So the Plastic Logic Ereader--could they give it a name?--is shaping up to be a great device.
In all the videos I've seen the screen looks responsive. The touch looks better implemented then Sony's reader. But I can't really comment on that until I can see one in person. The device has got a backing with Barnes & Nobles which is huge. and now AT&T for data. And supposing its the going to be under the same model as Amazon's Kindle. where the back end cost isn't seen by the end user. I see a real competitor for Amazon. Which is good for the Ereader Market in general.
But there is the question of price? So I wanted to open a discussion on " what would you pay for this device?"
I'd pay; $349.99
Discussion about
Price?
Well its certainly is shaping up to be a good competitor to the kindle especially if the AT&T thing works like kindles sprint powered whisper net. They have been saying it will be priced relative to current eBook readers so probably near $300 though the buisness minded person worries me. Only time will tell though but heck Barnes & Nobles offers a eReader application for free to download so it makes you wonder why bother with a device that can only do one thing when you could get the app on a device with multiple uses like a phone or laptop that is just as portable. Then again the experience is probably better on a dedicated device so it really comes down to how much you like reading. Either way not much can be decided untill people get this one in their hands.
i think price is a good question. i understand the feature set and all - but my theory for the pricing is less than a standard netbook more than the baseline ipod touch.
i think if they could handle that, then they could definitely be competitive - not to mention that it might price it lower than the kindle.
i think if they could handle that, then they could definitely be competitive - not to mention that it might price it lower than the kindle.
Engadget is reporting $299 but I don't know where they got that number.
www.engadget.com/2009/08/07/irex-readying-wireless...
www.engadget.com/2009/08/07/irex-readying-wireless...
I think the biggest advantage the Plastic Logic will have over the Kindle is the amount of e-books it can support. I've read various reports saying it will potentially have access to over a million more books than the kindle, when taking into account B&N's massive title list, and the ePUB books being provided by Google. In terms of price, I don't think it's officially been announced, and I'm curious if B&N might subsidize the cost in exchange for book purchases etc. Sign up for plastic logic's email list , and I think you'll be notified once it's official. www.plasticlogic.com/
If it's under the Kindle DX's hefty fee, Amazon better watch out.
If it's under the Kindle DX's hefty fee, Amazon better watch out.
I think there's no way this thing is going to be cheap. The large display size and the fact that it may have color and touchscreen abilities. The only thing that can save it on cost is if plastic logic's manufacturing process is cheaper than eink's. This is a possibility since it is completely different than eink's process.
ePub support isn't really that impressive, since ePub allows you to attach any proprietary DRM with it. So Sony has their own DRM, Adobe has their DRM, B&N has their own, and it goes on and on. It's just as bad as the camera lense universe or the cell phone carrier universe. Everybody wants you locked in so you can waste a lot of money on stuff. I think it's possible people will have to have multiple ebook readers from multiple vendors.
I've also noticed that Amazon tends to be $1-3 cheaper per ebook than B&N and Sony so I think that might factor into the TCO of a reader as well.
ePub support isn't really that impressive, since ePub allows you to attach any proprietary DRM with it. So Sony has their own DRM, Adobe has their DRM, B&N has their own, and it goes on and on. It's just as bad as the camera lense universe or the cell phone carrier universe. Everybody wants you locked in so you can waste a lot of money on stuff. I think it's possible people will have to have multiple ebook readers from multiple vendors.
I've also noticed that Amazon tends to be $1-3 cheaper per ebook than B&N and Sony so I think that might factor into the TCO of a reader as well.
I have no problem with DRM. It's just a reality as long as publishers are involved. What I do have a problem with is a dozen different DRM schemes, per bookstore. Adobe really dropped the ball by allowing anyone to attach their DRM to ePub. There should be one standard that works across multiple vendors and platforms.
There's nothing wrong with Google Books or PG. I just prefer to read things written in the last 100 years, and most of that stuff is copyrighted. I'm not really sure what your comment that, "eInk need to make money on displays bit Plastic Logic only needs to make money on Readers." Just curious for more of an explanation.
There's nothing wrong with Google Books or PG. I just prefer to read things written in the last 100 years, and most of that stuff is copyrighted. I'm not really sure what your comment that, "eInk need to make money on displays bit Plastic Logic only needs to make money on Readers." Just curious for more of an explanation.
Well part of the expiation is I did not proof read well enough. The relevant part of my explanation is that eInk sells screens, that is what they do. They have to charge Amazon and Sony money for their hardware. On the other hand Plastic Logic can take a loss on there screens as long as B&N or consumers buy eReaders for a profit. In the end this means if B&N is expecting to make back the price with book sales you get the whole device cheaper then amazon is going. Hopefully.
