Last week’s launch of the new Amazon Kindle lineup starting at $79 has set German booksellers in fighting mode. Germany’s biggest bookseller Weltbild announced its new e-reading device for 60 Euros. The e-reader features a 7 inch color display, 2GB of storage (about 2000 e-books) and 8h battery life.
Looking at the specs it is somewhere in the middle of the smallest Kindle e-reader and the Kindle Fire tablet though the e-reader from Weltbild has no WiFi or browser. But customers can also listen to audio books or create photo slide shows.
The premise of the new device is to lower the barrier of entry for customers to the e-book space significantly. Carel Halff, CEO of Weltbild estimates that in the coming years only a few big players will be left on the market. Namely Amazon, Google, Apple and in Germany Thalia and Weltbild.
Thalia, the other big bookseller meanwhile lowered the price of its Oyo e-reader from 139 Euro to 99 Euro. This e-reader has some better specs than the one from Weltbild including WiFi.
Bottom line seems to be that the industry has finally arrived at the point of no return. E-books are the future and booksellers need to catch the wave in order to stay in business. Prices for e-readers will go down further as the true value for the booksellers will be in the sale of e-books. Either e-readers will be financed over advertisement, like the Kindle or you will get one for free with a subscription model.
Via: Netzwertig
Source: FTD
