Here's Joe Wikert describing his experience with pbook browsing and ebook buying.
http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/2011/03/helping-bookstores-remain-relevant.html
He says "can't tell you the last print book I bought" because he's "gone almost exclusively with ebooks". But he still goes to brick-and-mortar stores to browse, where he then downloads the free sample, if available, and sometimes just buys the book outright on his iPhone through the kindle app.
"I feel bad, sort of, but it makes me realize the enormous opportunity brick-and-mortar bookstores are missing out on."
Hard to imagine what this opportunity could possibly be! But he'll tell you. It's basically: install a bunch of IT and potentially privacy violating stuff so that when you are in the store, your device will recognize that, offer you a screaming deal, and then pay for it using a payment technology that does yet exist (using phone as payment by running it past the register) and which Oracle recently put out a release saying it'll require you to hold the phone next to the register for about 6 seconds if you want to pay AND use a coupon AND update other account information.
Oh and do a Groupon thing, as well. And a few other things.
At the end of all this, he says:
"If you do all this I promise I'll start using your apps and I guarantee you'll see more purchases from me."
If False then ... anything at all. Logic 101, right?
I think I would prefer the freeloading _without_ the earnest advice to just "walk on water, come on, _then_ I'll buy stuff from you, it's really simple oh and make it free".
ETA: I'm going to quit after this, because I've now remembered why I don't normally read this blog.
http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/2011/02/ereaders-for-kids.html
Hey, how about a $50 ereader with no wifi that instead gets content via a cord that connects to a smartphone?
Yeah, that'd save $50 off the price of an ereader. Dude, go reading the fricking parts breakdown.
Also, a whole lot more people are handing even younger kids iPads than Wikert seems to realize. Maybe his cohort hasn't reproduced yet?
