Horrible Sony Product Roll-out

KNI · 11-01-2010, 01:09 AM

I have to say Sony's roll-out of their new E-Readers is very possibly the worst I have ever seen, especially for a company of Sony's class.

I own a PRS-505, and have been extremely pleased with it. I bought my wife a PRS-300, and she uses it a lot as well. I watched the news of the new Sony readers with great interest. The PRS-650 especially looked good - imagine a PRS-505 with better contrast, the same resolution, a touch interface AND dictionaries. I was salivating.

Well, it was announced I think about September 1st - and I have yet to see one! But not for lack of trying! OK, I live in the boondocks of western Oregon. But. Wal-Mart is only showing the PRS-600 and the PRS-300. Same for Staples. Same for Radio Shack. I drove to Medford, 40 miles away to the Best Buy. They actually had the PRS-350 in stock - but only in a box inside a hard plastic sabot, and refused to open it and show it. But they had lots of PRS-300's and PRS600's for sale.

Sorry friends - since I own a PRS-505 I am not going to buy a newer unit until I can see it play. And indeed, why would anyone buy something in store if the buyer can not examine it and try it? Instead, buy it over the internet out of state and save money.

One of the problems clearly is that a lot of retailers have inventory of PRS-300's and PRS-600's and are not going to promote the newer models until they unload the old onto unsuspecting customers - which will only lead to unhappy customers when they find out they bought a unit that is already obsolete.

In the mean time many of these same retailers are showing Kindles and Nooks. I really don't understand why retailers like Best Buy, Target and Radio Shack would promote the Kindle when once it is sold the customer is going to be buying books from Amazon - one of their strongest competitors.

And in the mean time, I can't find a Sony unit within 100 miles to see what I might be buying!

Also, Best Buy at least is promoting the PRS-350, and the PRS-950 - and does not even acknowledge the existence of the PRS-650!

This has got to be master's degree course in how NOT to introduce a new product. I believe Sony offers the best package, at least for me, but the marketing of it is stunningly bad.

Wake up, Sony! Before it is too late!

doreenjoy · 11-01-2010, 01:22 AM

I think it's normal for the retailers to only push what they have in stock.

MaxLV · 11-01-2010, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I think it's normal for the retailers to only push what they have in stock.

And you cant really blame Sony for independant retailers not stocking the latest models.

Complain to the retailers...

Reading this forum I'm amazed at the apparent poor customer service from US retailers.

Here in New Zealand the only way to get ANY Sony e-reader is online from Sony or in their Sony Style stores, but they have had them since the second week in September, with plenty of stock for both models and they're selling well.

bevdeforges · 11-01-2010, 04:43 AM

Over here, Darty has just started carrying e-book readers. Darty is a big, mainstream appliance and electronics store, something like Best Buy, but without the media section. They're carrying Bookeen, Sony and a couple other brands, but what's interesting is that they list the Sony 300 at the same price as the new 350, and the 600 at the same price as the 650.

Darty is even carrying e-books now, though the selection in English is pretty pitiful and seems to be mostly Gutenberg classics they charge a couple of euros for. They're going to have trouble marketing their readers in Europe until they can get past this geographical restriction thing - though I suspect it's the VAT side of the issue that is the big problem here.

Laine · 11-01-2010, 04:51 AM

I got my Sony PRS-650 a few weeks ago from Borders in Parramatta which is in a big suburban shopping mall. They had a touch and play display set up with several Kobos and one each 650 and 350. And they had stock. I saw it, played with it and walked out the store with it in about 10 minutes. I've also seen a display in the Sony Centre in Sydney.

We in Australia have a reputation for being behind the times in ereading. But things seem to be looking up.

Jeri Patrick · 11-01-2010, 06:55 AM

I'm another happy Aussie customer. I got to see a personal demo of the PRS-650 at our local Sony Centre. A few days later, I played with the eReader at our local Borders store. I purchased the Sony on-line from Angus and Robertson, a large book store in Australia.

It took a while for the PRS-650 to appear here but it was well worth the wait.

envy · 11-01-2010, 08:46 AM

@ the OP, I totally understand how you feel.

The best buy around my way has the nook, kindle & the 350.

For a whole month I kept coming back and forth to see if they would, and they have not as yet.

One employee told me that they not having them in stock, but you could order online and have it shipped to the store.

Target also said they were not carrying the newer models, but had them on their website and that could change in the future.

elemenoP · 11-01-2010, 09:08 AM

I agree with you. I went to Best Buy hoping to do a side-by-side comparison, and while they had the 350 in stock, the demo models were the older ones. This does a great disservice to Sony: a lot of people won't even know that there ARE newer models. I don't know if Sony or Best Buy is responsible for demo units.

FWIW, I have heard that the demo Nooks are also older models. Although they have not made a new version, they have quietly improved the screen, the page turns, and the buttons and I don't think the demos reflect that. And the Kindle is "crippled" in demo mode, you can't actually play with it.

Let's face it, ereaders are a much smaller market than televisions or video game consoles or something like that.

steelypip · 11-01-2010, 10:40 AM

I think the explanation is pretty simple.

1. The PRS-x50 readers were a hurry-up product refresh because the clarity of the next generation screens on Kindle et al made the touch-screen overlay PRS-x00 models look even worse than they had before.

2. Because things were hurried, there's a lot of existing store stock of PRS-x00 readers (there wasn't time for the usual sell-down) and the new models are trickling into the supply stream as production ramps up. This would normally have happened between spring CES and August or so, but the product cycle has been so foreshortened that the PRS-x00 models are about to become undesirable obsolete stock and there's a large capital investment in them.

I don't know why the retailers are caving on this at all - it's their money to lose. Be that as it may, I got my PRS-950 for the asking at Best Buy last week. But I did have to ask, and the floor models were all PRS-x00 units.

Somebody is going to end up taking a bath on the older units, particularly the PRS-900. Don't be surprised that the retailers are reluctant to show off the new models - they probably don't have much store stock yet, they certainly don't have accessories for the PRS-950 yet, and they're stuck with a lot of shelf stock of models that nobody is going to want once they see the new ones.

elcreative · 11-01-2010, 10:43 AM

Maybe it's the US... in the UK, as soon as the 350/650 stock was available, Waterstones pulled the older stock and put the new out on display and sale although some shops had to wait for the in-store display mounting brackets so could only put pictures on display.

KNI · 11-01-2010, 11:50 AM

Good product management and product introduction includes management of the inventory already in retailer hands. Sony should have assisted their retailers in clearing out old inventory. There are lots of ways to do this, for example, product rebates, bundling in free merchandise - ebooks, chargers, cases etc. or taking back product and reselling it for less in third world countries where it will still be very welcome.

Steelypip's observations above are undoubtedly correct - Sony crashed out the new products probably earlier than they would have wished to because of the competitive situation, but the marketing and product management of the new models is bad beyond belief, and is surely damaging prospects for the line.

This is tragic - the product is far too good to be buried by inept product management, yet this appears to be what is happening. Sony - are you listening?

petercreasey · 11-01-2010, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KNI

I believe Sony offers the best package

K, I also loved my 505 but I like my 950 better.

rhadin · 11-01-2010, 12:39 PM

I bought the 950 sight unseen from SonyStyle and love it. It is everything promised and the screen clarity is actually better than my 505.

Falcao · 11-01-2010, 12:53 PM

I agree with the OP, last weekend I ordered a 650 from Borders (USA) and like 3 hours later I received an email that the item was in backorder. Now, for some reason even Border's site don't show the 650 anymore. However, BestBuy's site says they have the 650 in existence.

khalleron · 11-01-2010, 01:28 PM

Have you checked Fred Meyer? The Freddie's here has the 350. Haven't seen a 650 live yet - I live in the Oregon boonies, too.

Other than the fact that Staples is no longer carrying Sony readers, this roll-out doesn't seem any different to me than the last one. It always takes awhile for the new stuff to trickle out my way.

If there's a Borders near you, they also cary Sony readers.

11-01-2010, 01:09 AM	#1
KNI Connoisseur Posts: 51 Karma: 31226 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Oregon Device: Sony PRS-650	Horrible Sony Product Roll-out I have to say Sony's roll-out of their new E-Readers is very possibly the worst I have ever seen, especially for a company of Sony's class. I own a PRS-505, and have been extremely pleased with it. I bought my wife a PRS-300, and she uses it a lot as well. I watched the news of the new Sony readers with great interest. The PRS-650 especially looked good - imagine a PRS-505 with better contrast, the same resolution, a touch interface AND dictionaries. I was salivating. Well, it was announced I think about September 1st - and I have yet to see one! But not for lack of trying! OK, I live in the boondocks of western Oregon. But. Wal-Mart is only showing the PRS-600 and the PRS-300. Same for Staples. Same for Radio Shack. I drove to Medford, 40 miles away to the Best Buy. They actually had the PRS-350 in stock - but only in a box inside a hard plastic sabot, and refused to open it and show it. But they had lots of PRS-300's and PRS600's for sale. Sorry friends - since I own a PRS-505 I am not going to buy a newer unit until I can see it play. And indeed, why would anyone buy something in store if the buyer can not examine it and try it? Instead, buy it over the internet out of state and save money. One of the problems clearly is that a lot of retailers have inventory of PRS-300's and PRS-600's and are not going to promote the newer models until they unload the old onto unsuspecting customers - which will only lead to unhappy customers when they find out they bought a unit that is already obsolete. In the mean time many of these same retailers are showing Kindles and Nooks. I really don't understand why retailers like Best Buy, Target and Radio Shack would promote the Kindle when once it is sold the customer is going to be buying books from Amazon - one of their strongest competitors. And in the mean time, I can't find a Sony unit within 100 miles to see what I might be buying! Also, Best Buy at least is promoting the PRS-350, and the PRS-950 - and does not even acknowledge the existence of the PRS-650! This has got to be master's degree course in how NOT to introduce a new product. I believe Sony offers the best package, at least for me, but the marketing of it is stunningly bad. Wake up, Sony! Before it is too late!

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11-01-2010, 01:22 AM	#2
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I think it's normal for the retailers to only push what they have in stock.

11-01-2010, 04:43 AM	#4
bevdeforges Addict Posts: 288 Karma: 1094000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Essonne, France Device: Kobo Forma; Sony PRS600B; Sony 350; Sony T-2	Over here, Darty has just started carrying e-book readers. Darty is a big, mainstream appliance and electronics store, something like Best Buy, but without the media section. They're carrying Bookeen, Sony and a couple other brands, but what's interesting is that they list the Sony 300 at the same price as the new 350, and the 600 at the same price as the 650. Darty is even carrying e-books now, though the selection in English is pretty pitiful and seems to be mostly Gutenberg classics they charge a couple of euros for. They're going to have trouble marketing their readers in Europe until they can get past this geographical restriction thing - though I suspect it's the VAT side of the issue that is the big problem here.

11-01-2010, 04:51 AM	#5
Laine Addict Posts: 341 Karma: 1162396 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cabramatta, Sydney, Australia Device: Aura H2O, Voyage	I got my Sony PRS-650 a few weeks ago from Borders in Parramatta which is in a big suburban shopping mall. They had a touch and play display set up with several Kobos and one each 650 and 350. And they had stock. I saw it, played with it and walked out the store with it in about 10 minutes. I've also seen a display in the Sony Centre in Sydney. We in Australia have a reputation for being behind the times in ereading. But things seem to be looking up.

11-01-2010, 06:55 AM	#6
Jeri Patrick I like to watch Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gold Coast, Australia Device: PRS-650	I'm another happy Aussie customer. I got to see a personal demo of the PRS-650 at our local Sony Centre. A few days later, I played with the eReader at our local Borders store. I purchased the Sony on-line from Angus and Robertson, a large book store in Australia. It took a while for the PRS-650 to appear here but it was well worth the wait.

11-01-2010, 08:46 AM	#7
envy Brown Eyed Girl Posts: 44 Karma: 186 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Sony Prs 600, Nook, Sony prs 350	@ the OP, I totally understand how you feel. The best buy around my way has the nook, kindle & the 350. For a whole month I kept coming back and forth to see if they would, and they have not as yet. One employee told me that they not having them in stock, but you could order online and have it shipped to the store. Target also said they were not carrying the newer models, but had them on their website and that could change in the future.

11-01-2010, 09:08 AM	#8
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	I agree with you. I went to Best Buy hoping to do a side-by-side comparison, and while they had the 350 in stock, the demo models were the older ones. This does a great disservice to Sony: a lot of people won't even know that there ARE newer models. I don't know if Sony or Best Buy is responsible for demo units. FWIW, I have heard that the demo Nooks are also older models. Although they have not made a new version, they have quietly improved the screen, the page turns, and the buttons and I don't think the demos reflect that. And the Kindle is "crippled" in demo mode, you can't actually play with it. Let's face it, ereaders are a much smaller market than televisions or video game consoles or something like that.

11-01-2010, 10:40 AM	#9
steelypip Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: PRS-950SC	I think the explanation is pretty simple. 1. The PRS-x50 readers were a hurry-up product refresh because the clarity of the next generation screens on Kindle et al made the touch-screen overlay PRS-x00 models look even worse than they had before. 2. Because things were hurried, there's a lot of existing store stock of PRS-x00 readers (there wasn't time for the usual sell-down) and the new models are trickling into the supply stream as production ramps up. This would normally have happened between spring CES and August or so, but the product cycle has been so foreshortened that the PRS-x00 models are about to become undesirable obsolete stock and there's a large capital investment in them. I don't know why the retailers are caving on this at all - it's their money to lose. Be that as it may, I got my PRS-950 for the asking at Best Buy last week. But I did have to ask, and the floor models were all PRS-x00 units. Somebody is going to end up taking a bath on the older units, particularly the PRS-900. Don't be surprised that the retailers are reluctant to show off the new models - they probably don't have much store stock yet, they certainly don't have accessories for the PRS-950 yet, and they're stuck with a lot of shelf stock of models that nobody is going to want once they see the new ones.

11-01-2010, 10:43 AM	#10
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	Maybe it's the US... in the UK, as soon as the 350/650 stock was available, Waterstones pulled the older stock and put the new out on display and sale although some shops had to wait for the in-store display mounting brackets so could only put pictures on display.

11-01-2010, 11:50 AM	#11
KNI Connoisseur Posts: 51 Karma: 31226 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Oregon Device: Sony PRS-650	Good product management and product introduction includes management of the inventory already in retailer hands. Sony should have assisted their retailers in clearing out old inventory. There are lots of ways to do this, for example, product rebates, bundling in free merchandise - ebooks, chargers, cases etc. or taking back product and reselling it for less in third world countries where it will still be very welcome. Steelypip's observations above are undoubtedly correct - Sony crashed out the new products probably earlier than they would have wished to because of the competitive situation, but the marketing and product management of the new models is bad beyond belief, and is surely damaging prospects for the line. This is tragic - the product is far too good to be buried by inept product management, yet this appears to be what is happening. Sony - are you listening?

11-01-2010, 12:39 PM	#13
rhadin Literacy = Understanding Posts: 4,833 Karma: 59674358 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: The World of Books Device: Nook, Nook Tablet	I bought the 950 sight unseen from SonyStyle and love it. It is everything promised and the screen clarity is actually better than my 505.

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11-01-2010, 12:53 PM	#14
Falcao Banned Posts: 1,344 Karma: 1028477047 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Nueva Andalucía Device: Sony PRS 650	I agree with the OP, last weekend I ordered a 650 from Borders (USA) and like 3 hours later I received an email that the item was in backorder. Now, for some reason even Border's site don't show the 650 anymore. However, BestBuy's site says they have the 650 in existence.

11-01-2010, 01:28 PM	#15
khalleron Kate Posts: 1,700 Karma: 3605799 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon, United States Device: MeeBook, Kobo Libra Colour	Have you checked Fred Meyer? The Freddie's here has the 350. Haven't seen a 650 live yet - I live in the Oregon boonies, too. Other than the fact that Staples is no longer carrying Sony readers, this roll-out doesn't seem any different to me than the last one. It always takes awhile for the new stuff to trickle out my way. If there's a Borders near you, they also cary Sony readers.