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Old 12-23-2009, 06:05 PM   #11
zelda_pinwheel
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Paris, France
Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward View Post
Zelda, I think that the customer should be able to carry her/his liseuse in with them and be able to plug in with the mini usb and load the purchase right there. If the publishers were smart, they'd set up the download hub in the various bookstores.

Why?

No returns, immediate payment for a sale, (credit both the store and the publisher at the same time), and control over the access point. They could put flashy LCD's for current pushed titles, and access to their back catalog as well, without worrying about inventory costs.

I guess it would make too much sense....(Sigh)
to be honest, i agree that would make much more sense, and actually i would not be at all suprised if the technology evolved quite rapidly to permit precisely that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jswinden View Post
I have to agree it seems rather pointless to many of us. I prefer to buy online and download. Here in the States, at least where I live, there are no bookstores within walking distance. It is much more "green" to download from the internet than to drive several miles to a bookstore that has even less of a selection than I can find online.
certainly this is not a solution that will appeal to everyone. and i see no reason why it should have to ; it is in no way a replacement for online bookshops, and there's no reason why people who prefer to shop there should be forced to stop. to be honest i get the impression, from some of these posts, that there is a cultural difference at play as well ; here, particularly in paris but even in smaller regional towns, bookshops are a beloved institution and an important part of neighborhood life. i don't live in a particularly central neighborhood but the one i usually go to is about a 2 minute walk from my house, i've never seen it empty, and there are probably about 5 or 10 more within a 10 minute radius (seriously, they're all over the place, new and used ones). someone recently told me about a small village whose residents all banded together to save the bookshop and keep it in business with money out of their own pockets, that's how important it was to them. on the other hand, i get the impression that since most of the US is much less densely populated, many people there don't have the equivalent of a "local" bookshop and since they would have to drive a significant distance to get to one which may or may not have a decent selection of books they're interested in, shopping online is something of a lifesaver both for convenience and selection. i can understand why from that perspective this would seem rather pointless.

Quote:
There is an appeal to browsing a brick and mortar bookstore, but I rarely buy printed books any more.
precisely my point.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rebarnmom View Post
I think it's awesome! I miss going to bookstores and coming home with something! I like the idea of browsing books and having the option to purchase the ebook version right there in the store! Browsing for books via online bookstores using their search capabilities can be so frustrating and seldom have I actually gotten to preview the book first!

I mentioned some time ago that a company called Symtio is doing this for Christian bookstores in the US.

Like someone else mentioned, having the kiosk or a way to download the book right there in the store, would be the icing on the cake!
...and here we see an example of why this might not be such a completely pointless idea after all. and i agree ; it would be great to improve the system so you could get your book right away, as well. hopefully that will happen in the not too distant future.
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