Everyone Wants a Kindle - For $50

poohbear_nc · 09-03-2009, 01:10 PM

Interesting article predicting the consumer's price point before an ereader can reach the market saturation like the iPod has.

http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/2009...kindle-for-50/

Teyrnon · 09-03-2009, 01:16 PM

Hmm, sure but what kind of features would a $50 reader have?

I think when they get down to about a $150 we'll start seeing much wider spread adoption.

Hellmark · 09-03-2009, 01:35 PM

Yeah, I think it'll get more widespread, almost mainstream, if they just shave $50 or $100 off the price, not $150-200. Especially if better PDF support comes about.

akira28 · 09-03-2009, 03:56 PM

Forrester's blog on this is here.

In a nutshell : "What we found was that the price points for how most consumers value eReaders is shockingly low--for most segments, between $50 and $99."

jament · 09-03-2009, 05:03 PM

Features won't matter. Wired magazine had a great article about "Good Enough" tech. http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell.../ff_goodenough

From MP3's to Flip Video to cloud computing and netbooks, what people want is accessibility. Accessible price, accessible content, accessible use. The first company that puts out a reader that meets those will flood the market.

It won't be wi-fi or resolution or page speed - it'll be accessibility (especially price) that drives the market.

Hellmark · 09-03-2009, 05:03 PM

But then again, how many people on average actually read books?

LDBoblo · 09-03-2009, 05:22 PM

Plenty of people read books and magazines and newspapers. Nothing to think oneself elite about in any case.

I would agree with a $50-100 price range for the kind of ebook reader presently available too. For more than $150, I'd expect a whole lot more a) quality or b) functionality.

Teyrnon · 09-03-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Plenty of people read books and magazines and newspapers. Nothing to think oneself elite about in any case.

I would agree with a $50-100 price range for the kind of ebook reader presently available too. For more than $150, I'd expect a whole lot more a) quality or b) functionality.

Hmm, this has probably been talked to death but I find myself wondering why exactly ebook readers are so expensive. Are e-ink displays really so expensive to manufacture?

What would it take to produce a reader in the $100 range?

akira28 · 09-03-2009, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teyrnon

Hmm, this has probably been talked to death but I find myself wondering why exactly ebook readers are so expensive. Are e-ink displays really so expensive to manufacture?

What would it take to produce a reader in the $100 range?

It has already been done. Who needs e-Ink?

Hellmark · 09-03-2009, 07:07 PM

Yes, eink displays aren't cheap. Right now they are about half of the cost. $70 is the lowest i've seen quote I've seen for manufacturer cost on a eink display, and more are closer to $90.

Also, as things stand, magazines on readers *****. The format that the few digital magazines support do not lend itself well to an ereader. Plus ereaders currently lack color, which would be a big turn off.

GA Russell · 09-03-2009, 07:20 PM

Give 'em the razor and sell 'em the blade.

Teyrnon · 09-03-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Give 'em the razor and sell 'em the blade.

I really doubt that strategy would work with ebooks seeing as they'd probably have to charge prices for ebooks that many of us here, let alone the public at large, would have issues with. Probably something like full hardcover MSRP maybe higher, I'd imagine.

DawnFalcon · 09-03-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akira28

It has already been done. Who needs e-Ink?

And it throws away the advantages e-ink screens have. Reflective TFT maybe, but they have their own price tag.

delphidb96 · 09-03-2009, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Yes, eink displays aren't cheap. Right now they are about half of the cost. $70 is the lowest i've seen quote I've seen for manufacturer cost on a eink display, and more are closer to $90.

Also, as things stand, magazines on readers *****. The format that the few digital magazines support do not lend itself well to an ereader. Plus ereaders currently lack color, which would be a big turn off.

But given that e-ink, the actual display, has been stable for some time now, that cost to a reader manufacturer is more reflective of a desire to generate higher profits - AND that e-ink displays themselves are 'single-source' - than it reflects true e-ink manufacturing costs. By now, were e-ink screens being made by several manufacturers, you'd see the cost to an ebook-reader manufacturer hovering closer to about $40. And then there's the cost of the main CPU boards. Let us face facts. Until e-ink displays (and their controllers) can handle 256-or better-color and 30-60 frames-per-second refresh rates, it doesn't behoove manufacturers to add too many 'kitchen-sink' features. I can see where a 'Buy-the-books-wirelessly' function goes well, but how many people, as a percentage of total e-ink-readership actually uses the average e-ink reader to play music? Don't need that 'feature'. And there's no need for a simple 'book *READER*' to have a full keyboard - especially not with a touch-screen - that reduces the cost of a basic reader even more.

Derek

carlobee · 09-03-2009, 11:50 PM

this is very true! Apple has successfully and strategically priced its products so as to reach a majority of the market. they have even captured the third-world countries because of this strategy.

09-03-2009, 01:10 PM	#1
poohbear_nc Bah! Humbug! Posts: 64,228 Karma: 135242149 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	Everyone Wants a Kindle - For $50 Interesting article predicting the consumer's price point before an ereader can reach the market saturation like the iPod has. http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/2009...kindle-for-50/

09-03-2009, 03:56 PM	#4
akira28 Nameless Being	Forrester's blog on this is here. In a nutshell : "What we found was that the price points for how most consumers value eReaders is shockingly low--for most segments, between $50 and $99." Last edited by akira28; 09-03-2009 at 04:04 PM.

09-03-2009, 07:07 PM	#10
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,592 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	Yes, eink displays aren't cheap. Right now they are about half of the cost. $70 is the lowest i've seen quote I've seen for manufacturer cost on a eink display, and more are closer to $90. Also, as things stand, magazines on readers ****. The format that the few digital magazines support do not lend itself well to an ereader. Plus ereaders currently lack color, which would be a big turn off. Last edited by Elsi; 09-03-2009 at 08:47 PM. Reason: removed foul language*

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09-03-2009, 01:16 PM	#2
Teyrnon Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 384 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Eastern United States Device: jetBook, Kindle DX, Kindle 3, Kindle Fire, Nook Simple Touch	Hmm, sure but what kind of features would a $50 reader have? I think when they get down to about a $150 we'll start seeing much wider spread adoption.

09-03-2009, 01:35 PM	#3
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,592 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	Yeah, I think it'll get more widespread, almost mainstream, if they just shave $50 or $100 off the price, not $150-200. Especially if better PDF support comes about.

09-03-2009, 05:03 PM	#5
jament Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 185 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Sony 505	Features won't matter. Wired magazine had a great article about "Good Enough" tech. http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell.../ff_goodenough From MP3's to Flip Video to cloud computing and netbooks, what people want is accessibility. Accessible price, accessible content, accessible use. The first company that puts out a reader that meets those will flood the market. It won't be wi-fi or resolution or page speed - it'll be accessibility (especially price) that drives the market.

09-03-2009, 05:22 PM	#7
LDBoblo Wizard Posts: 1,385 Karma: 16056 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Asia Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505	Plenty of people read books and magazines and newspapers. Nothing to think oneself elite about in any case. I would agree with a $50-100 price range for the kind of ebook reader presently available too. For more than $150, I'd expect a whole lot more a) quality or b) functionality.

09-03-2009, 07:20 PM	#11
GA Russell Ticats/Als, Riders/Lions Posts: 7,717 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Give 'em the razor and sell 'em the blade.

09-03-2009, 11:50 PM	#15
carlobee Fanatic Posts: 535 Karma: 972 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: The new iPad	this is very true! Apple has successfully and strategically priced its products so as to reach a majority of the market. they have even captured the third-world countries because of this strategy.