Re: "The Elusive E-book"

> This is exactly what I mean by saying that Anderson's book "Free"  
> will have an effect.
>
> As I understand it, the "Free" argument, simplified and in my own  
> words, is that items with no duplication cost (most digital items  
> are like this), are destined to be free, and distributed as  
> essentially loss leaders for other services and goods. For example,  
> mp3s become loss leaders for concerts and other goods.

Except that this is, effectively, a fallacy. Storage for the original  
file is not free--though as time goes on, it is getting cheaper and  
cheaper and may, someday in the not too far future, be effectively  
free. But more importantly, bandwidth is not free. In the aggregate,  
it's not even cheap. To get that book from the server to the reader,  
it costs bandwidth.

The cost of bandwidth is not decreasing nearly as quickly as the cost  
of storage. And while wired bandwidth in the micro might someday get  
close to free, it is unlikely to be free in the macro/aggregate.  
Wireless bandwidth is still quite expensive and not decreasing in cost  
nearly as fast as wired bandwidth--particularly when you're talking  
about a network that actually covers more area that it doesn't cover  
(ie Verizon vs TMobile).

As such, "free" is and will likely be a loss leader.

dej

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Learn to use Google Analytics to make your web site more effective.
Buy my book! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/047017501X/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I loathe writing. On the other hand I'm a great believer in money."  
-- S.J. Perelman
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the midst of winter, I finally realized that deep within me there  
lay an invincible summer.
--Albert Camus
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I am Writer, hear me Pontificate!




------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------
Post a message:   ebook-community [[at]] *
Unsubscribe:      ebook-community-unsubscribe [[at]] *
Switch to digest: ebook-community-digest [[at]] *
Switch to normal: ebook-community-normal [[at]] *
Put mail on hold: ebook-community-nomail [[at]] *
Administrator:    ebook-community-owner [[at]] *

(* == yahoogroups.com)
-------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebook-community/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebook-community/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    mailto:[email protected] 
    mailto:ebook-community-fullfeatured-hHKSG33TihhbjbujkaE4pw@public.gmane.org

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ebook-community-unsubscribe-hHKSG33TihhbjbujkaE4pw@public.gmane.org

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/