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Good discussion.
I think publishers want the ebook market to stay as an insignificant niche market. That is the main reason for what we see.
BTW, iTunes is not a good a good example, they still sell crippled products at a high price, but at least there is availability. Electronic format for music is mainstream already, while ebooks are quite new. At some point customers may realize that all the songs they bought from iTunes are cripples.
Ebooks have several issues:
- availability problem: incomplete series, new (and many old) releases not available
- high pricing - the overhead for a website cannot be compared with physical distribution, it is CHEAP
- format problems: this is their own doing, they could standardize it if really wanted
- DRM - product is faulty by design
Publishers on all fronts are obsolete dinosaurs and they know it. They use their lobbying power and the state to stay in business. Without it, they would be bankrupt already. Electronic formats do not need publishing. In the music world several artists have recognized it and now they self-publish. They may make less money, but it at leasts stays with them and not spent on the corporate jets and secretaries.
What we can do is to refuse to buy ebooks that are higher priced than the paper. Also refuse to buy anything with DRM.
If you do not stick to the above, then you have no right to complain. You offered your ass...
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