Buy an ebook in a bookshop. - Page 2

camino real · 11-05-2009, 08:25 AM

I love wandering round bookshops so this would be a great idea. You could sample the book, read the first chapter and then see if you wanted to buy the e-version.

I love a good bookshop. You always come across something interesting or useful by browsing a shelf than you ever do by browsing online.

rcuadro · 11-05-2009, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

This is a completely backwards idea.

Why, exactly, would I want to get in a car, drive 20 minutes to the store, browse for 30 minutes, spend 15 minutes checking out, then another 20 going home -- when I can download a sample, read it, buy it, and have it on my device in 10 minutes?

You don't need to go to the music store to download MP3's, or to the game store to download video games, or to the video store to stream movies to your computer. I fail to see why you need to go to a physical store to download a book.

Not to mention that a store is a very expensive chunk of overhead that will become far less common (for better and for worse) as ebook sales rise. Since the physical store doesn't even generate revenue from the sale, it's clearly not a sustainable model.

I think that you are taking it the wrong way. As it is now, you can purchase iTune gift cards pretty much anywhere and you can go to electronic stores like Best Buy and purchase a gift card good for a specific CD of music. I see it all the time. It is not the fact that I went to the store to purchase MP3's but more like an impulse buy.
You go to Best Buy to get a PS3 game and, while waiting in line, you notice the new Britney Spears card for her new CD and you pick it up for your kids.

rcuadro · 11-05-2009, 08:32 AM

In all reality I think it should be like they are doing with DVD's and Blu Rays. Purchase the movie and you get a digital copy for free.

kindlekitten · 11-05-2009, 09:46 AM

I think this is a really good idea. it cannot and should not replace the ability to purchase and download either online or over wireless connections. those capabilities are standard and cannot be done away with at this point.

this would help save the bookstores that are currently struggling. with some of things already mentioned, ie coffee shops, maybe even small cafes as part of the whole experience. private bookstores have for a long time been a draw for book lovers; for people to network, share favorite books and authors and so on. the last store to go out of business here also sponsored book clubs, various clubs would meet on different days in space provided by the store. there was also a children's nook (*heh*). along with all of the other usual suspect items sold in bookstores; calendars, high end stationary, pens and a variety of other odds and ends, and brick-a-brack... this could definetly save that part of the industry!

now I wonder, with "buying" the cards or chips or however else it is handled, could we then turn around and "sell" the item back to a "used" bookstore?

ardeegee · 11-05-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxx6166

I always pictured the future of ereaders having a barcode scanner somewhere on them. You go to the bookstore and shop for your book, scanning the barcode for purchase or wishlist. Have it download while you're still in store. It works out much better than my current pen and paper method =)

As is usual, Japan is closer to that future than the rest of us. QR code reading is common on phones available in Japan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code

Quote:

Why not encode the whole book into a high density "barcode", or even a microchip/usb device atached to the 3x5 card. Chips are getting so cheap, or at least, maybe they can sell collections of books this way.

This can be done now-- the question is the practical data density of the system, after taking into account limiting factors like the grain of the paper, how much the ink spreads into the paper (look closely at ink on paper-- it doesn't have crisp edges, it flows a bit) and resolution of the camera that would be reading the code. I don't know how big a "real world" square of data would have to be to encode the hundreds of kilobytes or more needed for a book. See:

http://www.adams1.com/stack.html

mgrunk · 11-05-2009, 11:09 AM

I love going to bookstores and browsing the shelves - sometimes I'm drawn to a book because of the cover art or the blurb or that it's on sale. I often stumble upon books that I never would have searched for. Websites on the other hand have a very small footprint - it is quite difficult to browse IMO. I think Amazon is the best online book browsing experience for me, but it doesn't equal a physical store.

I like to shop, I find it to be a break from my life - I enjoy going to bookstores and browsing - if I could buy an ebook after browsing, it would make the process even more enjoyable.

Hellmark · 11-05-2009, 11:39 AM

Using barcodes to contain the entire book would be impractical. Most current barcode methods are only good for small numbers. A more practical solution would be to have the barcode have the ISDN, and just have it download the book when getting that.

Lo Zeno · 11-05-2009, 11:57 AM

I like the idea, actually.
I don't have much time to browse & search the web for new and recently published books, and so I usually enjoy going to a bookstore (while at the mall for example), looking at the "new entry" section, write down the name and when I go home buy the ebook (when available) to read it in my V3.

If the bookstore allows me to buy the ebook version of something I have just seen, hell, I'd jump on it!

mgrunk · 11-05-2009, 02:34 PM

Yes - I think I'd definitely do more spur of the moment buying if I could see it in a bookstore and immediately buy it.

rhadin · 11-05-2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

This is a completely backwards idea.

Why, exactly, would I want to get in a car, drive 20 minutes to the store, browse for 30 minutes, spend 15 minutes checking out, then another 20 going home -- when I can download a sample, read it, buy it, and have it on my device in 10 minutes?

I may be the only neanderthal on MR, but I hate shopping for books online. One of the most frustrating things I do is try to see what is available at Fictionwise. Every time I log in to FW, I think to myself --Why did I join?

I much prefer to go to the B&M store and browse the stacks. A well-designed cover will grab my attention; I do not have to already know what I am looking for or what genre. And, unfortunately for me, I tend to impulse buy. In the past month alone, I have spent more than $400 at my local B&N, whereas I have only spent about $20 at FW (excluding membership, which reminds me -- I haven't gotten my free book for renewing yet).

I know there are people who find spending hours on their computer shopping rewarding and stress free, but I'm not one of them. I hate it, unless I happen to know exactly what I want to buy (e.g., when I reorder my tea).

Amazon, B&N, Fictionwise, and the other online ebook etailers offer very difficult to browse interfaces (albeit some are better than others). But I hate feeling chained for hours to my computer to search for an ebook. I much prefer the experience of a B&M store, which is why I still buy more pbooks than ebooks.

alecE · 11-05-2009, 04:00 PM

I find the browsing process on a web site incredibly frustrating - as an example, I was browsing Waterstone's site the other day, just looking at the history section. There are several hundred titles, listed 10 on a page.Trying to decide from a thumbnail image of the cover and the author/title/price data whether or not to click and view the blurb is very tedious. I probably buy fewer ebooks simply because I cannot skim the contents and make an informed choice on purchase. Being able to browse the physical shelves in a store, and *still* be able to make an e purchase would be really great for me. Will suggest it to my local Waterstones next time I'm there!

paul1403 · 11-05-2009, 04:40 PM

There was an article in The Sydney Morning Herald a few weeks ago about something like this in Australia...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59816

Personally, I don't mind the idea at all. Shopping online has it's advantages, especially when you know which book you are looking for. It's helpful having other reviews of the book on hand to look through, as well as other reader's opinions. Browsing online is not quite as much fun as browsing in a real boodstore, where you can pick up the book, admire the cover art, read the blurb on the back, thumb through it and read random passages here and there, and so on.

Browsing in a bookstore for an ebook, though... well, that could work too. Especially if you combine the best of both worlds, such as browsing physically for a book, finding the one you want, then ordering, paying and downloading the ebook version.

This shouldn't be an either/or situation... there should (in an ideal world) be both a physical presence, as well as an on-line one. This idea is just bluring the boundaries between them.

Paul
Canberra, Australia

Kali Yuga · 11-05-2009, 04:50 PM

Again, a bookstore is a fairly expensive proposition; lots of overhead, moves at a snail's pace compared to downloads, they carry a fraction of the titles of any online presence, etc. Driving customers to a web-based service is not going to save it. Your typical bookstore carries 20,000 books; a "superstore" carries 100,000. B&N's ebook store, in its infancy, has around 200,000 titles plus another 850,000+ public domain books via Google. An ebook store with 20,000 titles would be regarded (correctly) as a crippled joke.

Amazon & the Kindle have clearly demonstrated that you don't need a 4,000 square foot kiosk to sell books and ebooks. And the sampling mechanisms, while not perfect, free me to idly perouse a chapter or so at my own pace and on my own time. As ebooks increase their market share, the bricks & mortar stores -- especially the general interest ones -- will get their margins squeezed and many (if not most) will close, just like video and record stores. You may be justifiably saddened by this, but assuming ebooks gain significant marketshare (which is likely), sticking placards with a URL on it in a bookstore or putting ebooks on a smart card is not going to reverse this process.

So to me, selling ebooks in a bookstore is a foolish and desperate attempt to save an aspect of commerce that is about to get threshed.

jaxx6166 · 11-05-2009, 04:56 PM

I guess I didn't make myself clear. I wasn't envisioning it as "the future" -IE- this is the way and the only way it will be done. Evar. Period. Dot dot. =)

I enjoy physical book stores, but I rarely purchase physical books anymore. Until I finish my library shelves and stuff, there just isn't room.

I just picture it as an extension of a digital store. Plus, some people like to get out and look at other people instead of being couped up in their house all day. I think it would be another one of those useless features that someone would like (IE/book sharing, mp3 capabilities, all the other gizmos on readers)

Some people (IE/me) also have a bit of a collectors mentality. Some people just. like. books.

Some people think they're killing the environment slowly and only read portable bits of html code called ebooks.

I do both.

I love going into book stores, for some reason I feel a sense of wonder every time I step into one. Whether it be from the knowledge in the non fiction stuff to the entertainment in the fiction. It's just pretty darn cool. And I like looking at pretty pictures and shiny covers. =)

This message is not intended to offend or annoy.

fugazied · 11-05-2009, 05:07 PM

That the way I think bookshops will have to go within the next 10 years or a number will go out of business. They need to be the place you go to browse paper copies of the books, have a coffee, then buy the book via a kiosk and have it downloaded immediately to your device.

With the additional space bookstores will have from not having to hold hundreds of duplicate paper copies of books, they can slap in a coffee bar, more chairs and make it a very nice space for reading/browsing. Unlike Grisham I don't think the ebook industry will be crippled to match the requirements of the old print book industry. The paper bookshops will have to think of ways to compete and offer value against cheap ebooks bought with ease online.

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11-05-2009, 08:25 AM	#16
camino real Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 58 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Manchester, UK Device: Sony PRS-300	I love wandering round bookshops so this would be a great idea. You could sample the book, read the first chapter and then see if you wanted to buy the e-version. I love a good bookshop. You always come across something interesting or useful by browsing a shelf than you ever do by browsing online.

11-05-2009, 08:32 AM	#18
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	In all reality I think it should be like they are doing with DVD's and Blu Rays. Purchase the movie and you get a digital copy for free.

11-05-2009, 09:46 AM	#19
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	I think this is a really good idea. it cannot and should not replace the ability to purchase and download either online or over wireless connections. those capabilities are standard and cannot be done away with at this point. this would help save the bookstores that are currently struggling. with some of things already mentioned, ie coffee shops, maybe even small cafes as part of the whole experience. private bookstores have for a long time been a draw for book lovers; for people to network, share favorite books and authors and so on. the last store to go out of business here also sponsored book clubs, various clubs would meet on different days in space provided by the store. there was also a children's nook (heh). along with all of the other usual suspect items sold in bookstores; calendars, high end stationary, pens and a variety of other odds and ends, and brick-a-brack... this could definetly save that part of the industry! now I wonder, with "buying" the cards or chips or however else it is handled, could we then turn around and "sell" the item back to a "used" bookstore?

11-05-2009, 11:09 AM	#21
mgrunk Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 96 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: metro Atlanta, GA Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	I love going to bookstores and browsing the shelves - sometimes I'm drawn to a book because of the cover art or the blurb or that it's on sale. I often stumble upon books that I never would have searched for. Websites on the other hand have a very small footprint - it is quite difficult to browse IMO. I think Amazon is the best online book browsing experience for me, but it doesn't equal a physical store. I like to shop, I find it to be a break from my life - I enjoy going to bookstores and browsing - if I could buy an ebook after browsing, it would make the process even more enjoyable.

11-05-2009, 11:39 AM	#22
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,592 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	Using barcodes to contain the entire book would be impractical. Most current barcode methods are only good for small numbers. A more practical solution would be to have the barcode have the ISDN, and just have it download the book when getting that.

11-05-2009, 11:57 AM	#23
Lo Zeno Addict Posts: 202 Karma: 4379 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Italy Device: Hanlin V3 (with lBook firmware & OpenInkPot)	I like the idea, actually. I don't have much time to browse & search the web for new and recently published books, and so I usually enjoy going to a bookstore (while at the mall for example), looking at the "new entry" section, write down the name and when I go home buy the ebook (when available) to read it in my V3. If the bookstore allows me to buy the ebook version of something I have just seen, hell, I'd jump on it!

11-05-2009, 02:34 PM	#24
mgrunk Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 96 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: metro Atlanta, GA Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	Yes - I think I'd definitely do more spur of the moment buying if I could see it in a bookstore and immediately buy it.

11-05-2009, 04:00 PM	#26
alecE Evangelist Posts: 412 Karma: 546196 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK canal boat Device: sony prs505, prs650, kobo Glo HD liseuses	I find the browsing process on a web site incredibly frustrating - as an example, I was browsing Waterstone's site the other day, just looking at the history section. There are several hundred titles, listed 10 on a page.Trying to decide from a thumbnail image of the cover and the author/title/price data whether or not to click and view the blurb is very tedious. I probably buy fewer ebooks simply because I cannot skim the contents and make an informed choice on purchase. Being able to browse the physical shelves in a store, and still be able to make an e purchase would be really great for me. Will suggest it to my local Waterstones next time I'm there!

11-05-2009, 04:40 PM	#27
paul1403 Exertion Avoider Posts: 40 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Device: Eco-Reader, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy S2	There was an article in The Sydney Morning Herald a few weeks ago about something like this in Australia... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59816 Personally, I don't mind the idea at all. Shopping online has it's advantages, especially when you know which book you are looking for. It's helpful having other reviews of the book on hand to look through, as well as other reader's opinions. Browsing online is not quite as much fun as browsing in a real boodstore, where you can pick up the book, admire the cover art, read the blurb on the back, thumb through it and read random passages here and there, and so on. Browsing in a bookstore for an ebook, though... well, that could work too. Especially if you combine the best of both worlds, such as browsing physically for a book, finding the one you want, then ordering, paying and downloading the ebook version. This shouldn't be an either/or situation... there should (in an ideal world) be both a physical presence, as well as an on-line one. This idea is just bluring the boundaries between them. Paul Canberra, Australia

11-05-2009, 04:50 PM	#28
Kali Yuga Professional Contrarian Posts: 2,045 Karma: 3289631 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 4 No Touchie	Again, a bookstore is a fairly expensive proposition; lots of overhead, moves at a snail's pace compared to downloads, they carry a fraction of the titles of any online presence, etc. Driving customers to a web-based service is not going to save it. Your typical bookstore carries 20,000 books; a "superstore" carries 100,000. B&N's ebook store, in its infancy, has around 200,000 titles plus another 850,000+ public domain books via Google. An ebook store with 20,000 titles would be regarded (correctly) as a crippled joke. Amazon & the Kindle have clearly demonstrated that you don't need a 4,000 square foot kiosk to sell books and ebooks. And the sampling mechanisms, while not perfect, free me to idly perouse a chapter or so at my own pace and on my own time. As ebooks increase their market share, the bricks & mortar stores -- especially the general interest ones -- will get their margins squeezed and many (if not most) will close, just like video and record stores. You may be justifiably saddened by this, but assuming ebooks gain significant marketshare (which is likely), sticking placards with a URL on it in a bookstore or putting ebooks on a smart card is not going to reverse this process. So to me, selling ebooks in a bookstore is a foolish and desperate attempt to save an aspect of commerce that is about to get threshed.

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11-05-2009, 04:56 PM	#29
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	I guess I didn't make myself clear. I wasn't envisioning it as "the future" -IE- this is the way and the only way it will be done. Evar. Period. Dot dot. =) I enjoy physical book stores, but I rarely purchase physical books anymore. Until I finish my library shelves and stuff, there just isn't room. I just picture it as an extension of a digital store. Plus, some people like to get out and look at other people instead of being couped up in their house all day. I think it would be another one of those useless features that someone would like (IE/book sharing, mp3 capabilities, all the other gizmos on readers) Some people (IE/me) also have a bit of a collectors mentality. Some people just. like. books. Some people think they're killing the environment slowly and only read portable bits of html code called ebooks. I do both. I love going into book stores, for some reason I feel a sense of wonder every time I step into one. Whether it be from the knowledge in the non fiction stuff to the entertainment in the fiction. It's just pretty darn cool. And I like looking at pretty pictures and shiny covers. =) This message is not intended to offend or annoy.

11-05-2009, 05:07 PM	#30
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	That the way I think bookshops will have to go within the next 10 years or a number will go out of business. They need to be the place you go to browse paper copies of the books, have a coffee, then buy the book via a kiosk and have it downloaded immediately to your device. With the additional space bookstores will have from not having to hold hundreds of duplicate paper copies of books, they can slap in a coffee bar, more chairs and make it a very nice space for reading/browsing. Unlike Grisham I don't think the ebook industry will be crippled to match the requirements of the old print book industry. The paper bookshops will have to think of ways to compete and offer value against cheap ebooks bought with ease online.