CNN Article About Only Being Able to Give Kindle eBooks

[leebase]

Originally Posted by CommonReader

I hope the author was paid well by Amazon for this ill-concealed advertisement. The recipient gets an email and can download the book to his Kindle. Wow, isn't progress great. What has happened to the wrapped gift with a handwritten, personal note?

I gave my brother-in-law iTunes gift cards so he could choose to buy whatever music he wanted (he had asked for 70's rock cd's). I wrapped up three Celine Dione CD's and put the iTunes cards in the cd cases.

The look on his face was priceless . The moral of this story is that you can still give a present even of a gift card

Lee

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Article on the CNN Web site today (http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/...ex.html?hpt=C2) reporting that only Amazon now allows you to give eBooks as gifts.

Hmm, I thought Fictionwise had gift ebooks, but I've just gone to check, and their "Gift Certificate" info page now redirects back to the main page, so maybe it's another one of those quietly-discontinued features.

They point out Amazon now allows you to buy an eBook for someone after which they send that person an eMail announcing the gift. The eMail contains a link the recipient clicks on to download the book to their Kindle.

It's not a real gift unless the recipient can get it without registering with the store. Saying, "we'll let you buy something for someone else--as long as they give us their name, email address, agree to our TOS, and register their computer on our network" isn't supporting gifts; it's a roundabout way of getting people to pay to get their friends listed in advertising databases.

[nashira]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Is that so that you can spot it when they try to sell it on Ebay?

Ha. No. I'd get over it very quickly if they did.

It's family tradition. We've got bunches of book lovers in this here genepool.

[ProfCrash]

Yes you can only use the ebook if you have a way of reading the Amazons e-books. For people with one of the many apps or a Kindle this is not a problem.

It is not a roundabout way of doing anything. They are clear that the person needs to have a way of reading the e-book that is being sent. You can download an app if you want to read the book and don't own a Kindle or you can convert the book into a gift certificate.

I own a Kindle and it was great getting my books as personal gifts and not a gift card.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

It's not a real gift unless the recipient can get it without registering with the store. Saying, "we'll let you buy something for someone else--as long as they give us their name, email address, agree to our TOS, and register their computer on our network" isn't supporting gifts; it's a roundabout way of getting people to pay to get their friends listed in advertising databases.

Well, unless the giver is a true moron (and true morons are rare), they won't be giving an e-book to someone who doesn't already have a kindle.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Well, unless the giver is a true moron (and true morons are rare), they won't be giving an e-book to someone who doesn't already have a kindle.

Actually, I can see someone who does not own an e-reader giving an e-book from Amazon to someone with a Sony or Nook. There are a decent number of people out there who do not know enough about e-readers and e-books that I can see that mistake being made.

[crossi]

Well even if the recipient doesn't have or want a kindle they can convert the gift book to an equivalent gift card and buy the paper version or something else from Amazon. I doubt very many people who don't have a kindle will be getting gift ebooks though. Why put down this option? People have been requesting it forever and Amazon LISTENS to what their customers want, it's one of their best features. If you don't need or want the option well don't use it.

[susan_cassidy]

The odds of someone giving me a specific book that I actually want are slim. Every time someone has given me a paper book, it has been something I did not want (except for books I had specifically requested, from my husband). I would prefer the gift card, myself.

Of course, if you are very close, and know that the recipient wants that specific book, that's different.

[ProfCrash]

I like the ability to convert the book to a gift certificate because it allows me to return a book that I don't want and buy a book that I do want. Not every one looks at a persons wishlist or sends what someone asks for.

[SirNose]

I gifted my dad 3 ebooks (actual titles, not gift certificates) from the Kobo store for his PRS650 for chrissy - all received no bother.

He did say it gave him the option to convert the books into credit, so if he really hated the books he could get something else, but he kept all three - well at least that's what he *said* he did ;o)

I agree that giving actual ebooks is far preferable to just getting gift certificates - gift certificates are admitting you couldn't be bothered thinking enough about the person to actually pick something out - like some cash in a card but with less flexible buying-power...

[basschick]

you could still give the recipient a card with a personal handwritten note inside telling them you gave them a particular ebook or ebooks, and sending them warm wishes.

me, i'd rather get tons of ebooks than a wrapped box of something i may not like. i love to read, and the giver would be very much in touch with who i am by gifting me ebooks. and that's the best that can be said of any gift

Originally Posted by CommonReader

I hope the author was paid well by Amazon for this ill-concealed advertisement. The recipient gets an email and can download the book to his Kindle. Wow, isn't progress great. What has happened to the wrapped gift with a handwritten, personal note?

[caleb72]

I love the addition myself.

Every Christmas I buy my sister a couple of books for Christmas, and now that she's gone all Kindle, I was a bit confused as to what to do.

I ended up giving a gift card because I wasn't really sure then how the gifting was going to work.

I had contemplated buying the ebooks myself and then breaking the DRM and giving them that way, but it ended up feeling a bit strange gifting something that was breaking TOS at the very least.

But now I have an option of picking out a book or two that I think she'll enjoy and gifting it to her. I just need to convince her to maintain a Goodreads bookshelf or wishlist or something so that I know what she has and hasn't got and/or what she'd like to have.

Regards
Caleb

[OtterBooks]

It's better than a gift card, which isn't much different from giving someone cash imo, but I prefer gifts to be tangible; something you can unwrap. I guess I'm old fashioned.

All the gifts I got this year were shipped direct via retail to me except one: a box of assorted, hand-picked little nicknacks like candy and illustrated notepads and novelty items, all individually wrapped with different kinds of wrapping paper with stickers randomly placed on them. It was by far the best gift I got.

Her (the above gifter) present from me was an Amazon unlighted leather cover for her new Kindle. Merry Christmas, sucker! (actually she hasn't had problems with it yet).

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

It's not about selling Kindles per-se; it is by satisfying customers (It was *the* most requested storefront feature.) and selling *ebooks*.

Exactly right. Amazon isn't as interested in selling Kindles (although it'd be nice, of course) as they are in selling e-books. And it's a lot easier to sell an e-book if you can give one as a gift, rather than just giving a gift card. Even if you know the book that a person will buy with the card, it's more personal to say, "Here. Here's that book you wanted", rather than to say "Here's $15. Go buy that book you wanted. You know the one..."

[dreams]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

The odds of someone giving me a specific book that I actually want are slim. Every time someone has given me a paper book, it has been something I did not want (except for books I had specifically requested, from my husband). I would prefer the gift card, myself.

Of course, if you are very close, and know that the recipient wants that specific book, that's different.

I prefer the gift card for the same reason. The only person in my circle of friends and family, who comes close to my taste in reading, is my son. That is only in the genre of History, Classics, and some Action and Adventure authors. My boss tried again with, "Eat, Pray, Love" and I just couldn't get into it. My co-workers all loved it.

I hate having to read a book that I am not interested in reading, so, just wrap up my gift card and/or put a note with a card and I am super happy. I can choose what I want and not hurt anyone's feelings.