[kamikazearun]

The whole article is based on a strawman. Who contended that reducing price per unit by an order of magnitude would result in an equal increase in volume?

Pricing at a dollar is a definite advantage for certain products which have mass appeal and have potential for massive volume ( Ex: Angry Birds ). People are significantly more likely to buy something that's only mildly interesting if it costs an insignificant sum like a dollar.

If you sell a textbook on Applied Thermodynamics for a dollar though, you sir are an idiot!

[ctdonath]

Per a prior post, a book is only worth what it costs used. Amazon lists used books titled "Applied Thermodynamics" starting at $0.51. If you're one who realizes education is nigh unto free (personal review & certification being the expensive bit), such textbooks are only worth a buck.

Note that that the textbook market is skewed to artificially favor expensive titles per school requirements and publisher racketeering. Considering it is AFAIK a fairly settled topic, at least in an educational setting, without such price-fixing the introduction of yet another textbook on Applied Thermodynamics would command a far lower price than the typical $50-$150.

Yes, the simplified lead premise is a strawman. So is saying selling a textbook dirt cheap is idiotic. Both are used as a lead-in to a valid detailed discussion of what does constitute reasonable pricing.