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Sydney's Mom. Yes. The BWM did not really see it as being within their interest for ebooks to succeed. They had never succeeded in the past. Prices were very high so as not to take sales away from print books. This is still the business model that they would seem to prefer. You are quite right that the decision to release ebooks at the same time as the premium priced hardcovers makes no sense if you are a publisher who is seeking to preserve your print book business. However, for Amazon and others without a strong interest in preserving that print book business it is in their interests to get ebooks to customers as soon as possible. I doubt the difference in the margins for the retailers are that much different between the two in any event.
I think this is one of the big problems that the BWM have had. Instead of embracing ebooks they have sought to retard their growth to preserve their print book business, and have basically been dragged kicking and screaming into the current century in almost every respect. A significant respect which I think will do them increasing harm is the pricing of ebooks by reference to print book prices. KDP and indeed most Indie and "self-published" ebooks are priced significantly lower, which I think is the reality. As you point out, ebooks can't be loaned or resold or donated (except for some very limited exceptions). They are also significantly less expensive to produce.
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