eBook price

moonshot · 12-29-2013, 03:14 PM

Hi, I bought a Kobo touch last week, only £35 from WH Smith. My thoughts were that if I liked it I would then upgrade to the Aura. I do like it...... but, the price of the books seem to be more expensive than Amazon. The new Douglas Kennedy I downloaded was over £2.00 more than Amazon. I compared a few titles and Amazon was always cheaper, although not always by much.

Maybe if I do upgrade I should consider a Kindle.

I would be interested in any comments or thoughts.

pdurrant · 12-29-2013, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonshot

Hi, I bought a Kobo touch last week, only £35 from WH Smith. My thoughts were that if I liked it I would then upgrade to the Aura. I do like it...... but, the price of the books seem to be more expensive than Amazon. The new Douglas Kennedy I downloaded was over £2.00 more than Amazon. I compared a few titles and Amazon was always cheaper, although not always by much.

Maybe if I do upgrade I should consider a Kindle.

I would be interested in any comments or thoughts.

You should check out the discount codes mentioned in this thread. Not all books are eligible for the codes, but for those that are, you can currently get at least 50% off the list price.

NickyWithNook · 12-29-2013, 03:45 PM

In my comparisons between Barnes and Noble and Amazon (so not precisely the same but probably close) Amazon is more often less expensive. Barnes and Noble occasionally has a cheaper book, but not often, and the Amazon price seems to come down to the B&N price quickly where the B&N price doesn't necessarily ever get brought down to the Amazon price.

If price of books is a very big consideration, I would consider a Kindle for sure. The Kindle starts out less expensive too, doesn't it? And I have to say that the Paperwhite is a very nice reader.

Katsunami · 12-29-2013, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonshot

I would be interested in any comments or thoughts.

Look for the Wisdom of Apprentice Alf on the internet. Install Calibre and sprinkle some Alf into it. Now you can convert books from Amazon AZW3 format to EPUB so you can read the books on the Kobo. (Or if you get a Kindle, the other way around.)

Now, it doesn't matter where you get your books. I have a Kindle, but get most of my books at Kobo (if they have good discount coupons

).

moonshot · 12-29-2013, 04:13 PM

Thanks for the feedback folks. I have just noticed that Google play books, on the three new releases I compared are even cheaper than Amazon. Wonder if Alf works here?

Katsunami · 12-29-2013, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonshot

Thanks for the feedback folks. I have just noticed that Google play books, on the three new releases I compared are even cheaper than Amazon. Wonder if Alf works here?

As far as I know, Google Play uses Adobe DRM. In that case, Alf should work.

(I think everybody uses Adobe DRM, apart from maybe Barnes and Noble. I don't know if Alf works with B&N.)

cromag · 12-29-2013, 04:30 PM

Alf works great with B&N.

piperclassique · 12-29-2013, 04:40 PM

Its only really Apple that is tricky, and Tor and Baen sell without DRM.

Katsunami · 12-29-2013, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piperclassique

Its only really Apple that is tricky...

Normally one rotten Apple spoils the entire basket, but fortunately this one is in a basket all by itself

jbcohen · 12-29-2013, 05:02 PM

$57 USD wow that's a lot to pay for a book. I guess if Kobo was selling the book for $3.30 USD more than amazon I would consider getting a kindle. I have a strict rule never pay any more that 4.85 pounds for any book, no one is worth that I do not care who they are no one is worth that and I can get lower than that on amazon, I do it all the time. Conversions by XE.com.

Katsunami · 12-29-2013, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I have a strict rule never pay any more that 4.85 pounds for any book, no one is worth that...

Wow, LOL... you'll be missing out on a lot of good books. Sometimes books are worth more than 4.85 pounds.

DrNefario · 12-29-2013, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonshot

Thanks for the feedback folks. I have just noticed that Google play books, on the three new releases I compared are even cheaper than Amazon. Wonder if Alf works here?

The Google Play books should work fine on the kobo anyway, if they're Adobe EPUBs. You'd just need the Adobe Digital Editions software, which you presumably need to download them anyway.

I have a kindle and a kobo touch. I'd say about 95% of my purchases are from amazon. Their base price is typically lower, but kobo will often have good discounts, although they won't work for many of the most popular books.

I must admit I've never really looked at Google Play. Maybe I should.

mr ploppy · 12-30-2013, 07:08 AM

Amazon UK only exists as a cupboard in Luxemburg, so it only needs to pay 5% VAT on ebooks, instead of the 20% B&N pays.

mcrow · 12-30-2013, 11:09 AM

I think on the whole, Amazon is the cheapest but you can often find books cheaper on B&N and Kobo. So, it just depends on the books you are looking at but generally speaking Amazon is less expensive.

Jane Oldaker · 12-30-2013, 05:35 PM

And I thought all these guys were supposed to price match, coupons notwithstanding. But I think my next ereader is going to be a tablet - money for the device is getting to be darn near the same. I suppose an ereader that is just an ereader is still cheaper though.

12-29-2013, 03:14 PM	#1
moonshot Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 117320 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: Kobo touch	eBook price Hi, I bought a Kobo touch last week, only £35 from WH Smith. My thoughts were that if I liked it I would then upgrade to the Aura. I do like it...... but, the price of the books seem to be more expensive than Amazon. The new Douglas Kennedy I downloaded was over £2.00 more than Amazon. I compared a few titles and Amazon was always cheaper, although not always by much. Maybe if I do upgrade I should consider a Kindle. I would be interested in any comments or thoughts.

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12-29-2013, 03:45 PM	#3
NickyWithNook Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 3942770 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: American living in Australia Device: Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Fire, Kindle Pwhite (Don't use Nook anymore)	In my comparisons between Barnes and Noble and Amazon (so not precisely the same but probably close) Amazon is more often less expensive. Barnes and Noble occasionally has a cheaper book, but not often, and the Amazon price seems to come down to the B&N price quickly where the B&N price doesn't necessarily ever get brought down to the Amazon price. If price of books is a very big consideration, I would consider a Kindle for sure. The Kindle starts out less expensive too, doesn't it? And I have to say that the Paperwhite is a very nice reader.

12-29-2013, 04:13 PM	#5
moonshot Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 117320 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: Kobo touch	Thanks for the feedback folks. I have just noticed that Google play books, on the three new releases I compared are even cheaper than Amazon. Wonder if Alf works here?

12-29-2013, 04:30 PM	#7
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,283 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Alf works great with B&N.

12-29-2013, 04:40 PM	#8
piperclassique A garbling groftpot Posts: 993 Karma: 9234667 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: France Device: Oasis, Voyage, Kobo mini, Samsung tablet, phones, whatever.	Its only really Apple that is tricky, and Tor and Baen sell without DRM.

12-29-2013, 05:02 PM	#10
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	$57 USD wow that's a lot to pay for a book. I guess if Kobo was selling the book for $3.30 USD more than amazon I would consider getting a kindle. I have a strict rule never pay any more that 4.85 pounds for any book, no one is worth that I do not care who they are no one is worth that and I can get lower than that on amazon, I do it all the time. Conversions by XE.com.

12-30-2013, 07:08 AM	#13
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Amazon UK only exists as a cupboard in Luxemburg, so it only needs to pay 5% VAT on ebooks, instead of the 20% B&N pays.

12-30-2013, 11:09 AM	#14
mcrow Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 1486256 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kindle 4/Kindle Fire HD/Kindle Fire HDX 7"	I think on the whole, Amazon is the cheapest but you can often find books cheaper on B&N and Kobo. So, it just depends on the books you are looking at but generally speaking Amazon is less expensive.

12-30-2013, 05:35 PM	#15
Jane Oldaker Groupie Posts: 152 Karma: 1018376 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Samsung G3 Tablet, Kobo Vox	And I thought all these guys were supposed to price match, coupons notwithstanding. But I think my next ereader is going to be a tablet - money for the device is getting to be darn near the same. I suppose an ereader that is just an ereader is still cheaper though.

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