BerkeleyBob

Barnes and Noble's Nook May Not Ring Death Knell for Amazon's Kindle

I think we are in the early innings of a revolution in delivery of media content. The Nook has some features which represent an advance, some which don't interest. The ideal e-reader will be capable of color, larger screen than present, and allow delivery of newspapers and magazines on a subscription basis. We aren't there yet. It is probably a mistake to compare Kindle, Sony, and Nook to IPod and its competitors. I am long AMZN and considering taking a nibble or two on BKS at present price levels.

Is the Digital Magazine Coming of Age?

Dunno. I am very interested in a color e-book/reader which would provide a platform for magazines. I currently subscribe to a newspaper electronically, but don't find it satisfactory to use. Buying e-books is also appealing. Content doesn't come free, but if cheap enough, I am on board. I am not overly concerned with whether there should be web access within content delivered in a (future) color e-book/reader. Certainly, advertisers might like such a feature.

doubleTwist: An Amazon Powered Alternative to Apple's iTunes

Dunno, don't think doubleTwist will bring about the collapse of ITunes, but Amazon has available a pretty deep catalog and in a non MP3 format (higher fidelity). Of course, a shocking amount of pop music is shockingly poorly engineered and recorded. I am toying with the idea of a music server, because my collection of CDs and vinyl has considerably more dollar value than my system.

Why I Wouldn't Buy Amazon

I suspect the rich valuation awarded Amazon is in part because it is sui generis. I think the analogy to EBAY, WalMart or BBY is weak. It is possible that earnings growth or net profit margins for AMZN will taper off or slow down but personally, I don't routinely fight the trend. If you don't like Amazon at present levels I guess you have a heart attack over the share price of Google. Disclosure, long AMZN, no position Google.

iTunes' Inevitable Price Increase

I have bought a fair amount via iTunes. I am not as concerned about the elimination of DRM but pleased with the upgrade to lossless formats. I continue to buy CD's, some downloaded, and vinyl. The sound quality of MP3 format is surprisingly good. Times tough for classical music lovers, a shrinking market for sure. I am upgrading in near future, will buy a Mac Mini and the 1 Gg. Time Machine. ITunes represents a good value, particularly for the listener who wants to "cherry pick" one or two cuts from a popular album even at the higher price.

Book Market Enters Era of Ubiquity

I am starting to think the Kindle may provide a solution to the increasing accumulation of books. I donate by the banker's box full to a library book sale, but still input does not equal output. The Kindle represents a significant up-front cost, but the third generation devise (a gleam in Amazon's eye, hopefully easier to use and better legibility) sounds like something I would go for.

Music Moves to New Phase as CDs Fade

A topic of considerable interest. I still buy CD and vinyl but am increasing downloads. MP3 is not satisfactory, but the ITunes higher quality releases are fairly close to CD quality. There are increasing numbers of high-resolution releases, some on small labels. I also purchase when an artist makes available CD's at a live performance, some of which are not otherwise available. This model of direct distribution is not common, but the record labels have a long dismal history of ripping off artists and what ever business model we end up with, I want to see fair compensation for the artists.

Apple, Amazon Pleased with Music Royalties Ruling

Good, clear coverage of a complex issue. Historically, the recording industry (RIAA) gave up performance (as opposed to mechanical) royalties for radio broadcast (at the time, terrestial radio) because the exposure would indirectly benefit sales. (ie., hear the hit on the radio for free and buy the record or sheet music to generate revenue). The NAB lobbied very hard to make sure that internet and satellite radio were not given a similar break, thus the prolonged delay by the FCC in approving Sirius/XM radio merger. None of these machinations have done much to improve the lot of the performing musician, although most professionals now are aware of the value of publishing rights. (The labels often engaged in phony accounting or simply stole mechanical royalties, and some major pop acts were not above stealing material from the often obscure originators.) The internet and satellite radio services are crucial to exposure to niche performers and listeners and the problem of fairly compensating artists (also known as content providers) is very complicated indeed. After all, no one is making large dollars from posting on web sites such as this one, right?

Music Industry Downfall: The Rise of Social Streaming

I have found MOG to be a good place for music heads. I subscribe to internet radio (Sirius) for the car, buy from Itunes and Amazon and from brick and mortar music stores. I am intrigued by ORCD and Seeqpod. Best way to support musicians is to buy a CD at a gig. There is tremendous upheaval in the music business, trend not good for terrestrial radio or record labels.