New Sony Reader coming?

[TadW]

Originally Posted by pglaskowsky

Anyone have any better insight into this situation?

No official insight, but my guess is that Sony will come out with a new Reader soon, and the reason being, PVI, who supplies Sony with the E Ink panels, has shifted production to the newer E Ink generation (Vizplex).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Colt

It would be nice if companies would announce a new model before it comes out, well in advance...

That would be commercial suicide. As someone else has already pointed out, look at what happened to Alan Osbourne! Any announcement of new models instantly kills current sales.

My advice: if the current model does what you want, buy it. There will always be something better "just over the horizon".

[TadW]

Originally Posted by Colt

It would be nice if companies would announce a new model before it comes out, well in advance...

Why do you think Apple doesn't take it too kindly if you leak any information of their upcoming products?

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by RWood

Sales of the first model stopped as people decided to wait for the next model.

Of course, it didn't help that they were overextended trying to deal with a dizzying growth rate. Or that a gazillion competitors had jumped into the market in the meanwhile. Ah, those were the days. Incompatible disk formats, manufacturer and hardware-specific bios calls, four or five unique variations on the operating system, software companies having to stock a whole list of different versions.

Wait. This is sounding familiar.

Releasing an upgrade model has always been a tricky business. Too soon, and you kill the current model. Too late, and competitors eat your lunch. It's not so much market forecasting as it is crystal ball gazing.

[dhbailey]

Originally Posted by TadW

Why do you think Apple doesn't take it too kindly if you leak any information of their upcoming products?

I always thought it was because they were never too sure their new products would actually work until they had them shrink-wrapped and ready to ship. It saved them getting egg on their face for announcing something they couldn't really deliver on.

And because of their "no announcement until ready to ship" policy, we'll never know how many stupid or impossible things Apple has tried to come up with. Makes them seem much more powerful than perhaps they really are. They may have had just as many embarassments as any other technology company, but those embarassments remain in-house and never make it to public knowledge.

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by dhbailey

And because of their "no announcement until ready to ship" policy, we'll never know how many stupid or impossible things Apple has tried to come up with.

That just means they've learned from their experiences with things like the Lisa and the Newton.

[TadW]

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

That just means they've learned from their experiences with things like the Lisa and the Newton.

Heh, I know of at least one person who is still found of his Newton

[da_jane]

I did hear that the Reader is due for another price drop - to $279.00. I think the price drops signal a new reader coming in.

[TadW]

Originally Posted by da_jane

I did hear that the Reader is due for another price drop - to $279.00. I think the price drops signal a new reader coming in.

This is correct:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13499

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by da_jane

I did hear that the Reader is due for another price drop - to $279.00. I think the price drops signal a new reader coming in.

It might. It might also signal that Sony is hunting for the Magic Price Point.

They came up with a cool product using a proven (in another industry) business plan. Since this is a new industry, as far as a mainstream product is concerned, there's no prior wisdom to fall back on, so they put the numbers together in a way that might work.

So far they've learned:
1. Most people don't care about it doubling as a DAP
2. Even if they do, they're not interested in yet another online music store.
3. The unit sells okay, but not great, at $350.
4. The unit sells like ice water in hell at or under $100.
4. a. Will people who pay less be willing to spend money in ConnSTORE, allowing it to subsidize the hardware? TBD.
4. b. If people aren't interested in the ConnSTORE content, then the $50 credit isn't an incentive, so try a small price drop and dump the credit ($50 in e-books probably costs them $20-25).

I'm sure they've learned a lot more about the market, but I think these might cover the major points.

[jasonkchapman]

Oh, yeah.

5. Publishes are really, really, really, really hard to work with. (But they probably knew that already.)

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Colt

It would be nice if companies would announce a new model before it comes out, well in advance... That way you have the choice of buying the older model (usually for less) or waiting for the newest model. I really want a Sony Reader but if they're coming out with a new one, I'd have to wait and see. Hopefully it's just them being not being able to keep up with demand. - Colt

This is exactally why companies DON'T pre-announce stuff like this. They don't want sales to slow/stall on the current gen since most people would wait for the new gen.

Imagine if Apple pre-announced all the new iPods that they just released three months ago. No one would have been buying iPods for the last three months.

BOb

[gardenstate]

I just got my Sony Reader this week from the credit card offer. The shipment was delayed for a couple of weeks due to BACKORDER. At the price of $60, I'm sure they were flying out of the warehouse.....

[beartard]

Originally Posted by dhbailey

I always thought it was because they were never too sure their new products would actually work until they had them shrink-wrapped and ready to ship. It saved them getting egg on their face for announcing something they couldn't really deliver on.

And because of their "no announcement until ready to ship" policy, we'll never know how many stupid or impossible things Apple has tried to come up with. Makes them seem much more powerful than perhaps they really are. They may have had just as many embarassments as any other technology company, but those embarassments remain in-house and never make it to public knowledge.

Bring back the Pippin! Wait, Newtons were kinda cool, though.

[UncleDuke]

what's to improve? i like my sony just the way it is.