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

[dkperez]

Wow, this thing is incredible... Ran 137 titles that either aren't available in ANY of the 5 libraries I'm part of, including the 3M cloud, or are priced higher than my self-imposed buying limit (if it isn't cheaper than a paperback, I'm not buying it), and THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE TITLE AVAILABLE IN KU... None.....

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Twice; once with an app and the other with an MP3. They did the one-time courtesy bit. I assume that I've used up my one-time for each of those and that future mistakes will be tough luck.

All purchases should require a confirmation screen before finalizing.

Every time I buy a Kindle Book on my KT, there is a popup about saying the purhase has gone through and it will appear momentarily on the home screen...

And if you purchased by accident, click here to undo.

Another practice I dislike is how they prioritize payments. If you have a credit balance on your account, it will get used before they charge your credit card. I found out the hard way and to call Amazon to get it resolved. So the only way to bypass this feature is to call Amazon and have them place the order so that the entire amount is charged to your credit card. You should be allowed to choose your payment method on all purchases; not some purchases.

I imagine most people aren't too bothered by the idea of using up store credit before using your cash... what is your reason for wanting to save store credit and use up your cash???

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Ahh yes, I see now. They reworded it since I posted. It is still there. You will need to use the store - just like you would to browse new books on your kindle to borrow from unlimited. From the link above:


Edit: What would be the point to return a book from the device unless you plan to borrow a new one right away? I think it is good that returning and borrowing is done in the same place. Considering that you can get to the description of the book by long clicking on it - and it takes you to the store - may even give a shortcut if the book is on the device. The KU return a book is also different than KOLL, that still only lists the computer and browser as way of returning a book.

You can also return a KOLL book by checking out a new one -- it will automatically return the old one at the same time, I think there is a confirmation popup.

Makes it pretty easy, and I don't see any need to return it any other way. You aren't hindered from checking out new KOLL books at all.

Anyone know if KU works like that?

[jhempel24]

KU allows you 10 books at a time, then you have to return one. If you are trying to check one out and you are at 10, then it will prompt you to select which one you want to return.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

KU allows you 10 books at a time, then you have to return one. If you are trying to check one out and you are at 10, then it will prompt you to select which one you want to return.

Oh nice, is that even if the one you select to return is on a different device? So it is never really necessary to return a book?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Every time I buy a Kindle Book on my KT, there is a popup about saying the purhase has gone through and it will appear momentarily on the home screen...

And if you purchased by accident, click here to undo.

That's cool. However, there is no undo for app purchases.

I imagine most people aren't too bothered by the idea of using up store credit before using your cash... what is your reason for wanting to save store credit and use up your cash???

Warranty - my credit card (as do many others) offers a free 2nd year on the warranty, provided the ENTIRE price of the item is made with the card; not some of it or most of it, but ALL of it.

[tubemonkey]

nevermind

[eschwartz]

I... hear where you are coming from.

[The Old Man]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

And they offer a high number of books that I am likely to read. Which is Science fiction and historical fiction by less well known authors. In fact, several of the books I've already bought are in the list. (not sure if that is good or bad! LOL).

I'm thinking that I will probably sign up, but I don't think I want to do it the day after it is announced, especially since it sort of sounds like an accident forced their hand into maybe making it "official" a bit early. I'd like to see if the service is 'tweaked' a bit in order to work the kinks out.

I will probably watch it closely and sign up in a month or two.

I, too, was thinking of waiting a bit but after browsing through the books available I took the plunge. So far everything is working perfectly and as advertised including the Audible feature on books that have it. No problem in getting books to my Paperwhite or to my computer and running them through Calibre.

What I am now wondering is can I cancel KU, wait a few months and then sign up again? Yes, I am willing to pay the $10 per while I'm a member but I will be reading other books other than those in KU and I see no sense in having 10 books on the device, not getting around to reading them, and still paying the monthly fee.

All-in-all however, a very nice service. Well satisfied.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by The Old Man

I, too, was thinking of waiting a bit but after browsing through the books available I took the plunge. So far everything is working perfectly and as advertised including the Audible feature on books that have it. No problem in getting books to my Paperwhite or to my computer and running them through Calibre.

Perhaps I've misunderstood your post (and apologies if I have), but I really hope that people don't use KU to download books and strip the DRM from them. That's just piracy, plain and simple, and certainly not what the developers of Alf's tools wrote them for.

[The Old Man]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Perhaps I've misunderstood your post (and apologies if I have), but I really hope that people don't use KU to download books and strip the DRM from them. That's just piracy, plain and simple, and certainly not what the developers of Alf's tools wrote them for.

No, as I said, the 10 book max on the device (or checked out) increases the cost-per-read if you don't return and get around to reading them or must return them unread to get a new book. So I'm thinking of joining for a month, then quitting and rejoining after a month or three if Amazon allows that.

If I leave the WiFi off I understand the books will not be deleted from my PW2. Is that correct? In other words join, get ten books you want to read, cancel and turn off WiFi, read the books at your leisure (say in three months) and then rejoin and get 10 more books. Cost per book = $1.00.

[Waylander]

I'd rather just buy the books to be honest, and keep them in Calibre, but maybe that's just me.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by The Old Man

If I leave the WiFi off I understand the books will not be deleted from my PW2. Is that correct? In other words join, get ten books you want to read, cancel and turn off WiFi, read the books at your leisure (say in three months) and then rejoin and get 10 more books. Cost per book = $1.00.

Sounds like a good plan, to me. Although not sure if it's something I'll do.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by The Old Man

If I leave the WiFi off I understand the books will not be deleted from my PW2. Is that correct? In other words join, get ten books you want to read, cancel and turn off WiFi, read the books at your leisure (say in three months) and then rejoin and get 10 more books. Cost per book = $1.00.

As long as you keep WiFi turned off, those books will remain on your Kindle.

I can see lots of people doing this - sign up for a month, read freely for 3+ weeks, download 10 books, turn WiFi off, then cancel service. Several months later, repeat the process. If one has a second Kindle, then all the better. That would free up the primary Kindle to be used with WiFi.

How Amazon would react to such a scenario is anyone's guess.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Every time I buy a Kindle Book on my KT, there is a popup about saying the purhase has gone through and it will appear momentarily on the home screen...

And if you purchased by accident, click here to undo.



I imagine most people aren't too bothered by the idea of using up store credit before using your cash... what is your reason for wanting to save store credit and use up your cash???

Yes, some of us are. I buy things for my mother all the time and she is more than willing to pay. But if I have gift cards it comes out of MY account or if I have a credit, same thing. She tends to make larger purchases than I do and it can eat up everything I have stored. Sure, she can send me a check or buy me another gift card, but it would be a lot easier if I could just choose the payment easily.