Comments on: About those Kindle numbers http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/about-those-kindle-numbers/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:09:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bill Janssen http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/about-those-kindle-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-734044 Bill Janssen Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:15:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/11/about-those-kindle-numbers/#comment-734044 If you think Amazon is going to give up on the Kindle, regardless of number sold, or the amount they lose on each one, I'd say you haven't thought through what the Kindle is to Amazon. If you think Amazon is going to give up on the Kindle, regardless of number sold, or the amount they lose on each one, I’d say you haven’t thought through what the Kindle is to Amazon.

]]> By: Brian Carnell http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/about-those-kindle-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-734042 Brian Carnell Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:09:55 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/11/about-those-kindle-numbers/#comment-734042 I think if they'd sold 100,000 units, they'd be screaming that to the world. I'd bet low tens of thousands. Probably lowballed the initial production and then got surprised by how fast the thing sold out, and now have problems getting back up to speed. I think if they’d sold 100,000 units, they’d be screaming that to the world. I’d bet low tens of thousands. Probably lowballed the initial production and then got surprised by how fast the thing sold out, and now have problems getting back up to speed.

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/about-those-kindle-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-733956 Rob Preece Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:57:05 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/11/about-those-kindle-numbers/#comment-733956 I think that Amazon recognizes that its current model is not sustainable. With "free shipping" they often lose money on their book sales, which is no way to run a business. So, what alternatives do they have? One thing they're doing is serving as a middle-man, connecting their customers with other suppliers and taking a cut. That's okay, but it runs the risk of losing the customer. Better is a business model that involves delivering value over the net (where they're strong) and eliminating delivery expenses. If they're going to get margin in the book business, it's got to be in eBooks. If the Kindle fails, I think Amazon is in a lot bigger trouble than just the couple of million they spent on R&D. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com I think that Amazon recognizes that its current model is not sustainable. With “free shipping” they often lose money on their book sales, which is no way to run a business. So, what alternatives do they have? One thing they’re doing is serving as a middle-man, connecting their customers with other suppliers and taking a cut. That’s okay, but it runs the risk of losing the customer.

Better is a business model that involves delivering value over the net (where they’re strong) and eliminating delivery expenses. If they’re going to get margin in the book business, it’s got to be in eBooks. If the Kindle fails, I think Amazon is in a lot bigger trouble than just the couple of million they spent on R&D.

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

]]> By: HeavyG http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/about-those-kindle-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-733892 HeavyG Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:47:19 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/11/about-those-kindle-numbers/#comment-733892 While I still really don't care how many Kindle units have been sold I would agree that "more" is probably better than "less". On the other hand the nearly one million HD-DVD players sold really didn't seem to help its longevity in the marketplace now did it. To those that are so fascinated by this secret number I would ask - what number of units moved would be deemed a success? Would anything less than 100,000 be a failure? 50,000? 25,000? Ferrari sold about 6400 cars last year compared to some number of millions sold by Toyota. Is Ferrari a failure? I doubt that anyone would make that argument (except maybe the Lambo or Porsche fan-boys). Is the scarcity of the Kindles "real" or is Bezos trying to hide something? My guess is that production capacity of these units can't meet demand. As to how deep that demand is... How many Sony e-ink readers have been sold? How many Iliads sold? How many [insert your e-ink device here]have been sold? Realistically how big is the potential marketplace for e-ink readers at their current rather premium pricing? How large is the potential market for e-books given the current rats nest of competing formats, DRM, and lack of titles as compared to the print world? Given the current premium pricing of the Kindle and the lack of availability of titles (as compared to print releases or P as is the style here) I can't imagine that there is really a "huge" market for the device under even the rosiest of projections. But how do we define huge? I also think any comparisons to Apples ipods/iTunes is comparing oranges to, well, apples. The one sales statistic I am curious about is how many books have been sold per Kindle (I bought my Kindle on launch day and have since purchased about 40 books). I think that is as important a number (if not more so) than the number of Kindles sold. Is it more important to sell 100,000 units if only 2 books/unit/month are sold or is it better if only 50,000 units are sold with sales of 10 books/unit/month? Since I have no idea what the business model/projections were when this project was hatched I'm in no position to judge the Kindle endeavor a success or failure whether the sales numbers are released or not. Perhaps one day those numbers will be released. Until then, however, I'm not going to walk around with a wedgie, dreaming up conspiracy theories as to the reasons for keeping that data quiet. If/when those sales numbers are released we can then all argue over what they mean :) While I still really don’t care how many Kindle units have been sold I would agree that “more” is probably better than “less”. On the other hand the nearly one million HD-DVD players sold really didn’t seem to help its longevity in the marketplace now did it.

To those that are so fascinated by this secret number I would ask – what number of units moved would be deemed a success?

Would anything less than 100,000 be a failure? 50,000? 25,000?

Ferrari sold about 6400 cars last year compared to some number of millions sold by Toyota. Is Ferrari a failure? I doubt that anyone would make that argument (except maybe the Lambo or Porsche fan-boys).

Is the scarcity of the Kindles “real” or is Bezos trying to hide something? My guess is that production capacity of these units can’t meet demand. As to how deep that demand is…

How many Sony e-ink readers have been sold? How many Iliads sold? How many [insert your e-ink device here]have been sold? Realistically how big is the potential marketplace for e-ink readers at their current rather premium pricing? How large is the potential market for e-books given the current rats nest of competing formats, DRM, and lack of titles as compared to the print world?

Given the current premium pricing of the Kindle and the lack of availability of titles (as compared to print releases or P as is the style here) I can’t imagine that there is really a “huge” market for the device under even the rosiest of projections. But how do we define huge? I also think any comparisons to Apples ipods/iTunes is comparing oranges to, well, apples.

The one sales statistic I am curious about is how many books have been sold per Kindle (I bought my Kindle on launch day and have since purchased about 40 books). I think that is as important a number (if not more so) than the number of Kindles sold.

Is it more important to sell 100,000 units if only 2 books/unit/month are sold or is it better if only 50,000 units are sold with sales of 10 books/unit/month?

Since I have no idea what the business model/projections were when this project was hatched I’m in no position to judge the Kindle endeavor a success or failure whether the sales numbers are released or not.

Perhaps one day those numbers will be released. Until then, however, I’m not going to walk around with a wedgie, dreaming up conspiracy theories as to the reasons for keeping that data quiet.

If/when those sales numbers are released we can then all argue over what they mean :)

]]> By: Fred Kiesche http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/about-those-kindle-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-733885 Fred Kiesche Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:27:48 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/11/about-those-kindle-numbers/#comment-733885 If they have a device that only works with one or very few formats...well...it'll probably wither on the vine. Wouldn't it have made sense to do an "open" device? At least we can be pretty sure that Mobipocket, as a format, should survive (given the base from books at Fictionwise, Baen, etc.). Amazon will have to 'fess up on the numbers at some point. Investors will start to wonder, worry and fret if they don't, but continue to splash it across their opening screen. If they have a device that only works with one or very few formats…well…it’ll probably wither on the vine. Wouldn’t it have made sense to do an “open” device?

At least we can be pretty sure that Mobipocket, as a format, should survive (given the base from books at Fictionwise, Baen, etc.).

Amazon will have to ‘fess up on the numbers at some point. Investors will start to wonder, worry and fret if they don’t, but continue to splash it across their opening screen.

]]> By: Richard Herley http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/about-those-kindle-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-733875 Richard Herley Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:59:13 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/03/11/about-those-kindle-numbers/#comment-733875 There is a <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21756" rel="nofollow">thread at MobileRead discussing this</A>, and the consensus seems to be that the shortage of screens is holding things up. There is a thread at MobileRead discussing this, and the consensus seems to be that the shortage of screens is holding things up.

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