Track# of Amazon Ebooks(pubers) avail ...but only Kindle nowhere else...moral dilemma

[Douglasco]

So I got my K2. First impression is, I hate it. But it my first e-reader so don't let me sway you. I'm going to try out the Sony, but will be searching the ends of the earth for something like an E-ink screened PDA that has more functionality for reading AND retention. Seriously, how often is it that you are away from an electrical outlet for more then 6 hours?

Anyways. To me the K2 feels like a Mac. I know that statement probably disqualifies my credibility to most of you. But its only in one, simple aspect. They choose looks and feel over functionality. And that is a growing trend in American consumer products that I can't stand. Add that to the fact that Amazon chose to profiteer with a proprietary software when they could have instead positioned themselves as the single greatest force for increased literacy, and its enough to make me deathly ill. Especially when theres a new model in the market place that has proven plenty profitable, led by the open source revolution. They even profiteer off such good natured people who are providing us a brighter future? How? By capitalizing off the laurels of Wikipedia. They made a publishing company that all the publishing companies have to go thru, just so they could say KINDLE IS *ur* KING

Now I have a moral delimma. Keep a product and support a market that I don't believe in so I have access to the ebooks I otherwise wouldn't, or do the right thing by returning it and posting about it? Or I could secretly keep it, but post horrid things about it and tell everyone I returned it. Or I could give it to a family member who might let me borrow it from time to time, so I feel a little better.

So the real question in all of this is:
What books are available in e-ink exclusively on kindle?

And maybe a simpler more pointed question:
What publishers?

[pilotbob]

I'm a bit unclear?

Why exactly do you hate it? Because it's not a PDA or smartphone?

BOb

[wallcraft]

I don't think there are any hard numbers, but most "mainstream" titles are also available from other US ebook stores such as Books on Board and FictionWise. Amazon is probably a bit cheaper overall, but this can vary from book to book.

Amazon has more independent (e.g. published by the author) ebooks than anyone else. They also seem to have more non-fiction and technical ebooks, but my impression is that these titles would be available to other ebook stores if they thought there was a market in selling them.

The Kindle supports DRM-free MOBI, so in principle you are not tied to the Kindle store. However, Amazon has designed their device around the Kindle store and its delivery system. That is why the Kindle 2 does not support folders or a SD card. I don't see this as "evil", although I would like them to add ePub support to demonstrate that they are not abusing near monopoly power.

[=X=]

@Douglasco You might want to look at http://www.irextechnologies.com/products/iliad

It seems to have more of what you are looking for.

As for Amazon and the monopoly, well don't give Amazon that much credit they are no where near that. There are many viable alternatives to Amazon. While Amazon has the great benefit of being steadily cheap. Fictionwise and BooksonBoard have ridiculous sales the really make FW/BoB a cheaper route. It just takes patience and self control .

As for book availability, when it comes to Fiction Amazon's selection is about the same however Non-Fiction books esp finance is where Amazon is way ahead of the curve. Not only do they have a better collection but they keep on including classics that are must have books.

Hopes this helps.
=X=

[zartemis]

Originally Posted by Douglasco

I'm going to try out the Sony, but will be searching the ends of the earth for something like an E-ink screened PDA that has more functionality for reading AND retention.

I think an E-ink PDA would be excruciating to use right now because of the slow screen refresh. The technology just isn't there yet. Already I miss the silver slider I had on my K1 on my K2 because getting from the bottom of the page to the middle is still too slow for me (I use a small font with lots of lines). I liked being able to zip the slider to where I wanted to be.