06-21-2010, 09:32 PM | #1 |
Happy Wife & Momma
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What will the Nook & Kindle do to Astak?
Today I received an email from Barnes & Noble saying they have drastically dropped the price of the Nook. With 3G it is $199, with wi-fi only it is $149. That's amazing. I guess now Amazon is dropping the Kindle down to $189. This is great, as it will make it easier for more people to purchase ebook readers... but what will it do to smaller companies like Astak? I love my Pocket Pro and would hate to see Astak become a casualty of this type of price war. I know Robertb has said in the past Astak makes very little money on their readers. I really hope this doesn't take them out of the ereader game.
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06-21-2010, 09:45 PM | #2 | |
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for some people the freedom that only THEY decide whats on their devices is worth the extra money. |
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06-21-2010, 09:56 PM | #3 |
reader
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It does make it harder for smaller companies to compete. This is in part because Amazon and B&N (and Kobo) device owners probably also buy many of their ebooks from the originating site. So Amazon and B&N and Kobo can make a significant profit from selling ebooks. This is less true for the smaller companies, even though Astak does have an ebook store.
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06-21-2010, 10:04 PM | #4 |
Happy Wife & Momma
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To be honest, if B&N had offered a Nook at $149 back in February when I bought mine, I would have seriously considered it. Price was one of the biggest influencing factors in my purchase decision. Size was the second factor, so it's possible I would have still gone with the Pocket Pro. I really like the small size so I can easily put it in my purse. I don't know if the Nook would fit. Right now I am so glad the Nook wasn't cheaper, as I am extremely happy with my purchase. But I have a feeling the lower cost will influence a lot of people in their decisions of what to buy.
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06-21-2010, 10:07 PM | #5 |
Happy Wife & Momma
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Wallcraft, it will be very interesting to see what the ereader market does in the next 6 months. I would love to buy an ereader for my daughter who loves to read, but that's not high on our list right now financially. But if the prices continue to drop, it might be feasible in the future. She would prefer a ipod, but I'd rather she have an ebook reader. And I'm not going to plunk down the money for her to have an ipod, just because that's what her friends have. I guess I'm mean that way.
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06-21-2010, 10:29 PM | #6 | |
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Good Value is what people should look for. Astak offers the Value of NOT locking you in to a specific store. Amazon lost most of my business when they refused to sell a modern book that I can read on MY reader. Cracking their DRM is not something I wish to do. Then have to clean up the page format mess. I am buying a BOOK, not a do it yourself publishg project. As long as Astak can service what they sell. they have my |
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06-21-2010, 10:39 PM | #7 | |
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That said a gut feeling tells me we might see a price reduction. I like Astak and I want them to stay in business, to me they are honest players wanting to provide a product consumers want. |
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06-21-2010, 10:44 PM | #8 | |
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Amazon was never in the running for me since I could only buy their books for the Kindle. I wasn't interested in that. Plus, the whole thing with 1984 made me a bit nervous to use their store. I think for me, the best thing Astak has going for them is their customer service. I would be willing to pay more for the product and get their wonderful customer service. Unfortunately, that's not something most people will be aware of when deciding which ereader to buy. It almost makes me want to go on a campaign to let people know why they should buy Astak, rather than the larger named brands. |
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06-21-2010, 10:45 PM | #9 |
Happy Wife & Momma
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06-21-2010, 11:37 PM | #10 | |
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Actually, without the cover, the Pocket Pro is quite a bit lighter than even the latest 6" Kindle (6 oz vs. 10.2 oz). With the cover, they're about the same. Same can't be said for the Kindle with a cover compared with the Pocket Pro. A quick weight comparison: Amazon Kindle 2 (6") = 10.2 ounces B&N Nook (WiFi) = 11.6 ounces Astak Pocket Pro (5", no cover) = 6 ounces Last edited by Acreo Aeneas; 06-21-2010 at 11:45 PM. |
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06-21-2010, 11:40 PM | #11 |
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I also got an email from B&N about their price reduction. This will really hit Astak bad, I want them to stay in business too. But with the price reductions, it's very tempting to buy one. I'm thinking about it. Although I really love the folder oraganization in my Astak PPro and I hear Nook doesn't have that. I don't like disorganize files of my ebooks. And it will just be awful to scroll around to get to the book you're gonna read if you have 700+ or more ebooks loaded on there. The extra features of wifi/3G is nice to have but I'm just doubting about being lock down with B&N eventhough you can sideload the books you bought from fictionwise. I still love my Pocket Pro, I don't have regrets of buying this one.
To be honest, I'm really tempted to buy a Nook. (I'm still thinking though, and see what will happened.....) |
06-22-2010, 12:09 AM | #12 | ||
Happy Wife & Momma
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06-22-2010, 12:17 AM | #13 |
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Well dont forget about non-US buyers. One of the pluses of geting Astak for me was the ease of international purchase and delivery.
I know for a fact us Aussies are not very spoilt when it comes to e-readers availability, so any company that offers hassle-free delivery is getting a big thumbs up! |
06-22-2010, 12:34 AM | #14 |
Happy Wife & Momma
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Thanks, SmartyPants! It's good to know Astak stands out in that regard, as well!
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06-22-2010, 12:46 AM | #15 |
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Of course Kindle ships internationally and from what another post said B&N is shipping the Wi-Fi only Nook internationally as well.
Will things be getting tougher for Astak? I'm sure they will. That doesn't mean they're out of it though. They really do need to get the Agency stuff available in their book store and get covers up for more of the books they do have. I keep going there to try and give them some business, but everything I've been looking for lately they haven't had. I think what you might see is companies like Astak having a hard time competing on the bare bones end of things, but being more competitive when it comes to more feature rich devices. |
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