Another rant about Sony ebook pricing

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by khalleron

Until 2-3 years down the road when there's some better device, that probably reads ePub, and they find they can't read their old books on it.

For people who only read new stuff, or aren't re-readers, that may not be a problem. For me, that's a BIG no-no.

FWIW, I don't buy from the Sony Store either, for the same reason. I don't want to be locked into a format when things are still in such flux. The ebook format wars have been going on a loooooong time with no clear winner. I still want long-term availability, which I'm more likely to have with the ePub format.

The technology for ebook readers is starting to move fast and there is a lot of competition coming down the road, so we may all be on to something new in 2-3 years. There is no way you can guess or assume what will be happening to Amazon in that time. They could adopt the ePub format or some other format might become dominant. Just go with the flow. Whatever the outcome, whatever format one owns now, there will be a way (legal or not) to convert to use on a future device.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

The technology for ebook readers is starting to move fast and there is a lot of competition coming down the road, so we may all be on to something new in 2-3 years. There is no way you can guess or assume what will be happening to Amazon in that time. They could adopt the ePub format or some other format might become dominant. Just go with the flow. Whatever the outcome, whatever format one owns now, there will be a way (legal or not) to convert to use on a future device.

Go with the flow? You mean like this?

http://www.cartoonbank.com/product_d...sortBy=popular

or maybe like this?

http://www.cartoonbank.com/product_d...sortBy=popular

(apologize for the long URLs)

(but not for trying to inject a little humor into the debate)

[tech_au]

It was reported on teleread a little while ago that Amazon lose money everytime they sell a $9.99 ebook because the publishers cost is around $12.
They are taking this dangerous path because they believe they can make it work. So far its working ok charging extra money for the hardware and losing money on the software but thats not the way things are shaping up with media providers(pay tv etc) wanting to lock you into monthly contracts and providing the hardware cheaply.

[cutterjohn42]

e-book prices ARE crazy given the VASTLY reduced fixed costs in selling and distributing them, however as far as hardcovers go MOST authos DO get a higher royalty rate for hardcover sales AFAIK, but not enough to justify the assinine e-book version pricing. It's even funnier when you consider that they might argue that digital sales would cannibalize physical sales, yet so few of us have readers and in many cases aren't inclined to purchase the physical copy anyways. (Physical book prices, even pb have gone nutso in recent years w/low quality pb nearing the $10 mark when I can recall higher quality paper/editing going for $2.50-3.25 not that many years ago. Quite an inflation rate, 300 %...)

[GypsyWoman]

Originally Posted by kelly1010

YES! This is exactly why I chose the Sony over the Kindle. I don't know how to convert, shift, de-drm, etc and I do not want to learn. I want to buy a book, load it on, and be ready to read. I don't want to do all that extra stuff in between..

Same here!! I do not want work at it. I just want to load it and then read it.