Could this be the last year for the big chains?

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Also requires the proprietors to be uninterested in earning a decent living... Run a specialist and you get treated as a fount of all knowledge re the subject and then the "customers" go hunting for the best deal and buy from Amazon... and I speak from experience having worked for a specialist outlet for over three years and managed one for nearly four. Can only compete on specialist services not price and at the end became a free source of information expected but not supported by purchases...

Yep. An old friend of mine was part owner of a specialty bookstore in California. He has another profession as a massage therapist, in part because he was lucky if the bookstore covered rent, utilities, and stock, let alone wages for those who worked there.
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Dennis

[asjogren]

I think that the USED book business is still viable. Especially if they tie their inventory into Amazon's used book store. They then get local and continent wide distribution.

[drdann]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Blaming BPHs for blockbusters is like blaming them for being in business. Like it or not, blockbusters are where the money is, blockbusters are *what customers want* and blockbusters make it possible for many lesser selling authors to exist in the first place.

It's not like B&N has scaled their stores down so that they only carry 100 books; the superstores still carry 50,000 titles. Most people just seem to want the big sellers. I really don't think businesses should ignore their customer's wants.

Re: Blockbuster Video. The failure of Blockbuster has nothing to do with blockbuster movies, as they predate the video store. Hence the title. It didn't really have much to do with their selection, either - I remember being overwhelmed they their huge selection when I went into my first one in the 80's...that was kind of their great selling point.

BB became successful in the age of videotapes, at the time when buying a movie on a tape cost $70. (And that was 80's money). The market changed with DVDs and with producers focusing on selling them directly to consumers: you could buy a new DVD for $18, or rent one for $4-5. But renting meant returning, and if you didn't return it, there would be big late fees attached. And then Netflix offered an easier way to rent, with no late fees and easy returns.

And then going into a crowded BB, hoping they had a movie you wanted, and dealing with returns...just became inconvenient.

What killed BlockBuster & Holywood Video was Redbox, actually... why pay $4 when you can pay $1..

[xroads]

Not only are the bookstores in trouble but ereaders probably are seeing their biggest and last year of sales. With the onslaught of pads that are out now with dedicated reading apps that turn your pad into a reader that is every bit as good as a Kindle or Nook, I can't see a good reason to pay for an ereader. The upcoming year is going to see a plethora of pads at good prices. Wish I'd have waited a bit longer myself.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by xroads

With the onslaught of pads that are out now with dedicated reading apps that turn your pad into a reader that is every bit as good as a Kindle or Nook, I can't see a good reason to pay for an ereader.

I bought a Nook Color and it's a great tablet and a great ereader for magazines, children's books, short stories, and newspapers. But, it's a poor ereader for novels. It's too heavy and the backlit LCD is too bright, even on the lowest setting. I intend to buy an eInk ereader for novels.

[elcreative]

Except for the fact that a lot of people don't like reading on pads... they prefer the form and eInk of eReaders... and ending up with a reader, every bit as good as a Kindle or Nook, isn't exactly a great aspiration, surely we can aim higher than that...

Originally Posted by xroads

Not only are the bookstores in trouble but ereaders probably are seeing their biggest and last year of sales. With the onslaught of pads that are out now with dedicated reading apps that turn your pad into a reader that is every bit as good as a Kindle or Nook, I can't see a good reason to pay for an ereader. The upcoming year is going to see a plethora of pads at good prices. Wish I'd have waited a bit longer myself.

[vaughnmr]

Originally Posted by xroads

Not only are the bookstores in trouble but ereaders probably are seeing their biggest and last year of sales. With the onslaught of pads that are out now with dedicated reading apps that turn your pad into a reader that is every bit as good as a Kindle or Nook, I can't see a good reason to pay for an ereader. The upcoming year is going to see a plethora of pads at good prices. Wish I'd have waited a bit longer myself.

Actually, my next ereader WILL be the Kindle3. The Ipad is too high priced, too much walled garden attitude. And all of the lcd tablets just don't work well as an ereader for me. YMMV.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by MV64

We are witnessing the "smaller selections" already. BN hardly carries any diversity of titles anymore, even popular classic authors aren't getting on the shelves.

About a year ago some coworkers from the Ukraine were visiting us in the States, and they wanted to buy some "classic" (ie public domain) books to take back with them. I took them to a Borders, and when we asked the clerks where the "classics" section was, we were given a sort of general "over there" answer, but all I found was a limited and very expensive selection. We ended up at B&N (which is just a 5 minute drive away!) and they had a whole Penguin's Classic display for something like $7 per book. I'm not surprised about Border's having issues; they can't even compete with B&N in my neighborhood.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by xroads

Not only are the bookstores in trouble but ereaders probably are seeing their biggest and last year of sales. With the onslaught of pads that are out now with dedicated reading apps that turn your pad into a reader that is every bit as good as a Kindle or Nook, I can't see a good reason to pay for an ereader. The upcoming year is going to see a plethora of pads at good prices. Wish I'd have waited a bit longer myself.

The prediction that the iPad would kill the dedicated reader has been made before, and proved untrue. The iPad has been out for a while, and is doing nicely thank you, but the Kindle, Sony Reader, BN nook and other things still sell.

I'm not in the market for a dedicated reader. I need color support, and a device that does other things besides display books. I'm also not concerned by battery life, as I already have things I charge by reflex on a daily basis, and don't see adding another to be an imposition.

But other folks differ. They find eInk to be easier to read for extended periods, like the increased battery life, find the form factor easier to deal with, and appreciate the simplicity of a device intended to do one particular thing.

There are enough of them that reader manufacturers are still in business and are likely to remain so.
______
Dennis

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by asjogren

I think that the USED book business is still viable. Especially if they tie their inventory into Amazon's used book store. They then get local and continent wide distribution.

I agree. There's a reason Gamestop and such do OK still. It's not on new game sales.

I'm still a used bookstore shopper, when I have time. I get much better prices, no DRM, and I can always trade a book back in if it turns out to suck. When I'm in a new town I always try to find the bookstores

But I'm in the minority - a DRM hater. Most people don't seem to care. You'll learn some years down the road. I guess if you're one of those rarer read-and-chuck people (why not just use the library?) maybe you won't care. DRM always bites you in the ass eventually.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

But I'm in the minority - a DRM hater. Most people don't seem to care. You'll learn some years down the road. I guess if you're one of those rarer read-and-chuck people (why not just use the library?) maybe you won't care. DRM always bites you in the ass eventually.

I don't care much about DRM since I don't buy books and have nothing to lose. I read public domain and library books. If something I want to read isn't available in the library, then I don't read it. No big deal. There's more than enough other stuff to read.

[roc]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I don't care much about DRM since I don't buy books and have nothing to lose. I read public domain and library books. If something I want to read isn't available in the library, then I don't read it. No big deal. There's more than enough other stuff to read.

DRM is no big deal if you love cabbages or O'Reilly/Baen/etc.

When I BUY an ebook, it goes on all MY devices (Linux included) so I can read it when/where I want (and it does NOT get pirated out).

[roc]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

The prediction that the iPad would kill the dedicated reader has been made before, and proved untrue. The iPad has been out for a while, and is doing nicely thank you, but the Kindle, Sony Reader, BN nook and other things still sell.

I'm not in the market for a dedicated reader. I need color support, and a device that does other things besides display books. I'm also not concerned by battery life, as I already have things I charge by reflex on a daily basis, and don't see adding another to be an imposition.

But other folks differ. They find eInk to be easier to read for extended periods, like the increased battery life, find the form factor easier to deal with, and appreciate the simplicity of a device intended to do one particular thing.

There are enough of them that reader manufacturers are still in business and are likely to remain so.
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Dennis

I agree about multi-purpose and color. I have read several ebooks now on LCD devices: Linux netbook, Pandigital Color Novel (white-frame model), and now Archos 5 IT (still getting back into reading instead of all this random 'Net cruising ). Tablets and netbooks are great for me.

I have found though, that it must be light enough (or easily propped as with a netbook), to not make my carpal tunnel numbness kick in, so that is why I am enjoying the Archos now. I just returned a Huawei S7 when I realized that despite being about the most powerful and featureful Android tablet going (for the price), it was too heavy for prolonged holding (built-in kickstand is only for landscape mode, which I do not like for prolonged reading). The iPad was never a consideration for me - as soon as I held it in a store, I realized it was too big, heavy, and sharp-edged for me to want to have much contact with it, and the pricing and Apple walled-garden approach "sealed its doom".

I also found that even a Sony Touch was a bit awkward to hold due to its awkward-to-hold hard, thin angularity (too much tight gripping for my carpal nerve), and eInk is not all that appealing since I had to fiddle with holding it just right to get external lighting where I needed it - the Sony cover/booklight I got for it was really annoying that way with the light glaring directly in my eyes or reflecting off the screen.

On the 5-inch Archos I put whichever reader software I am using (Kindle/Nook/Kobo/Aldiko/etc) in white-on-black mode (sepia background for Nook Android version, unlike the B&N reader software included on the PDN, which could do black background), and I can read it about anywhere anytime, except outside (no biggie - not a sun-worshipper), since it is so slim/light/pocketable. I find myself taking it along almost all the time when I go out and about so I can read, surf, or check email, take notes, etc when I have spare moments - a usage mode the bigger tablets do not accommodate nearly so well.

YMMV

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by roc

DRM is no big deal if you love cabbages or O'Reilly/Baen/etc.

When I BUY an ebook, it goes on all MY devices (Linux included) so I can read it when/where I want (and it does NOT get pirated out).

I only read books on one device - an ereader. If the book disappears for some reason, I just download it again. No big deal since it's free to begin with.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by roc

I agree about multi-purpose and color. I have read several ebooks now on LCD devices: Linux netbook, Pandigital Color Novel (white-frame model), and now Archos 5 IT (still getting back into reading instead of all this random 'Net cruising ). Tablets and netbooks are great for me.

I'm glad you found a device that works well for you. The Archos 5 is nice, but I actually want a screen half again to twice that size. I couldn't use it one handed, but wouldn't want to. The stuff that makes me want a larger screen also needs two hands to do.

I have found though, that it must be light enough (or easily propped as with a netbook), to not make my carpal tunnel numbness kick in, so that is why I am enjoying the Archos now. I just returned a Huawei S7 when I realized that despite being about the most powerful and featureful Android tablet going (for the price), it was too heavy for prolonged holding (built-in kickstand is only for landscape mode, which I do not like for prolonged reading). The iPad was never a consideration for me - as soon as I held it in a store, I realized it was too big, heavy, and sharp-edged for me to want to have much contact with it, and the pricing and Apple walled-garden approach "sealed its doom".

What weight is acceptable for you?

Apple's walled garden approach is a show-stopper here, too. I understand why they take that approach, but I'm one of those folks who likes to pop the hood and fiddle.

On the 5-inch Archos I put whichever reader software I am using (Kindle/Nook/Kobo/Aldiko/etc) in white-on-black mode (sepia background for Nook Android version, unlike the B&N reader software included on the PDN, which could do black background), and I can read it about anywhere anytime, except outside (no biggie - not a sun-worshipper), since it is so slim/light/pocketable. I find myself taking it along almost all the time when I go out and about so I can read, surf, or check email, take notes, etc when I have spare moments - a usage mode the bigger tablets do not accommodate nearly so well.

My standard ebook reader is a PDA. It's quite readable outdoors if I turn the backlight completely off (which mine will let me do.) You might want to see what's possible with the Archos.
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Dennis