Kindle sales are projects to hit 380,000 this year, with Amazon reporting 10% of its sales are in Kindle format. Apple has proven that hardware supported by a customer friendly web-based store can be a winning combination — it could be argued that Apple’s current strength is a result of the iPod – iTunes hit. Predictions put the possible Kindle-related sales up to $1billion by 2010.
Meanwhile text book publishers seem to be missing the mark on their digital offerings. The Chronicle of Higher Ed reports that students expected digital textbooks to be more affordable, printable with no restrictions on viewing time — none of which are currently being offered. And they are going down the music industry’s failed path of spending energy trying to stamp out pirates — an understandable concern, but not a battle that can be won.
Give people what they want, or force them to take stuff they don’t want and then attack them when they look for alternatives — which model do you want to bet on?
The Lessons From the Kindle’s Success – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com
Wired Campus: New Report Says Digital Textbooks Are off Track – Chronicle.com
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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!
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