Kobo Sage and Libra 2 released (pre-order)

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Yes tosh, this price mark up for the aus market has been covered numerous times in mobileread, and yet the Australian government has not seen fit to change its purchasing behaviour to desist purchasing from overseas markets either. If your feelings were hurt by my response, then consider they're not nearly as hurt as my back pocket.

Just investigated staples Canada, and as yet the sage is not showing as in stock, although the libra 2 is. Staples apparently will sell to aus, and that's where I'll buy it from.

I'd be annoyed, too.

I don't follow the e-ink market closely like many here do, but I find it fascinating as an outsider. You've got one company that essentially has a monopoly on a particular kind of screen tech. That one company has stopped innovating in a meaningful way for years now.

The relative value of devices using less proprietary screen tech has increased in dramatic proportion over the years, shrinking the market for e-ink. I'm sure the traffic at a site like mobileread over the years reflects it.

The Sage for me represents a really expensive digital camera while quality camera phones were taking off. It's like Kobo is trying to add phone functionality to their digital camera to try to make the relative value proposition not seem so absurd.

[kyôdai]

Prices for the Kobo Sage:

U.S.A: $ 259,99, before taxes.

England: £ 249.99, minus 20% taxes = £ 208,33 (= $ 287,48)
France: € 289,99, minus 20% taxes = € 241,66 (= $ 281,11)
Spain: € 289,99, minus 21% taxes = € 239,66 (= $ 278,78)
Italy: € 289,99, minus 22% taxes = € 237,70 (= $ 276,50)
Australia: AUD 439.95, minus 10% taxes = AUD 399,95 (=$ 298,93)

So there is a slight mark up for countries outside the US, but it is not "$100" and not unique to Australia.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I gather that in Europe they only ship to businesses. Oh well. Possibly I'm going to order from some Germany store and use a mail forwarder.

I'll wait for user reviews here before clicking the buy button, though.

I don't know if you saw that Finland is where the staples site says it serves Estonia. Is that more or less expensive than Germany is the question I guess.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by kyôdai

Prices for the Kobo Sage:

U.S.A: $ 259,99, before taxes.

England: £ 249.99, minus 20% taxes = £ 208,33 (= $ 287,48)
France: € 289,99, minus 20% taxes = € 241,66 (= $ 281,11)
Spain: € 289,99, minus 21% taxes = € 239,66 (= $ 278,78)
Italy: € 289,99, minus 22% taxes = € 237,70 (= $ 276,50)
Australia: AUD 439.95, minus 10% taxes = AUD 399,95 (=$ 298,93)

So there is a slight mark up for countries outside the US, but it is not "$100" and not unique to Australia.

Thanks for this excellent summary. Out of curiosity, I decided to see how Australia's neighbor fared on that list - they seem to have the 'honor' of paying the most, around $305US before taxes are added. Crossing the water from Australia adds about $7 US it seems

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by kyôdai

Prices for the Kobo Sage:

U.S.A: $ 259,99, before taxes.

England: £ 249.99, minus 20% taxes = £ 208,33 (= $ 287,48)
France: € 289,99, minus 20% taxes = € 241,66 (= $ 281,11)
Spain: € 289,99, minus 21% taxes = € 239,66 (= $ 278,78)
Italy: € 289,99, minus 22% taxes = € 237,70 (= $ 276,50)
Australia: AUD 439.95, minus 10% taxes = AUD 399,95 (=$ 298,93)

So there is a slight mark up for countries outside the US, but it is not "$100" and not unique to Australia.

Is Delaware still tax free? I think it was Delaware

Edit
and iirc I don't pay local taxes when I purchase for export eg UK and i think Canada

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

I don't know if you saw that Finland is where the staples site says it serves Estonia. Is that more or less expensive than Germany is the question I guess.

Yes, I saw, but they seem to deal with businesses only, not individuals.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yes, I saw, but they seem to deal with businesses only, not individuals.

I've decided to go through with the mock purchase of the libra 2 on the staples site, and it won't let me ship out to Australia, blast!

I've tried the help bot, and it refers me to a company in Australia that is set up to service businesses who use Staples as a supplier. Which I guess is what is going on for Estonia.

[Lynx-lynx]

I might add, I buy kobo ebooks from a number of different countries, where I have accounts, and I don't pay Irish or UK or Indian taxes on those ebooks. Been a long time since I've purchased ebooks from Canada and the US, but from memory in the US I used to put my address as Delaware, and didn't pay taxes.

Aus GST is added as part of the payment.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

I'd be annoyed, too.

I don't follow the e-ink market closely like many here do, but I find it fascinating as an outsider. You've got one company that essentially has a monopoly on a particular kind of screen tech. That one company has stopped innovating in a meaningful way for years now.

The relative value of devices using less proprietary screen tech has increased in dramatic proportion over the years, shrinking the market for e-ink. I'm sure the traffic at a site like mobileread over the years reflects it.

The Sage for me represents a really expensive digital camera while quality camera phones were taking off. It's like Kobo is trying to add phone functionality to their digital camera to try to make the relative value proposition not seem so absurd.

Yes, an ereader is a strange sort of purchase these days, considering one can read ebooks on phone, tablet, and pc.

Why I persist is because I find it easier on the eyes than other screens, and the size and weight generally suit me.

The lack of colour in ebook technology still annoys me, although I know it's to do with eink or whatever.

And the inability to zoom in on maps and diagrams irks as well. (Well I've not successfully done this for epub ebooks), and yet I haven't found a versatile alternative.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

And the inability to zoom in on maps and diagrams irks as well. (Well I've not successfully done this for epub ebooks), and yet I haven't found a versatile alternative.

KOReader does this easily, and is simple to install on a Kobo

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

I didn't really expect the DB copy to work; I have tried that twice before when migrating to a new Kobo (from an Aura HD to a H2O, which did work, and from the H2O to a One, which didn't). I don't know what the initial firmware version was; I forgot to look, and it started updating (to 4.29.18730) as soon as I connected it to my WiFi.

The issues I have seen with copying the database are around the contents of the "user" table. It might work to copy that to the old database before putting it on the device. That would be to do the setup, export the contents of the user table, import it into the old database and then try to restore that.

I can see some other differences in the database for the new firmware. But, they shouldn't block this and the automatic migration should cover them. I am assuming the the old device was on firmware 4.28.18220. The older it was, the less likely it would work.

It had to import about 1100 books, so I think it just took too long and sickel kicked it over the first two times (at 40 and 63% done).

That will be particular books. Sickel should not kick in for the overall import. In fact, I had one running for several days importing over 10000 books. But, it can kick in for a particular book. Those are probably different books as it should have done the import for the ones before it hit these. It's possible the books were borderline for causing the problem, but, when done after a lot of others, triggered them the sickel reboot.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Tosh! It's because they can!

Yes, of course that is part of the reason. And they are completely within their rights to charge whatever they want. Just as you can choose not to buy their product.

But, all the other reasons given are also part of it. Especially the tax. The US and Canadian prices you are seeing won't include tax. The UK price will. Their price converts to $AU461.29. So they are being ripped of more than us.

And it's because they can that the aus government allows geo unblocking, because they also get price gouged for government purchases.

Which is probably more a recognition by the government that they can't stop it, so there is no point in trying.

Edit:

Should have read to the end of the thread as @kyôdai's summary was excellent. The bit missing will be related to import duties and shipping costs. Personally, the hassle just doesn't seem worth it. Especially when I can walk into a shop and negotiate. JB HiFi will sell these at a lower price if you ask and especially if you are buying other items at the same time.

[Lynx-lynx]

David I've bought UK products before, as you know they cater well to aus, and I've not paid local tax. I do pay gst however on those purchases.

But, the UK with certain exceptions is too dear an exchange rate for us.

The exceptions being when the UK store directly identifies and sells as aud. Eg book depository for paper books. And that price includes postage.

As for kobo UK, I buy regularly from the UK, at an excellent rate.

If you agree with the exceptional prices we pay here for some items, then yes you have the choice of buying here. As do I. I've got a good Ed discount with jbhifi, and that still comes in over $400 for the sage, btw. And no I won't be buying the Sage in the UK, not sure why you think anyone doing a comparison would.
I don't pay import duties, or need to for the products I buy.

(I also use the samsung ed store,.and that's not just for phones, but fridges TV's, etc etc)

As a curiosity David, are kobo gifting you ereaders these days? In my opinion they should for all the effort you have put in for coming up to a decade.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

David I've bought UK products before, as you know they cater well to aus, and I've not paid local tax. I do pay gst however on those purchases.

But, the UK with certain exceptions is too dear an exchange rate for us.

The exceptions being when the UK store directly identifies and sells as aud. Eg book depository for paper books. And that price includes postage.

As for kobo UK, I buy regularly from the UK, at an excellent rate.

If you agree with the exceptional prices we pay here for some items, then yes you have the choice of buying here. As do I. I've got a good Ed discount with jbhifi, and that still comes in over $400 for the sage, btw. And no I won't be buying the Sage in the UK, not sure why you think anyone doing a comparison would.
I don't pay import duties, or need to for the products I buy.

The point of showing the UK price was to show it wasn't just an Australian issue. And it isn't as simple as "because they want to rip us off". Which is basically what you were stating. I honestly think that the price Kobo is charging is what they need to to make a profit selling the device here. Though there might be a bit in the the RRP to allow resellers like JB HiFi to discount it if asked.

I mentioned the import duties as they are something that needs to be considered. I don't buy enough from overseas to have gone into what the current rules are. And the little I do are fairly inexpensive things.

I don't buy books from the other countries. There are a few reasons for that, which does include being to lazy. Apart from a few sales, there isn't enough benefit to me to do it. When I have checked the price of books I want to buy, the difference small enough not to be worth it.

(I also use the samsung ed store,.and that's not just for phones, but fridges TV's, etc etc)

As a curiosity David, are kobo gifting you ereaders these days? In my opinion they should for all the effort you have put in for coming up to a decade.

No. And I don't expect them to. I have made jokes about it when chatting in the beta list, but, that is all they are. I'm happy with the way it works between us.

[Lynx-lynx]

Yep it is my opinion kobo rips off Australians on ereader prices. That opinion has hit a nerve with some in this thread, and that is their opinion to hold.

I might add, I'm totally disinterested in the oppositional opinion, it's not their back pocket nerve that gets hit, it's mine. And the apparent vehemence is rather striking.