MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - HarperCollins Pursues E-Book Subscription Service With Scribd

Katsunami · 10-01-2013, 05:45 PM

If I can't download my book and read it 100% independent of the service, then I will never subscribe, not even if it is a flatfee service that allows me to read what I want. I read 8 books at most, per month, if I have a lot of time. Most of the time, it's 2-4 books a month. I can get them at roughly €3 per book.

Therefore, as soon as a subscription service exceeds €12 per month, just buying the books is cheaper for me, most of the time. Even if it is (somewhat) more expensive if I have a "streak" (yeah, ahum...) of months where I read more than 4 books, I'm willing to pay the extra to actually have the book as my own. (After de-DRM-ing.)

I can see the viability of this service, if you now depend on the library a lot. Then it may be more convenient, faster, the selection may be greater, and so on. I wouldn't care zilch for DRM on a library book, so in that case I wouldn't care for DRM on an online service. It will be more expensive than a library, though; but then you are paying for the speed, convenience, and selection.

10-01-2013, 05:45 PM	#11
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	If I can't download my book and read it 100% independent of the service, then I will never subscribe, not even if it is a flatfee service that allows me to read what I want. I read 8 books at most, per month, if I have a lot of time. Most of the time, it's 2-4 books a month. I can get them at roughly €3 per book. Therefore, as soon as a subscription service exceeds €12 per month, just buying the books is cheaper for me, most of the time. Even if it is (somewhat) more expensive if I have a "streak" (yeah, ahum...) of months where I read more than 4 books, I'm willing to pay the extra to actually have the book as my own. (After de-DRM-ing.) I can see the viability of this service, if you now depend on the library a lot. Then it may be more convenient, faster, the selection may be greater, and so on. I wouldn't care zilch for DRM on a library book, so in that case I wouldn't care for DRM on an online service. It will be more expensive than a library, though; but then you are paying for the speed, convenience, and selection. Last edited by Katsunami; 10-01-2013 at 05:49 PM.