08-11-2008, 01:00 PM | #31 |
Gadget Geek
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No. I'm saying the cost to manufacture the device is high and Sony is charging a rock-bottom price. The margin is low and the price for ebook devices in general is still high enough to make it difficult to make that up in volume. I'm concerned it may be hard for them to keep this part of their business going if they do get away from selling content. Of course I doubt the Connect store is making them much money anyway. If this forum is any indication, many PRS owners never buy from them.
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08-11-2008, 01:10 PM | #32 |
creator of calibre
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Umm you're saying that the cost of delivering a few hundred pages of text over sprint is $10 a month? And if that were indeed the case, Amazon could easily have made the files available on a web server or via a desktop client.
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08-11-2008, 01:15 PM | #33 |
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
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Where do you get the $10? Delivery is $.10.
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08-11-2008, 01:16 PM | #34 |
Gadget Geek
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I'm assuming you're talking about periodicals and blogs? I always figured most of the cost for that was providing them to you without ads. After all, content that's "free" on a website isn't quite free. You're renting a bit of your attention to the owners for them to resell to advertisers. Personally, I'd like the option to get them for free (or for a small delivery charge) with the ads.
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08-11-2008, 01:27 PM | #35 | |
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Quote:
What I am hoping in the long run is that the consumer who purchases a reader (no matter the brand) is the winner. |
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08-11-2008, 01:38 PM | #36 |
creator of calibre
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08-11-2008, 01:41 PM | #37 | |
creator of calibre
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08-11-2008, 01:53 PM | #38 | |
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Yes, there are lots of sources of content for the Sony Reader. But everyone already 'knows' Amazon, so the limitation of only being able to purchase content at Amazon.com is insignificant for the general consumer. It actually removes some of the headache about worrying about formats, DRM, etc. You get an Amazon Kindle, you go to Amazon.com (the world's most popular book store) to look for books. You don't have to go to some specific ebook store, you search for what you want and whatever formats are available will be listed for you- whether it's hardback, paperback, used, or Kindle eBook. Or you buy straight from your Kindle, that's a great option too. I'm not saying the Kindle is the best reader, but they did a good job thinking through the overall user experience IMO. Regardless of who wins out in the long run, someone had to put together a product like the Kindle before ebooks were to ever break into the mainstream (which still remains to be seen.) |
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08-11-2008, 02:00 PM | #39 |
Retired & reading more!
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Both Sony & Kindle introduced formats for their content that currently can not be read by other devices. It's true that you can find content that can be read by either the Sony or the Kindle, but since I don't have a Kindle it doesn't matter how many books Amazon has for sell in their proprietary format (same for Sony). By trying to "corner the market" they have both, IMO, cut both their own throats and crippled their customers. In that respect, they are IMHO both losers, in that they have lost a vast number of customers by greedily trying to capture a semi-monopoly in the ebook market.
Eventually one may win. But as I said before I hope they don't and that they eventually open their readers up to more general, non-proprietary formats and thereby to more potential customers. That way we, the customers/readers, win more. |
08-11-2008, 02:02 PM | #40 |
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I think that the Kindle has come on so strong because:
1. Amazon promotes it. Kindle is always on the home page of a amazon.com where millions of people go. How many people have a reason to go to Sony's homepage, where you will note the ebook reader is not promoted. 2. Amazon has a lot of content and a huge customer base that can be emailed promotions about the Kindle. 3. The Kindle got HUGE media coverage at its debut last year during the holidays. Has anyone outside a tech blog covered the Sony reader? I like my Sony 505 a great deal. I think that it is a competitive product, but Amazon has been outclassing it on promotion. I hope both products continue to exist and compete. I don't want to see one company gain a permanent lock on access to ebooks. |
08-11-2008, 02:06 PM | #41 | |
When's Doughnut Day?
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08-11-2008, 02:07 PM | #42 | |
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IMHO, people, excepting knowledgeable folks like we have on these forums, just don't care that Mobipocket and Fictionwise have lots of books too. Also, I don't think either of these stores carries Sony specific format books do they? |
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08-11-2008, 02:07 PM | #43 | |
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Sony's decision to open up the reader to outside formats makes it a winner in my book because it really is about content and not being locked into a format that can only be used on a single device. But amazon did do a great job in promoting the Kindle. From what I hear, a lot of people of aware of the Kindle but not the Sony Reader. And the ease of use of just going to amazon.com to get lots of content where Sony seems to rely on other e-stores, websites for content. Last edited by MerLock; 08-11-2008 at 02:24 PM. |
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08-11-2008, 02:11 PM | #44 |
Groupie
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Personally, I could care less about what is available on both of their sites. I almost exclusivlely buy from Fictionwise for my content.
As for the two products, the Sony Reader is cheaper and more attractive. Since I don't care about the stores and the method of delivery, Sony wins hands down for me. Jason |
08-11-2008, 02:24 PM | #45 | |
Wizard
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amazon, duck!, kindle, reader, sony |
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