Kindle Myths and Partial Truths - Page 9

daffy4u · 02-17-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I think that kind of contradicts your "cheap price" theory from your other post?

BOb

Cheap is in the wallet of the beholder (seller). For a lucky few, that was cheap!

desertgrandma · 02-17-2009, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

$250-$275 seems to be the low side of the available units. Although I've seen a few go for $200.. but they go FAST!

BOb

yes.............they do!

MonaLS · 02-17-2009, 10:16 PM

I think there is one on Amazon for $225. I am so tempted.

JSWolf · 02-18-2009, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

I'm actually a huge fan of the Kindle as I said loudly and clearly right here when it first came out; I think it's a terrific device, and I think Jeff Bezos has done a lot to bring pricing sensibility to the ebook market, to boot.

What I think really needs to be done is sensible pricing no matter the format or where you purchase your eBooks.

JSWolf · 02-18-2009, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I'm unsure why you think something was obscured. The subject of that particular "myth" is that one is locked into buying *only* from Amazon. I've not run across any potential buyers who were not aware of the huge catalog of ebooks that Amazon has. I have run into folks who either could not purchase from Amazon (Kindle owners outside of the country) or for personal reasons (DRM issues for one) don't want to buy from Amazon but think they have no choice. The subject was not whether Amazon was the best source or not (for me... it is), it was about options outside of Amazon.

For eBooks like best sellers, most people with a Kindle are locked into Amazon. Just like most people with a Sony Reader are locked into Sony.

Gideon · 02-18-2009, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

When someone buys an ebook reader to read novels by James Patterson or Stephen King (or even me) or nonfiction by Malcolm Gladwell or Bill Bryson, to tell them that -- hey, no probs, you can get Jane Austen's Emma over here -- is ducking the question and not really separating myth from truth.

Yeah, but that's disingenuous as well. And something you see a lot around here. "Well, yeah.. if you want POPULAR books the Amazon store is good." But for me, and I know for many others, the Amazon store is good exactly because it has so much more than popular books. Quality stuff that isn't popular or the stuff you find at Fictionwise or many of the other book stores. Stephen King's new stuff is just about the only "popular" books I've purchased (oh, and a Malcom Gladwell book).

I'm not saying YOU'RE saying that (wouldn't want to jump to conclusions from a forum post, too hard to see tone) but I do see that a lot around here. A kind of "Non-Amazon Elitism." I don't have a problem with elitism as a rule, but I do have a problem with ignorance (again, not saying you're saying that - I'm only speaking to the idea that Amazon is for the "popular stuff" and I think you're actually saying the opposite, but it didn't quite come off that way to me when I wrote this).

Amazon has over 200,000 books. Many of those are in the public domain. Many of those are repeats. Almost any best seller is there. And then there are the thousands and thousands of niche non-fiction in everything from history to philosophy to economics.

So yes, there are popular books. But it's also the best (as in quantity) source for non-popular books that could still find a publisher.

HarryT · 02-18-2009, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtw

Unfortunate truth: you can only purchase books from the Amazon.com Kindle store if you own a Kindle device.

That really is a load of rubbish

. There are numerous sites that you can buy books from.

pdurrant · 02-18-2009, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtw

Unfortunate truth: you can only purchase books from the Amazon.com Kindle store if you own a Kindle device.

That really is a load of rubbish

. There are numerous sites that you can buy books from.

I think you've mis-read his post. He's right that without a Kindle serial number, and this pretty much does mean owning a Kindle, you cannot purchase ebooks from "the Amazon.com Kindle store".

HarryT · 02-18-2009, 06:03 AM

OK - yes, now you point it out, I see that the original post can be read in two different ways; I interpreted it as "if you own a Kindle, you can only buy books from Amazon's store" which is, of course, untrue.

Reading it the other way; certainly it's true that you can only buy books from the Kindle store if you do own a Kindle, but so what? Suppose you could buy Kindle books without owning a Kindle - what the heck are you going to read them on?

curtw · 02-18-2009, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

... so what? Suppose you could buy Kindle books without owning a Kindle - what the heck are you going to read them on?

A desktop computer or any Mobi-compatible device, assuming one would use their Mobipocket PID in place of the Kindle ID.

And if your next question is why would you want to read Kindle books on other devices?, see my comment here

Also, Harry, has American English truly devolved so much from British English that my statement was actually ambiguous? I guess I could have written it as "you cannot purchase books from the Amazon.com Kindle store unless you own a Kindle device," but that phrasing seems very awkward to me.

Patricia · 02-18-2009, 09:50 AM

"Unfortunate truth: you can only purchase books from the Amazon.com Kindle store if you own a Kindle device"

Logically, this is analysed as is a scope ambiguity. And it's ambiguous in both US and UK English.

The ambiguity arises because of the unclear scope of the word "only."

Either it is analysed as
(Only if you own a kindle) can you purchase books from the Amazon store.
or as
If you own a kindle then (you can only purchase books from the Amazon store).

These ambiguities are very easy to make and I end up correcting a lot of them in students' essays.

bwaldron · 02-18-2009, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtw

Also, Harry, has American English truly devolved so much from British English that my statement was actually ambiguous?.

Your statement was actually ambiguous in American English.

(As I just see that Patricia pointed out above.)

(I understood your meaning, but it could be read the way Harry did.)

curtw · 02-18-2009, 10:30 AM

All the more reason I'm sure I made the right career choice in becoming an engineer. I have tech editors to fix my writing deficiencies.

slayda · 02-18-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Actually, that's not true... For example, you can buy those books from BooksOnboard.com using the PID of your Kindle. Granted, you have to do a little work to figure this out... but it is TRUE.

You can also obtain new commercial books from a lending library that loans ebooks such as the NYPL or Cleveland PL, etc.

There are other questionably legal ways such as buying from another store, removing the DRM and coverting. But, we will leave that aside for a minute.

However, buying commercial books from the Kindle store is probably the easiest and best way to get those books if you are a Kindle owner. I think the myth was that you were LOCKED into some proprietary Kindle format that you couldn't get anywhere else. And that is NOT true. The Kindle reads the defacto standard mobipocket format.

So, I disagree with you that there was subterfuge here. But, I don't think adding something to this question on the Wiki stating that many of the places that do sell DRM free versions are most times books that are less popular or less mainstream selections would be a problem. Heck, that is the point of the Wiki and the thread, to fine tune the questions and answers.

BOb

Bob, while what you say is true, it presupposes that the Kindle owner is aware of the method of extracting the Kindle's PID, and indeed that it is even possible to do so. Without being aware of said method, they would be restricted as Robert has said. I doubt that Amazon is advertising the method of extracting the Kindle's PID.

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Interesting the way different people perceive the same written words.

I read sarcasm and condescension.

but thats just me.

DG, I also thought there was some sarcasm but that it was directed at the prvious post, not at the Kindle.

JSWolf · 02-18-2009, 11:17 AM

Myth: You can buy eBooks from the Kindle store even if you do not own a Kindle.

Truth: You have to have a Kindle registered to your account at Amazon.com in order to be able to purchase eBooks from the Kindle Store.

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02-17-2009, 10:16 PM	#123
MonaLS Groupie Posts: 180 Karma: 34 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Kindle (Gen 1), Kindle DX, Kindle Fire, LG Enact	I think there is one on Amazon for $225. I am so tempted.

02-18-2009, 06:03 AM	#129
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	OK - yes, now you point it out, I see that the original post can be read in two different ways; I interpreted it as "if you own a Kindle, you can only buy books from Amazon's store" which is, of course, untrue. Reading it the other way; certainly it's true that you can only buy books from the Kindle store if you do own a Kindle, but so what? Suppose you could buy Kindle books without owning a Kindle - what the heck are you going to read them on?

02-18-2009, 09:50 AM	#131
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	"Unfortunate truth: you can only purchase books from the Amazon.com Kindle store if you own a Kindle device" Logically, this is analysed as is a scope ambiguity. And it's ambiguous in both US and UK English. The ambiguity arises because of the unclear scope of the word "only." Either it is analysed as (Only if you own a kindle) can you purchase books from the Amazon store. or as If you own a kindle then (you can only purchase books from the Amazon store). These ambiguities are very easy to make and I end up correcting a lot of them in students' essays.

02-18-2009, 10:30 AM	#133
curtw Outside of a dog Posts: 863 Karma: 4457646 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston, TX Device: Kindle Voyage	All the more reason I'm sure I made the right career choice in becoming an engineer. I have tech editors to fix my writing deficiencies.

02-18-2009, 11:17 AM	#135
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,975 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Myth: You can buy eBooks from the Kindle store even if you do not own a Kindle. Truth: You have to have a Kindle registered to your account at Amazon.com in order to be able to purchase eBooks from the Kindle Store.

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