Does eReader save you $$ on content? - Page 2

GhostHawk · 08-19-2010, 05:45 PM

To me all it comes down to what you read.
There is a lot of good stuff out there for free, you might even say it takes the place of your local library.

But if you currently read 4 or more best sellers a month in mystery/thriller.
Chances are you are not going to be happy with what is available for free.
And there is a good chance that you will pay just about as much if not more to read those as Ebooks.

That is not to say that there are not other advantages, simple storage space for all those books is one of the big ones. Over time they do pile up. Even a modest 2gig SD card will hold a lot of books.

How well a Ereader will work for you, is going to be dependent on your reading choices and how much you read.

I think you'll find most of us here are addicts, books are our drug of choice.
Not addicting (although they can be habit forming)
No terrible physical or health side effects (although you might spend more time sitting than you should)

Ben Thornton · 08-19-2010, 05:50 PM

Another point that occurs to me (which I've seen HarryT make a couple of times) is the fact that reading is a very cheap hobby, compared to the other things that you could be doing (like going to the cinema), especially looking at the cost per hour of entertainment. From that point of view, rather than the book pricing comparisons etc, you could save a lot of money by doing more reading, which an ereader encourages.

FizzyWater · 08-19-2010, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjones6416

Sorry, but I've spent a good bit more on books since I started reading e-books. I used to read paper or hardback books that would circulate through friends and family. I still could, I guess, but I don't like to read that way anymore. I prefer to buy books in electronic format.

However, my local library has finally come online with Overdrive, and I checked out my first books last night -- yay! So things may change.

Except I already have Overdrive and since the Agency 5 price-fixing deal, I've been borrowing more books there. Also, I used to buy a lot of used paperbacks, so those were definitely cheaper than ebooks, even on sale.

FizzyWater · 08-19-2010, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No, eReader does not save you money (overall) as the selection is a lot more limited and you don't have as many shops to shop at when buying eReader format eBooks.

Jesus, Jon, you could at least explain what you're talking about. Most newbies really don't understand that "eReader" is a dedicated format. You're just going to confuse the issue and make yourself look like an donkey.

church mouse · 08-19-2010, 06:27 PM

There is no doubt that I have spent far more on books since I got my first e-reader some 2 years ago.

The good news is that the reason for that is that I am reading far more than I was two years ago.

When I got my original 505, it was because I had lost the reading bug (too rough on my paperbacks so that they started to fall apart in my bag, and always losing my place in the book). I thought the e-reader might just spark my reading habit back in to life. I justified the cost (then not much under £200) by telling myself that the e-reader came with 100 books on a cd (largely "classics") and, even if I only read 50% of them, it just about covered the cost of the e-reader.

Boy, did it get me back in to reading! My spending on books (I have always been happy to buy drm protected content in order to read the book I want) has rocketed but, in truth, in the UK I have generally not found the ebook price has been as much as the full paperback price on anything I have bought (though I do miss out on the usual 3 for 2 deals most sellers operate over here on a selection of their paperbacks - but often the books I want are not included in the special deals anyway).

In order to control my spending, I have my own rule of reading one free book for every two I buy - this also means I get to read some books I would never have read otherwise.

I am hopeful that the Amazon entry in to the UK market means my monthly spend will stay the same, but that I get more books for my hard earned pennies.

Anyway, I reckon fjt got it spot on above...get a reader because you want to read books on a reader (just get a decent case as well to protect your Precioussss).

Alisa · 08-19-2010, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Jesus, Jon, you could at least explain what you're talking about. Most newbies really don't understand that "eReader" is a dedicated format. You're just going to confuse the issue and make yourself look like an donkey.

I have to admit that I agree here. It's not very friendly for newbies to intentionally baffle them to make points off them when we could just politely explain correct terminology. It isn't very welcoming.

Jon - I just did a board search for posts by you containing the word "eReader". I hit the 500 post limit and it only went back to 2007. While I'm sure some were about the actual format, most I looked at were you snarkily correcting people. Doesn't it get old?

Pomtroll · 08-19-2010, 07:51 PM

I think I'm saving some. I no longer go into B&N & come out with a bag full of books. I would do this at least once a week. Where I save the most is with older publications & hardcover books. I can get some older pubs for $3.99 & hardcovers for anywhere from $9.99 to $14.99. So that's a savings even with having used a B&N member card before. Where I don't save is in current paperbacks. I don't tend to buy best sellers though.

Nathanael · 08-19-2010, 09:17 PM

My experience has been pretty similar to others' here. But since I like to hear myself talk

I'll repeat what's already been said.

I'm on my second ebook reader -- slipped my first in a back pocket, then sat on it; if only it'd been a paperback -- and I'd have to agree whether I've saved money depends on how you count. Prior to picking up my first reader, I used to hit the local bookstore every 4-6 weeks, dropping about $100 per trip. With my reader, and all the free content available, I haven't done that for myself more than once in the last year, so I could say I've saved $600 (six trips @ $100 per). (That's not to say I've quit buying pbooks; with a daughter just reaching reading age, however, it all gets spent on her now, rather than me. The price of children's books these days is unbelievable.)

Conversely, I could say I'm saving $8-10 per book with my ereader. However, that's a bit apples-to-oranges, as I now read almost exclusively classics and PD -- stuff I never bought when I was collecting pbooks.

Even at $10 saved per ebook, however, I'm still in the negatives. My first reader having bit the dust before it'd paid for itself, my new reader has a larger hole to dig me out of. I guestimate I'll have to read another 30 to 40 ebooks to break even.

As mentioned, the biggest change with my reader has been in what I'm reading. There's both good and bad there. I definitely miss my Harry Turtledove fix. On the other hand, I've discovered Raymond Chandler (through MobileRead); not being a mystery aficionado, I never would have picked him up in pbook format.

GreenMonkey · 08-20-2010, 04:25 AM

I don't buy DRM'd books unless they are super, super cheap (like $1). So I stick with freebies from Amazon/B&N/etc, free Google books, and the like. It's been saving me a little bit of money so far. Not a whole lot though. I'm going to end up at the used bookstore for a few books I want to read that don't exist in ebook form, or are only at the kobo store for $8 a pop. For a 10 year old book, I'll go get the paperback for $2-3 used over an $8, DRM-protected ebook.

I bought it for the freebies and such. Not for commercial, DRM books.

mikaelalind · 08-20-2010, 04:56 AM

Nope. I don't save money, since it is deceptively easy to buy e-books. My wallet protested though, so I have started to use the library. And then WH Smith's starts their e-book sale.

No, I haven't bought that many books on the sale. Just 7 or so...

GeoffC · 08-20-2010, 06:00 AM

I doubt I've saved money.

I'm reading more, not always free books, but am able to get my book in minutes - rather than wait days, I have found authors of whom I would not have noticed in a bookstore, I can chose what size and style font to read with; etc.

The value, to me, is in the practicality.

DJHARKAVY · 08-24-2010, 11:35 AM

I'm pretty sure that I have saved money, if for no other reason than I don't end up paying late fees to the library, or having to pay for books for the library that I can't find.

I probably buy more books than I did before I used ebook readers, but I used to buy my books in large numbers whereas now I get them one or two at a time.

Further, I can be more patient now before buying a book, because I can get whatever book I want in a matter of minutes (assuming it is available) so I don't have to buy it when I happen to be in the bookstore, figuring that I will get to it eventually. That attitude stuck with me for about five years before I managed to shift off of it, and I have a backlog of about 500 books as a result. So I have PLENTY of books to read while I wait for prices to come down or for a book to show up in my library.

I still get relatively new books on occassion, if it is an author or a series that I feel that I HAVE to read. But I don't go buying an entire series anymore just because I am in the bookstore (either electronically or literally)

I have also reduced my purchases since Fictionwise got screwed by the agency deal. The selection is more limited and the books/authors that I recognize are also more limited. And because I am not looking as often, I don't see quite so many new authors whose books sound interesting. I have been making this up to some extent by the library, but it doesn't feel the same...

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08-19-2010, 05:45 PM	#16
GhostHawk Data Privateer! Posts: 586 Karma: 62887 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Fargo ND Device: Ectaco Jetbook& Jetbook Lite	To me all it comes down to what you read. There is a lot of good stuff out there for free, you might even say it takes the place of your local library. But if you currently read 4 or more best sellers a month in mystery/thriller. Chances are you are not going to be happy with what is available for free. And there is a good chance that you will pay just about as much if not more to read those as Ebooks. That is not to say that there are not other advantages, simple storage space for all those books is one of the big ones. Over time they do pile up. Even a modest 2gig SD card will hold a lot of books. How well a Ereader will work for you, is going to be dependent on your reading choices and how much you read. I think you'll find most of us here are addicts, books are our drug of choice. Not addicting (although they can be habit forming) No terrible physical or health side effects (although you might spend more time sitting than you should)

08-19-2010, 05:50 PM	#17
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	Another point that occurs to me (which I've seen HarryT make a couple of times) is the fact that reading is a very cheap hobby, compared to the other things that you could be doing (like going to the cinema), especially looking at the cost per hour of entertainment. From that point of view, rather than the book pricing comparisons etc, you could save a lot of money by doing more reading, which an ereader encourages.

08-19-2010, 06:27 PM	#20
church mouse Evangelist Posts: 485 Karma: 5277078 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Device: Kobo Clara HD, Boox Poke 2, PocketBook Verse Pro (634)	There is no doubt that I have spent far more on books since I got my first e-reader some 2 years ago. The good news is that the reason for that is that I am reading far more than I was two years ago. When I got my original 505, it was because I had lost the reading bug (too rough on my paperbacks so that they started to fall apart in my bag, and always losing my place in the book). I thought the e-reader might just spark my reading habit back in to life. I justified the cost (then not much under £200) by telling myself that the e-reader came with 100 books on a cd (largely "classics") and, even if I only read 50% of them, it just about covered the cost of the e-reader. Boy, did it get me back in to reading! My spending on books (I have always been happy to buy drm protected content in order to read the book I want) has rocketed but, in truth, in the UK I have generally not found the ebook price has been as much as the full paperback price on anything I have bought (though I do miss out on the usual 3 for 2 deals most sellers operate over here on a selection of their paperbacks - but often the books I want are not included in the special deals anyway). In order to control my spending, I have my own rule of reading one free book for every two I buy - this also means I get to read some books I would never have read otherwise. I am hopeful that the Amazon entry in to the UK market means my monthly spend will stay the same, but that I get more books for my hard earned pennies. Anyway, I reckon fjt got it spot on above...get a reader because you want to read books on a reader (just get a decent case as well to protect your Precioussss).

08-19-2010, 07:51 PM	#22
Pomtroll Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 1341819 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Minnesota USA Device: Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch, Kindle PW1	I think I'm saving some. I no longer go into B&N & come out with a bag full of books. I would do this at least once a week. Where I save the most is with older publications & hardcover books. I can get some older pubs for $3.99 & hardcovers for anywhere from $9.99 to $14.99. So that's a savings even with having used a B&N member card before. Where I don't save is in current paperbacks. I don't tend to buy best sellers though.

08-19-2010, 09:17 PM	#23
Nathanael Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 1110435 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Shanghai, China Device: Sibrary G5	My experience has been pretty similar to others' here. But since I like to hear myself talk I'll repeat what's already been said. I'm on my second ebook reader -- slipped my first in a back pocket, then sat on it; if only it'd been a paperback -- and I'd have to agree whether I've saved money depends on how you count. Prior to picking up my first reader, I used to hit the local bookstore every 4-6 weeks, dropping about $100 per trip. With my reader, and all the free content available, I haven't done that for myself more than once in the last year, so I could say I've saved $600 (six trips @ $100 per). (That's not to say I've quit buying pbooks; with a daughter just reaching reading age, however, it all gets spent on her now, rather than me. The price of children's books these days is unbelievable.) Conversely, I could say I'm saving $8-10 per book with my ereader. However, that's a bit apples-to-oranges, as I now read almost exclusively classics and PD -- stuff I never bought when I was collecting pbooks. Even at $10 saved per ebook, however, I'm still in the negatives. My first reader having bit the dust before it'd paid for itself, my new reader has a larger hole to dig me out of. I guestimate I'll have to read another 30 to 40 ebooks to break even. As mentioned, the biggest change with my reader has been in what I'm reading. There's both good and bad there. I definitely miss my Harry Turtledove fix. On the other hand, I've discovered Raymond Chandler (through MobileRead); not being a mystery aficionado, I never would have picked him up in pbook format.

08-20-2010, 04:25 AM	#24
GreenMonkey DRM hater Posts: 945 Karma: 2066176 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Michigan Device: Nook ST glow, Kindle Voyage	I don't buy DRM'd books unless they are super, super cheap (like $1). So I stick with freebies from Amazon/B&N/etc, free Google books, and the like. It's been saving me a little bit of money so far. Not a whole lot though. I'm going to end up at the used bookstore for a few books I want to read that don't exist in ebook form, or are only at the kobo store for $8 a pop. For a 10 year old book, I'll go get the paperback for $2-3 used over an $8, DRM-protected ebook. I bought it for the freebies and such. Not for commercial, DRM books.

08-20-2010, 04:56 AM	#25
mikaelalind Fanatic Posts: 590 Karma: 788068 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sweden Device: Sony PRS 505, Cybook Odessey	Nope. I don't save money, since it is deceptively easy to buy e-books. My wallet protested though, so I have started to use the library. And then WH Smith's starts their e-book sale. No, I haven't bought that many books on the sale. Just 7 or so...

08-20-2010, 06:00 AM	#26
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	I doubt I've saved money. I'm reading more, not always free books, but am able to get my book in minutes - rather than wait days, I have found authors of whom I would not have noticed in a bookstore, I can chose what size and style font to read with; etc. The value, to me, is in the practicality.

08-24-2010, 11:35 AM	#27
DJHARKAVY Addict Posts: 280 Karma: 13444 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Blackberry, jetbook lite	I'm pretty sure that I have saved money, if for no other reason than I don't end up paying late fees to the library, or having to pay for books for the library that I can't find. I probably buy more books than I did before I used ebook readers, but I used to buy my books in large numbers whereas now I get them one or two at a time. Further, I can be more patient now before buying a book, because I can get whatever book I want in a matter of minutes (assuming it is available) so I don't have to buy it when I happen to be in the bookstore, figuring that I will get to it eventually. That attitude stuck with me for about five years before I managed to shift off of it, and I have a backlog of about 500 books as a result. So I have PLENTY of books to read while I wait for prices to come down or for a book to show up in my library. I still get relatively new books on occassion, if it is an author or a series that I feel that I HAVE to read. But I don't go buying an entire series anymore just because I am in the bookstore (either electronically or literally) I have also reduced my purchases since Fictionwise got screwed by the agency deal. The selection is more limited and the books/authors that I recognize are also more limited. And because I am not looking as often, I don't see quite so many new authors whose books sound interesting. I have been making this up to some extent by the library, but it doesn't feel the same...

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