The reaction didn't take long: Barnes & Noble Inc. cut the price of its Nook e-reader to $199 on June 21, 2010. So did Amazon, just a few hours later. Amazon's standard Kindle e-reader now costs to $189, down from $259, though the "Kindle DX," featuring a larger screen and global mobile coverage, still sells for $489.
The strategic issue is whether e-book readers essentially wind up even cheaper than current levels as e-book and e-content purchase volume grows. It wasn't so long ago that would-be e-book reader suppliers thought a $400 or higher purchase price would still be viable.
Obviously the rapid emergence of a potentially-rival tablet market, exemplified by the Apple iPad, at about the $500 price point, plus Amazon and Barnes & Noble marketing at the $260 price point, has dashed a few business plans.
Of course, ask yourself which device you'd rather use, despite the higher price of the iPad. There's nothing wrong with the Kindle, but it is a monochrome e-book reader.
The iPad is a multi-purpose device that also doubles as an e-book reader.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Amazon Cuts Kindle Prices to $189
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
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