[chcknsammich]

I worked on software for all of the major US cigarette manufacturers.

These companies are very interested in pushing their own lines of packaged/disposable e-cigs. It is very different from the cottage style hobbyist/enthusiast e-cigs. The big companies are kind of blind to this segment of the market, I don't think they truly realize how large it is.

Their approach will be to have the e-cig industry regulated much like the current cigarette industry is... in such a way that they can win through the sheer scale of legal attrition and achieve the current prices they have in cigarettes.

It is not by mistake that there are maybe 3-4 meaningfully large cigarette companies in the US that set the prices and rules, it is impossible to enter the industry.

I think there will always be an enthusiast segment of the e-cig market, much like the pipe tobacco one that exists now. Pipe has many small manufacturers and far less legal hoops and administrative overhead.