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I don't have the wide experience with a number of different readers tht some folks have. But let me relate a story that happened within the last fortnight.
Set up: I have been an Amazon customer for several years for printed books. And I have been happy with their service.
RE: ebooks: I'd like to be an occasional eBook of Amazon, too. I do not have a Kindle. As a test --before I endangered any of my limited budget-- I "purchased" a free ebook though Amazon to make certain the process would work.
Nope. It didn't. The "enter your email and we'll send it to you as an attachment and you can sideload it via USB" apparently is not an Amazon webapp option if you don't have a registered Kindle serial number.
As suggested on their support page, instead of email, I talked to an Amazon cust-serve rep on the telephone. To her credit, a very polite southern young lady, with whom I find no fault. BUT:
I did not even get to the part about where "there is supposed to be a download via email" option for purchased ebooks.
Bear: "I'm trying to buy an ebook, but I don't have a kindle. . ."
Chick: "What device do you have?"
Bear: "An Onyx Boox reader."
Chick: "Let me check on that. Please excuse me for a minute."
A couple minutes later:
Chick: "I'm sorry but Amazon does not support that device. Amazon ebooks are in a different format."
Bear: "I know, and that's not the problem. I can't even download it."
Chick: "Amazon ebooks are designed for the kindle and Amazon doesn't support the Onyx Boox."
Bear: "I understand the format issue. I just want to get it downloaded. I can convert the format once I have the file."
Chick: "How are you going to do that?"
Bear: "With a program I have."
Chick: "What program?"
Bear: "It's called Calibre."
Chick: "Let me check on that. Please excuse me for a minute."
After a minute or three:
Chick: "Amazon doesn't support that program."
Bear: "Well, I'm not asking for any help with it, I just want to download the book. . ."
There was a bit more of the same, but it concluded with the judgment that if I didn't have a Kindle, I was outside the pale. I ended with the remark that I'd been a good and satisfied Amazon customer for years, and that I'd like to also be able to buy eBooks from amazon. She said she was sorry that it wasn't going to happen.
It seems to me Amazon is trying to do an Apple thing: "All your hardware and Software are belong to us."
I'll still buy paper from them, but as far as eBooks goes, they suck and are retro-20th century monopolists in their market plan.
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