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Kindle MatchBook

amazon.com

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Re: Kindle MatchBook

#11

Post by gdilla »

This is awesome for the consumer, absolutely. And it's only made possible by the recent DOJ trial that effectively allowed Amazon to set prices of ebooks (wholesale vs agency model). Recall that agency model, the publisher sets the price (the same as apps on the app store). But now that Amazon can set any price they want for ebooks (and take a loss on them if they want to, which they have done before), Amazon can do cool stuff like this.

Amazon has already started discounting ebooks - some of the bestsellers are now cheaper on amazon in ebook form than on iBooks. That never happened before in Agency model, where price parity was a rule.

There is nothing inherently wrong with Agency model pricing; indeed it has been the norm since mp3s on iTunes 10 years ago. But Amazon competes on price, and Agency was a big wrench in those plans. Now that they can do anything they want with digital pricing, they're applying the stake in all other ebook retailers hearts. Will be fun to watch.

I speculate publishers will hate this. eBooks were one of the last digital media where value hasn't become completely pulvarized (see: Apps, MP3s). Though, its certainly possible physical book sales could be bolstered by this.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#12

Post by pdenya »

I came away from this confused thinking some Kindle versions of books were now cheaper.

Amazon is horrible at explaining what things are supposed to do. Every product landing page I've seen from them is confusing, especially all of their cloud services.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#13

Post by StavrosK »

pdenya wrote: post #12

I came away from this confused thinking some Kindle versions of books were now cheaper. Amazon is horrible at explaining what things are supposed to do. Every product landing page I've seen from them is confusing, especially all of their cloud services.

What is it? I can't find an explanation.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#14

Post by Shivetya »

I had always wondered when a program similar to DVD tiles would arise, where the product came with a coupon to get the electronic version free. I'll take it either way, I love hard bounds but there are many times where they are not best suited for environments the Kindle thrives in.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#15

Post by jmduke »

TomAnthony wrote: post #8

There are fundamental differences between a paper book and an ebook. I far prefer paper books when I'm using it as a reference, but love the convenience of ebooks when for when I'm reading through something. With technical books it is very common to read initially and reference later, or to read some sections, use others for reference etc. With that in mind it has often been a tough choice as to whether to buy a pape…

I'm the exact opposite: I prefer paper books for 'binge reading', but eBooks for documentation or sifting through, since I'd take Ctrl+F over leafing through an index/glossary any day.

Which is why I think this (and similar offerings: I know O'Reilly and leanpub do similar things) is such an exciting offer: I don't have to sit back and decide which use case I'd rather prioritize.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#16

Post by mrtron »

StavrosK wrote: post #13
pdenya wrote: post #12

I came away from this confused thinking some Kindle versions of books were now cheaper. Amazon is horrible at explaining what things are supposed to do. Every product landing page I've seen from them is confusing, especially all of their cloud services.

What is it? I can't find an explanation.

It appears like for physical books you buy - you will be able to get the digital version cheap or free.

It is an extremely unclear landing page.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#18

Post by dpcx »

mrtron wrote: post #16
StavrosK wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is it? I can't find an explanation.

It appears like for physical books you buy - you will be able to get the digital version cheap or free. It is an extremely unclear landing page.

Really?

>>> For thousands of qualifying books, your past, present, and future print-edition purchases will soon allow you to buy the Kindle edition for $2.99, $1.99, $0.99, or free.

That seems pretty clear to me.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#19

Post by uptown »

pdenya wrote: post #12

I came away from this confused thinking some Kindle versions of books were now cheaper. Amazon is horrible at explaining what things are supposed to do. Every product landing page I've seen from them is confusing, especially all of their cloud services.

I get it - but it could be clearer.

Essentially, if you've ever bought print editions of books from Amazon, many of the Kindle versions of those books you previously purchased will be offered specifically to you for free or a small charge below $3 if you're interested in adding the digital version to your collection.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#20

Post by chimeracoder »

shantanubala wrote: post #7
runn1ng wrote: post #3

I should dislike Amazon for closed-source software on Kindle and for its DRM, but... well, they have really nice offers.

Kindles are very hackable in comparison to most devices. http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=2... Amazon also didn't void my warranty when I installed a few hacks on my e-ink Kindle. Unfortunately they are very lenient with their devices because they know that the content is locked down completely. Once you buy Kindle books, you're unfortunately only renting them.

> Once you buy Kindle books, you're unfortunately only renting them.

Luckily, it is VERY easy to crack Amazon's DRM in Calibre.

Not excusing the DRM - I'm just thankful it's easy to get around (all you need is the Kindle serial number, which is easy to find in the settings on your Kindle).

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