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Netbook Market Leader Acer Not Planning to Compete With iPad
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I have never said that I thought that music prices should be fixed. In fact, I've said the opposite. I believe that the wholesaler/retailer notion is economically inflexible with electronic distribution, and I believe that having a percentage-cut distributor instead would be better for market flexibility. Amazon want to get the economic benefits of being both a wholesaler and a retailer, which makes sense for them. Apple's entrance with a different business model for ebook selling allows us to test these models and see which does best and then work out why whichever model thrives, does. However, just because allowing flexible pricing will allow more books to be published profitably doesn't mean all books will be published and the same goes for music, films and TV programmes. As such, I feel the argument you have presented is a strawman.
No, the profitability hasn't changed. Neither has the risk. I feel, given what my publishing friends have told me and by reading up on the subject myself, that ebooks have (up to now) been a speculative project; allowing a certain extra risk to assess the market potential and opportunities for reward. What has changed is that now there is another deal that some seem to think can challenge Amazon's dominance of the market. They can, therefore, play the two models off each other to seek a better deal. At no time have I claimed otherwise.
Which I've never done, so please stop saying that. I'm not calling anyone greedy and your repeated assertions of this argument in the context of a discussion with me are disingenuous. It is irrelevant to the arguments I am making.
And I think that they should be allowed to set prices as they see fit. Again, I keep saying this; please acknowledge that.
I do not believe that the $5 will 'go towards' anything. I believe that publishers are companies and therefore legally obligated to increase shareholder value. I believe that if they can set prices for themselves based on the costs and projected sales that low- and mid-list titles are more likely to increase shareholder value by being published. Not certain, but more likely. If they're acting like they're obligated to do so, then this will make it more likely that they will publish them.
It's definitely taking longer than I thought it would, but to not see the end of the label cartels at some point in the future is naive.
Movies are another beast entirely. There are few actors that could fund their own major film production, nor would want to. Though the digital age will certainly bring us some excellent films that would never have made a Hollywood studio cut.
There will always be a need for editors and publicists and cinematographers and sound engineers. What will eventually go away are the overpaid suits who rule over it all with a gilded staff, deciding who will see the light of day and who will not. It's time to cut the fat from the process, starting at the top.
I hope Apple wakes up and changes their ways in this regard. Though you're still exponentially more likely to get your app into iTunes than get your album published by a label, your book sold by a major publisher or your screenplay picked up by a Hollywood studio.
I have seen scores if not hundreds of interesting ideas and concepts for software on an iPad since the 27th here and elsewhere that will make the device a monster. Perhaps you are just choosing to ignore the many examples, suggestions and commitments regarding such things that have been made.
Just like Apple admitted they couldn't compete with cheap computers.
What do you mean?
Apple is providing the cheapest tablet experience possible for what you get.
Nobody is going to be able to match the iPad baseline specs for the same price.
Tablet makers were waiting in the wings ready to launch their devices at $750-$850 thinking Apple was coming out at $1000.
Now they are screwed because they can't make a device and make money on it that is competitive and sell it for $499 or less.
Netbooks aren't really competition for many reasons people have stated. They are just shruken and less useful laptops. That doesn't accomplish anything. They are the pet rock of the computer history time line.
I agree with the Acer guy that he can't compete, and I give him kudos for him realizing he has to find another way. It is really not much of a choice. Try to go away from apple and hope you find something unique to do and get a leg up on, or follow apps lead and just get crushed by their wake.
I personally would probably go the route of the acer guy. Stick with what you know and hope for the best. Following Apple is not going to be a path for success for sure.
Watch how many apple like tablets get announced in the next 12-15 months.
As of this date this is not one device in existence or expected to come out that competes with the iPad. Yet in the next 12-15 months you can expect 5-10 of them at least.
That is why the little blue box should have a pop up that says, "This website does not conform to web standards. Please contact the website owner and ask them to comply to standards so their website can be viewed and used by all browsers and all devices."
It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. HTML5 is the future of the internet. That can be counted on. Which is why it is good that people are pushing it because it makes everything take place quicker which is better for the developers and the users, the faster it takes hold.
Google sent me an e-mail today saying they are abandoning support for IE6 in the apps because they are pushing forward with the future and HTML5.
Having all web developers and all browsers support standards is very important. It makes the development of content easier and less costly. You only have to make a site that conforms to standards and it should work on all compliant browsers.
Several years ago when IE was a real mess and just jacked with standards, most websites would have to make mutliple versions to make them so they could display for everyone. That is not what people are being asked to do here. The standard allows for the things people use flash to be done. They only need to design their website with standards in mind. If they had done that in the first place they would have been much better off.
Back to my main point though, HTML5 is not something that might or might not happen. It will happen, no matter what.
Well then they will love the iPad. You can do all that stuff and it weighs half as much as any netbook!
Those devices are not competitors to the iPad.
How much do they cost.
What OS do they run?
They are just bastardized windows computers.
How about their own software? And then when they've finished they can come back in 10 years (or however long it takes them) and tell us how easy it was for a company like Acer, for whom the iPad would not be a technical challenge. They're the experts, after all.
I can't believe people can whinge and moan for pages and pages about a bit Steve Jobs comments on parts of Google and Adobe (which he may or may not have said) and they don't take issue with these comments.
I checked it. There have been two complaints against Apple that can be found on the ASA website that have been upheld. In both cases the action taken is: "The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form". No fines.
I'm in your boat RP. I think they'll appeal to two different user groups, and, IMO, with netbooks being cheaper, they'll mostly win over those looking at both. I kind of see this launch going the way of the Mabook Air. It found it's niche, but I don't think it hurt any other mobile laptop maker.
Where are you getting those stats from? Best guesses pin iPhones and iPod touches at around 30 million. Apple shipped 3.6 million Macs just last quarter and they've been selling macs for oh, 25 years longer than iPhones and iPod touches.
Personally, if I had a choice I would always take the full OS version. I'd believe windows users would too, because they're use to open systems.
Acer never produced iPods/iPhone gadgets
I do not recall about Acer, Msi and other netbook manufacturer competing in consumer gimmicks market. They make good, inexpensive, fully functional portable and desktop computers. If they compete with Apple, it would be a low end macbooks.
It is ridiculous to expect this folks to enter this market, besides Apple is the only company positioned well in this market segment.
And how come every time someone refers to a netbook it is always about "his" girlfriend' one. Afraid of retribution from other retards? Do not be And girlfriends, well keep dreaming...
I do not recall about Acer, Msi and other netbook manufacturer competing in consumer gimmicks market. They make good, inexpensive, fully functional portable and desktop computers. If they compete with Apple, it would be a low end macbooks.
It is ridiculous to expect this folks to enter this market, besides Apple is the only company positioned well in this market segment.
And how come every time someone refers to a netbook it is always about "his" girlfriend' one. Afraid of retribution from other retards? Do not be
And girlfriends, well keep dreaming...
They've sold 75 million iphones and ipod touches in less than 3 years. By the time the ipad ships it will probably be close to 100 million in less than 3 years. By the time 3 years comes up for both the iphone and first ipod touch which was shipped in september of 07, it would probably be getting to 150 million shipped in 3 years. I doubt Mac numbers are anywhere near that. More people are familiar with iphone OS including windows users.
From the ipad keynote. They sold about 75 million iphone OS devices and the others are just guesses. They should pass 100 million soon though.
Apple says otherwise...
I'm sure there are plenty of people that would rather agree with Apple...
I would have probably said the same thing. It does get tiresome to hear parroted keynote slides and Apple product pages....good for Apple? I guess?