Oyster: unlimited e-books for $9.95 a month, now live with invite (iOS)

[John F]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

No idea really on a per capita cost. Here the library system is run by the county with 41 physical locations serving a population of approx 1.1 million people (their website had 21.5 million visits last year). Their budget for this year is $70.1 million and is about 3.9% of the county's total budget.

Thanks for the numbers. So if my town is similar, that would be $16 a month for me.

[greenasterisk]

Originally Posted by holymadness

A few months ago I signed up for alerts about the launch of Oyster, a Netflix-like reading service. It gives you access to an unlimited number of books for a monthly fee. Today I got an email announcing that the service is live for those with an invitation (those without can join the queue to receive one). You can access it at https://www.oysterbooks.com and there is some information about the launch at http://blog.oysterbooks.com/. It's an iPhone-only reading app for now, which is a bit of a curious choice.

Here's an overview of the service from GigaOm, which includes some interesting details: http://gigaom.com/2013/09/05/oyster-netflix-for-ebooks/

• The service launches with 100,000 in-copyright ebooks (i.e., not free public domain stuff)
• Publishers participating — making at least a few titles available, not their whole catalogs by any means — include HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Workman, Algonquin, Melville House, Rodale, Open Road, RosettaBooks, F+W Media and self-publishing distributor Smashwords.
• Oyster wouldn’t get into details about how it’s compensating publishers and authors, and wouldn’t state whether newer, more well-known titles are getting better royalties than older ones.
• With Oyster, after you add a book to your reading list, you can access it offline. You only need an internet connection to download new titles.
• An iPad app is coming this fall
• Oyster currently has no “concrete plans” to launch on platforms beyond iOS.

I've taken some screenshots of the website for those without invitations. I haven't yet had time to look at the app.

EDIT: Seems like the app is only available in the US iTunes store for now. A tweet from the developers reads, "No announced plans for expansion outside the US yet but it's definitely something we want to do."

I am still waiting for my invite.

[detayls]

Originally Posted by detayls

Eric,

You MUST offer a free trial even it is only with a Public Domain book. I regularly spend way more than the $9.95 every month with Amazon so it is not the money.

I use the Kindle app on my iPhone a lot but it has deficiencies that your app may fix but how do I know that?

My minimum set of requirements for an $9.95 a month reader are:

• All the authors I care about e.g. Iain M. Banks and other similar
• Hyphenation
• Justification
• Caecilia font in various sizes (bold and easy to see -- I'm in my mid-60's )
• Synchronization across devices
• Kindle or Nook E-Paper reader compatibility

Without at least those and iPad support I wouldn't be interested.

OK. Yesterday I noticed two changes from Oyster:

• iPad app
• Free 30 day trial

So finally I give them my credit card number on the undertstanding that it will not be charged until mid-November.

Good news
========
There is a fair amount of content that I would be interested in.

Bad news
=======
The app is almost non-configurable. At a minimum I need the list quoted above. In addition I need, before any money changes hands:

• A way to change the page change UI to left to right from simply scrolling up and down. (Come on - everyone else does swipe/touch left to right. You have to be confusing and different?)
• Fonts, fonts, fonts - at the very least my own choices including Caecilia.
• Two page (side by side) mode in iPad landscape orientation.

Come on Oyster! I'm keen to give you money but these moves/omissions are unacceptable. You are a follower so at least follow the pre-established order before you try your "improvements".

A worthy effort but still a c+.