an article on ebooks in the Guardian today 22 February 2018

anacreon · 02-22-2018, 06:27 AM

I don't have a link since I read it on my phone (the free Guardian app).

Title: "Ebooks are not stupid - they're a revolution"
from author Erin Kelly - a point a view as a reader and as an author.

I found the author's point particularly interesting (since I'm well aware as a reader on the others).

JSWolf · 02-22-2018, 06:41 AM

Your Google fu is rather poor. All I did was put in the title and up came the article link.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ion-erin-kelly

doubleshuffle · 02-22-2018, 06:41 AM

Here's the link:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ion-erin-kelly

It's actually a reply to that stupid interview of the Hachette boss. Perhaps this should be merged with that thread.

JSWolf · 02-22-2018, 08:09 AM

Here is the link to the original article. https://scroll.in/article/868871/the...ette-group-ceo

Let's more the discussion here.

McGonigle · 02-22-2018, 08:57 AM

A very good reply to the idiotic views of the Hachette boss.

Imo the establishment within the printed book world hates the idea of digital, as did the music business, and the movie business.

I've read several articles and seen several interviews with the gatekeepers of the book world, thinking that they are the guardians of the masses, wanting to determine what books I should read and by default, what books are "bad" for me.

fjtorres · 02-22-2018, 09:29 AM

The movie business has adapted nicely.
Ultraviolet, combo editions, digital first, tolerable pricing, windowing customers don't mind, all the things the corporate publishers resist.

The real key I think is Ultraviolet.
Where the BPH's bumbling killed interoperable epub as a market force, the Hollywood studios fostered interoperable digital video as a viable product. It still has a way to go and they came to it a bit too late to prevent walled gardens in video but at least video has a viable open alternative to the silos.

They're still as money grubbing as ever but at least they're not trying to fight the inevitable future.
Unlike the corporate publishers.

So there is a bit of a difference...

JSWolf · 02-22-2018, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The movie business has adapted nicely.
Ultraviolet, combo editions, digital first, tolerable pricing, windowing customers don't mind, all the things the corporate publishers resist.

Combo editions are only useful for 3D movies. That way you also get the 2D version. But if I buy a blu-ray, I don't want a DVD version. If I by a 4K version, I don't want a Blu-ray version. I don't want to pay more for something I'll never use.

Quote:

The real key I think is Ultraviolet.

And that's also an issue. The codes for the UV version do sometimes expire and if you buy after the code expires, you lose out.

Apparition B5 · 02-22-2018, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The movie business has adapted nicely.
Ultraviolet, combo editions, digital first, tolerable pricing, windowing customers don't mind, all the things the corporate publishers resist.

The real key I think is Ultraviolet.
Where the BPH's bumbling killed interoperable epub as a market force, the Hollywood studios fostered interoperable digital video as a viable product. It still has a way to go and they came to it a bit too late to prevent walled gardens in video but at least video has a viable open alternative to the silos.

They're still as money grubbing as ever but at least they're not trying to fight the inevitable future.
Unlike the corporate publishers.

So there is a bit of a difference...

UltraViolet is dead. Most movies released as of December 2017 no longer include an UltraViolet code. Instead, Disney, Warner Bros., FOX, and Sony have partnered up to form Movies Anywhere, where you can theoretically redeem a code on the Movies Anywhere web site and watch it on Amazon, VUDU, Google Play, and/or iTunes. However, Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate haven't signed up for it, leaving their movies in limbo.

crich70 · 02-22-2018, 10:38 AM

I think that Mr. Nourry needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Ebooks are here to stay and they don't need enhancement in order to do their jobs. When I read I want to read, not play a game or watch a movie. The movie is in my head as I translate the written word into pictures that no movie can equal.

Greg Anos · 02-22-2018, 10:42 AM

And the portability of choice.

I know this is not popular with all readers, but having almost my whole library in my e-reader is wealth beyond jewels for me.

To paraphrase Buckaroo Banzai, "Wherever I go, there's my library."

crich70 · 02-22-2018, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

And the portability of choice.

I know this is not popular with all readers, but having almost my whole library in my e-reader is wealth beyond jewels for me.

To paraphrase Buckaroo Banzai, "Wherever I go, there's my library."

And if you move you don't have to worry about boxing up books or deciding which to give away etc. either. They take up exactly the space that your ereader of choice takes up and no more.

Greg Anos · 02-22-2018, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

And if you move you don't have to worry about boxing up books or deciding which to give away etc. either. They take up exactly the space that your ereader of choice takes up and no more.

fjtorres · 02-22-2018, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Combo editions are only useful for 3D movies. That way you also get the 2D version. But if I buy a blu-ray, I don't want a DVD version. If I by a 4K version, I don't want a Blu-ray version. I don't want to pay more for something I'll never use.

And that's also an issue. The codes for the UV version do sometimes expire and if you buy after the code expires, you lose out.

They sell non-combos.
The value of the combo is for families with DVD players in the minivan or portable dvd players. BluRay for the home theater, DVD (it costs maybe 25 cents to stamp out) for the older hardware, and digital codes for mobile or streamer boxes.

Unlike the corporate publishers, they actually bothered to look at the usage cases and tried to address them. They're no angels (expiring digital codes and prices on the upper end of tolerable) but they do try to satisfy.

And their windowing scheme actually makes sense: theater --> digital sales --> digital rental --> disk sales --> subscription services --> broadcast. It takes time to stamp out disks so digital first is natural and allows them to price it higher than if it came out after the disk release. And instead of fighting RedBox, they just negotiated a price and let them roll.

It helps them that video has always been windowed but they do start the ball rolling as soon as the movies leave theaters. Far from perfect and still evolving but way better than the scams the BPHs have tried.

JSWolf · 02-22-2018, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

They sell non-combos.

Where do they sell non-combos and how much lower is the price?

Quote:

The value of the combo is for families with DVD players in the minivan or portable dvd players. BluRay for the home theater, DVD (it costs maybe 25 cents to stamp out) for the older hardware, and digital codes for mobile or streamer boxes.

But I'm not wanting to pay more for something I'll never use.

Sarmat89 · 02-22-2018, 01:06 PM

Electonic books are simply not convenient. A book, especially American one, printed on very loose and light paper, you can easily carry in a pocket or a purse, take it everywhere, bend, read in any conditions, you can easily take it with you.

With e-book, you need a dedicated, fragile device, which should not be exposed to cold, heat, or sunlight, which needs a working computer to copy the book files from, which needs a USB cable or a charger, and constant recharge.

The e-books have a limited market, as only the dedicated readers will pay for them. The widespread use of the pirate software like Calibre causes e-books to be leaked, in decrypted, de-watermarked form, into the wild.

The physical books is always a better choice for a casual reader, and they are virtually pirate-proof. So they have a guaranteed market, e-books not so much.

02-22-2018, 06:27 AM	#1
anacreon Guru Posts: 960 Karma: 3475832 Join Date: May 2012 Location: France Device: Elipsa, Sage	an article on ebooks in the Guardian today 22 February 2018 I don't have a link since I read it on my phone (the free Guardian app). Title: "Ebooks are not stupid - they're a revolution" from author Erin Kelly - a point a view as a reader and as an author. I found the author's point particularly interesting (since I'm well aware as a reader on the others).

02-22-2018, 08:09 AM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Here is the link to the original article. https://scroll.in/article/868871/the...ette-group-ceo Let's more the discussion here. Last edited by JSWolf; 02-23-2018 at 01:29 PM.

02-22-2018, 09:29 AM	#6
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	The movie business has adapted nicely. Ultraviolet, combo editions, digital first, tolerable pricing, windowing customers don't mind, all the things the corporate publishers resist. The real key I think is Ultraviolet. Where the BPH's bumbling killed interoperable epub as a market force, the Hollywood studios fostered interoperable digital video as a viable product. It still has a way to go and they came to it a bit too late to prevent walled gardens in video but at least video has a viable open alternative to the silos. They're still as money grubbing as ever but at least they're not trying to fight the inevitable future. Unlike the corporate publishers. So there is a bit of a difference... Last edited by fjtorres; 02-22-2018 at 09:31 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Another Guardian article	AlexBell	News	3	07-26-2014 09:19 AM
ebooks and mbooks: A London Guardian article.	Patricia	News	1	02-22-2009 10:40 AM
Ebooks beginning to reach UK readers (Guardian article)	Seabound	News	9	01-17-2009 02:20 AM
And yet another UK Paper article: The Guardian	LazyScot	News	8	09-05-2008 09:31 AM
London Guardian article on impact of ebooks on authors	Patricia	News	7	03-06-2008 04:14 PM

02-22-2018, 06:41 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Your Google fu is rather poor. All I did was put in the title and up came the article link. https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ion-erin-kelly

02-22-2018, 06:41 AM	#3
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,923 Karma: 185041098 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	Here's the link: https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ion-erin-kelly It's actually a reply to that stupid interview of the Hachette boss. Perhaps this should be merged with that thread.

02-22-2018, 08:57 AM	#5
McGonigle Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 1529376 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Kobo Aura One, iPad 2018,	A very good reply to the idiotic views of the Hachette boss. Imo the establishment within the printed book world hates the idea of digital, as did the music business, and the movie business. I've read several articles and seen several interviews with the gatekeepers of the book world, thinking that they are the guardians of the masses, wanting to determine what books I should read and by default, what books are "bad" for me.

02-22-2018, 10:38 AM	#9
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I think that Mr. Nourry needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Ebooks are here to stay and they don't need enhancement in order to do their jobs. When I read I want to read, not play a game or watch a movie. The movie is in my head as I translate the written word into pictures that no movie can equal.

02-22-2018, 10:42 AM	#10
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,248 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	And the portability of choice. I know this is not popular with all readers, but having almost my whole library in my e-reader is wealth beyond jewels for me. To paraphrase Buckaroo Banzai, "Wherever I go, there's my library."

02-22-2018, 01:06 PM	#15
Sarmat89 Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 2267928 Join Date: Nov 2015 Device: none	Electonic books are simply not convenient. A book, especially American one, printed on very loose and light paper, you can easily carry in a pocket or a purse, take it everywhere, bend, read in any conditions, you can easily take it with you. With e-book, you need a dedicated, fragile device, which should not be exposed to cold, heat, or sunlight, which needs a working computer to copy the book files from, which needs a USB cable or a charger, and constant recharge. The e-books have a limited market, as only the dedicated readers will pay for them. The widespread use of the pirate software like Calibre causes e-books to be leaked, in decrypted, de-watermarked form, into the wild. The physical books is always a better choice for a casual reader, and they are virtually pirate-proof. So they have a guaranteed market, e-books not so much.

Advert

Advert