Unfortunately, they weren't put in charge of the Sony Reader, so the result has been:
Why Sony lost the battle of the e-book
Sir Howard [Stringer] was not in charge of Sony during the Walkman debacle and partly owes his appointment three years ago to the recognition that new leadership was needed to pull the divided company together.
But the e-book battle occurred on his watch, after he identified the Reader as a product that Sony should throw its weight behind. So the ascendancy of the Kindle is – or ought to be – an embarrassment.
Emphasis added by me.
Oh, I've ripped into Stringer several times here:
What’s Going On With Sony And Its Reader?
Howard Stringer was written up in the New York Times. What did he focus on? OLED TV screens!
Really, tell me what is so special about Yet Another TV Screen? It’s still a TV screen, no matter what number of colors or contrast ratio it can offer versus previous iterations.
Sure, it’ll bring in money for Sony. It might even be a prestige (read: macho boasting) item.
But TVs are an established market.
The Sony Reader, however, has the potential of creating a new global market and impacting every country that it enters.
Does Howard Stringer understand that? Does Howard Stringer even use a Sony Reader?
Sony, it’s time to hit the accelerator. The lead you’ve enjoyed is diminishing with each day. Commit to winning!
And in:
Ken Kutaragi: Your Vindication Nears!
When you Ascend the Throne — kicking out the gaijin fool Stringer — remember to conquer the world with the Sony Reader!
The world of ebooks needs your leadership, Kutaragi! You can crush Amazon’s pitiful toy!
And in:
Sony, The New Titanic?
Yet Howard Stringer thinks he’s leading a pack of shy toadies?!
What I think is going on is this: They hate this overfed, pompous, strutting bastard.
They’re sitting on all the good stuff.
They want his ass out of there.
They will bring Sony down to the point where there is no other choice but to get rid of Stringer to save Sony itself.
The sooner the better!
That amazon stole the ebook publicity from Sony says more than any possible analysis ever could. At some point that event will be studied by business majors and business historians.
The Financial Times goes on to say:
The signs are that the Reader will go wireless too, perhaps this year: Steve Haber, head of the business, says that Sony is “open” to that idea. Sony has also tried to get one up on the Kindle by allowing owners to obtain books from other online stores and libraries.
The danger for Sony is that it is already too late. Amazon has grabbed the market-leading position from Sony and established a stronger brand, which is what happened with the iPod and the Walkman. Sony never managed to recover, despite trying repeatedly to match Apple.
"Open" to the idea?!!? I know people who worked on the Reader who wanted it to be wireless when it was first introduced in America!
Why the hell were they ignored?!
And if Haber was in charge of the Reader at that time, why the hell is he still in charge of it now? Fire his limited-vision ass. NOW!
I rant about this because I find the Kindle to be an out-and-out abomination (despite what Paul Biba has written, I'm unconvinced!).
But, ultimately, none of my ranting matters.
Because both Amazon and Sony will be crushed by Apple -- if it ever makes up its mind to do ebooks!
Note: The Financial Times item requires registration. There is a trick that sometimes works. Type "Sony" (no quotes) into search. Click on the column. Sometimes it will display for free.
Previously here: (backlinks point to the WordPress blog due to a posting error at Blogger I must fix later)
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I’m No Fan Of The Kindle. Nor Is He.
Sony Reader Can Be Bought In Spain!
Memo To Steve Jobs: People DO Still Read!
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Sony’s In Worse Shape Than I Thought
Ken Kutaragi: Your Vindication Nears!
The Three Big As: Apple, Amazon, Adobe
Sony Has Big eBook News Today
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Peak iPod: Has Apple Reached Its End?
One More Time: Apple And Ebooks
Is Apple’s Tablet The iPod Air?
Why Apple’s Design Is Excellent
Steve Jobs Is Up To Something. Probably Big.
Does Borders Know The Sony Reader Exists?
iRiver Ebook Reader?
Sony: I’m Not Alone
Does Apple Want To Be King Of Ebooks?
Sony BMG Music: DRM-Free And IQ-Free
What’s Going On With Sony And Its Reader?
Sony’s Got Something Big For Their Reader
Will New eBook Readers Finally Change The World?
Has Sony Just Lost Its eBook Battle?
At the old blog:
Will Apple Steal The eBook Limelight From Sony And Create Another Mass Market?
Oh My God This Is So Incredibly Surprising And Totally Unexpected: Sony To Close Connect Music And Video Services!!
Sony Reader Is Gaining Ground
Sony Reader Meets Inking
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I Gotcher Backlight Right Ear
Memos To Sony (Part 1 in a Series)
Sony Reader: Gizmodo’s Hands All Over
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Sony Reader Multi-Part Report Index
Sony Reader: Part 4 (of 4)
Sony Reader: Part 3 (of 4)
Sony Reader: Part 2 (of 4)
Sony Reader: Part 1 (of 4)
i, Reader
Digital Life: What I Saw
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