Steve Jobs on the "iPod of reading"

[AdrianWerner]

Originally Posted by rmeister0

Apple's market share dipped into the 2% range during the worst of the late 90s, and is estimated at 7-8% today..

Only in US. Worldwide their market share is around 3,2%

Originally Posted by rmeister0

Either way, their market share has been growing. When you buy a Mac at the Apple store, they ask you if it is your first Mac, and 50% of the time they reported as saying "yes". So to say that 99% of people don't use Macs may be true, but to say that 99% of people who use computers don't use Macs is mathematically untrue. Please don't spread FUD.
.

Hence why I wrote "people", not "people who use computers"
So 99% of people don't use Mac computers and 97% of computer users don't use Mac computers

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by snookums

They seem to be implying with that chart that the younger generation doesn't read as much because the 15-35 group is on the lower end. I'm sure that there is some truth to that. People aren't reading as much today as the older generations, but it could also be that those years are a time in people's lives when reading is a lower priority. The 18-25 years cover that span of most people's lives when they are striving to make something of themselves. It's not big surprise that people who are retired read more. Just a thought

The charts are showing a decline of the last few years and equating the fact that in years past people read more that today. People bought more books in the past. People who read more have better scores on the tests and the overall test scores are declining. A classic case of cause and effect. The link can also be used to read the text accompanying the charts.

Dale

[ottocrat]

OK I don't actually know how his mind works, but let's look at what he has said in the past...

"No-one wants to watch movies on tiny screens." (Before he unveiled the video iPod)

Flash-based digital music players are often received as gifts, rarely used, and "end up in a drawer." (Jobs, just before he unveiled the flash-based iPod Shuffle)

I believe he said something similar about Apple never making a cell phone, though my Google skills have failed me on that one.

So, in short, this is about as clear a message as Jobs could give that Apple have an e-book reader in the pipeline.

[yvanleterrible]

It's a fact that only 20% prototypes ever come out of skunkworks. With aPple it might be less, they have prolific designers with heavy budgets allowed to them. This is to me the best thing of aPple.

[wayspooled]

Steve Jobs is not a prophet nor is he an historian. He's a businessman and he says nothing that does not ultimately support his goals. I think you'll find that what we "do" rather than "read" will be supported by the i<whatever> it is he plans to market in the future. He was appropriately vague about what it is we do. He'll let us know what we do as soon as he invents his word for it.

MS does it, they all do it.

I have to respect him for being a very good businessman but you can't let him get under your skin folks, you're just being ... marketed' at...

[yvanleterrible]

He isn't a historian but he sure knows how to make history.

[joblack]

I don´t care about Apple and Steve Jobs. His products are overpriced anyway.

[radleyp]

All Jobs is saying is that fewer Americans are reading books. Is this news to anyone? This does not, however, translate into eink readers being useless, as they can be used to read lots of other material, as we all know. Nor do I see this as any reason for pessimism. Things change all the time. A hundred years ago there were far fewer forms of entertainment, no TV, radio, no mass-market movies, etc... Books were more dominant. Now, for many the leading form of entertainment is the cellphone: how many of you saw the story (I read it in the NYTimes) about how the Japanese are writing entire novels on their celllphones. In light of the small screen and the cramped keyboard what this apparently leads to is the creation of what are really long text messages. As Garrison Keillor would put it, that's certainly "different". And book reading as we have known it for a long time may disappear into something else. It should be very interesting.

[snookums]

Originally Posted by radleyp

All Jobs is saying is that fewer Americans are reading books. Is this news to anyone? This does not, however, translate into eink readers being useless, as they can be used to read lots of other material, as we all know. Nor do I see this as any reason for pessimism. Things change all the time. A hundred years ago there were far fewer forms of entertainment, no TV, radio, no mass-market movies, etc... Books were more dominant. Now, for many the leading form of entertainment is the cellphone: how many of you saw the story (I read it in the NYTimes) about how the Japanese are writing entire novels on their celllphones. In light of the small screen and the cramped keyboard what this apparently leads to is the creation of what are really long text messages. As Garrison Keillor would put it, that's certainly "different". And book reading as we have known it for a long time may disappear into something else. It should be very interesting.

Indeed. It's like saying that broadway musicals are dead because more people go to the movie theatre. This is just more of the asinine stuff that Jobs says to downplay anything that isn't invented by Apple. If he sees a market for eBook readers, he'll sell one and pretend like it's a complete revolution in thought.

[radleyp]

Maybe Stephen King can get Jobs to rethink ereaders: King has used and likes the Kindle. Check this out:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20172616,00.html

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

AFAIK, most of it.

She made a healthy bit from movie rights, but I believe she was already in the billionaire bracket before those happened.

And she's been very fussy about licensing. You'll notice there haven't been things like Harry Potter Action Figures.

For that matter (and relevant to us), she hasn't authorized any electronic editions. (I have no idea why not.)
______
Dennis

Actually, yes there are HP action figures, of a sort...

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/harrypotter.htm

Not exactly action figures but close.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I agree with the assessment that Jobs is simply talking out of his hat, or specifically taking potshots at Amazon, without thinking through what he's said. In fact, I wonder if we've spent too much time here discussing it! I think it was just a dumb offhand remark, not worthy of losing sleep over.

Actually, I feel Jobs knew exactly what he was saying. Remember is is a penny pincher. Any money people spend on an entertainment device Apple does not make seems to bug the sheet outta him.

He knows that his zealots will go along with anything he says. If he says they are not reading, guess what, I am willing to bet money a majority of those zealots will suddenly become completely dismissive of, ewwwwwww, reading a book!!????

I would not take the comment lightly. Even if he is making a truthful observation, it is not without significant influence. I am just suspicious enough of Jobs to think that he is indeed trying to do an end-around on Sony & Amazon over electronic entertainment dollars.

Jobs KNOWS these devices are just now slipping into mainstream consciousness and better now to blow them off publicly and stave off some competition a while longer. He is not only telling his minions nobody reads anymore but making it seem normal that one cannot use an Apple device to read books....yet.

Basically my instincts tell me it was very calculated...or maybe I am giving him too much credit...but Apple's cash cow is iTunes and they are simply not positioned, yet, to sell eBooks. Potentially, money lost to eBooks is money lost to iTunes.

I just do not trust this guy who, with relative ease, can manipulate the zealots who worship at the Apple alter without asking why.

[carandol]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Actually, yes there are HP action figures, of a sort...

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/harrypotter.htm

Not exactly action figures but close.

There *are* action figures. And collectible card games. And Lego sets. And die-cast cars. And plushy toys. If JKR is being fussy about licensing, I'd hate to think what it would be like if she wasn't! http://www.toywiz.com/lehapo.html

[radleyp]

Let's at least try to get what he said straight: he said that Americans are not reading books, so why bother with a book reader? Why he said it is food for speculation, in which we have been indulging here quite freely. And what if he doesn't like being beaten out by the competition? What successful CEO does?

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by radleyp

Let's at least try to get what he said straight: he said that Americans are not reading books, so why bother with a book reader? Why he said it is food for speculation, in which we have been indulging here quite freely. And what if he doesn't like being beaten out by the competition? What successful CEO does?

Because reading is education and how culture evolves and grows...reading or the material to read is not nor should it be treated as a commodity.

I don't care who the CEO is...treating reading in such a dismissive fashion is either arrogant or not responsible. He has a bully-pulpit and almost an obligation to address that issue. Instead he seems to engender Idiocracy as it makes him more money today.

I think people who know what reading means cannot and should not ignore such a comment from such an influential person. For example what if say the US President said the same thing and then proceded to say because of it we need to spend less money on libraries & text books?