Will Apple Become Largest eBook Dealer? - Page 2

Rique · 07-22-2010, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I doubt that there will ever be more iPads than iPhones, so I don't see how it could be the dominant reading device. And no matter how many there are, it will never be the dominant _reading_ device. It's not all that great for reading.

Nate, there may always be more iPhones than iPads - hard to quibble with that - but that doesn't necessarily transate into a more "dominant reading device" than the iPad, does it? I know a lot of folk like to read on the IPod Touch and the iPhone, but I bet those same folk are way outnumbered by people like me who just find that screen size too small for reading. I never dreamed of using my iPod Touch for reading - and could never - based on the screen size.

If you're including dead tree books, you're right - iPad will never dominate as a reading device. If you're just talking gizmos, however, I expect the iPad to indeed dominate - if only for a while - if only until something better comes along (which is a certainty - not a question of if - just when).

And to say "its not all that great for reading" is your opinion. I wasn't crazy about it as a reader at first (weight, backlighting, margins in iBooks, other quibbles, large and small). After just a short time owning it, I always look for the eBook first, I've ditched my poor Sony, I can breeze through books without a hiccup or complaint - and I love the iPad for reading!

How much of a chance have you given the iPad (I'm assuming from your statement you've definitely read a book or two with an iPad)?

-- Rique

Elfwreck · 07-22-2010, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

a logical progression that Amazon sells more eBooks than books, that Apple sells more iPads than there are Kindle sales, so Apple will sell more eBooks than Amazon?

Not at all.

Everyone who buys a Kindle plans to use it to read ebooks. (Or give it to someone for use in reading ebooks. Whatever.) Not everyone who buys an iPad has any intention of reading ebooks on it. Apple's been amazingly quiet about sales from its ibookstore.

Also, Kindlebooks can be purchased for use on a PC or other device; ibookstore books can only be bought by people using Apple's hardware. Not only can you not buy the books on your PC--you can't even browse the selection and decide to buy the device in order to get access to the books.

Apple's walled garden bookstore can't compete with the open market; they can't even advertise to people who don't already have the hardware.

ALSO: Amazon doesn't sell "more ebooks than books." They sell more Kindlebooks than *new hardcovers;* see them very carefully not compare ebook sales to pbacks or used books, nor mention prices--how many of those ebook sales are .99 purchases being compared to $25.00 purchases?

Neil · 07-22-2010, 07:56 PM

It might be interesting to see if Apple will follow Amazon's lead and make iBooks into an application on both the Mac and the PC -- such as they did iTunes. Once that happened the iTunes music store took way off and the same could happen to the iBookstore. Prices are indeed usually worse at Apple and, according to Publishers' Weekly, that is due to Apple allowing publishers to set prices instead of setting prices themselves. That does, however, make them appealing to publishers. I personally also agree that because of the DRM issue I do not buy from Apple. However, since Amazon strengthened their own DRM I no longer buy from them either. I personally now buy from Barnes and Noble because of that. Isn't it interesting to see how many sales they all lose through DRM?!

Donnageddon · 07-22-2010, 08:13 PM

I don't buy books from Apple or Amazon. I purchase from whoever has the book, at the best price, in a format I prefer (ePub),without DRM, or with DRM that I can easily discard like the putrid garbage it is.

Usually Fictionwise, Kobo, BoB, and Diesel.

Bremen Cole · 07-22-2010, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon;

I don't buy books from Apple or Amazon. I purchase from whoever has the book, at the best price, in a format I prefer (ePub),without DRM, or with DRM that I can easily discard like the putrid garbage it is.

Usually Fictionwise, Kobo, BoB, and Diesel.

tyche · 07-22-2010, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

Diesel.

Thumbs up for Diesel for me. I found I book I wanted there. Geographical restrictions prevented me from buying it until I chose Paypal as paymment

JSWolf · 07-22-2010, 09:27 PM

The idea is to not buy any eBooks from Apple so they tank badly enough to hopefully go away from the eBook market. Apple has done nothing good with eBooks and enough bad to cause all kinds of problems with us.

leebase · 07-22-2010, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I doubt that there will ever be more iPads than iPhones, so I don't see how it could be the dominant reading device. And no matter how many there are, it will never be the dominant _reading_ device. It's not all that great for reading.

The iPad is fantastic for reading. But so is the iPhone. I just don't know how many iPhone/Touch folks have figured out how great a reading device they are. They just don't think of something so small for reading.

The iPad is market as an ereader and obviously has the bigger screen.

I'd love for Amazon to provide us numbers of how many books are selling for all it's separate platforms.

Lee

Neil · 07-22-2010, 11:06 PM

<<The idea is to not buy any eBooks from Apple so they tank badly enough to hopefully go away from the eBook market. Apple has done nothing good with eBooks and enough bad to cause all kinds of problems with us.

What have they done bad? That Amazon hasn't as well?

kjk · 07-22-2010, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

<<The idea is to not buy any eBooks from Apple so they tank badly enough to hopefully go away from the eBook market. Apple has done nothing good with eBooks and enough bad to cause all kinds of problems with us.

What have they done bad? That Amazon hasn't as well?

Convenient scapegoat for all the supposed ills of the Agency Model

Apple just came along at the right time-it isn't like publisher's weren't already chafing at Amazon's policies. But someone must be blamed.

And you can exclude me from the "nothing good with eBooks and all kinds of problems with us"

I've never bought more books or read more eBooks than since I got the iPad. It has solved a lot of the issues I had with previous readers (the screen flash and navigation on the Sony 505, PDF readability, multiple book store purchases) Your mileage, of course, will vary.

HarryT · 07-23-2010, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I doubt that there will ever be more iPads than iPhones, so I don't see how it could be the dominant reading device. And no matter how many there are, it will never be the dominant _reading_ device. It's not all that great for reading.

Have to disagree with you about it not being a good reading device; I find it to be very good indeed. What don't you like about it for reading?

EowynCarter · 07-23-2010, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Everyone who buys a Kindle plans to use it to read ebooks. (Or give it to someone for use in reading ebooks. Whatever.) Not everyone who buys an iPad has any intention of reading ebooks on it

Exactly

Sischa · 07-23-2010, 10:15 AM

And if amazon will ever be moving it's big, fat, lazy *** to international markets the will easily double their ebook sales i would say.

I am ordering so much books on amazon.com but if they also would provide ebooks to kindle by amazon.de i would spent even more money to them.

The iBook Store is a no go for me as long as they use a DRM which can not be stripped off.

07-22-2010, 08:13 PM	#19
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	I don't buy books from Apple or Amazon. I purchase from whoever has the book, at the best price, in a format I prefer (ePub),without DRM, or with DRM that I can easily discard like the putrid garbage it is. Usually Fictionwise, Kobo, BoB, and Diesel. Last edited by Donnageddon; 07-22-2010 at 08:15 PM.

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07-22-2010, 07:56 PM	#18
Neil Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 10932816 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad Mini 6, iPad Air, Kindles HD 8, HD 10, Oasis 3, Scribe, Colorsoft	It might be interesting to see if Apple will follow Amazon's lead and make iBooks into an application on both the Mac and the PC -- such as they did iTunes. Once that happened the iTunes music store took way off and the same could happen to the iBookstore. Prices are indeed usually worse at Apple and, according to Publishers' Weekly, that is due to Apple allowing publishers to set prices instead of setting prices themselves. That does, however, make them appealing to publishers. I personally also agree that because of the DRM issue I do not buy from Apple. However, since Amazon strengthened their own DRM I no longer buy from them either. I personally now buy from Barnes and Noble because of that. Isn't it interesting to see how many sales they all lose through DRM?!

07-22-2010, 09:27 PM	#22
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,792 Karma: 146391129 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The idea is to not buy any eBooks from Apple so they tank badly enough to hopefully go away from the eBook market. Apple has done nothing good with eBooks and enough bad to cause all kinds of problems with us.

07-22-2010, 11:06 PM	#24
Neil Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 10932816 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad Mini 6, iPad Air, Kindles HD 8, HD 10, Oasis 3, Scribe, Colorsoft	<<The idea is to not buy any eBooks from Apple so they tank badly enough to hopefully go away from the eBook market. Apple has done nothing good with eBooks and enough bad to cause all kinds of problems with us. What have they done bad? That Amazon hasn't as well?

07-23-2010, 10:15 AM	#28
Sischa Evangelist Posts: 428 Karma: 2370 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Germany Device: Nokia 770, Ilead, Cybook G3, Kindle DX, Kindle 2, iPad, Kindle 3, PW	And if amazon will ever be moving it's big, fat, lazy *** to international markets the will easily double their ebook sales i would say. I am ordering so much books on amazon.com but if they also would provide ebooks to kindle by amazon.de i would spent even more money to them. The iBook Store is a no go for me as long as they use a DRM which can not be stripped off.