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Strategies & Market Trends : Gorilla and King Portfolio Candidates -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tinkershaw who wrote (33137)	10/14/2000 10:53:53 AM
From: NY Stew	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 54805

Tinkershaw, Thanks for your (per usual) well stated argument. It is my opinion that Henry is approaching this industry as he did VCR+ and the IPG, with the ambition of creating a global standard. I believe the intellectual properties of the two acquired pioneering companies may become a barrier to entry for a secured eBook distribution system. This is very similar to the nearly simultaneous acquisitions of VideoGuide and StarSight. I found 6 global patent applications for eBooks at or about the time of acquisition and today I find 28. I don't claim to know exactly what Henry is doing but I am witnessing a similar pattern here as with the IPG business, including the arguments against his strategy and business model. If we could turn time back 4 or 5 years we'd be having the same conversation about IPGs. We agree in that it will be interesting to watch events as they unfold. I have enjoyed your posts on TMF. Regards Stew

To: tinkershaw who wrote (33137)	10/14/2000 11:25:59 AM
From: Seldom_Blue	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 54805

Tinker, I really enjoyed your posts. From the information available (mostly from you and none from Gemstar), I would agree with your reasoning. Especially since one can only download from a GMST server. What is wrong with license its server software so other people can maintain their own documents? I think the first two bowling pins have to be the college and corporate market. Restricting people's ability to post documents for downloads will restrict GMST's markets. Since I own quite a bit of GMST, I now must decide what is the importance of ebook in the next couple of years for GMST. I wonder how much of the price of the stock is based on their complete domination of the ebook market. If Mr. Market is betting on GMST mostly for its IPG, then we do not have to worry. I personally bought the majority of my stock because I think they will become the gorilla of the vast publishing market in a few years. Now I will have to rethink that assumption. SeldomBlue@maybeoneshouldinvestaftertheybecomegorillas.com

To: tinkershaw who wrote (33137)	10/14/2000 8:19:25 PM
From: mauser96	Respond to of 54805

Yuan's business strategy may be appropriate for a product that is considerably to the left of the chasm and far from the tornado.I see no reason that it can't be altered to fit a tornado gorilla game later as needed. That makes the assumption that he is alert to altering strategy to fit the circumstances.

To: tinkershaw who wrote (33137)	10/14/2000 10:18:42 PM
From: rudyprins	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 54805

Tinkershaw...RE: GMST Coming out of lurk to wonder out loud. As a long-time educator, I wonder: 1. Cost and Motivation: College students pay substantial $$ for textbooks which most will not read unless forced to. Are they going to have to pay for an e-book reader (for $299 or whatever), big bucks to them, plus pay for electronic access to a textbook as well (cost??)? I can't imagine college freshmen just itching to get their hands on a reader so they can read a classroom assignment (e-book form), even if its "cool". 2. Marketplace: I have reviewed hundreds of textbooks, and in recent years have repeatedly asked the reps when their books were going to go on line...with site licences or whatever mechanisms they develop. I forsee that venue as much less expensive than buying hard copy texts. Moreover, after the first year of use, most of the texts end up in the used book market anyway and authors get screwed with respect to royalties thereafter. So, on-line access could possibly address the royalty problem. I wonder how serious are publishers about "on-line" texts or chapters/parts of texts from which professors can select for their own needs and if this idea (perhaps passe by now) figures into a new venue, readers. 3. Virtual Univ. and Distance Learning: Many universities are getting more and more sensitive to "virtual" classrooms and distance learning buzz and are hiring people with qualifications specifically to develop on-line courses/multimedia/interactive learning, etc. That's the "thing to do" these days! Our department (a biology dept.) did this last year. We hired a person, a biologist with specialization in tech., to develop on-line and interactive courses specifically for our department...for starters. These kinds of individuals are developing their own "proprietary creations", and e-books/textbooks may well be unneeded/obsolete in certain venues in halls of higher education. These kinds of individuals are also marketing their wares for use elsewhere as well. So, all this said, I wonder if readers/e-books will ever really become a large market for e-books in educational institutions (precollege as well). These institutions have been hugh markets for textbooks, of course. If so, what will be the "grabber" that will make students willingly devote themselves to the use of readers in their college (precollege) years. To students, books are books and a reader only represents access, as a library does, which they like to avoid as well. Thoughts, and does any of this spell concern for GMST? Thanks rudy