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Kindle MatchBook

amazon.com

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Re: Kindle MatchBook

#111

Post by marcamillion »

unethical_ban wrote: post #98
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Charles Stross writings on ebooks is interesting and insightful. He should know: he's a tech-savvy best-selling author. (He hangs around here too: [1]) He wrote a couple of posts a year and a half ago, they still apply. In them, he explains how Amazon is making itself a monopoly, and that isn't good for anyone but them. What's been most informative to me is how tiny publishers actually are, and how little mon…

I try not to purchase anything from Amazon if I can find an equivalent elsewhere. In the long term, a monopoly on retail is a bad thing for us, and I'm taking the long view. EDIT: Though I must say, I've always wanted a print+digital feature, and if the paperwhite is as cool as they make it look...

I appreciate the principled stance, but Amazon won't ever have a monopoly on retail.

The internet is too big, and retail is too big, for that.

Walmart, etc. would never let that happen.

Besides....as much as people like online, I don't think Brick & Mortar stores will all go away. Some may, but everything won't.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#112

Post by nsmartt »

rollo_tommasi wrote: post #45
ScottWhigham wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's an interesting move, but not a "phenomenally important move". If I like print books but not ebooks, how does this affect me? It doesn't - not in the least. If I like both, I'm sort of happy - "Uh, I guess that's cool." I'm struggling to think of the person who needs both a printed copy of a book and an ebook version. The only person I can think of is someone with a textbook/learning book - you read the p…

I prefer printed books, but I frequently am reading on the subway, the train, the airport, etc, and so the portability of ebooks is a huge advantage. I'm definitely excited about being able to both pick up a printed copy of a book for leisurely reading at home and have my entire library in my pocket when I have to go fly somewhere.

I infinitely prefer reading a physical book at home, but I love being able to access my Kindle library when I'm out and about.

I want to be able to read every book on my shelf at home while I'm not there, and I'm loving this move on Amazon's part. I just hope it doesn't spell trouble in the long run.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#113

Post by garfij »

unethical_ban wrote: post #98
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Charles Stross writings on ebooks is interesting and insightful. He should know: he's a tech-savvy best-selling author. (He hangs around here too: [1]) He wrote a couple of posts a year and a half ago, they still apply. In them, he explains how Amazon is making itself a monopoly, and that isn't good for anyone but them. What's been most informative to me is how tiny publishers actually are, and how little mon…

I try not to purchase anything from Amazon if I can find an equivalent elsewhere. In the long term, a monopoly on retail is a bad thing for us, and I'm taking the long view. EDIT: Though I must say, I've always wanted a print+digital feature, and if the paperwhite is as cool as they make it look...

I'm a hardcore "real book" lover, but the Paperwhite is definitely as good as they make it look. I leave it on the lowest backlight setting available and it works fantastic in all lighting situations.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#114

Post by phaus »

gdilla wrote: post #11

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…

It would be awesome, if they weren't charging you for something you already purchased.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#115

Post by dsuth »

mikevm wrote: post #55
MichaelGG wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm, I always bought the Kindle editions because physical books are a pain in the ass to read. Before the Kindle, I even resorted to a WinCE device (built-in backlight, easy rotation for any position). Kindle Paperwhite is simply the best reading experience I've ever had in my life. The fact I could get a paper version doesn't even factor into my decision. Actually, the price rarely factors into the decision, as the…

One of the things I hate the most about reading books is holding them up while reading. eReaders have solved this problem for me, and now I am a happy camper!

You... don't have to hold an eReader up? One of the worst things about reading ebooks on my iPad 2 is the weight.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#116

Post by zeckalpha »

ctdonath wrote: post #89
lukev wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The value proposition of an ebook is that (on average) it's a better reading experience. More portable, more comfortable, instantly accessible. The value proposition of a physical book is that is a physical artifact with concrete ownership; you can sell it, lend it, put it on a shelf for guests to see, forget it and rediscover it a decade later, or have your grandchildren find it in your attic in 80 years. These two…

The value proposition of a physical book is that is a physical artifact with concrete ownership; you can sell it, lend it, put it on a shelf for guests to see, forget it and rediscover it a decade later, or have your grandchildren find it in your attic in 80 years. This. I have a bookcase filled with "me". Those books constitute what molded me, and (if unread) what I hoped would. My longevity being in some doubt, my…

Perhaps Amazon should offer a program where you demonstrate you have a physical copy (not purchased via Amazon) and get a digital copy for some reduced rate.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#117

Post by dsuth »

phaus wrote: post #114
gdilla wrote: post #11

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…

It would be awesome, if they weren't charging you for something you already purchased.

The convenience of having an ebook version of a $100 textbook would be worth a few bucks. Especially if I was still at Uni, lugging around 3-4 such books.

I frequently buy technical books for my business now, which requires that they be hardcopy (since I haven't found any way to share ebooks legally). Having the option to also get a softcopy licence would be incredibly useful.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#118

Post by sgustard »

toddmorey wrote: post #9

That's one of the best product names I've come across in a long while.

Clever, but the fact that "Kindle X" can now mean either a hardware product (Paperwhite) or a service feature (MatchBook) is confusing.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#119

Post by ianstormtaylor »

WalterBright wrote: post #105
ctdonath wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The value proposition of a physical book is that is a physical artifact with concrete ownership; you can sell it, lend it, put it on a shelf for guests to see, forget it and rediscover it a decade later, or have your grandchildren find it in your attic in 80 years. This. I have a bookcase filled with "me". Those books constitute what molded me, and (if unread) what I hoped would. My longevity being in some doubt, my…

My father lost a great deal of his physical books in a flood. If they were bits, he wouldn't have.

Yeah, but ask your father (or more realistically, anyone who has a book collection) if they'd trade all of their physical books for a kindle. The answer will almost alway be no, because there is a reason they've lugged those books around with them every time they've changed houses or gone on trips, because the physical artifact means something to them, and a eBook isn't going to cut it.

Re: Kindle MatchBook

#120

Post by dsuth »

wpietri wrote: post #85
ScottWhigham wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's an interesting move, but not a "phenomenally important move". If I like print books but not ebooks, how does this affect me? It doesn't - not in the least. If I like both, I'm sort of happy - "Uh, I guess that's cool." I'm struggling to think of the person who needs both a printed copy of a book and an ebook version. The only person I can think of is someone with a textbook/learning book - you read the p…

This is a major pain point for me, and this solves half of it. Every time I buy a book, I have to do a lot of thinking: Is is good enough I'll want to lend it? Will I need to travel with it? Is it worth getting rid of some other book on my bookshelf to make room for it? Am I going to refer to it? If so, will it be just the occasional text search, or do I need the random access of a physical book? There is often no go…

I go through this a lot too. I've bought books in ebook format that I've regretted, because I can't lend them easily. Conversely I've bought physical books which I wish were ebooks, because I don't reference them that often, and they're really wasting space. Not being limited to one or the other format would be great!

Although what happens when you buy the physical book, get the ebook for cheap, then on-sell the physical book? Seems like an open loop.

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