Amazon is testing “Kindle Unlimited,” an ebook subscription service for $9.99/month

[Barty]

I don't see why the 10 book limit should be a show stopper, unless you are in the habit of reading more than 10 books simultaneously.

I don't think amazon licenses a fixed number of copies per book like the libraries do, right? They can lend out unlimited copies; they just need to pay. So it's not as if you need to "hoard" a copy when it's available.

(Maybe books you've gotten from KU will show up on cloud. It'd be great to have an automatic record of what i've read no matter the source, even side loaded books. For all I know, amazon is doing this already, recording all kind of data and metrics about my reading. I wish they'd let me access it.)

What I wonder is how long are books licensed for? Months, a year, indefinitely? With netflix, movies and shows expire and routinely drop off the service, so you can miss stuff if you postpone seeing them.

My problem with KU is right now I have a hard time finding even ten books I really want to read that I can't find in the two quite good public libraries I have access to.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

You would imagine that Amazon will have simply some kind of limit on how many times per year people can sign up/cancel a subscription. Or am I missing something?

My impression from the rules is that the "Trial" is once. Once you do a free trial, you can't just cancel and then sign up for that again.

Generally speaking, I can say that Amazon does have things in place to stop some forms of cheating, and I would expect they might have algorithms in place (or they will after they figure things out) to stop people from "cheating."

For example, in the early kindle days, when they caught too many returns, they bricked people's kindles. Now if they catch various forms of cheating, they dis-allow returns. There are certain algorithms that catch the problems--in x span of time, how many returns? If y, then the returns are shut off (and when that happens, it's my understanding you can no longer return a book for any reason). Other behavior is also tracked and caught: If you buy book one in a series, return it, buy book two and return it...you may find that after you buy book 3, you cannot return it (or any others).

At a guess, Amazon will work to define algorithms for certain behavior they believe is cheating. Without necessarily accusing anyone, they will likely keep them from subscribing or will cancel the subscription. So if a person were to subscribe and somehow "try" 400 books in one month (reading some or none), they may not allow that person to subscribe again. They could, as they do with returns, simply say, "We won't tell you what "too many" is--but you've borrowed too many.

One of the complaints I saw with a blogger who was blocked from returns was that "Amazon refused to tell me how many returns was too many." Commenters pointed out that if Amazon set a Finite number, people would just stay below that number. The blogger in question mentioned she was returning books at a rate of approximately 60 percent (after her first year of Kindle ownership where she was returning books at about 40 percent). My guess was that during her first year, Amazon may not have even HAD the algorithms checking, so she got away with 40 and then kept on going to 60.

As others have pointed out, Amazon can also see whether a person finishes a book. The blogger above freely admitted that she finished most books, but they didn't meet her criteria for being good enough to keep.

Shrug. People will get away with some things for a while and then the rules will change. It is as it ever was: Build a lock. Break the lock. Build a better lock...

[mgbino]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

The overdrive app for my library allows me to borrow up to 20 digital items, for free. Max loan period of 3 weeks. I can return anytime I like and borrow more, as long as my title list is no bigger than 20. For free. If I didn't have the access to this, I'd consider Amazon.

20!? My library only allows 6 at a time.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by foghat

So, I just tried 'borrowing' more than 10 books. Yes, does not let you - asks you to return one first. So no way to keep a read book in your library once you get beyond 10. Bummer for me.

So, that is a self imposed restriction. I don't see a need to keep "read" books in your library. If you do, then yes this isn't for you.

Why the need to keep the read books. You can use Goodreads or librarything to keep track of books you have read, when you read them, how you rate them etc.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by mgbino

20!? My library only allows 6 at a time.

My libraries allow 30, 25, 20 10... at a time.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

My libraries allow 30, 25, 20 10... at a time.

Mine allows 3 checked out and 3 on the wait list. I can't even wait list more than 3 at a time!

[foghat]

Originally Posted by Barty

I don't see why the 10 book limit should be a show stopper, unless you are in the habit of reading more than 10 books simultaneously.
<snip>

Show stopper in the sense I like to build up a library and have it at my disposal for future perusing. Maybe it is a bit of a vanity thing - I can look back and think, 'gee, look at all the stuff I've read'.

It would be nice if there was an option to just keep a placeholder in your library for unlimited books you've read (or want to read) - when I actually try to read/download them, then force me (if I'm at my limit) to remove one of the already downloaded books, but keep a placeholder for it.

[foghat]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

So, that is a self imposed restriction. I don't see a need to keep "read" books in your library. If you do, then yes this isn't for you.

Why the need to keep the read books. You can use Goodreads or librarything to keep track of books you have read, when you read them, how you rate them etc.

Ya, self imposed I guess. I have used shelfari, but that needs to be maintained and pulls you out of the experience in the sense I need to go somewhere else to see them.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Mine allows 3 checked out and 3 on the wait list. I can't even wait list more than 3 at a time!

Mine allow 20, 25, 10, 10...

This is a waste for me, since I rarely checkout or place on hold more than 1 book at a time.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by foghat

Ya, self imposed I guess. I have used goodreads, but that needs to be maintained and pulls you out of the experience in the sense I need to go somewhere else to see them.

I think it is mostly integrated right on the kindle.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/19/g...hite-hands-on/

And that articles a bit old, so I expect it to be even better now.

Actually, I currently use Library Thing, and it is an extra manual step. It is because of this integration that I have been considering getting a Paper White and moving to Good Reads. Seems like it would be so nice to have this all integrated.

Anyone using this integration? (yea I know this is OT).

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I see what you are saying--but the instructions on my dashboard specifically say that prime users can still borrow and we'll still get paid like we were before as soon as a book is downloaded

...blah, blah. Now, here is a book that I know is in the exclusive program:

http://www.amazon.com/All-Paths-Shad...s=frank+tuttle

Instead of saying zero next to the kindle price, it says "prime" -- I don't HAVE prime so I can't tell if that means it would be borrowable at zero or ... what.

Where the prime freebie line used to be, it now encourages people to sign up for a free trial/lending library. If you have prime, maybe you can tell if you can borrow the book?

I don't see that option. Before logging in I see $1.99 and the prime logo. After login, no change. There is a "read for free" button, but it says "with Kindle Unlimited". I don't see any way to get it for free as a Prime member.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by foghat

I usually only read 1 book at at time. My issue is, I like to have a collection (or bookshelf) of books that I have read - so I can just look over them (covers) from time to time. I am assuming the ios app will only display up to 10 books in my library at at time.

I guess I should check this out. There is a 'in cloud' vs. 'on device' toggle in the app. Maybe all of them will appear in the cloud, but only let me have 10 on the device at a time.

If you use Calibre, you can just do like I do for borrowed books. I keep an entry for each and add an empty ebook that contains the book description. If your empty book is epub, you can use the Modify ePub plugin to put the tags and description in the epub easily. That way when I am looking for books, I know what I have already read so I won't buy something I borrowed unless I want to.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by twowheels

I don't see that option. Before logging in I see $1.99 and the prime logo. After login, no change. There is a "read for free" button, but it says "with Kindle Unlimited". I don't see any way to get it for free as a Prime member.

This was being discussed on the Amazon forum and several people said the logo indicates that you can "borrow" those marked with Prime for free. I understand your confusion--completely and I mentioned it on the forum only to be told it wasn't confusing at all.

But there were those on that forum reporting they could borrow those books with the prime next to it. I'm not in prime and I saw no way to actually ACCOMPLISH the feat. But supposedly there is a way.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I think it is mostly integrated right on the kindle.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/19/g...hite-hands-on/

And that articles a bit old, so I expect it to be even better now.

Actually, I currently use Library Thing, and it is an extra manual step. It is because of this integration that I have been considering getting a Paper White and moving to Good Reads. Seems like it would be so nice to have this all integrated.

Anyone using this integration? (yea I know this is OT).

SHelfari is an Amazon company and if the integration is the same for GR, you still manually enter books. The only integration it does is that you can port your database of purchases over. When I first joined Shelfari, I ported them over and most came over. There were, of course, hundreds and I didn't want to manually enter them. I then was able to see all (well most) of my books. I *think* that is also how it works with GR also. The point is, when I buy a new book, I either have to manually "import" or just keep up with the list manually anyway. I don't think GR "sees" what you purchase and adds it automatically.

If that makes sense...

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

This was being discussed on the Amazon forum and several people said the logo indicates that you can "borrow" those marked with Prime for free. I understand your confusion--completely and I mentioned it on the forum only to be told it wasn't confusing at all.

But there were those on that forum reporting they could borrow those books with the prime next to it. I'm not in prime and I saw no way to actually ACCOMPLISH the feat. But supposedly there is a way.

You can only borrow a prime book from Amazon hardware. But I would much rather browse for what I want on the web.