RE: The right device at last?

I agree, not everyone has that kind of disposable income. 
 
But my analogy with an iPod is about it being an essentially single use device. 
 
There are other options for music players and people who can't afford or don't want an iPod, usually exercise their options and get a different brand (for cheaper) or go without.
MP3 players aren't mandatory for anyone to have, neither is an e-reader. But the fact that they are coming down in price is something to take note of since it will help encourage more people to look into e-books. And each time the price is lowered that means more people have the opportunity to get on board.
 
But to dismiss all e-reading devices as irrelevant until they are all free is missing the point that the very thing needed for wider acceptance is beginning to happen.
 
Aaron J. Walker
Writer/Illustrator
"Good Morning, Friend Moon"Publisher
http://www.walkbroadpublishing.com


To: ebook-community-hHKSG33Tihig7M29m/[email protected]: [email protected]: Thu, 15 May 2008 16:01:35 -0400Subject: Re: [ebook-community] The right device at last?




On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 12:37 PM, Aaron Walker <[email protected]> wrote:> We are really playing ourselves cheap here.> And just like with any new gizmo, the cheaper they get, the more people> get interested.>> And since when are any consumer electronics throw away or easily replaces> when lost?>> So why do e-reading devices have to fall into the category of throw away> devices when no other consumer electronic device is looked at the same way?>You're working both sides of the issue toward the middle and don't seem torealize it. Let me make it simple.Someone who can AFFORD an iPod and doesn't mind that income going to thedevice can likely afford to replace an iPod, like it or not, if it's lost.Not everyone has that kind of expendable income, and the people who can't orwon't buy an iPod wil
 l NEVER buy an iPod, but they will buy somethingsimilar that costs 10% of the iPod price. You acknowledge that and thendisregard it, but it's the solid fact and isn't likely to change soon.The truth is, there are a lot of people out there with $15rechargeable-minutes cell phones. Other people get the cell phone Verizonwill give them free with signing a contract, because the contract PLUS the$100 phone or even $60 is more than they can or will spend. So, yes... Whileit may not be an issue for YOU, there are a lot of people who do wait forwhat they consider a reasonable price to spend. And if they lose that cellphone, they may be in a world of hurt.In fact, there are children's electronics that are made to be pretty muchthrow-away. They gave out little electronic hand-held games at McDonal
 d'sjust a few months back. If you want to know the truth, my husband knows howmuch the electronics that go into these units actually cost to produce, andthe mark-up on them is astronomical. There is no reason TODAY we should haveto pay $200 for a unit, but we do...if we purchase it at all. We do, becausethere's no other game in town...or at least not one that costs less than$119 or so, faults or no.OTOH, I don't think we're selling ourselves cheap. If we were talking aboutthe books being given away, we'd be selling ourselves cheap. The readers?No. You get them into the readers cheaply, and they don't mind spending ator just below mass market for an e-book to read on it, though some readersDO balk at spending $199 for the reader and then also buying the books atpaper prices. That's just b
 usiness sense.Someone else said it. We're competing with every type of entertainment outthere. You can get an MP3 player for $25...a decent amount of storage forthe songs, too. You can get a CD Walkman for less than that...or for aboutthe same, if it will do both WAV and MP3. You can get a DVD player for$70-$100...the portable ones with the small screen. We have to be able tocompete with all of those items...or have a single unit that does itall...though I still think we need a reader-only unit for schools and peoplewho don't want bells and whistles.Brenna-- http://www.brennalyons.com http://www.myspace.com/brennalyonsFairy Dreams is the best bar none fantasy romance that I have ever read! Theaction is non-stop; the deep abiding love so well portrayed that you feel asthough you are exper
 iencing it yourself. Regina for Coffee Time Romance[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 






_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live SkyDrive lets you share files with faraway friends.
http://www.windowslive.com/skydrive/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_skydrive_052008

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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

------------------------------------------------------
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/