Which one do you think is the online bookstore with better ebook selection for you - Page 2

viviena · 12-20-2010, 11:30 PM

I'll buy from whichever store's willing to sell to me. Surprisingly enough, a lot of times it's none of them, unless I engage in some subterfuge. Anyway, Amazon for overseas works -- strip and convert. B&N, no. Borders (AU)? Meh. Kobo has better selection and pricing than even Amazon for Australian works in my honest opinion, so it's my preferred bookstore. (Yet I actually use my 350 to read books from Kobo. Funny that.) Baen for sci-fi. To be honest, store affiliation has never been one of my deciding factors for my ereader of choice.

OtterBooks · 12-21-2010, 02:15 AM

Quote:

you don't get out much do ya.. do you mean sort ebooks like this

How would getting out more give me better experience with internet retailers?

No, I don't mean that kind of sorting. All the sites do that, I know. I mean little things like the scrolling list of similar books on each product's page, and the fact that the user reviews are specific to the particular version of ebook, unlike most of the books on B&N where all versions of a title share the same group of user reviews. Sometimes a particular ebook version of a title will have poor formatting, and reviews often will mention it.

Ultimately all I care about is the books themselves and it doesn't matter where I get them.

KarenH · 12-21-2010, 03:11 AM

I shopped at Fictionwise almost exclusively (except for the rare Amazon purchase) until the agency pricing fiasco trashed them. At that point I switched to Amazon for the majority of my purchases, but I do still shop around and occasionally buy from other stores, most often Sony (because I still have credit left from the gift cards I bought when Target sold them at 40% off), but also Kobo, B&N, Books on Board, and Borders. Others too I'm sure, but those are the only ones I can think of right now.

JSWolf · 12-21-2010, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocampo

Time for another pool!

So, from all the major online bookstores which one is, in your opinion, the one with biggest and better ebook selection.

Why did you exclude Sony, Kobo, Smashwords and shops outside the USA? As for the poll without them, BAH!

Sorry, but the results are less then useless.

HarryT · 12-21-2010, 09:03 AM

It is an extremely odd poll, given that two out of the three bookstores listed aren't available to 95% of the world's population. Hardly something which is going to give a meaningful result.

Seabound · 12-21-2010, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It is an extremely odd poll, given that two out of the three bookstores listed aren't available to 95% of the world's population. Hardly something which is going to give a meaningful result.

It might, however, give some people the desired result.

I rarely buy from Amazon nowadays. B&N has been getting most of my eBook money.

.

jocampo · 12-21-2010, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why did you exclude Sony, Kobo, Smashwords and shops outside the USA? As for the poll without them, BAH!

Sorry, but the results are less then useless.

Select "Other"

elemenoP · 12-21-2010, 10:43 AM

Calibre + Tools = buy from any store. I'll get them from anywhere, but I admit that even when I'm buying (or, more often, downloading a freebie) a book elsewhere, I always check the reviews on Amazon first.

eP

shanghaichica · 12-21-2010, 02:19 PM

Amazon. It has the biggest range of books and are the cheapest.

boswd · 12-21-2010, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanghaichica

Amazon. It has the biggest range of books and are the cheapest.

no they are not the cheapest anymore, maybe a year or two ago, but that edge has whittled, they all are pratically the same.

Catlady · 12-21-2010, 03:24 PM

I am still in the process of weaning myself away from Amazon since I bought an incompatible e-reader. So I still tend to go there first to browse and read reviews, but when I find something I want, I generally go to Kobo for a non-Agency book (so I can use a coupon) or BN for an Agency book.

OtterBooks · 12-22-2010, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

I am still in the process of weaning myself away from Amazon since I bought an incompatible e-reader. So I still tend to go there first to browse and read reviews, but when I find something I want, I generally go to Kobo for a non-Agency book (so I can use a coupon) or BN for an Agency book.

Even when I get ebooks from other sources, such as the Mobileread library, I often browse first on Amazon. Web retail is their entire business, and it really shows imo. I've discovered tons of new titles and authors from their scrolling list of similar books.

Quote:

It is an extremely odd poll, given that two out of the three bookstores listed aren't available to 95% of the world's population. Hardly something which is going to give a meaningful result.

Good point. I would have thought that since the ebooks are purely download, that anyone anywhere could make an account and purchase them. Guess not. P.S. thank you for your nicely done ebooks in the MB library

Chris Crouch · 12-22-2010, 07:31 PM

Of your 3 choices, Amazon by a long way. B&N and Borders won't sell to Aussies :-)

BooksOnBoard are also good, and my wife buys plenty of romance ebooks from Harlequin & Carina Press.

AJ Starr · 12-23-2010, 09:33 AM

Wouldn't touch any of the three mentioned because they are proprietary. I shop at Books on Board for my ebooks (though I'd shop at Astak if they ever got their act together)

AJ

pholy · 12-23-2010, 01:45 PM

Two out of the three won't sell outside the USofA... Amazon won't sell epub... Oh, OK, that leaves 'Other'

For me, that's Smashwords, Baen, Kobo, Sony, and BooksOnBoard, roughly in that order.

View Poll Results: Best online bookstore (the best selection of ebooks for your taste and preference)
Amazon	36	53.73%
Borders	2	2.99%
B&N	9	13.43%
Other	20	29.85%
Voters: 67. You may not vote on this poll

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
WSJ Article: How To Choose An Online Bookstore	BBRags	General Discussions	11	06-11-2010 11:25 PM
Trying to download ebook from Sony Bookstore	prudence	Sony Reader	10	10-01-2009 03:12 PM
Another online free ebook site	Kirari	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	5	05-20-2009 10:46 AM
Borders online bookstore beta	Bob Russell	News	9	09-18-2007 11:00 AM

12-20-2010, 11:30 PM	#16
viviena Evangelist Posts: 412 Karma: 520610 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canberra, Australia Device: Currently Kobo Clara HD and Aura One, iPad	I'll buy from whichever store's willing to sell to me. Surprisingly enough, a lot of times it's none of them, unless I engage in some subterfuge. Anyway, Amazon for overseas works -- strip and convert. B&N, no. Borders (AU)? Meh. Kobo has better selection and pricing than even Amazon for Australian works in my honest opinion, so it's my preferred bookstore. (Yet I actually use my 350 to read books from Kobo. Funny that.) Baen for sci-fi. To be honest, store affiliation has never been one of my deciding factors for my ereader of choice.

12-21-2010, 03:11 AM	#18
KarenH Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 37762 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NW Washington State, USA Device: K3	I shopped at Fictionwise almost exclusively (except for the rare Amazon purchase) until the agency pricing fiasco trashed them. At that point I switched to Amazon for the majority of my purchases, but I do still shop around and occasionally buy from other stores, most often Sony (because I still have credit left from the gift cards I bought when Target sold them at 40% off), but also Kobo, B&N, Books on Board, and Borders. Others too I'm sure, but those are the only ones I can think of right now.

12-21-2010, 09:03 AM	#20
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,557 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It is an extremely odd poll, given that two out of the three bookstores listed aren't available to 95% of the world's population. Hardly something which is going to give a meaningful result.

12-21-2010, 10:43 AM	#23
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Calibre + Tools = buy from any store. I'll get them from anywhere, but I admit that even when I'm buying (or, more often, downloading a freebie) a book elsewhere, I always check the reviews on Amazon first. eP

12-21-2010, 02:19 PM	#24
shanghaichica Guru Posts: 991 Karma: 5782970 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Scribe,Kindle Oasis 3, iPad Pro 11,15 Pro Max,iPad mini 7,colorsoft	Amazon. It has the biggest range of books and are the cheapest.

12-21-2010, 03:24 PM	#26
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,419 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I am still in the process of weaning myself away from Amazon since I bought an incompatible e-reader. So I still tend to go there first to browse and read reviews, but when I find something I want, I generally go to Kobo for a non-Agency book (so I can use a coupon) or BN for an Agency book.

12-22-2010, 07:31 PM	#28
Chris Crouch Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 26 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Adelaide, Australia Device: Kindle 2, Kindle 3 & iPad	Of your 3 choices, Amazon by a long way. B&N and Borders won't sell to Aussies :-) BooksOnBoard are also good, and my wife buys plenty of romance ebooks from Harlequin & Carina Press.

12-23-2010, 09:33 AM	#29
AJ Starr Guru Posts: 815 Karma: 1029784 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nebraska, USA Device: PEZ, Color Libre, 2@Sony T1, Onyx i62HD	Wouldn't touch any of the three mentioned because they are proprietary. I shop at Books on Board for my ebooks (though I'd shop at Astak if they ever got their act together) AJ

12-23-2010, 01:45 PM	#30
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	Two out of the three won't sell outside the USofA... Amazon won't sell epub... Oh, OK, that leaves 'Other' For me, that's Smashwords, Baen, Kobo, Sony, and BooksOnBoard, roughly in that order.

Advert

Advert