Comments on: Sifting Through the Ashes: The Kindle Fire and Customer Centricity http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/ Knowledge@Wharton's Daily News Update Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Anonymous http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-406 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:22:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-406 Interesting article.
Amazon is a company that has come out with some great product offerings and then managed to trash those offerings in a way that never fails to disappoint me.
Once my favorite way to buy books, their website then lost its focus and tried to sell me clothes and kitchen appliances whenever I logged on. Any semblance of customer intimacy disappeared as they re-made themselves as an electronic Wal-Mart.
Then came the Kindle – I loved it. While I still think my Kindle is cool, Amazon obviously doesn’t. How am I supposed to feel about that? I sense that what I once found as a great way to buy books and magazines is headed for the dumpster, thanks to the same people who invented it.
I also love my iPad and have no problem owning both devices. But until iTunes starts to sell refrigerators, I will firmly believe that Apple knows what I want while Amazon just doesn’t believe it.

]]> By: Anonymous http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-405 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:31:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-405 Pete,  can’t say I agree on your logic.  To me customer-centricity doesn’t necessarily imply single-purpose ereader product.  my family includes many serious readers. some of old style kindle. one has fire. two have ipads.  all are serious readers, but that doesn’t mean they only read books — they are consuming the internet, emails, games, videos, etc., along with their traditional book/magazine reading.  Amazon may be VERY customer centric in responding to the diverse needs of their reading customer base.  by sticking to ereaders only they might have doomed themselves to a dwindling niche.  only time will tell.  (and we shouldn’t confuse burning through cash — a business model issue — with addressing customer needs)

pat crane

]]> By: Manu Srivastava http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-403 Manu Srivastava Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:55:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-403 How many devices is a consumer likely to keep? With the advances in tablet technology even the serious e-book readers will start moving on to the tablets. E-book is a shrinking market.

]]> By: Chris Johansen http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-402 Chris Johansen Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:22:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-402 ” . . . Jeff Bezos should focus on developing an enhanced version of the original Kindle . . . ”  such as the (original) Kindle with a lower price ($79 sponsored, $109 without “special offers”–for which I paid $139), the Kindle Touch ($99), the Kindle Touch 3G ($149), the Kindle Keyboard ($139), the Kindle DX ($379).  Oops!  He already has.

]]> By: rh http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-395 rh Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:54:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-395 Fire experience can be improved and it can become a viable competitor. i am buying more pRodcuts because of the device and its ease of use.

]]> By: Anonymous http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-394 Anonymous Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:30:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-394 Totally agree with you, Bob.  Tablets are for those who like to email, web-surf, and play games.  Serious readers prefer the easier on the eye and pocket book older version kindles.  I have every kindle version EXCEPT the fire.  I don’t have the Nook or anything that resembles a tablet or has a screen that is hard to use to read.  I don’t use my kindle(s) to web-surf, just read books.  Amazon made a mistake and should go back to the Kindle roots. 

]]> By: Bob Garcia http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-393 Bob Garcia Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:48:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-393 Perhaps, but serious readers still currently highly regard the dedicated e-ink reader for its smaller lighter form factor, superior power management, and of course lower price.  For simply reading, especially for long periods (even outdoors in the full sun), their is no better substitute.

Can the e-ink e-reader be improved?   Well the basic functions for reading are already there in the current models of e-ink readers.  Little improvement can really be made to these basic reading devices, it seems to me, other than speed and memory capacity. Sure, other new features will inevitably be added.  But if it doesn’t enhance the actual reading experience, most serious readers will not be swayed to pay extra for those features.  If you want to do more than read, get a tablet.

Tablets are great for web browsing and other forms of entertainment.  But for pure reading enjoyment, the smaller e-readers are still better on your eyes and your pocket book.

]]> By: Stu Miller http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/02/sifting-through-the-ashes-the-kindle-fire-and-customer-centricity/#comment-392 Stu Miller Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:10:00 +0000 http://kw.wharton.upenn.edu/today/?p=2865#comment-392 In 5-10 years, there will be no e-readers for serious or non-serious readers. Everything will be tablets. Amazon realizes this.

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