It's not too hard to find stories on the latest Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) e-book reader, the Kindle 2.
But the newly released Kindle has a lot to live up to, according to a recent ChangeWave survey of original Kindle e-book owners.
Fifty-eight percent of owners of the original Kindle said they were very satisfied with their device, and 31% said they were somewhat satisfied. Only 4% said they were unsatisfied.
So, what's kept them happy?
According to respondents, four things stand out about the original:
• Internet access and content delivery platform
• Overall convenience
• Wireless downloading ability
• Long battery life
"It's dead simple to use, easy on the eyes, and doesn't need to be connected to a computer," said one respondent. "Plus, downloading books is typically cheaper than buying paperbacks."
Another said, "Lots of reading in a small space, instant purchases, and the ability to highlight and look up words."
There were gripes, of course, including its restricted selection of books, its fragility and the fact that it doesn't "feel like a book." But, overall, the original Kindle received plenty of accolades, which only raises the stakes for the Kindle 2.
One other thing raising the stakes is the lack of consumer spending. A recent ChangeWave survey shows only 12% of consumers said they will spend more on electronics during the next 90 days, while 43% said they will spend less -- the weakest electronics spending environment in years.
Paul Carton is the Director of Research for the ChangeWave Alliance Research Network. The Network is a group of 20,000 highly qualified business, technology and medical professionals -- as well as early adopter consumers -- who work in leading companies of select industries.
Nuclear power is on the comeback trail
Apple backs AT&T in continuing spat with Verizon
Closing Bell: The recession is still over, still... do you feel it?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-01-2009 @ 8:52AM
elo said...
I'm not an iPhone person, but I've read that both Stanza and eReader are better (to read from, not in terms of available books) than the Kindle app. But Kindle has a leg-up with strong 'brand recognition' going into it, and one article I read pointed out that Amazon may not have been interested in providing an app that was as good or better as the ones out there as it was in dangling a gateway drug that could potentially convince more people to shell out the money for the Kindle.
The iPhone app may be a low-cost way for consumers to get hooked on the idea of e-books--then when the economy is a bit better, the Kindle will have a ready-made customer base.
Dr. Tantillo, a branding expert, has a marketing and branding blog on which he does a weekly brand winner/brand loser post. The week before last, he named The Rocky Mountain News (and the newspaper industry) the loser and the Kindle (and Amazon) the brand winner. He also pointed out that, since the Kindle supports newspaper subscriptions, ironically, it may help save the newspaper industry... Most of his blog posts come back to the importance of focusing on your Target Market, and how good marketing should be communication with your Target Market (not smoke and mirrors). "Real marketers must always assume that a better job of serving their customers’ needs is possible —and be actively figuring out how to do so, before a competitor steps in to fill unmet demands." Here's a link to his full post.
This is exactly what Bezos has said, and I think it has been key to Amazon's success (in general and with the Kindle).