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Its a tried and true strategy if there wasnt a better strategy. Amazon doesnt need to create their own hardware. They are doing just fine selling Ebooks via the

by chugger 15y ago

Its a tried and true strategy if there wasnt a better strategy. Amazon doesnt need to create their own hardware. They are doing just fine selling Ebooks via their iPad and android apps. Low overhead, more profit. Selling their own hardware does not provide any value add to the customers, all it does it reduce their margins and profit. People already buy ebooks via their apps. People are talking like this is a good move by bezos. It's not.

glassx 15y ago
By selling Kindles, Amazon can secure their place in the ebook market. Without it they'd be just another player. And they probably get better margins on ebooks, since distribution (bandwidth) is cheap.
danielharan 15y ago
More profit selling for iPad and android apps is not a given. People that buy Kindles probably end up buying more books -- and there's also more lock-in.
vidarh 15y ago
While the Kindle can handle ebooks from other sources, there's an Amazon logo on every one, and the 3G versions makes it so convenient to buy from Amazon that most customers probably won't shop around. For the iPad and Android they're facing off against a wide range of other players.
brc 15y ago
You obviously don't have a Kindle. I would never try and read an ebook on an iPad after having a Kindle. It is chalk and cheese. Once you setup your account on your Kindle, it is 1-click purchasing to get yourself a new book. Sure, you might shop around for an ebook, but most people aren't going to. They'll just search on the Kindle, click the 'yes I want it' button, and you're finished. Total platform lock-in. Tech people might get sniffy but to the average person it's like going from vinyl to iPod. There are two Kindles in this household. Since their arrival, the yearly book spend has probably tripled. Previously most reading was re-reading older books and taking trips to book exchanges. All this is possible with other platforms, yes, but the Kindle is just the physical part of an entire delivery system. The margins on ebooks has to be better than print by an order of magnitude, even though the price is lower.

by chugger 15y ago

glassx 15y ago

By selling Kindles, Amazon can secure their place in the ebook market. Without it they'd be just another player. And they probably get better margins on ebooks, since distribution (bandwidth) is cheap.

danielharan 15y ago

More profit selling for iPad and android apps is not a given. People that buy Kindles probably end up buying more books -- and there's also more lock-in.

vidarh 15y ago

While the Kindle can handle ebooks from other sources, there's an Amazon logo on every one, and the 3G versions makes it so convenient to buy from Amazon that most customers probably won't shop around. For the iPad and Android they're facing off against a wide range of other players.

brc 15y ago

You obviously don't have a Kindle. I would never try and read an ebook on an iPad after having a Kindle. It is chalk and cheese. Once you setup your account on your Kindle, it is 1-click purchasing to get yourself a new book. Sure, you might shop around for an ebook, but most people aren't going to. They'll just search on the Kindle, click the 'yes I want it' button, and you're finished. Total platform lock-in. Tech people might get sniffy but to the average person it's like going from vinyl to iPod. There are two Kindles in this household. Since their arrival, the yearly book spend has probably tripled. Previously most reading was re-reading older books and taking trips to book exchanges. All this is possible with other platforms, yes, but the Kindle is just the physical part of an entire delivery system. The margins on ebooks has to be better than print by an order of magnitude, even though the price is lower.