Should you buy an e-Book?

[kjk]

I bought my son the entire Percy Jackson and the Olympians series in eBook format recently..they were about $6-$7 each, which is what I'd expected to pay for paperbacks.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by Monkfishy

Um… What?!

What I mean is that the only people I personally know who read eBooks get plenty of those through means they're not specific about. I happily wait for mass market paperback editions to come out for most books. However, I think meromana put it best, that the publishers are shooting themselves in the foot. You'd think that MP3 peer-to-peer sharing would have taught them something.

I still want an eBook reader, but if the eBooks on my wish list are more expensive than paperbacks, I may use it a little less than I might have.

I think that the publishers think that if they either withhold the release of the ebook, or release it & charge a ridiculous price for it, that the ereader person will skip the ebook & simply buy a HC.

What the fools don't realize is that there are TONS of books out there to buy at reasonable prices to keep the ereading person very happy enough to say screw you publisher.

I ran out of room ages ago for pbooks so I stopped buying them. I never bought HC since I didn't like the price. But now that I have my Sony, I will never go back to pbooks.

The publishers can drag their feet all they want, but they are NOT going to stop the migration to ereading.

[Lexi Revellian]

The publishing industry is in turmoil, and I don't think high prices for even best-selling authors' ebooks can last for long. The situation is changing week by week. Interesting times.

[Mrgauth]

In my experience, outside of Indy or self-published books like on Smashword, EVERY book I have considered buying for my ereader I could get cheaper in papaerback. Can't think of a single one that I could not get cheaper at a used book store or by using one of the 1/2 dozen 30-40% off coupons I get via email from Borders Rewards every month.

My problem is I have one of the biggest used book stores in the world where I live and have yet to not find what I am looking for there, and most times cheaper than any ebook, and in hardback to boot.

[Monkfishy]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

You're on a website dedicated to ebook readers and asking them if you should buy an ebook reader? Would you go to an automotive website and ask, "Should I buy a car, or stick with my horse?"

I didn't actually pose the question - the article in the Wall Street Journal did. The title of this thread is from said article.

I found this forum as part of my research into buying an eBook reader. This forum also has great information for people like myself, who've never even seen an eBook reader.

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

Look into your local library system and see if they let you check out ebooks and what their selection is. If you find titles you want, you'll need a reader that reads the "epub" format, like Nook and Kobo and Sony.

As I said in an earlier post, the library system here (the main library system for the state) has no plans to introduce eBooks. It's beyond their budget. Anyway, thanks for the info about the Kindle vs. the epub readers. That's another difference I didn't know about.

[Oldpilot]

Originally Posted by Monkfishy

the library system here (the main library system for the state) has no plans to introduce eBooks. It's beyond their budget.

I find that very hard to believe. I live in a university town where the library split off a few years ago from the university library (parking, of course!) and still exists in a rented storefront in a little strip mall. It has very little money, is only only open a few days a week, and has a staff of two or three yet it offers e-books.

[Monkfishy]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I never bought HC since I didn't like the price.

I don't like the price of hardbacks, either. More than that, though, hardbacks are just heavy & inconvenient. I travel with books, carry them in my purse, and read them while falling asleep. I've dropped a hardback on the floor, or on my face, too many times.

I'll buy hardback issues of art books, photography, or reference books. They're not books for reading, though.

[J. Strnad]

Originally Posted by Mrgauth

My problem is I have one of the biggest used book stores in the world where I live and have yet to not find what I am looking for there, and most times cheaper than any ebook, and in hardback to boot.

You're comparing apples to oranges, though...a used product that returns zero revenue to the writer and publisher, vs. a new one that gives writers some financial incentive to write and publishers some financial incentive to publish.

It's a market that trails the new book industry, so even if ebooks become the dominant form of reading material, the used book stores should outlive the new book stores. I'm sure they'll be around for the rest of our lifetimes, but I'm not sure they'll be a viable market source for our kids.

[cvkemp]

When I am looking for a book I will get the ebook if it is available. I just do not have the room for shelvies after shelvies of books. And I am aften going places that I need dozens of reference books with me so it is so much easier on my back to have it in my ebook reader or netbook or full size laptop which every I am taking with me. I am still waiting from my kindle which will be my first ebook reader for now I am using a netbook or laptop.

Chuck

[harryE123]

Originally Posted by Monkfishy

Wow! What are they thinking? It's obvious that eBooks are the future of publishing, and that people would buy more eBooks than paper books, if the prices were reasonable. Also, don't they realize how many books are available for free?

Great way to encourage the underground eBook piracy market, publishing industry!

They should, maybe this will shake things up for the better, it always does.

[Lexi Revellian]

One thing I noticed when I broke my humerus and spent a lot of time in waiting rooms was how big paperbacks are these days. An old Penguin will go in your handbag, but a modern paperback is enormous. I suppose publishers do it to make their books catch the eye and look like value for money, but it's darned inconvenient.

I'm saving up for a Kindle.

[Monkfishy]

Originally Posted by Oldpilot

I find that very hard to believe. I live in a university town where the library split off a few years ago from the university library (parking, of course!) and still exists in a rented storefront in a little strip mall. It has very little money, is only only open a few days a week, and has a staff of two or three yet it offers e-books.

I live in the state's largest metropolitan area - in Mississippi. The library system here has had its budget cut every year for the past several years. They're closing at least one library because they can't afford to operate it anymore. According to the Technical Director at the main library, it has been discussed, but they can't afford to add any new media.

I'm sure another factor is that Mississippi is pretty far behind the curve in newfangled things, like the internet. There probably just isn't any demand for eBooks yet.