Stephen Covey ditches Simon & Schuster, gives exclusive rights to Amazon

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Mobile phones are that cheap because of telco subsidies to lock users into contracts. Just about everybody has a cell phone now and needs a contract. Prices for an unlocked phone not tethered to a specific provider by a multi-year contract are rather higher than the normal prices you see quoted.

What sort of subscription plan might B&N/Amazon/Sony offer, and would the revenues cover the needed subsidies?

I think the basic question is "Is the market big enough to make something like this feasible?" At the moment, I don't think it is. It may be down the road, but I'm not really optimistic. Mind you, I'd be happy to be wrong in my pessimism.
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Dennis

I don't know about the business details, nor do I presume to, but I do know that sort of thing could easily work to get more readers reading electronically. It's a matter of putting it together in the right package.

[ficbot]

We already *are* the $99 price point. Ebookwise (LCD, but even so) goes for less than that. And Fictionwise is currently plugging TWO ebook readers where they are subsidizing the price with store credit. So if you use the store credit on books, you are essentially getting the reader for about $100.

[Elfwreck]

I don't expect the $99 price point to be standard for e-ink readers until B&W e-ink is near-obsolete.

Fifteen years ago, a new computer was often about $1000. Today, that's not an unusual or extreme price for a new computer. However, $1000 is a lot easier to come by today than it was 15 years ago.

I expect e-ink to stay $200-300 for a basic 6" reader while inflation shrinks what that means, with an extra $50 charge for a wireless model. I expect sales for $150 to be relatively common, and all sorts of "free/$100 reader with purchase of $300+ from this store."

[DawnFalcon]

The current prices are down to the screens being expensive, no more and no less...