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The logic, intentional or not, behind the sample=more expensive pricing scheme seems to mean that those who want to buy the book end up paying more for those who (for example) read half way through and said "stuff it".
I certainly believe authors can (and will) price as their hearts content, but I don't believe that they'll ultimately get more money by such a method if they believe expensive or higher priced ebooks are the way to go... and this from a person who is willing to pay for her books, too. In Australia, books are often quite expensive, for example, so I buy one or two every few months, if that. I can read a five hundred page book in a night, so obviously the amount I read isn't the issue. I am increasingly likely, however, to buy an ebook instead or simply poke around all the freebies that are to be had. Why?
Because buying a bunch of ebooks (even at 3-6 dollars each, I'm not suggesting authors should charge only tiny amounts) is far less likely to send one to the poor house. But ebooks samples shouldn't increase the cost, because I've quite happily wandered around "real" book stores and read several chapters to see if I liked any given book. It makes me more likely to buy a book in paper, and more likely to buy a book in ebook format if I can read some of it beforehand.
...also the "I want to pay less because I've read half of it" argument, makes no sense to me.
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