...Ebooks An electronic book (variously: e-book, eBook, e-Book, ebook, digital book, or even e-edition) is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on computers or other electronic devices.[1] Although sometimes defined as "an electronic version of a printed book",[2] many e-books exist without any printed equivalent. Commercially produced and sold e-books are usually intended to be read on dedicated e-book readers, however, almost any sophisticated electronic device that features a controllable viewing screen, including computers, many mobile phones, and nearly all smartphones, can also be used to read e-books. History The inventor of the first e-book is not widely agreed upon. Some notable candidates include the following: The first e-book may be the Index Thomisticus, a heavily annotated electronic index to the works of Thomas Aquinas, prepared by Roberto Busa beginning in the late 1940s. However, this is sometimes omitted, perhaps because the digitized text was (at least initially) a means to developing an index and concordance, rather than as a published edition in its own right.[3] Some years earlier the idea of the e-reader came to Bob Brown after watching his first "talkie" (movies with sound). In 1930, he wrote an entire book on this invention and titled it "The Readies" playing off the idea of the "talkie".[4] In his book, Brown says that movies have out maneuvered the book by creating the "talkies" and as a result...
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...Summary Books are useful. When being read, it provides information that brings learning to people which results to an increase of their knowledge level. Any kinds of book have the same purpose; however there is a conflict between which is more effective to use now that e-books have been invented. As many educational institutions started deviating from using traditional books, it is significant to evaluate the factors affecting the students’ preference for a book before requiring it. This study systematically reviews the data for printed and electronic books, aiming to investigate on the different factors that result the students to prefer such book format in order for them to attain knowledge in an easier and a more convenient way. The researcher used a descriptive quantitative research approach with the use of online survey to come up with the results. It is the best way to gather reason why they prefer such a format. It was concluded that e-books has much ability than the other format. However, the findings showed that traditional book is more preferred than electronic books due to its design which readers admire a lot. It was also discovered that lessons in print books are comprehensive to read which conveys learning is fast in this format. One problem in print book was its weight. One of many respondents’ reason for not choosing e-book is, it causes eye strain and headaches which lead to problems regarding of the readers’ health. Now that we had determined print books are more...
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...E-Book’s Case Table of Content Introduction ..……………………………………………………………………………… 2 Crafting a Strategy………………………………………………………………………... 3 The Business Model ………………………………………………………………………. 3 The Platform ……………………………………………………………………………… 4 Key Success Factors (KSF) ………..……………………………………………………… 4 Evaluating a Company’s External Environment ……………………………………….. 6 The Five Forces Model of Competition ………………………………………………….. 6 The Industry ………………………………………………………………....……………. 7 The Four Test of Resources Competitor Power ………………………………………… 8 SWOT Analysis …………………………………………………………………………… 9 Product Attributes …………………………………………………………...…………… 11 Introduction The case begins with Professor Harry Lindsol who noticed a trend in 2012. What he noticed was a rapidly changing environment with advancements in technology that led to the internet taking over how americans purchased things. He also began to see big internet retailers like Amazon taking out brick and mortar style companies like Barnes & Noble and local bookstores. The one market that had not been penetrated yet by these large internet retailers was the college bookstores. Lindsol also observed that even though students all owned electronic devices and e-readers, they still preferred the convenience of buying hardcopy textbooks from student stores. Lindsol recognized an opportunity but had to analyze the business models of the current large scale textbook publishers...
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...PAPER BASED BOOKS V/S E-BOOKS Reading is a way through which languages are acquired. It helps in communicating as well as sharing one’s views on a particular subject. But, the main question here is, what means should be used to read? There are two school of thoughts; the first favors paper based books, while the other favors e-books. The first school of thought favors reading paper based books. Firstly, it says that reading paper based books is more superior to screens. Secondly, books are single tasking devices. While reading a paper based book, the reader can do little of another task; there is little distraction. It is possible to buy a used book, but not a used e-book. A real book can be resold. Thus, real books are better than e-books. The second school of thoughts favors reading e-books. First of all, e-books feature of portability has been a major hit. It is possible to carry an entire library of e-books everywhere, without worrying about weight. E-books are long lasting; and withstand time over paper based books. Lastly, e-books are bought and delivered online; there are no shipping charges. Hence, e-books are better than paper based books. In my opinion, e-books are more convenient than paper books. Firstly, it is eco-friendly, as no cutting down of trees is required to make papers. Next, e-books are a means of interactive learning, as it may contain audios/videos and animation. Lastly, e-books can be printed. Thus, a reader has an option of reading books on the screen...
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...Your E-Book is Reading You Alexandra Alter's "Your E-Book is Reading You" appeared in The Wall Street Journal in 2012. In the essay Alter aims to explain to readers that publishers are compiling vast data repositories containing information on a wide array of statistics on how and what we read. He explains the possibility of using these analytics to provide a more directed approach towards the reader’s desires. "Now, e-books are providing a glimpse into the story behind the sales figures, revealing not only how many people buy particular books, but how intensely they read them." Enumeration, anecdotes, and a hint of propaganda are techniques the author employs to sway the reader and develop a convincing essay. Alter opens the essay with a couple of numbers and statistics about reading speed and passages highlighted passages in a particular book. This enumeration technique immediately establishes the tone of the essay and has a “scientific” feel about it. It is an effective way to project the author’s legitimacy and gain the reader's trust that the writer has done their research and knows what they are talking about. Also, this paragraph uses an extremely popular novel named “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, which is the first in a trilogy, to illustrate how the data is used. “The first thing that most readers do upon finishing the first ‘Hunger Games’ book is to download the next one.” Almost immediately after peaking the reader's curiosity with the statistics of their...
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...Marketing through E-Books In her newspaper article “Your E-Book is Reading You”, Alexandra Alter uses an informal tone to grab the reader’s attention. Alter informs the reader of the new methods used to improve book sales and customer reading experiences. She demonstrates that major book publishers are capable of tracking reading habits including how much of the book is read, and how long they read for. The data also indicates that readers use methods of reading depending on the genre of the book. Once Alter provides the information regarding what publishers are capable of, she points out the negative aspects of the data collection including the loss of creativity and privacy. While Alter does address the negative aspects of data collection, the primary focus of the article is the positive aspects of having reader data. The research she includes comprises mainly of statistics and quotes from book publishers. Through her use of style, tone and research, Alter successfully convinces the reader that the act of habit analysis by publishers is in the reader’s best interests. Initially, Alter sets up her article in a style that appeals to the reader. Throughout the essay, she jumps back and forth between expository and persuasive tones. The main purpose of this article is to inform the reader; however, she also includes the use of pathos to get the reader emotionally involved. In her opening paragraph she appeals to the reader’s emotions by stating “Nearly 18,000 Kindle readers...
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...E-Books vs. Printed Books: The 21st Century Debate By Elana Goodwin on September 12, 2014 Tweet Pin It E-book sales have skyrocketed in recent years as personal digital reading devices have steadily risen in popularity since the Amazon Kindle was released in 2007. This trend has sparked a worldwide debate of the pros and cons of e-books vs. printed books and what technological advances in reading means for the publishing industry as a whole. Back in 2010, when Apple came out with the first generation of its tablet, the iPad, the Pew Research Center found that only 5 percent of Americans owned an e-reader and 4 percent owned a tablet. But as e-readers improved their design and debuted increasingly sleeker, more intuitive, larger memory models, e-reader ownership grew. Photo Credit: u-publish.com Today, those numbers have severely multiplied, with 32 percent of Americans owning an e-reader and 42 percent owning a tablet, those devices being two of the biggest ways e-books are consumed by readers. http://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/134689/E-Books-vs-Printed-Books-The-21st-Cent However, though e-reader and e-book sales numbers seem to be constantly growing, a report by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) showed that in 2013, hardcover book sales in the U.S. were actually up while overall U.S. e-book sales were actually down about 5 percent. The AAP found that hardcover book sales rose 11.5 percent to $778.6 million through August of 2013 while e-book sales were...
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...Product Reassessment: The Traditional Printed Books Decline Wendy Anderson Strayer University Principles of Marketing August 7, 2013 The Traditional Printed books Decline The decline of the traditional printed book has become more noticeable since book stores have either closed some locations or closed their doors all together. There are still many people in the United States that know the value of owning and reading the traditional printed book. However, in current times convenience and laziness has become the standard. There are a lot of people that would prefer to carry around light weight technology such as an e-reader that can house a multitude and array of books than carry around a 500 page book or a multitude of said books. The use of e-readers to access e-books has become the wave of the future and the norm in today’s world. However, there are still many avid readers within the population that enjoy the feel and the read of the printed book. It is believed that everyone should have the opportunity to witness the advantages of reading the traditional book and be able to enjoy the experiences that a traditional book can bring to the table. As said before there a lot of people that still enjoy holding a printed book, turning the pages of said books and enjoy reading their genre of reading in the old fashioned way. The youth of America prefer to use electronics more now for educational and recreational purposes because it is easier...
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...before. Everywhere we go, we see people on their phones, tablets, and e-readers. I have interviewed three people who use both e-readers and physical books to read: Andrew Hemp, Debra Jenniges, and Shirley Knakmuhs. I interviewed them to gain perspective on which form of reading books do they prefer. The first person I interviewed was my friend Andrew Hemp. He is a 25 year old Computer Repairman. Last year Hemp moved from Marshall, Minnesota to Burbank, California. He enjoys spending his time taking pictures of anything and everything. Hemp loves the outdoors as it provides him with fantastic views to capture them with his camera. One thing he loves to do is head down to Santa Monica and lay on the beach. He loves to read while lying on the beach. Hemp enjoys reading a good book whenever he gets a chance. “I easily prefer to use e-readers compared to physical books, and it isn’t even close. E-readers are super easy to use for me. I grew up using all sources of different technologies, so I have no trouble what so ever using them.” (Hemp, personal communication, March 16, 2016) Having access to more than one book and switching between books while reading are the two biggest reasons why Hemp prefers e-readers. “I love to switch between books while I read. It is a must to use an e-reader to switch between the books. It would be a major hassle if I didn’t have an e-reader. I would have to bring at least 5 different books with me to the beach. This wouldn’t be ideal for anyone.” (Hemp...
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...The book has no place in modern society. Discuss. Every book is a quotation; and every house is a quotation out of all forests, and mines, and stone quarries; and every man is a quotation from all his ancestors. A book is a written or printed work that has its pages sewed or glued to one another. The book has been around for years in its present printed form, advancing along with new innovations in today’s modern society, the book may have been partially replaced by the internet but it would be too extreme to say that the book has no place in modern society. Its distinctive and tangible touch is impossible to be substituted for. Thus, I feel that the book still has a place in modern society. The book still has a place in today’s modern society as today’s society is a knowledge-based one, knowledge is key to success. Books are pivotal to imparting knowledge and skills to the masses, especially to students in school. We cannot neglect the fact that the book is still the bread and butter of our lives. An example of a book that develops our skills and knowledge is the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, which has sold over twenty million copies worldwide. The remarkable sales figures just demonstrates the importance of the book in modern society, be it for entertainment or personal upgrade. They are the very core driving force of passing down present-day human knowledge. Some may argue that modern day innovations such as e-books serve the same function as well, however one...
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...through an electronic book service. This type of service will be different from our competitors as it will be available through kiosks placed on campus and students will have choices between renting only a portion or an entire book. Rent duration will be anywhere from just one day to an entire semester – all for a student to decide. Another characteristic that differentiates us from competitors is our ability to offer electronic books at a low price. Our product is user-friendly and developed specifically for college students who need quick and easy access to desirable textbooks and parts of textbooks without paying a large amount of money for them. In order to move forward with our product, we first needed to estimate our potential customer demand. A survey was conducted on various college and university campuses and covered over 200 students. Questions required both qualitative and quantitative responses that allowed us to answer our research objectives. * What industry are we in? * What are the current industry trends for e textbooks? Growth or decline? Products offered? Consumer targets? Advertising and promotions? * Who are the competitors and what is their target and marketing mix? * What is the consumer behavior of students with regard to buying textbooks and e-textbooks? How much are they spending? Where are they buying? What factors contribute to their decision to buy a textbook or not? * How likely are students to rent our e-textbooks? * Who...
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...1bn) in its most recent quarter to June 30, how big were Amazon’s profits? Zero. It made a net loss of $7m.Given the retrenchment of retailers such as Tesco from the electrical market because of the growth of online sales. What share of the UK electrical market does Amazon have? Every retailer in the country – from Tesco to the corner shop newsagent – talks about how they are battling to evolve their own business to cope with the growing influence of the Seattle-based company. The mighty Tesco has been forced to admit its biggest hypermarkets are outdated and overhaul its non-food range, Comet and HMV have fallen into administration, newsagents have installed lockers where shoppers can collect Amazon orders, and people are now reading books on their Amazon-made Kindles. Even those retailers operating in sectors that Amazon does not currently serve – such as food and fashion – are worried about what happens when it starts. At the same time, so many uncertainties remain about the future of Amazon, launched in 1995 as an online bookstore. The row around the lack of corporation tax paid by online multinationals such as Amazon tended to miss this pivotal point – which a key reason Amazon does not pay much tax on its multi-billion pounds of sales is that it does not much make much profit. So, while bookshops are battling to make enough money to pay the rent and Tesco is trying to explain to shareholders why its annual pre-tax profits have fallen to £1.96bn, Amazon is playing a different...
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...TAKE-HOME EXAM. FALL 2014 Dear CEO, Since Random House is continuing its expansion in the global region, I have some recommendations about the future business. Consider about the issues that customers’ behaviors change, the usage of large warehouses and the merge with other publishers, I have some analysis and alternatives to provide. Because your company is going to merge Penguin, the Chinese market it your next main market I have three business plans to help penetrate the new market. All three strategies suggest enter Chinese market. First is to use broad cost leadership in the printed book market and use focus differentiation in the e-book market. The second strategy is to work with government to produce “political” books, which build an authoritative image. In addition, developing online distribution channel is another mission. The third strategy is to work with universities to provide books in different languages as well as develop an online-learning system. All these three business plans are evaluated by three criteria: Net Present Value, the degree of easiness to enter the market and easiness to manage. When all assessed by these three standards, I recommend the third strategy. Although it dose not generate the highest NVP, it is relatively easy to penetrate the market and operate well. In my opinion, this project can grow steadily though not the fastest. Finally, I make a five-year implementing plan. In this action plan I give the suggestion to enter the market step...
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...Barnes & Noble: Managing the e-Book Revolution The matrix shows high digitization in the products and processes of companies offering eBooks The matrix shows high digitization in the products and processes of companies offering eBooks Digitization of Products and Processes in eBooks market High | | EBooks and reader devices(Kindle, Nook) | Low | | | | Low | High | In a world of tablets and smartphones, people tend to feel confused whether a dedicated e-reader is the right choice. E-Readers give the ability to carry thousands of books on the go saving paper and helping to make this planet greener. The big question is whether a dedicated e-reader is better than multipurpose tablets and smartphones. There are many advantages these e-readers have against tablets: 1. They are easier on the pocket since they turn out be lot cheaper than tablets 2. They are portable and lighter 3. They have more comfortable screens to read from and do not cause LCD burnout unlike iPads and other multipurpose devices Tech savvy readers involved in long reading sessions and who are interested in a wide variety of books can be the target segment for these e-reader devices. While eBooks will help independent publishers to make their content more popular by selling it in eBook format, however the e-book industry also poses a threat of piracy to major US publishers since the e-book content is prone to be hacked and pirated in multiple forms. The publishers still have a...
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...that offers a variety of products including books, magazines, and movies. The retail book industry appeals to a variety of customers, with the most frequent customer base being those above 55 years old. The company has two divisions: retail and college bookstores. Their retail division consists of over 600 stores across 50 states and barnbesandnoble.com and the college bookstore division consists of over 600 college stores (Greenfield, 2014). Even though the company’s primary business is trading books, there is also a large online customer base that appeals to the younger generation. Competitors Retailers such as Amazon and Borders are Barnes & Noble’s main competitors. Amazon is the company’s biggest competition as it competes is every business segment as Barnes & Noble and offer similar products. Other large retail bookstores compete by offering books both in store and online. Barnes & Noble does compete with small independent bookstores, but because they offer limited selections, these retailers are not considered strong competitors. With the recent shift of publishing company’s business model and advancements in technology, Barnes & Noble also compete with companies offering digital e-reader services including Amazon, Apple, and other tablets based on Google’s Android platform. The introduction of Amazon’s Kindle HD devices in 2007 severely affected Barnes & Noble sells as customers switched from hard/printed books to e-books. Apple has become a strong competitor with...
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