Held the last two months had depressed Hanwang technology investors. Hanwang Technology is a ebook reader, handwriting input and OCR input devices based products business, its share price on May 28 intraday peak rising to 175 dollars, then all the way Kuangxie, July 16 closing only remaining 96.6 yuan, the book value had fallen by 44.8%. Hanwang Technology sagging stock price and the Zhonghua one of the reasons is its legal dispute: the latter to court, sued Hanwang bookstore sales, “Four Histories” and “History of Qing Dynasty” infringement. Although the latest news shows both sides settled out of court may order the closure of awful in the symbolic significance of the case, although the price may still Hanwang technology improves and as the broader market higher, but the situation at home and abroad, 2007 years before the rise of e-book reader market is rapidly fall into disuse.
November 19, 2007, Amazon sold in the United States of its research and development of e-book reader Kindle. Before that, iRex Iliad e-book reader unit of the Sony Reader and Sony have each of July 2006 and September listed, but not popular.
Iliad and Sony Reader are three fatal flaws: high prices, lack of content and channels are not allowed. Listed at the beginning, Iliad in the price of up to 649 euros in Europe, in the United States is 699 U.S. dollars; Sony Reader price slightly kind, but also to reach 349 U.S. dollars. As for the content, Iliad support PDF, WORD, TXT, and many other text format, but manufacturers do not offer book downloads. Sony’s situation better, its online bookstore to buy the works of copyright protection has expired, you can buy Danielle’s latest novel, is available for readers to choose the books are not numerous and are too focused on popular literature. The most fatal shortcoming is channel: how to sell e-book reader unhindered to Ai Kanshu love to have fun and not just consumer electronics. In this regard, iRex, Sony were totally unsuccessful.
As the self is the world’s largest online bookseller, Amazon has tons of content and the most effective channels, so Kindle’s launch was a great success, although it is not the first cheap price: 399 dollars. This regard so as publishing content providers feel the impact of changes in distribution channels and pressure, have to start to seriously consider the content of this new carrier in the end what it means; the other hand, other electronics manufacturers to find new business opportunities, many companies rush to launch, or preparing to introduce new products, intends to seize this are smaller but fast-growing market.
The end of last year, light in the United States to try to challenge Kindle e-book reader will have ten sections, but in June this year, a crackdown, the market pioneer and veteran iRex suddenly filed for bankruptcy protection, while Plastic Logic is a rising star QUE announced postponement of its products market, the specific time so far unknown. In the end What happened then? Very simple e-book reader prices fast decline of the large, far beyond all expectations. For example, last June, the retail price of Amazon’s Kindle is 359 U.S. dollars, and now buy only 189 U.S. dollars.
The price slump in the role of a catalyst is a well-known companies and Amazon the same: the U.S. giant Barnes & Noble book sales. By the end of 2009, Barnes & Noble launched its readers Nook, 259 dollars price let the market quickly digested. Nook more advantages than the Kindle is that it is sold in the store, consumers can practice and feel this product. And June 2 this year, U.S. retailer Target started selling the Kindle until Amazon reader stores only in the network.
Just last month, Barnes & Noble to Nook’s price cut 60 U.S. dollars, as low as 199 U.S. dollars; Amazon to respond quickly, the Kindle’s price down to 189 U.S. dollars today. According to the U.S. market research firm iSuppli estimates that the cost of these two books is basically price. In other words, Barnes & Noble and Amazon currently selling these two readers are not making money, they can only count on follow-up e-book sales to generate sufficient profits.
Intense price war led to zero profits in this emerging market ahead of schedule time, in this context, the foreign market observers are not optimistic about Plastic Logic’s launch QUE: In accordance with the company’s previous plans, this low-end products reader price is 650 U.S. dollars, high-end price is 800 U.S. dollars. You know, 800 U.S. dollars can also buy a Kindle and a practical stunning Apple iPad.
iSuppli expects e-book reader will soon drop the price to 100 U.S. dollars below market capacity will be from 500 million units in 2009, quickly grew to 1,500 million in 2011. The final competition will be a few winners: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, perhaps Apple can count – if you iPad as e-book reader, then.
China’s e-book reader market is currently in its initial phase, although the Tianjin Science and Technology Branch and Hanwang readers for several years of production history, but many brands to enter the market, it is a matter this year. Since March, Shanghai Century Publishing Group, Chongqing Publishing Group, China Publishing Group Publishing Group and other readers have launched their own reader. These reader problems with the Iliad, Sony Reader in the United States three years ago, the same problems, if not overcome barriers to content and the channel is estimated within two years, most of them will disappear in the market. China e-book reader market, the winner may not be currently available products – the premise that outstanding success Dangdang Amazon or Amazon and Barnes & Noble replicate the U.S. experience.
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