Posted on 11/08/2010 4:01:52 AM PST by mattstat
This continues the review of the 3rd generation Kindle. Today, the dislikes. Read the likes here. (Both parts of the review total 3,200 words: much more than the limit of 300 to post as a blogger.)...
There are no used books!---thus it is impossible to discover new authors cheaply. More readers discover new authors by reading used than new books: all common experiences attests to this. Given what we have seen in the music industry, publishers will tend to think their material dearer than it actually is (for example, they actually charge money for people to listen to Bruce Springsteen). We can thus expect that ebook prices to be artificially inflated. This naturally will lead to a decrease in reading and in books bought. Lows sales will then prompt publishers to keep prices high, which will lead to fewer books bought. Etc., etc.
Amazon and publishers must find a way to create used books. For example, ebook licenses can expire once sales decrease past a certain point. Or publishers could simply lease ebooks for a very small fee, much like people lease videos...
(Excerpt) Read more at wmbriggs.com ...
You make a good point. I predict that the laws of supply and demand will sort out the pricing of older books on the Kindle. I am currently enjoying one of Patricia Cornwell’s very first books, purchased for about 9 bucks on Amazon. It has much more value to me (better plot and writing) than her most recent hit and miss novels. The price appears fair to me.
The pricing of a Kindle book should always be the lowest price available on Amazon, but it’s often not. Kindle books are usually $9.99, but once the book comes out in paperback, the paperback is usually $6.99 or $7.99, but the Kindle book still stays at $9.99. That’s not right. Obviously, by its release in paperback, the publisher is signaling that the intellectual property contained within the book is worth less now than it was at the original release date, so why would the Kindle price not adjust downward to reflect this?
I have a small handheld device that gives me access to countless bestsellers as well as out of print books both fiction and nonfiction. It’s called a library card.
I would think that Amazon could create a used book market where an “owner” could sell his e-book. It could be modeled on eBay—or even be on eBay. Of course, the sale causes the original owner’s access to expire, somehow.
Unfortunately, this kind of market would fly in the face of the long-term trend of intellectual property law.
For a generation or more, publishers (and authors, composers, etc) have been developing the legal theory that you never own a book, record, or video; you bought the rights to use it, and they have labored to make even its embodiment (book, CD) which you bought non-transferable. With an embodiment in a freely copyable digital medium, they have been setting up copy restriction systems based on this theory.
If their lawyers had their way, they would make the sale of used paper books unlawful.
[[As I’ve said before of music and video providers, their ultimate fantasy is to obtain a fee for every instance of every eyeball and every ear catching a given work.]]
LOL Where does it state that blogs are limited to 300 words?
Another reason you have to read the bills. It is on page 2,324 of the Health Care Bill. Actually a footnote on that page.
Many local libraries now offer e-books for checkout. That seems to solve the used book complaint. Certainly does for this Nook user.
I’d think the price is determined mostly by the convenience of having multiple books stored on the Kindle.
“There are no used books!”
—
That is not really true.
see: Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
Download over 33,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android or other mobile or cell phone.
I have used this source for years for .txt or HTML electronic books. There are some really great finds here.
And they are free.
Libraries provide free ebooks.
As for finding new authors, the "Try a Sample" thing works pretty well. It gives you the first couple of chapters and by the time you read it, you have a pretty good idea of this book is for you. But alas, you hit the BUY button and $12.99 hits your credit card.
What I enjoyed about B&N was getting into the old series books (Joe Pickett Series). Because these were "old" they were $6.99. At Amazon, the cost for the same thing is $11.99 and Amazon sells that some book in hard paperback for $6.99 (of course there is shipping). So we are getting hosed on the "older" books. I can see spending $12.99 on a brand new one ... and often I'd pay it. But for books that have been out in paperback for 10 years, I think $6.99 is a fairer price. I love the Kindle, but am seriously thinking about moving over to the Nook (my wife has one). I don't like it as well, but for my reading style, the cost would cut almost in half.
As people "discover" this and start putting Amazon and Barnes & Noble onto a mental fiscal spreadsheet, the less effective Nook, in the long run well out-performs the Kindle cost wise.
There are TONS of free books on the net. That more than makes up for lack of “used books.” Right now, I have a couple of YEARS of reading on my kindle - and that doesn’t include the samples I’m working through.
So what happens when the ereader fails or gets rained on or dropped in the toilet? Can you back up one of these things? If I’m going to give even $7 for a book, I’d like to have something tangible to show for it - not just an ebook. I’ll stick with the used book store and yardsales.
I've found a place or two with free content. Where are you finding yours?
Try posting as a blogger. If you go over 300 words, it stops you.
Yes. My Kindle's backed up on a flash drive. If it loses memory or is lost itself, I can replicate it in minutes.
Many classics such as Dickens, Shakepeare, HG Wells and Jules Verne are available on Amazon for under $1.
Texas Fossil,
Yes, I acknowledged this in the “likes.” I mean there are no used books in the normal sense of not waiting for a copyright to expire. You cannot, for example, sell me your copy of Danielle Steel once you’re finished. Not unless we wait 70+ years until the copyright expires.
IF you like SF, a good place to start is the Baen Free Library: http://www.baen.com/library/
There are, of course, tons of free books on Amazon.
The Gutenburg project has lots of free ebooks.
There is also a list of sites with free books on Amazon - I’ve used those, a lot.
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