Sony Reader and ebook websites launched in Belgium in October

AlfonsVH · 08-11-2009, 04:36 PM

According to De Morgen and eReaders.nl, the websites boek.be and boekenbank.be will start selling e-books for the Belgian market in October.

At the same time, the Sony Reader will be launched in Belgium.

Great news if you ask me!

igorsk · 08-11-2009, 05:29 PM

Nice! Although I don't think I'll be able to wait until October...

Mycropht · 08-12-2009, 05:30 AM

I hope Sony will not pull the old trick: "You will get the last year's models but they will have this year's price".

I have read some comments that the European e-book readers market potential is not as big compared to the US. Is that really so? Maybe if the offer would be the same and prices comparable then we could judge the size of the market.

Sweetpea · 08-12-2009, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mycropht

I hope Sony will not pull the old trick: "You will get the last year's models but they will have this year's price".

I have read some comments that the European e-book readers market potential is not as big compared to the US. Is that really so? Maybe if the offer would be the same and prices comparable then we could judge the size of the market.

Of course it's not as big... First, I'm not sure how many literate people Europe has and how many literate people the US, but at least in the US, it's primarily all in one language. In Europe, the amount of people available are also splintered over the various languages and countries, all with different rules and regulations...

And I doubt we'll get the last year's models, but the prices will be much higher (as they always are, I'd be very surprised if they weren't this time).

Ea · 08-12-2009, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mycropht

...
I have read some comments that the European e-book readers market potential is not as big compared to the US. Is that really so? Maybe if the offer would be the same and prices comparable then we could judge the size of the market.

I don't know if the potential is not as big, but I'm sure it will take much longer time. With the many different languages, it's (generally) smaller publishers and many more of them. All of them will have to to learn how to sell ebooks. Plus, right now the situation is that the devices are still expensive and in most languages there's not a lot of content, if any, yet, so very little incentive for buying an ebook reader, which might keep the price up for a good while yet.... I'm certain it will take years.

HarryT · 08-12-2009, 06:08 AM

I believe it's being launched in Spain and Portugal, too, at pretty much the same time.

EowynCarter · 08-12-2009, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Of course it's not as big... First, I'm not sure how many literate people Europe has and how many literate people the US, but at least in the US, it's primarily all in one language. In Europe, the amount of people available are also splintered over the various languages and countries, all with different rules and regulations...

Hey, we're just as literate as you are !

One of the problem with E-book in europe, weel; All the e-book i bought are in english. The offer in french is poor. So basicly,you'll have a real hard time finding the book you want unless you speak english.
Publishers are waiting for reders to take off, and readers won't take off until the publishers sells e-books. See the problem ?

Ea · 08-12-2009, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

...
One of the problem with E-book in europe, weel; All the e-book i bought are in english. The offer in french is poor. So basicly,you'll have a real hard time finding the book you want unless you speak english.
Publishers are waiting for reders to take off, and readers won't take off until the publishers sells e-books. See the problem ?

Exactly. But I believe that it will resolve itself in time. A few of the larger publishers in Denmark are working on ebooks, so they are aware of them, and at some point there will be enough books published that more people might be interested, and devices will get cheaper. But I expect it will take at least 5-10 years for this to happen in a small market like Denmark. It will probably be faster with the larger languages, like German, Spanish or French.

ricdiogo · 08-12-2009, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I believe it's being launched in Spain and Portugal, too, at pretty much the same time.

Harry, where did you get that info?

HarryT · 08-12-2009, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricdiogo

Harry, where did you get that info?

I saw it mentioned a few months ago. I could, of course, be wrong!

ricdiogo · 08-12-2009, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I saw it mentioned a few months ago. I could, of course, be wrong!

You're not. (If you mean the PRS 505 and 700.)

Sweetpea · 08-12-2009, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Hey, we're just as literate as you are !

One of the problem with E-book in europe, weel; All the e-book i bought are in english. The offer in french is poor. So basicly,you'll have a real hard time finding the book you want unless you speak english.
Publishers are waiting for reders to take off, and readers won't take off until the publishers sells e-books. See the problem ?

I'm Dutch

But I said literate people, because only those will buy books (at least, that would make sense to me...)

And I know about the problem, which is why I'm glad the largest Dutch online book seller will be trying to put some movement in it, by trying to get publishers so far to publish their books in electronic form. I can't wait till the end of August!

Nobody mentioned this so far, but they mention they want to publish the books that are published in Flanders on the internet. I think this might mean it only applies to the Dutch books, not the French ones...

PaweL_L · 08-12-2009, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlfonsVH

At the same time, the Sony Reader will be launched in Belgium.

But the Sony Reader has been available in Belgium for some time.

Firstly, it was available in Waterstone bookshop.

Later, in Sony shop.

Sweetpea · 08-12-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaweL_L

But the Sony Reader has been available in Belgium for some time.

Firstly, it was available in Waterstone bookshop.

Later, in Sony shop.

Waterstones isn't Belgian and it's not available from sony.be. (while it is available from sony.de, for example) So far, the Sony has only been officially introduced in the UK, Germany and France.

crazyheinz · 08-12-2009, 03:29 PM

I'm curious how much the sony 505 will cost here. Will buy one tomorrow for 190 euro, second hand. Greets from belgium

08-11-2009, 04:36 PM	#1
AlfonsVH Addict Posts: 253 Karma: 2113226 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: BeBook Neo	Sony Reader and ebook websites launched in Belgium in October According to De Morgen and eReaders.nl, the websites boek.be and boekenbank.be will start selling e-books for the Belgian market in October. At the same time, the Sony Reader will be launched in Belgium. Great news if you ask me! Last edited by AlfonsVH; 08-12-2009 at 06:09 AM.

08-12-2009, 05:30 AM	#3
Mycropht Optimist Posts: 77 Karma: 378 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Zagreb, Croatia Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Which models? I hope Sony will not pull the old trick: "You will get the last year's models but they will have this year's price". I have read some comments that the European e-book readers market potential is not as big compared to the US. Is that really so? Maybe if the offer would be the same and prices comparable then we could judge the size of the market.

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08-11-2009, 05:29 PM	#2
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Nice! Although I don't think I'll be able to wait until October...

08-12-2009, 06:08 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I believe it's being launched in Spain and Portugal, too, at pretty much the same time.

08-12-2009, 03:29 PM	#15
crazyheinz Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Belgium (Ghent) Device: sony 505	I'm curious how much the sony 505 will cost here. Will buy one tomorrow for 190 euro, second hand. Greets from belgium