S06.E25: NeatCheeks, Melni Connectors, Beneath the Ink, PittMoss

[Kromm]

I'm meh on the ebook thing because I don't read them. I'm neurologically incapable of seeing how the product might benefit others who do read ebooks. And for that reason, I'm out.

Huge ebook reader here (exclusively for years now). 

 

At least in my opinion this is one of the shittiest ideas I've EVER heard on Shark Tank.  And I'm including stuff like the bedside Bacon cooking alarm clock in that as not even this bad.

 

Why?

 

Because in EVERY was possible it's a waste of money, effort, and time.  It's utterly unmarketable to buyers, utterly a waste of resources for most authors, and effort wise a waste because it's doomed to never get over those problems and make any money.

 

That stat they threw out where some absurdly high percentage of people said they've pay a dollar or two more per book for this kind of enhanced content is utter bullshit.  Some skewed survey/study done just to support a claim, and our guts should all be telling us that's the case.

 

eBook buyers are already outraged at the price of ebooks, given the lack of materials cost with them.  That's why there's probably more eBooks being stolen than even movies and music.  Or even the less larcenous often go out of their way often to rent/borrow eBooks (from libraries or online lending services) rather than pay what the prices ALREADY are for them before adding another few bucks for extra content people could just use Wikipedia to find out.

 

Here's Mr. Wondeful's book, Cold Hard Truth On Men, Women, and Money: 50 Common Money Mistakes and How to Fix Them, by Kevin O'Leary.  Now nobody but public libraries or very or impatient people buy hardcovers anymore, so the $25.35 price on that is mostly fantasy.  But note that the paperback edition is $12.49.  And now... note that the Kindle edition is... $11.99.  With NO shipping to stores involved.  No trees harvested or recycled paper bleached and printed on. No expensive paper cutting and binding machines being used or maintained to make it.  And it's a mere 50 cents LESS?  

 

And now some bozo really thinks he can charge another 2 or 3 dollars and people will buy it, just to avoid having to reach over another few inches, pick up your smartphone and type something into a Google search?  REALLY?  Trust me, I'm laughing really hard here.  These people are MORONS to think that.  Absolute idiots on an epic scale. And the Sharks saying they thought it sounded like a good idea, even if they didn't like the valuation or their exact strategies?  Sound foolish as well if they really believe that.  It's a garbage idea.  

 

Speaking of Google (or even Wikipedia), if the eBook being read is on an Internet enabled device--an iPad or Android device I mean, rather than a standalone eBook reader (admittedly the standalone readers--the black and white eInk ones--are typically far better on your eyes though)... well I bet another way to accomplish the SAME thing as this product is to tweak the eBook reader software to simply integrate directly with Google search or Wikipedia.  Why spend a fortune embedding stuff into an eBook file when you can simply build software to search on whatever a word in a book is, using existing tools, basically for NOTHING.

 

Idiots. If I was in that room during that pitch I would have called these guys on all of that and smashed them to pieces.

Edited April 25, 2015 by Kromm

[EtheltoTillie]

Huge ebook reader here (exclusively for years now).

At least in my opinion this is one of the shittiest ideas I've EVER heard on Shark Tank. And I'm including stuff like the bedside Bacon cooking alarm clock in that as not even this bad.

Why?

Because in EVERY was possible it's a waste of money, effort, and time. It's utterly unmarketable to buyers, utterly a waste of resources for most authors, and effort wise a waste because it's doomed to never get over those problems and make any money.

That stat they threw out where some absurdly high percentage of people said they've pay a dollar or two more per book for this kind of enhanced content is utter bullshit. Some skewed survey/study done just to support a claim, and our guts should all be telling us that's the case.

eBook buyers are already outraged at the price of ebooks, given the lack of materials cost with them. That's why there's probably more eBooks being stolen than even movies and music. Or even the less larcenous often go out of their way often to rent/borrow eBooks (from libraries or online lending services) rather than pay what the prices ALREADY are for them before adding another few bucks for extra content people could just use Wikipedia to find out.

Here's Mr. Wondeful's book, Cold Hard Truth On Men, Women, and Money: 50 Common Money Mistakes and How to Fix Them, by Kevin O'Leary. Now nobody but public libraries or very or impatient people buy hardcovers anymore, so the $25.35 price on that is mostly fantasy. But note that the paperback edition is $12.49. And now... note that the Kindle edition is... $11.99. With NO shipping to stores involved. No trees harvested or recycled paper bleached and printed on. No expensive paper cutting and binding machines being used or maintained to make it. And it's a mere 50 cents LESS?

And now some bozo really thinks he can charge another 2 or 3 dollars and people will buy it, just to avoid having to reach over another few inches, pick up your smartphone and type something into a Google search? REALLY? Trust me, I'm laughing really hard here. These people are MORONS to think that. Absolute idiots on an epic scale. And the Sharks saying they thought it sounded like a good idea, even if they didn't like the valuation or their exact strategies? Sound foolish as well if they really believe that. It's a garbage idea.

Speaking of Google (or even Wikipedia), if the eBook being read is on an Internet enabled device--an iPad or Android device I mean, rather than a standalone eBook reader (admittedly the standalone readers--the black and white eInk ones--are typically far better on your eyes though)... well I bet another way to accomplish the SAME thing as this product is to tweak the eBook reader software to simply integrate directly with Google search or Wikipedia. Why spend a fortune embedding stuff into an eBook file when you can simply build software to search on whatever a word in a book is, using existing tools, basically for NOTHING.

Idiots. If I was in that room during that pitch I would have called these guys on all of that and smashed them to pieces.

Huge ebook reader here (exclusively for years now).

At least in my opinion this is one of the shittiest ideas I've EVER heard on Shark Tank. And I'm including stuff like the bedside Bacon cooking alarm clock in that as not even this bad.

Why?

Because in EVERY was possible it's a waste of money, effort, and time. It's utterly unmarketable to buyers, utterly a waste of resources for most authors, and effort wise a waste because it's doomed to never get over those problems and make any money.

That stat they threw out where some absurdly high percentage of people said they've pay a dollar or two more per book for this kind of enhanced content is utter bullshit. Some skewed survey/study done just to support a claim, and our guts should all be telling us that's the case.

eBook buyers are already outraged at the price of ebooks, given the lack of materials cost with them. That's why there's probably more eBooks being stolen than even movies and music. Or even the less larcenous often go out of their way often to rent/borrow eBooks (from libraries or online lending services) rather than pay what the prices ALREADY are for them before adding another few bucks for extra content people could just use Wikipedia to find out.

Here's Mr. Wondeful's book, Cold Hard Truth On Men, Women, and Money: 50 Common Money Mistakes and How to Fix Them, by Kevin O'Leary. Now nobody but public libraries or very or impatient people buy hardcovers anymore, so the $25.35 price on that is mostly fantasy. But note that the paperback edition is $12.49. And now... note that the Kindle edition is... $11.99. With NO shipping to stores involved. No trees harvested or recycled paper bleached and printed on. No expensive paper cutting and binding machines being used or maintained to make it. And it's a mere 50 cents LESS?

And now some bozo really thinks he can charge another 2 or 3 dollars and people will buy it, just to avoid having to reach over another few inches, pick up your smartphone and type something into a Google search? REALLY? Trust me, I'm laughing really hard here. These people are MORONS to think that. Absolute idiots on an epic scale. And the Sharks saying they thought it sounded like a good idea, even if they didn't like the valuation or their exact strategies? Sound foolish as well if they really believe that. It's a garbage idea.

Speaking of Google (or even Wikipedia), if the eBook being read is on an Internet enabled device--an iPad or Android device I mean, rather than a standalone eBook reader (admittedly the standalone readers--the black and white eInk ones--are typically far better on your eyes though)... well I bet another way to accomplish the SAME thing as this product is to tweak the eBook reader software to simply integrate directly with Google search or Wikipedia. Why spend a fortune embedding stuff into an eBook file when you can simply build software to search on whatever a word in a book is, using existing tools, basically for NOTHING.

Idiots. If I was in that room during that pitch I would have called these guys on all of that and smashed them to pieces.

Absolute truth, especially the idea of tweaking the ebook reader. I hated this presentation. Edited April 25, 2015 by GussieK

[Jamoche]

And now some bozo really thinks he can charge another 2 or 3 dollars and people will buy it, just to avoid having to reach over another few inches, pick up your smartphone and type something into a Google search? 

Not even that much effort - iBooks taps into the same context menu support as any other Mac/iOS app, so I can select anything I want and either define it right there or do a web search. In fact on Macs the default touchpad gesture to do that is so easy to trigger accidentally, I had to turn it off.

[Kromm]

Not even that much effort - iBooks taps into the same context menu support as any other Mac/iOS app, so I can select anything I want and either define it right there or do a web search. In fact on Macs the default touchpad gesture to do that is so easy to trigger accidentally, I had to turn it off.

Only half the universe has an iPad.  The other half use Kindles or Android devices.

 

While an Android reader is probably easy to tweak to similar functionality, the basic stand alone Kindle isn't.  That said, their stupid enhanced format wouldn't have worked on those devices ANYWAY.  And yet their "selling point" was that "no Internet connection is necessary".  What a load of bullshit. That's a selling point for the late 90s, not 2015.  Nobody really NEEDS popup context references for their light reading, but anyone who felt it might be a nice luxury isn't going to NOT have an Internet-able device (or as we already said, a second device inches away that is).

 

Also, frankly, those files have to be huge and slow as hell to parse through.

 

Frankly these people making this are either really stupid, or they're con-men trying to latch onto the last investors out there stupid enough to have bought into anything techie back in the dot com boom.

[Skittl1321]

I'd have to try it- but I'm pretty sure my boring Kindle (not the Fire) can browse text internet sites (like wikipedia). I know I can access gmail on it.  Of course, there is also the built in dictionary... 

 

So, assuming my phone isn't 3 inches from me; I can already access whatever that product is selling. And I completely agree with the poster who mentioned ebooks are already way too expensive.