo does not own anything from Tolino, an alliance between Kobo and Tolino would allow Rakuten to let Kobo manufacture the devices for Tolino.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

It means you buy a card and then redeem it for a specific title (I asked)

What is the point of buying a card in the store that will allow you to buy a specific book on your e-reader? This feels like marketing from ten years ago.

What is the benefit for anybody in doing this?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

What is the point of buying a card in the store that will allow you to buy a specific book on your e-reader? This feels like marketing from ten years ago.

What is the benefit for anybody in doing this?

Impulse gift buying. How would you gift a book for someone else without knowing their account details?

[shalym]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

What is the point of buying a card in the store that will allow you to buy a specific book on your e-reader? This feels like marketing from ten years ago.

What is the benefit for anybody in doing this?

Because people who don't own e-readers (and don't have accounts at any website that sells ebooks) can buy books for their friends and family who do have/use e-readers.

I think it's a good idea, and will result in a lot more people getting ebooks for Christmas/birthday/Hanukkah/whatever gifts.

I do hope that the recipient will be able to exchange it for a different book, though, in case of duplicates (or Grandma giving a 17 year old a book meant for a pre-teen...this happens much more often than you would think)

Shari

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Impulse gift buying. How would you gift a book for someone else without knowing their account details?

Buy them a generic gift card for the same store.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by shalym

Because people who don't own e-readers (and don't have accounts at any website that sells ebooks) can buy books for their friends and family who do have/use e-readers.

I think it's a good idea, and will result in a lot more people getting ebooks for Christmas/birthday/Hanukkah/whatever gifts.

I do hope that the recipient will be able to exchange it for a different book, though, in case of duplicates (or Grandma giving a 17 year old a book meant for a pre-teen...this happens much more often than you would think)

Shari

What part of that could they not do with a card that was just a generic Kobo (or however they choose to label it) gift card? Why do we want/need a gift card that will only entitle me to a purchase of EL James' Darker? If that were given to me, they may as well give me nothing at all.

Now, if it is just a generic card, but they get some kind of royalty in slapping the cover of EL James' latest masterpiece on the card, that is fine.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Buy them a generic gift card for the same store.

That is a crap gift. Here, have a $5 bill, since I don't want to pretend to know you. If I go to DollarTree and buy a few toys for less money than the $5, then they are appreciated much more.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

That is a crap gift. Here, have a $5 bill, since I don't want to pretend to know you. If I go to DollarTree and buy a few toys for less money than the $5, then they are appreciated much more.

You're entitled to your opinion of course. But I'd rather be given $5 to buy a book that I want than a $5 book that I have no interest in reading.

If somebody gives you a gift card that only allows you to purchase a specific pop best seller*, did they really put any more thought into it than if they just bought you a gift card?

*Regardless of what they say about those book cards allowing them to carry a wider selection of titles, do you really see your local Walmart stocking up on gift cards specifically for Charles Bukowski books? Or Jorge Luis Borges?

[maddz]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You're entitled to your opinion of course. But I'd rather be given $5 to buy a book that I want than a $5 book that I have no interest in reading.

If somebody gives you a gift card that only allows you to purchase a specific pop best seller*, did they really put any more thought into it than if they just bought you a gift card?

Exactly! I've trained my family to buy me Amazon gift cards. Even if I've no immediate use for it, it goes on my account for later use. In all honesty, my sister will buy me things I think tasteless otherwise (the idea is to smarted me up, I believe).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Buy them a generic gift card for the same store.

It's more personalized if it's a specific book. Maybe a book the gift-giver really liked.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

It's more personalized if it's a specific book. Maybe a book the gift-giver really liked.

That sentiment sounds good, but is unlikely to be true. We all have this romantic notion that some grandmotherly figure is going to find that Anne of Green Gables gift card and put it in a Hallmark card where she's going to write a message about how important that book was to her as a girl.

But that hasn't been what happens in my life. What you usually get is someone who isn't a reader, but has to buy a gift for you. They don't know much about you, but they know you are a reader and since you're a nerd you must like Star Wars, so you wind up with How Star Wars Conquered The Universe. A book you have no interest in.

At least if it were a gift card, I could have got a book I wanted.

Even if there's some book that moved you enough that you want to give it as a gift, unless it was a big recent best seller, what are the chances that Walmart is going to have the card for that specific book in stock? So you loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Is Walmart likely to have a card specific to that book in stock? No. They are going to have a hundred of the latest James Patterson spin off and then they will have the generic cards which are really all that is needed.

[Barty]

You can buy a generic gift card. You can buy a specific book for someone. Choices! It's crazy, I know.

[ekbell]

The Walmart set-up seems designed to facilitate ebook buying for people unused to buying ebooks from on-line stores (or maybe people like my mom who doesn't trust the security of store accounts, she won't set up an account if she has to give her credit card information)

I agree that gifting books is problematical if you don't know the person's taste in books as well as the contents of their library. A book given without care is a sad thing.

On the other hand some of the most enjoyable gifts I've received have been books I hadn't known existed. Not only because I've enjoyed the book itself but also because of the care and knowledge that is demonstrated by the gifting of such a well suited book. It's much nicer then a generic gift card which could never be used to buy something I didn't know existed.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Even though Amazon has finally come out with a larger screen Kindle that runs current firmware, many people are complaining about the poor battery used. So there is still one more thing Amazon can do. Build an Oasis 3 with a better battery.

Also, Washington state might be passing a law that these portable electronics have to have a user replaceable battery. That would be a big deal given that Amazon is in Seattle, Washington. Also, that would mean Apple would have to come out with new devices that all allow user replaceable batteries.

Is the proposed legislation only targeting Amazon and Apple? Are you saying it wouldn't affect Kobo for some reason?