Book Publishers are Competitors to Amazon?

Barely a footnote at the end of a Publishers Weekly column about market share for online retailers versus bricks-and-mortar booksellers was this:
“With Amazon’s growing power in book sales, it’s understandable that publishers may be a bit anxious on learning that in Amazon’s 10-k filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company lists among its [...]

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That Didn’t Take Long: iTunes Now #1

On February 26th iTunes moved into 2nd amongst music retailers.  And I said this:
“(Behind Wal-Mart.  Which sucks, because I’m ready for iTunes to be #1.  Wal-Mart carries a crappy, streamlined, force-fed selection of music appropriate only for fans of top 40, pop, and country-western music. No, no, and no.)  iTunes will pass Wal-Mart eventually.”
Welp, now [...]

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March is Dummies Month!

Do you know you’re not dumb, but feel frustrated nonetheless?
Craving some lightheartedness in your reference materials?
Been seeing a lot of yellow and black lately?
Having sudden urges to save $5?
Have no fear, Dummies Month is here. Whether your favorite book retailer be A1Books or Amazon, Powell’s or Softpro, or any of these other participants listed below, now’s [...]

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Apple is #2 at Something Again

You know, I’ve long maintained that the most amazing thing Apple has pulled out of its hat isn’t any of its lovely desktop or laptop computers, not it’s operating system, not any of the nonstop stream of iPods, not the Apple Stores, and not the iPhone.

It’s iTunes.  ‘Twas announced today that iTunes is now the [...]

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Print is Dead, Nobody Reads Anymore, Blah Blah Blah

If either or both of these oh-so-bold (-generic, -flippant, - ignorant, , -inflammatory, -statistically untrue) comments are true, then why are Amazon.com, Penguin Group, and HP bothering with this contest?

Nice collaboration and co-marketing by Amazon, Penguin Group, and Hewlett-Packard, and a bright opportunity for authors.

Quick question for Amazon: Isn’t the word Kindle a bit too [...]

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Subscribe & Save (Both Money & Time)

Amazon innovates yet again with the launch of Subscribe & Save, a new program which allows you to sign up for delivery (free, flexible delivery) of an evolving selection of products, mostly staples.
Initial featured categories include Baby & Child Care, Food & Snacks, Health & Wellness, Household Supplies, and Personal Care & Beauty.  They also [...]

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Good Luck CompUSA Vets… Retailers, Take Note

CompUSA has gone out of business with the start of the new year.  They struggled the last few years, closing 126 stores earlier in 2007, and finally liquidating in December.
There are plenty of places on the Web for you to find CompUSA-bashers if you’re into that sort of thing, but I’m not doing that here.  From [...]

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