Comments on: Is the Amazon Kindle an Attempted eBook Market Power Play? http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/ Tech evangelism and Miso soup like no other Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:03:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Scott Jarkoff http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/comment-page-1/#comment-945 Scott Jarkoff Sun, 10 May 2009 11:41:32 +0000 http://techmiso.com/?p=1541#comment-945 I imagine those specific books are not indicative of the average Kindle pricing. My understanding is that of books which have Kindle editions, 35% of the overall revenue generated from sales of those books are because of the Kindle versions. So I find it hard to believe the average Kindle version is priced <i>higher</i> than the physical edition.<br><br>BTW, who pays for those books anyhow? They are substantially more expensive than the average book sold through Amazon. Something smells fishy. I imagine those specific books are not indicative of the average Kindle pricing. My understanding is that of books which have Kindle editions, 35% of the overall revenue generated from sales of those books are because of the Kindle versions. So I find it hard to believe the average Kindle version is priced higher than the physical edition.

BTW, who pays for those books anyhow? They are substantially more expensive than the average book sold through Amazon. Something smells fishy.

]]> By: facebook-805690454 http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/comment-page-1/#comment-942 facebook-805690454 Sun, 10 May 2009 02:57:07 +0000 http://techmiso.com/?p=1541#comment-942 While I think the Kindle is a great idea and/or product, the biggest issue I currently have is some of the skewed prices. The cost of a Kindle version of a book (example here <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ral6lb" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/ral6lb</a> ) vs the paperback (same book here <a href="http://tinyurl.com/oju9ug" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/oju9ug</a> ) has a difference of $160 with the lower price going to the paperback. And that's not the only book I've seen that kind of difference for. The key thing for me would be to at least price the books competitively to their physical counterparts, otherwise why would I pay over $200 for a digital copy when the paperback (which also has ease of transport) is so much cheaper? While I think the Kindle is a great idea and/or product, the biggest issue I currently have is some of the skewed prices. The cost of a Kindle version of a book (example here http://tinyurl.com/ral6lb ) vs the paperback (same book here http://tinyurl.com/oju9ug ) has a difference of $160 with the lower price going to the paperback. And that's not the only book I've seen that kind of difference for. The key thing for me would be to at least price the books competitively to their physical counterparts, otherwise why would I pay over $200 for a digital copy when the paperback (which also has ease of transport) is so much cheaper?

]]> By: John Smith http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/comment-page-1/#comment-813 John Smith Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:23:59 +0000 http://techmiso.com/?p=1541#comment-813 Great discussion and points of view. While I am very interested in Kindle and more than willing to pay for books, paper or electronic, I am still waiting for these books to be DRM free. It's just so much easier and "thought-free" when I don't have to worry about DRM and how I use something. The higher the resolution, the better it is too. We are nowhere near true 300-dpi but that's a technical limitation at this point. <br> <br>Speaking of DRM-free, Amazon does have an awesome MP3 store that is DRM-free with a large selection and often good prices. It would be nice if they had the same thing with books. <br> <br>On the note about Amazon, I recently came across an interesting table that details the discounts on Amazon. <br> <br>It is at <a href="http://www.uberi.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.uberi.com</a> <br> <br>Maybe someone will find it useful too. Great discussion and points of view. While I am very interested in Kindle and more than willing to pay for books, paper or electronic, I am still waiting for these books to be DRM free. It's just so much easier and “thought-free” when I don't have to worry about DRM and how I use something. The higher the resolution, the better it is too. We are nowhere near true 300-dpi but that's a technical limitation at this point.

Speaking of DRM-free, Amazon does have an awesome MP3 store that is DRM-free with a large selection and often good prices. It would be nice if they had the same thing with books.

On the note about Amazon, I recently came across an interesting table that details the discounts on Amazon.

It is at http://www.uberi.com

Maybe someone will find it useful too.

]]> By: Scott Jarkoff http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/comment-page-1/#comment-802 Scott Jarkoff Sat, 04 Apr 2009 22:48:02 +0000 http://techmiso.com/?p=1541#comment-802 I think the whole transferring of my paper library to electronic format (aka ripping music from CD to MP3) would be mitigated if the cost of the ebooks were not so expensive. If there were some way for me to validate that I already own a copy of the paper version, which would net me either a free ebook or I would pay a small fee, then I could see buying a Kindle. But until that day arrives, I'm with you! I think the whole transferring of my paper library to electronic format (aka ripping music from CD to MP3) would be mitigated if the cost of the ebooks were not so expensive. If there were some way for me to validate that I already own a copy of the paper version, which would net me either a free ebook or I would pay a small fee, then I could see buying a Kindle. But until that day arrives, I'm with you!

]]> By: Rich Chuckrey http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/comment-page-1/#comment-799 Rich Chuckrey Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:10:46 +0000 http://techmiso.com/?p=1541#comment-799 I personally enjoy the Kindle App for iPhone. Have already downloaded and flipped through some books from Amazon -- albeit, they were free.<br><br>However, you're spot on with the DRM issue. Smells like early iPod all over again. Come on Amazon..... I personally enjoy the Kindle App for iPhone. Have already downloaded and flipped through some books from Amazon — albeit, they were free.

However, you're spot on with the DRM issue. Smells like early iPod all over again. Come on Amazon…..

]]> By: MonTemplar http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/comment-page-1/#comment-798 MonTemplar Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:53:49 +0000 http://techmiso.com/?p=1541#comment-798 Unfortunately, the Kindle 2 isn't even available in the UK yet - the fact that Amazon have yet to roll this device out to other markets outside the USA suggests to me that there are other issues (mobile connectivity, licencing, etc.) that are holding them back. I was quite interested in the potential of the Kindle, particularly if they could have replicated the ability to subscribe to and read newspapers and periodicals on the Kindle for people outside of the USA. But my enthusiasm has been dented by the debacle over text-to-speech. :( Unfortunately, the Kindle 2 isn't even available in the UK yet – the fact that Amazon have yet to roll this device out to other markets outside the USA suggests to me that there are other issues (mobile connectivity, licencing, etc.) that are holding them back. I was quite interested in the potential of the Kindle, particularly if they could have replicated the ability to subscribe to and read newspapers and periodicals on the Kindle for people outside of the USA. But my enthusiasm has been dented by the debacle over text-to-speech. :(

]]> By: Lady 'Lin http://techmiso.com/1541/is-the-amazon-kindle-an-attempted-ebook-market-power-play/comment-page-1/#comment-797 Lady 'Lin Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:36:03 +0000 http://techmiso.com/?p=1541#comment-797 The lack of openness is exactly why I don't want a Kindle. I have somewhere around 600 books - being able to read any one of them, possibly search them, on an electronic device would be a dream! But I have no way to transfer my paper library to electronic format, and most of my library is either out of print or beyond the pale of Amazon's Kindle library. <br><br>When the openness issue is solved, when the paper-to-digital formatting issue is solved, THEN I will get a Kindle (or its rival) and praise it to high heaven. 'Til then, I'll happily cart around my clunky, obsolete old hunks of trees. The lack of openness is exactly why I don't want a Kindle. I have somewhere around 600 books – being able to read any one of them, possibly search them, on an electronic device would be a dream! But I have no way to transfer my paper library to electronic format, and most of my library is either out of print or beyond the pale of Amazon's Kindle library.

When the openness issue is solved, when the paper-to-digital formatting issue is solved, THEN I will get a Kindle (or its rival) and praise it to high heaven. 'Til then, I'll happily cart around my clunky, obsolete old hunks of trees.

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