Tired of ebook pricing

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

That would be true, IF Calibre AND Alf had not existed.

But they do.

So the argument of getting an epub reader so that you can buy anywhere is purely ignorant.

Currently, if you are even minimally knowledgeable about computers, format of the ebook should have no influence over where you buy. Only thing that matters then is the price. And you can use calibre to chainsaw (as you said) any ebook.

However, if you have no knowledge, or just don't care enough, well don't complain then.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

That a good point... there are thousands of public domain and creative commons books. But, sometimes you just want to read something a little more contemporary.

I assume that's what you meant right, by "get them for free"?

There's also promotional freebies; a few hundred Kindles at any point in time, a couple dozen Nooks.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by Tom Swift

Oh, there are many ways I can get his book, both legal and illegal. Not the point. The point is that these publishers still have their heads up their asses when it comes to electronic books. According to Amazon, this price is set by the publisher.

Well, and the government. As much as the GST was supposed to remove the manufacturers tax, it didn't it just added to it. We all knew that would happen and it did. Publishers do set prices in the various countries, but some of that is based on the cost of doing business in a given country. When it comes to price craziness like $5 more in Canada over the US, I just end up not buying it. I will buy the paper at that point, which is probably only $2 more that the US price, or I'll wait and borrow the book from the library.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Geralt

But they do.

So the argument of getting an epub reader so that you can buy anywhere is purely ignorant.

Currently, if you are even minimally knowledgeable about computers, format of the ebook should have no influence over where you buy. Only thing that matters then is the price. And you can use calibre to chainsaw (as you said) any ebook.

This is true until Adobe forces the new DRM, when there may well be a significant window of time before it's cracked. In that situation epub ereaders with up-to-date Adobe DRM will be able to read both those locked epubs and (unlocked) Kindle books, whereas those with Kindles won't be able to do the converse. That's what I took arturg to mean.

[Katsunami]

If the new DRM is ever cracked... AFAIK, the iBook DRM was never cracked. Why not; are not enough people using it, to make it worthwhile to investigate?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

If the new DRM is ever cracked... AFAIK, the iBook DRM was never cracked. Why not; are not enough people using it, to make it worthwhile to investigate?

Apple's "Fairplay" DRM actually was cracked. Google for more info.

The only DRM system I know of which never was cracked was Sony's "LRX" format, and that's probably because it was very little used.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by meeera

This is true until Adobe forces the new DRM, when there may well be a significant window of time before it's cracked. In that situation epub ereaders with up-to-date Adobe DRM will be able to read both those locked epubs and (unlocked) Kindle books, whereas those with Kindles won't be able to do the converse. That's what I took arturg to mean.

I know there might be a reason at times to buy an epub, but since I got a kindle I have never found a need to buy a (DRM protected) book anywhere other than Amazon. I have bought some at other places, but they were DRM free, so I had no issue putting them on my kindle.

[Katsunami]

@HarryT: Is this a recent development? I've read several times that Alf could strip DRM from any e-book, as long as you did NOT buy it as an iBook.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I know there might be a reason at times to buy an epub, but since I got a kindle I have never found a need to buy a (DRM protected) book anywhere other than Amazon. I have bought some at other places, but they were DRM free, so I had no issue putting them on my kindle.

I've never had a need in terms of availability to buy books anywhere except Amazon, but I've often taken advantage of good deals at sites like Kobo and BooksOnBoard and bought ePub books there. No problem in converting them for the Kindle, of course.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

@HarryT: Is this a recent development? I've read several times that Alf could strip DRM from any e-book, as long as you did NOT buy it as an iBook.

It wasn't Alf. It was a standalone program. I'm not going to say any more here!

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It wasn't Alf. It was a standalone program. I'm not going to say any more here!

Oh, OK. Then Alf still doesn't support stripping DRM from iBooks. Maybe he'll one day incorporate the method used by that other program.

You don't have to say anything else; I'll never buy anything at Apple, if I can help it. That's an entirely different issue however.

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I know there might be a reason at times to buy an epub, but since I got a kindle I have never found a need to buy a (DRM protected) book anywhere other than Amazon. I have bought some at other places, but they were DRM free, so I had no issue putting them on my kindle.

With 50% and 30% off coupons at Kobo, I can get an ebook for 5$ instead of usual 10$ at amazon.
(I mostly read fantasy and new(ish) books)

I don't care who the seller is. I care about the price.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by FinancialWar

You guys are crazy to pay for books when you can get them for free.

If authors don't make money, they will have to stop writing and get a full time job that pays them the money to support themselves and their families. I love to check out library books, but their selection is narrow (don't know if they don't want to acknowledge digital because they feel threatened and afraid they will become irrelevant (I am not asserting they are)). I am currently on a 28 person waiting list, and there is still only 1 copy of the book.

[Katsunami]

With a two week loan per book, that's more then one year of waiting.

Yeah, I'd pay a few bucks if I wanted to read that book NOW.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by meeera

This is true until Adobe forces the new DRM, when there may well be a significant window of time before it's cracked. In that situation epub ereaders with up-to-date Adobe DRM will be able to read both those locked epubs and (unlocked) Kindle books, whereas those with Kindles won't be able to do the converse. That's what I took arturg to mean.

That assumes there will actually be epub readers with up-to-date Adobe DRM. Currently, there are none, and the Sony and Nook ereaders will probably never get the update.

Nor will half a dozen other ereaders that aren't as common....

At least with Amazon, it guaranteed, based on their track record, that every Kindle they ever made will be able to download your books at any time, until the device itself breaks.

But chances are the DRM will be cracked pretty fast. Alf's apprentices are pretty good about getting out those timely updates. The speed of elf is considerable.