E-books outselling paper books at Amazon
By
Adeon Hawkwood,
Posted on: 2011-05-20 24:50 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
Well, with a paper book I never have to recharge it, never have to worry about someone taking it from me with no recourse on my part, and never have to worry about changing formats rendering it unreadable.
Besides, bookcases full along the walls looks a lot neater than a tablet.
I don't believe in e-books.
In fact, I print out the forums to read them.
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I just generally don't buy books, barring manga. And even the manga I collect are either now completed--meaning I already own them all--or are on hiatus.
For a parallel that does affect me, I'm really not liking all the talk that next gen video game systems won't use media anymore. I've got shelves and shelves of video games from the PS1 on (earlier stuff doesn't display as well, so it's packed in boxes), and I really don't like the idea that I won't be able to display new titles. 
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat
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I really really resisted EBooks for a long term, but then the eco-friendly green side of me (that I haven't taken out back and shot with my childhood yet) saw the good in it - and honestly, I can't put my Kindle down now.
If they made E-books consistently cheaper than their hardcover or paperback versions then great. However the last time I looked up a new title I was interested in, it was the same price.
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This I agree with. Why any company thinks they can charge the same for a computer file is beyond me.
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Originally Posted by Father Xmas
If they made E-books consistently cheaper than their hardcover or paperback versions then great. However the last time I looked up a new title I was interested in, it was the same price.
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Yeah, that's one consideration. |
Originally Posted by Father Xmas
If they made E-books consistently cheaper than their hardcover or paperback versions then great. However the last time I looked up a new title I was interested in, it was the same price.
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There are some places I'd love ebooks (with the proper reader, full notation, etc.) - school, for one, would be *ideal* if textbooks (which could be updated) went to an electronic format. And if they're cheaper, it's better for the student, after all.
SOME reference material is good that way, as well.
BUT...
When I sit down to read something - well, I like having a *book* there. It's the whole experience - sliding a finger on a screen (or mousing through somethign on a desktop or notebook, which is worse) isn't the same as paging through a book. The whole "paging through, sitting back, relaxing" bit is important to me (or, "laying in bed reading" or whatnot.) For some of the references I use, I like having them laid out (and printed fairly large, depending on what I'm doing, especially when referencing markings and such.)
Don't think I'll stop buying physical books... well... ever, even if I do start picking up more ebooks.
Besides, it's a lot like VHS/Beta or BluRay/HD - there are so many readers with their own formats, or not reading these but only those, that I'd want that to settle out before buying an actual *reader.*
Tbh, I agree, I love paper books, the textures, the smell, the feel, having a physical thing in your hand to read, it's all kinds of awesome, but for sheer convenience, especially with the advent of things like the iPad and other colour tablets, e-books are soooooo good!
Also, there's a LOT of classic stuff out there that's open source. I got the complete works of Shakespeare from a website, all for free. Having them on my phone in a tiny tiny little file, it's all kinds of awesome!
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Well with a reader I never have to buy another copy of the same book because I wore it out from rereading it.|
Originally Posted by Dark One
Well, with a paper book I never have to recharge it, never have to worry about someone taking it from me with no recourse on my part, and never have to worry about changing formats rendering it unreadable.
Besides, bookcases full along the walls looks a lot neater than a tablet. |
I never have to worry about someone taking my book away from me because I can download a simple program that lets me read my books on any Kindle reader, Ipad, Iphone, Ipod, Android, Blackberry, PC, or Mac.
I never have to carry boxes of books when moving, or to place them in storage because I need more room for newer books.
I never have to worry about replacing my library because of unforseen disasters like a house fire, or flooding from busted pipes, new roof leak etc.
I don't have to buy large pieces of furniture that clutter up my home just to store books.
My entire library of Ebooks is always at my fingertips whenever I want to read something. I never have to be concerned that my mood may change about what I want to read and not be able to choose something else.
All that being said I still love real books and I'll continue to buy them as well as ebooks.
Edit: Oh yeah recharging. That's what my kindle does while I'm sleeping or driving.
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I never have to buy another e-reader because they stopped supporting that format. Replacing a paper book is a lot cheaper than replacing a reader.|
Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
Well with a reader I never have to buy another copy of the same book because I wore it out from rereading it.
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| I never have to worry about someone taking my book away from me because I can download a simple program that lets me read my books on any Kindle reader, Ipad, Iphone, Ipod, Android, Blackberry, PC, or Mac. |
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| I never have to worry about replacing my library because of unforseen disasters like a house fire, or flooding from busted pipes, new roof leak etc. |
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| I don't have to buy large pieces of furniture that clutter up my home just to store books. |
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| My entire library of Ebooks is always at my fingertips whenever I want to read something. I never have to be concerned that my mood may change about what I want to read and not be able to choose something else. |
I have an e-reader, and I also have books. Both have their place in my life, and both will continue to for the conceivable future.
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Just like you've had to buy multiple mp3 players because they keep on changing formats? Oh, wait...|
Originally Posted by Dark One
I never have to buy another e-reader because they stopped supporting that format. Replacing a paper book is a lot cheaper than replacing a reader.
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There's no way to stop "supporting the format". My ebooks work on my e-reader. They can't sneak into my house and make it stop working. And arbitrarily changing formats would just be ridiculous.
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| I never have to worry about breaking DRM or being accused of copyright violations. |
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| Nor do I have to ever worry about making sure that the ever-increasing number of gadgets are compatible or kept up to date. |
...doesn't seem to be increasing to me.
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| You do however have to worry about having all your eggs in one basket. |
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| All my books are right at my fingertips too. If I'm on a vacation, I'm not taking along ANY gadgets other than a camera. No readers, no ipods, no ipads, no game devices. Just a camera to record things. It amazes the hell outta me when people go to other countries, but spend their time fiddling with a PSP or playing around with an ipod. Might as well stay at home if that's all you're going to do. |
How exactly is reading an e-reader that radically different than reading a book? It's the same activity.
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This is the exact reason that I haven't bought more e-books.|
Originally Posted by Father Xmas
If they made E-books consistently cheaper than their hardcover or paperback versions then great. However the last time I looked up a new title I was interested in, it was the same price.
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A great example of this was late last year. A series I had just started came out with the latest book in Hardback form. Hardback price $25. Price of the e-book? Same $25. The haddback price I can understand. I have rarely bought a hardback since my days with the Science Fiction Book Club, and when I have, I not paid full price. But $25 for an e-book? Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Borders all had this e-book for the same price. It was ridiculous. That e-book has since come down in price to $8.99 once the paperback was released, but is still the same price as the paperback!
Back in 2003, when Monte Cook first started his Malhavoc imprint, he sold the PDF versions of Arcana Unerathed and related game materials for half the price of the hard-bound or paper-bound books. It was a great deal then and would still be a great deal. This was one of my first experiences with e-books, and it made sense to me then (and to Monte) that if I am not getting a physical copy, I shouldn't have to pay the price of a physical copy. It still makes sense now. The only reason that these book stores charge the same price is an effort to prop up the print book business.
I have read some very weak justifications for the high prices of e-books. Including editing, formatting, and such. But the thing is, before those same books go to the printer, they are already in electronic format, and they have already been edited and formatted. A print book then has to go through the printing process, which takes more time and money. As for formattting, if the free program Calibre can change formats in under a minute, you can't tell me that it's a time intensive and hard thing for the publisher to do.
No, the only reason for the continued high price of e-books is greed. They charge what they do because they can.
I really hope more publisher's will follow the path of Baen Books and start having free E-Book versions of their books given out with the physical books. This way I can have a shelf full of phsical books and still read them on my computer when it's convenient.
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And how many MP3 players have you had to buy because the battery mysteriously starts to stop functioning or starts to lose its charge? My mp3 player is on the way out because it's charge can be measured in fractions of an hour. Cheaper to buy a new one than a new battery.|
Originally Posted by Tricia
Just like you've had to buy multiple mp3 players because they keep on changing formats? Oh, wait...
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| There's no way to stop "supporting the format". My ebooks work on my e-reader. They can't sneak into my house and make it stop working. And arbitrarily changing formats would just be ridiculous. |
Arbitrarily changing formats and functions is what electronics peddlers DO. Why sell or let people have something that'll work forever, when you can sell them something with planned obsolecense (sic) and have them buy a NEW thing. You can see that with DVDs and Blu-Rays. They want you to have to buy the "new" format so they can charge you for the same content again.
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Let's see...one e-reader. The same single e-reader that I've had since I got it. ...doesn't seem to be increasing to me. |
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| ...what? Ignoring the fact that you can listen to music (or whatever) and do vacation stuff at the same time... |
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| How exactly is reading an e-reader that radically different than reading a book? It's the same activity. |
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What does electronics going bad have to do with changing formats?|
Originally Posted by Dark One
And how many MP3 players have you had to buy because the battery mysteriously starts to stop functioning or starts to lose its charge? My mp3 player is on the way out because it's charge can be measured in fractions of an hour. Cheaper to buy a new one than a new battery.
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And my e-reader DID go bad. And it was replaced for free. And I could still read my e-books on my computer while it was getting replaced.
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| Except for when places like Amazon decide they want to delete books from it. Accept the fact that you don't own that copy when you buy a file. |
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| You can see that with DVDs and Blu-Rays. They want you to have to buy the "new" format so they can charge you for the same content again. |
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| And do you have an iPod? An iPad? A laptop? Along with all the other gadgets people tend to accumulate. |
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| Why would you want to? Pick one or the other. If you go hiking, are you listening to an mp3 player while doing so? Why? You're missing everything else in the environment so you can listen to the latest manufactured pop band auto-tuned to someone else's lyrics. |
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| No, it's not. It might be the "same" when you consider that it's the transfer of the words to your brain, but all the other bits of the activity are different. |
I will continue to buy actual books. Not only because I prefere to have an actual book, but also because as mentioned, why would I pay the same amount for a computer file?
To me, that computer file is worth 1 dollar. A book is worth so much more.
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Because as your electronics go bad, you'll invariably have to replace them. Replacing them can mean that the "new" one doesn't support that older format that you had with the older electronic item. The manufacturers really have no real impetus to continue to support "old" formats, especially when there tends to be a monkey see, monkey do attitude amongst the makers.|
Originally Posted by Tricia
What does electronics going bad have to do with changing formats?
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| And my e-reader DID go bad. And it was replaced for free. And I could still read my e-books on my computer while it was getting replaced. |
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| Firstly, amazon has nothing to do with my e-reader or e-books. Secondly, I have backups of all my books. So unless you think they're going to hack my computer and delete my files, I do own my e-books. |
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| DVDs still work, and are still being sold. |
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| ...what exactly is your argument here? What does that have to do with an ereader? If anything, that's an argument in favor of an e-reader, since you can carry around a slim device instead of several thick books. |
And why would I be carrying around so many books? If I'm not in my home, then I'm out for a reason.
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| ...what? You do know you can do multiple things on a vacation, right? I can sit in bed, relaxing, and listen to music, then go out and go hiking. |
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| You're talking about not wanting to "pollute" your vacation with non-vacation activities. I'm asking how reading a book from an ereader is somehow bad, but reading a book is just fine. |
I'm done arguing with you. Please, feel free to have the last word if that's important to you. I won't respond to you further in this thread.
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Excuses, excuses. Complete books are sent to printing in pdf format. And as far as I know pdf is supported by most of the readers. So e-books should be cheaper and greed is the only reason for the same price.
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Originally Posted by Samothrake
I have read some very weak justifications for the high prices of e-books. Including editing, formatting, and such. But the thing is, before those same books go to the printer, they are already in electronic format, and they have already been edited and formatted. A print book then has to go through the printing process, which takes more time and money. As for formattting, if the free program Calibre can change formats in under a minute, you can't tell me that it's a time intensive and hard thing for the publisher to do.
No, the only reason for the continued high price of e-books is greed. They charge what they do because they can. |
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The publishers would just find some other way to **** students and their parents with the price of textbooks.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Yeah, that's one consideration.
There are some places I'd love ebooks (with the proper reader, full notation, etc.) - school, for one, would be *ideal* if textbooks (which could be updated) went to an electronic format. And if they're cheaper, it's better for the student, after all. |
Goodbye, I guess.
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My big hope is for it to allow more school districts and book publishers greater flexibility in what books they publish. Instead of the current situation where the book publishers have to accommodate the requirements of two states and leave everyone else with whatever sanitized version of education that the state in question uses.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Yeah, that's one consideration.
There are some places I'd love ebooks (with the proper reader, full notation, etc.) - school, for one, would be *ideal* if textbooks (which could be updated) went to an electronic format. And if they're cheaper, it's better for the student, after all. SOME reference material is good that way, as well. |
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I bet they'd go to renting the books, but the per month would exceed the amount you would have originally bought the book for. Which, they totally do right now at a local student bookstore for the physical copy.
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Originally Posted by Lord_Nightblade
The publishers would just find some other way to **** students and their parents with the price of textbooks.
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If you're looking at "loss" (as opposed to "DRM that might or might not be allowed to be removed when the reader goes obsolete,") I'd say anyone that doesn't have their ebooks - or any other all-digital media, like movies and music - backed up in at least two locations pretty much is asking for it. |
Originally Posted by Dark One
You do however have to worry about having all your eggs in one basket. |
eBooks, for what they contain, are generally small. Mozy (free) or box.net is probably enough to house most peoples' collections and have room to spare. (Plus, of course, local backup - most of my stuff is backed up remotely, and on a NAS with two drives in a mirrored RAID. Which is actually fairly cheap.)
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At least he knows enough to quit when he's losing an argument. |
Originally Posted by Dark One
I'm done arguing with you. Please, feel free to have the last word if that's important to you. I won't respond to you further in this thread.
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The cost near you is per-month? The books for rent at the community college nearby are per-semester. Not sure about the UVA bookstore though, I don't get near there often.
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Originally Posted by ThePill
I bet they'd go to renting the books, but the per month would exceed the amount you would have originally bought the book for. Which, they totally do right now at a local student bookstore for the physical copy.
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Apparently, it's happening now....
Can't say I'm overly shocked. I've barely bought any paper books for years, barring those that don't come out in an e-book format, like Harry Potter etc.
E-books of all formats are so much easier to use, more portable, have so many advantages over traditional ones.
Sad, but true
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