Kindle books and other e-book readers

[sorbix]

Ok, so I really wanted an iRex iliad, but the Kindle has made me reconsider. The main reason why the Kindle is so appealing is that it can potentially have a large volume of books specifically for the device.

What I want to know is whether anyone predicts the Kindle proprietary storage and delivery system to be cracked so I can buy their ebooks and read them on the iliad.

It is absurd that this is even necessary... I am extremely mad at Amazon for requiring a Kindle to buy their ebooks.

[kovidgoyal]

Then voice your anger. Buy the paper copies from other retailers, get the cracked versions from the darknet and read 'em on the device of your choice. Don't encourage people to work around Amazon DRM, that just lets them get away with having their DRM cake and eating it too.

[FixB]

Even more : buy your books from stores without any DRMs (I like Baen )

[sorbix]

Well, I am mostly frustrated because Amazon has the potential to offer many more ebooks than other retailers... and I would like to read them! the books from "alternative sources" don't tend to be formatted or translated into ebook format efficiently or successfully.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by sorbix

Well, I am mostly frustrated because Amazon has the potential to offer many more ebooks than other retailers... and I would like to read them!

It would only make sense that once the publisher goes to the trouble of creating the ebook that it'll be made available in other formats too. Pretty much all the big publishers have already said there are no plans for Kindle exclusive books so don't you think with Amazon pushing publishers to get things out all the other formats will benefit as well. You may not get the same price on bestsellers if you buy them in Mobi format for the Iliad, but with Amazon behind ebooks in general the whole catalog available to everyone should grow.

People seem to be making a big deal about the 88,000, or whatever the number is now, Kindle books but how many are books you'd ever want? How many are actually short stories or specialty books/documents that most folks will have no use for? I haven't looked so I'm not sure, but I'd bet a bunch are and are just helping pad the numbers or available titles.



I know some folks are pissed because they want the same $9.99 bestsellers deal for their device of choice. Also some are pissed because it's a US only device at this point. Amazon is subsidizing the low price of those $9.99 books as an enticement to sell the Kindle so of course they aren't going to be available to any other device.

As for the US only thing, hopefully that will change but as Amazon is a bookseller I'm sure they had to offer some assurances to publishers in other countries that the books wouldn't be able to usurp sales of locally published editions or it would hurt Amazon's existing pbook relationships. How many publishing houses in the UK or Canada or Germany or elsewhere even do ebooks? I've looked for some UK ebooks of a few books I want not available in the US & found none available. It would be easy if the publishing market was global, but with all the local divisions & fiefdoms out there it's not and publishing rights are separate for a lot of those areas. In order to release a device in other markets & keep those publishers happy the books have to first be available in those markets to sell. This isn't a problem for iRex or Bookeen because all they sell are devices, but for a company that's already one of the largest booksellers out there it has to play a part in their decisions.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by sorbix

Well, I am mostly frustrated because Amazon has the potential to offer many more ebooks than other retailers... and I would like to read them! the books from "alternative sources" don't tend to be formatted or translated into ebook format efficiently or successfully.

I agree, it's why so many of us are pissed with Amazon.

[wmaurer]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

It would only make sense that once the publisher goes to the trouble of creating the ebook that it'll be made available in other formats too.

It makes sense, but will it eventuate? I already have two examples of books that are available as Kindle Editions, and upon asking them, Mobipocket have responded that the publishers will not be making the available to sell on their site.

-Wayne

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by wmaurer

It makes sense, but will it eventuate? I already have two examples of books that are available as Kindle Editions, and upon asking them, Mobipocket have responded that the publishers will not be making the available to sell on their site.

We'll just have to wait & see I suppose. Are these from one of the bigger publishers or a small house? Pretty much all the big guys have said they have no plans to offer exclusives to Amazon.

[wmaurer]

Harcourt Publishing and Grove/Atlantic. I don't know much about how big they are, but one book is the Booker Prize winner, and the other was shortlisted. I posted the link to Mobipocket's response on the 'Potentially very disappointed' thread.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by FixB

Even more : buy your books from stores without any DRMs (I like Baen )

Books aren't really interchangeable. I want to read the book I want to read. If it didn't matter which book, I'd only own one and I'd read it over and over. Amazon has many more of the titles I'm interested in. Aside from PG, I find very few things I want that come without DRM. I don't see that changing any time soon.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by wmaurer

Harcourt Publishing and Grove/Atlantic. I don't know much about how big they are, but one book is the Booker Prize winner, and the other was shortlisted. I posted the link to Mobipocket's response on the 'Potentially very disappointed' thread.

Looking at the publishers sites I don't think they do much in the way of ebooks. I wonder if asking the publisher would do any good.

[tirsales]

I guess it will be exactly like the eMusic-market:
Publishers make the same mistakes again and again - seems like "learning out of errors" isn't a used technique anymore.
NTL: They will start selling eBooks when and only when there normal pBook-Market drops. Before that they will rant about "piracy books" and "organized criminals scanning books and giving them away for free" etc etc drekcetera.
Moral of the stroy: They will serve the eBook-market only if they HAVE too.

[EatingPie]

Look, we DESPERATELY need a single e-Book format.

Amazon has the power and numbers to make that single format happen. Every e-reader that I know can be firmware flashed, so it's just a question of licensing and implementing the Kindle format in each Reader.

Unfortunately, it looks like Amazon wants to the Kindle to be the "iPod of e-Readers" in all ways but the good. They're locking Amazon content to the Kindle like Apple iTunes to the iPod. But unlike the iPod, the Kindle is the butt-ugliest piece of shi -- er -- electronics I've seen in years...

To the pain.... Children will gaze upon you and cry out 'my God what is that thing!'



I have no problem with DRM as long as its universally usable. That latter is where Amazon is blowing it... so, yeah, chalk me up as another one pissed at Amazon on this one. (Though I admit, early to call, and time will tell.)

-Pie

[FixB]

Originally Posted by Alisa

Books aren't really interchangeable. I want to read the book I want to read. If it didn't matter which book, I'd only own one and I'd read it over and over.

Agreed
I just wanted to point out that there are interesting books outside amazon. Even if not all the ones you want...

[rflashman]

Originally Posted by EatingPie

Look, we DESPERATELY need a single e-Book format.

I think what Amazon wants is a single e-Book service. Since they keep a copy of everything you buy online, they could easily support different (future) devices and seamlessly transfer your purchased content between them. So they are not locked to any single format.