Time to decide: Renew Fictionwise membership or try BoB. Any input?

texasnightowl · 08-10-2009, 01:41 PM

It's almost time for my Fictionwise Club membership to expire. I joined last Sept. when they had a sale where the membership price was immediately funded back to you as Micropay. So I joined. I have used them...my bookshelf lists 150+ books (that's more than I thought!). So I guess I'm considering renewing my membership.

On the other hand, I have not really looked into BoB. Can anyone summarize the pros and cons of BoB as a customer?

I most often make purchases in mobi format since they are easiest to shift for my Kindle. I have a couple ereader files, but most of my collection is mobi/azw.

I do still make purchases from Amazon too.

susan_cassidy · 08-10-2009, 01:56 PM

If you remove DRM, I guess you can use BOB for the Kindle, otherwise, I don't think so.

ficbot · 08-10-2009, 04:30 PM

I am in the same boat as you. I am waiting, hoping they will send me an offer to renew for free like I did when I first bought it.

Lemurion · 08-10-2009, 04:48 PM

Mine is coming due in mid-September, too - and I'm trying to decide whether to keep or drop it. I'll probably keep it.

I have bought some books from BoB and they're not bad - though generally I find their site harder to navigate. I'm also a Sony owner - so BoB's support of ePub is a good thing for me.

AnemicOak · 08-10-2009, 05:12 PM

I'm trying to decide if I should renew or not too. FW seems to be missing the boat on some of the new titles I've purchased lately.

Abecedary · 08-10-2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lemurion

I have bought some books from BoB and they're not bad - though generally I find their site harder to navigate. I'm also a Sony owner - so BoB's support of ePub is a good thing for me.

Something that was discovered recently that really helps things is to go to the BoB Opus site. This sets a cookie that limits your searches to only their ePub offerings. Combine that with the BoB Firefox search plugin (which defaults to list view for results) and suddenly their site is much more usable.

zaney63 · 08-10-2009, 05:18 PM

Hi,
I am new here. This is my first post, although I have been reading other's posts hoping to learn from them.
I recently purchased a Fictionwise membership only to discover that there is a very limited selection of books available to me. Few of the books in Multiformat
are of interest to me. Is there any way (software) to translate or change one of the other formats work?
If this is a really stupid question I am sorry but I hate to waste my fictionwise membership and I really like the 100% micropay rebates.
Regards

zaney63

=X= · 08-10-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

It's almost time for my Fictionwise Club membership to expire. I joined last Sept. when they had a sale where the membership price was immediately funded back to you as Micropay. So I joined. I have used them...my bookshelf lists 150+ books (that's more than I thought!). So I guess I'm considering renewing my membership.

On the other hand, I have not really looked into BoB. Can anyone summarize the pros and cons of BoB as a customer?

I most often make purchases in mobi format since they are easiest to shift for my Kindle. I have a couple ereader files, but most of my collection is mobi/azw.

I do still make purchases from Amazon too.

I'm confused what kind of books are you buying? Amazon usually has the best prices.

As for FW I let my membership expire earlier this year. I found that the 15% off just not a good deal anymore. Many stores vary in price some as much as 30% normal prices plus many of the books I want to read are not carried by FW. BoB has a much larger selection than FW.

What I have found is prices are not all even. I usually search all the books stores before I buy then buy the cheapest book. As a result I've bought from eReader, Diesel, BoB and FW.

If FW has a great promo for their Buywise club, I will join ,but the 15% saving is just not enough to warrant spending $25.

=X=

Lemurion · 08-10-2009, 05:36 PM

The one thing that's making me consider it is that I get my SF magazines from FW, and the savings helps with them.

texasnightowl · 08-10-2009, 05:37 PM

zaney - I don't have a Sony, but in general, yes you can purchase other formats such as mobi, lit, epub, or ereader and strip the DRM. Then using tools such as Calibre and others, you can convert the DRM free files to Sony compatible files (.lrf?). Of course, in most cases you are technically breaking the law to do so. :> Some of the terms you may want to search on include:

mobidedrm (for mobi files)
convertlit (for LIT files)
ereader2html (for ereader files)
and for epub check out the ADEPT thread in the epub area

texasnightowl · 08-10-2009, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by =X=

I'm confused what kind of books are you buying? Amazon usually has the best prices.

=X=

Mostly fiction so yeah, Amazon prices are typically pretty good. But with some sales/specials, etc. you can really rack up the Micropay rebates. But, to do so you have to work the sales...and sometimes I think just sticking to Amazon is the better way to go.

zaney63 · 08-10-2009, 06:03 PM

Thanks so much for the quick respons and great suggestions. I will check out the Amazon website as well as others suggested, as well as following the software links that were suggested. It would be a miracle if some day I understood this technology well enough to help someone. Oh well, they say miracles do happen sometimes.
Many thanks to all of you.
zaney 63

=X= · 08-10-2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

But, to do so you have to work the sales...and sometimes I think just sticking to Amazon is the better way to go.

Right and that was my realization and the reason why I decided not to continue with my FW membership.

The 15% was based off of the original price and not added to the sales price so a 50% rebate was 57% off instead of 65%. The real discount was not due to the membership but the sales discount. At that point I realized I did not gain much with the membership.

=X=

doreenjoy · 08-10-2009, 07:17 PM

I find BoB almost impossible to navigate and search through. I don't even like to go to the site, let alone purchase from it.

"Bad UI designer! No, No!"

Oh, I guess it's too late... I have to catch him in the act.

AnemicOak · 08-10-2009, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I find BoB almost impossible to navigate and search through. I don't even like to go to the site, let alone purchase from it.

"Bad UI designer! No, No!"

Oh, I guess it's too late... I have to catch him in the act.

I agree their design isn't the greatest. I've found 'list view' to be my friend, much better than their default 'cover view' IMO. I wish they'd make that the default viewing method.

08-10-2009, 01:41 PM	#1
texasnightowl Guru Posts: 812 Karma: 2873645 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas Device: PW5, Oasis 3, K4B(NT), K3/KK	Time to decide: Renew Fictionwise membership or try BoB. Any input? It's almost time for my Fictionwise Club membership to expire. I joined last Sept. when they had a sale where the membership price was immediately funded back to you as Micropay. So I joined. I have used them...my bookshelf lists 150+ books (that's more than I thought!). So I guess I'm considering renewing my membership. On the other hand, I have not really looked into BoB. Can anyone summarize the pros and cons of BoB as a customer? I most often make purchases in mobi format since they are easiest to shift for my Kindle. I have a couple ereader files, but most of my collection is mobi/azw. I do still make purchases from Amazon too.

08-10-2009, 05:18 PM	#7
zaney63 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none	Sony 505 and fictionwise Hi, I am new here. This is my first post, although I have been reading other's posts hoping to learn from them. I recently purchased a Fictionwise membership only to discover that there is a very limited selection of books available to me. Few of the books in Multiformat are of interest to me. Is there any way (software) to translate or change one of the other formats work? If this is a really stupid question I am sorry but I hate to waste my fictionwise membership and I really like the 100% micropay rebates. Regards zaney63

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08-10-2009, 01:56 PM	#2
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	If you remove DRM, I guess you can use BOB for the Kindle, otherwise, I don't think so.

08-10-2009, 04:30 PM	#3
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I am in the same boat as you. I am waiting, hoping they will send me an offer to renew for free like I did when I first bought it.

08-10-2009, 04:48 PM	#4
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	Mine is coming due in mid-September, too - and I'm trying to decide whether to keep or drop it. I'll probably keep it. I have bought some books from BoB and they're not bad - though generally I find their site harder to navigate. I'm also a Sony owner - so BoB's support of ePub is a good thing for me.

08-10-2009, 05:12 PM	#5
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	I'm trying to decide if I should renew or not too. FW seems to be missing the boat on some of the new titles I've purchased lately.

08-10-2009, 05:36 PM	#9
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	The one thing that's making me consider it is that I get my SF magazines from FW, and the savings helps with them.

08-10-2009, 05:37 PM	#10
texasnightowl Guru Posts: 812 Karma: 2873645 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas Device: PW5, Oasis 3, K4B(NT), K3/KK	zaney - I don't have a Sony, but in general, yes you can purchase other formats such as mobi, lit, epub, or ereader and strip the DRM. Then using tools such as Calibre and others, you can convert the DRM free files to Sony compatible files (.lrf?). Of course, in most cases you are technically breaking the law to do so. :> Some of the terms you may want to search on include: mobidedrm (for mobi files) convertlit (for LIT files) ereader2html (for ereader files) and for epub check out the ADEPT thread in the epub area

08-10-2009, 06:03 PM	#12
zaney63 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none	Thanks so much for the quick respons and great suggestions. I will check out the Amazon website as well as others suggested, as well as following the software links that were suggested. It would be a miracle if some day I understood this technology well enough to help someone. Oh well, they say miracles do happen sometimes. Many thanks to all of you. zaney 63

08-10-2009, 07:17 PM	#14
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I find BoB almost impossible to navigate and search through. I don't even like to go to the site, let alone purchase from it. "Bad UI designer! No, No!" Oh, I guess it's too late... I have to catch him in the act.

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