Sony CLearance

[Pomtroll]

At Best Buy. At least for the Sony 350 & at our store here in southern Minnesota. And it is indeed marked as clearance. The price is $129. So you all may want to check your Best Buys.

Does make you wonder....

[Fortissimo]

Hmmm... really does make one wonder. There happens to be a newly joined Sony rep here. I wish she'd chip in and clarify.

[tubemonkey]

I picked up a 350 over the weekend for $108 at a closing Borders store.

[david_e]

I look at it as Best Buy decision, not a Sony decision. Doesn't mean I'm right, just how I feel.

[Kore]

Could it be that Best Buy has decided to sell Kindles as their main reader instead of Sony?

[Prestidigitweeze]

I'd assume that the Kindle and the Nook are already BestBuy's main eReaders. Thing is, the reps tell me the PRC-350 tends to sell out quickly, and I don't think they're lying given how hard mine was to find in stock. I actually had to go to three different stores because the web site, which reported the other stores had them, seemed unaware that more had been stolen or sold.

It seems as if the Sonys are becoming more popular as users learn to stop associating hardware with proprietary software markets. Pity that Sony and the retail markets haven't quite caught on.

I'd love to hear what the Sony rep has to say about this, too, though my sense is they're here strictly in a customer service capacity.

[Pomtroll]

Kindles are big sellers at our Best Buy, but one salesman I talk with regularly says Nooks are his biggest seller. Especially the Nook Color. Most people I chat with there have never heard of Sony, but all have Kindle. Pity Sony doesn't do a better job of promoting itself. But if they have a hard time keeping up with demand now, would they if they had a bigger market?

So many people call e-readers Kindle. No wonder they tend to buy them.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Pomtroll

So many people call e-readers Kindle. No wonder they tend to buy them.

Just like Kleenex for facial tissue and Coke for soft drinks.

[Poppaea]

Rumor has it Sony outsold Kindle in Germany last year with 32% compared to the Kindles 23%. I am not sure if the percentage is right, but Sony is bigger here which might be due to the Kindles not being in shops only available via Amazon.

We saw the same to be true for Russia where Sony was not even sold officially until this week. This pattern holds true throughout Europe.

They are big. Extremely big. Maybe not in the US but over here they are.

[CommonReader]

Sony would be even bigger if they were able to deliver readers to the customers. I wanted to buy a PRS-650 today at my local Thalia bookshop and the only ones they had in stock were the red/pink versions (I didn't want that colour). The sales people complained that the Sonys were only delivered in very small numbers.

[tubemonkey]

I get the feeling that Sony treats its ereader division as a hobby. I don't think they care what they price their readers at, nor do I think they care how many they sell. They're such a minor part of their overall business model and survival of the Sony Corporation doesn't depend on them.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I get the feeling that Sony treats its ereader division as a hobby. I don't think they care what they price their readers at, nor do I think they care how many they sell. They're such a minor part of their overall business model and survival of the Sony Corporation doesn't depend on them.

I shouldn't think so, even more in my eyes the contrary is right. They were one of the first companies ever to produce ereaders and they are adamant to bring a new generation each year that virtually blows away the former generation. They not only incorporate the newest technologies but invent new ones, too, like the IR-touch. No other company can claim to do so.

And as for the price. Here were the readers are not subsidized by a book store all readers cost more or less the same. E.g. a PB 360° or the Bookeen Opus are 189€ and the 350 is 179€.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

I shouldn't think so, even more in my eyes the contrary is right. They were one of the first companies ever to produce ereaders and they are adamant to bring a new generation each year that virtually blows away the former generation. They not only incorporate the newest technologies but invent new ones, too, like the IR-touch. No other company can claim to do so.

And as for the price. Here were the readers are not subsidized by a book store all readers cost more or less the same. E.g. a PB 360° or the Bookeen Opus are 189€ and the 350 is 179€.

Their ereaders are overpriced. The only reason I picked up a 350 was because I got it for $108. The Kindle has a much better price and feature set; and that's why I chose it as my primary ereader.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Their ereaders are overpriced. The only reason I picked up a 350 was because I got it for $108. The Kindle has a much better price and feature set; and that's why I chose it as my primary ereader.

Kindles are

1. not worth as much as Sonys due to the cheaper components and cheaper technology (buttons/touchscreen) and

2. are subsidized as they are just a means for Amazon to sell books

Sonys are built to be sold as readers with being tied to a bookstore where they generate income. The moment a Sony is sold it is the only business made out of it they can count on.

As I said. Here in Europe where readers are sold as stand-alone devices without being tied to any bookstore, all readers are in the same pricegroup as the Sonys.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Kindles are

1. not worth as much as Sonys due to the cheaper components and cheaper technology (buttons/touchscreen) and

2. are subsidized as they are just a means for Amazon to sell books

Sonys are built to be sold as readers with being tied to a bookstore where they generate income. The moment a Sony is sold it is the only business made out of it they can count on.

As I said. Here in Europe where readers are sold as stand-alone devices without being tied to any bookstore, all readers are in the same pricegroup as the Sonys.

1- doesn't matter. It's an ereader, not a car.

2- subsidized or not, $139 is the price to beat. I won't consider an ereader unless it's at or below that price point.

3- bookstore tie-ins are irrelevant to me, since my primary reading consists of public domain books; and all ereaders can easily tap into that market for free.