Digital Reading: e-books discussion

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Edwards Ragazza
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by Edwards Ragazza »

Thank you Rose for all that information. I have hold off on buying any digital readers for now.
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roseaurora
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by roseaurora »

In an attempt to get some answers about the raising cost of ebooks, I posted in the Kindle Community on Amazon and got a nice response with a basic overview of whats going on. I figure other ereader users would find this info helpful too, so here it is:

"yes - there has been an enormous amount of news about it. Just to summarize everything you've missed.

The following Publishers (and their subsidiaries) now operate under an Agency Model where they set the price of the eBook. Amazon has no control over the price. Any complaints about the high prices, go to the Publisher website and send them an email.

Macmillan
Hatchette
Simon and Schuster
HarperCollins

The following Publisher (and its subsidiaries) is still under contract negotiation with Amazon. As of 4/1 their new releases are not available for Kindle. Any Kindle pre-orders for books published after 4/1 have mostly been cancelled (There have been random reports of people receiving books, nobody knows why).

Penguin

The following Publisher (and its subsidiaries) has chosen to operate under the Wholesale model where it sells the eBook to Amazon and then Amazon can resell it to you at whatever price Amazon wants.

Random House

There are numerous smaller and mid-sized publishers which are also operating under the wholesale pricing model.

Please note the announcement up top regarding Sales Tax and the Agency Model publishers. It is possible you live in a State where you will now be charged sales tax on your Kindle purchases from those publishers."
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by ringswraith »

Thank you for that information- I should let my mom know.
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by una »

I am starting to get interested in an e-reader. It seems there are pros and cons to both. My hubby offered to possibly get me an iPad since you can read books on it, but it sounds that the screen is not as easy on the eyes as the Kindle, Sony or Nook. I've been debating those three. With the disagreement going on between Amazon and the Publishers, it seems the Sony and Nook look like top contenders at the moment.

Quick question - I really like the ability of the Sony (similar to a iPod) to keep your files on a computer. With the Kindle, can you hook it up to your computer and use it that way or do you have to pay for cell/internet usage for it? I would think since the Kindle downloads on it's own, you would have to pay a monthly fee for the internet usage. Can you store your books on a computer using the Kindle or Nook? I like the idea of being able to back up the device on a computer and/or dvd.

Last question...when might the prices on these things go down? Also, it seems like the ebooks should be a bit cheaper than a paper book seeing as there is no printing cost, shipping cost, etc. I'm finding that some ebooks are the same price as their printed counterparts.
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ringswraith
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by ringswraith »

The Kindle has no- repeat, no - monthly charges for the service.

Amazon also has Kindle for PC which is essentially what you're asking- a PC version that can store your books. Should the need ever arise, you can also delete stuff from your Kindle and redownload them later without having to pay again- Amazon keeps track of what you've purchased and you're able to download them to your Kindle as many times as you want.

Far as the unit price, some Kindle versions are already cheaper than when they started. For ebooks, prices for new stuff are usually around store price. It's older books that are a great bargain (sort of like getting the cheaper paperback version of a book after it's been out for a while).
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by Lieziewiezie »

The Sony has a program to go with it that is a bookshelf for on your computer. Where you can store your books and control hem. The program didn't work well on my Macbook, but I never bothere to re-install it or download a new one because I just drag my books from my computer to my reader and that works fine aswell. I also read most people have the program run fine, so I think it's just a fault with mine. I recently bought an adapter to load the ebook without a computer (delivered is only a usb to load it through the computer) and I did notice the battery going down much faster when loaded through the adapter.

Also most websites where you can buy your ebooks will store the bought books on your profile, so even when your computer crashes you still have your books.
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by corona »

Sixth months later, some more comments are added...


I have the Barnes & Noble “Nook” e-reader, and I love it. My wife has the Amazon “Kindle”, and she loves it too. Prices have come down a lot from a year ago. Both have WiFi only versions now, minus the 3G. I have the Nook WiFi only, which is perfectly acceptable to me, there have never been any times where I wanted a new book and didn’t have access to a network. The Kindle has recently been updated and is about $10 less than the Nook without the 3G.

Both of these readers use the e-ink technology, which means there is no backlit display and therefore absolutely no glare. You can read for hours without fatigue, the display is the same as if you were looking at a printed page. Of course, you will have to turn on a light if it is dark, this is not an i-pad. You do not have to worry about uncomfortable positions lying on the bed or worrying about the binding; simply get as comfortable as you can, then prop up the reader and use one hand to click-click-click through your book. Resizable fonts, automatic bookmarks, search functions, jump to chapters, what is not to like?

Download as much free material as you like for books published pre-1923. The Nook automatically uses the EPUB format. The Kindle is a little more restrictive on formats, but you can do easy conversions using freeware software. The primary differences are that the Kindle has a longer battery life and a larger selection of books, while the Nook can recognize a larger selection of document formats, and the battery can be replaced and the memory upgraded.

Beware of any attachment to the printed word if you get one of these.
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ringswraith
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by ringswraith »

I can second that- I just got my Kindle last night and though clicking a button is no real substitute for turning a paper page, the fact that it can turn itself into whatever book I have that I want to read at the moment is awesome. :)

Plus they have games now! The Kindle has Scrabble for one, and it's free to get!
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by Snowstone »

Why don't I have enough money to buy a kindle... The more I read, the more I want one. But 140€ (with shipping) is too much for my wallet right now :(
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Re: Digital Reading: e-books discussion

Post by Openhome »

Just as a side note, many, many cell phones now come with an e-book application. If you have a cell phone that can hook up to the computer through hardwiring or bluetooth, you may be able to grab an application that lets you download a book or two. It depends on your phone, but we were pleased to find that your phone can hold a book.
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