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Oyster, Netflix for books, is launching the beta version of its iPhone app

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Re: Oyster, Netflix for books, is launching the beta version of its iPhone app

#6
The model is just too compelling for consumers: Pay a reasonable price, get access to all the content you want without having to own it

I quite like owning my books, actually. There's already an alternative to doing so, called a library; since the book sales business did quite well int he pre-internet days despite the widespread availability of libraries, I'm not sure why the author thinks a functioning e-book library is suddenly going to bring sales to a screeching halt.

Re: Oyster, Netflix for books, is launching the beta version of its iPhone app

#8
post #7

The "Netflix for books" is, and has long been, libraries. And yes, almost all of them have an ebook program in addition to their huge supply of paper books.

Is Overdrive (the library ebook system I see everywhere) intentionally painful to use (to deter users), or just horribly implemented?

Re: Oyster, Netflix for books, is launching the beta version of its iPhone app

#9
post #4

Oyster? Really? Like the Oyster travel site: http://www.oyster.com/ Or the Oyster travel card: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14836.aspx ?

The FAQ mentions about the choice of the name Oyster - https://www.oysterbooks.com/help/faq

"Oyster takes inspiration from the famous literary line in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, "the world's mine oyster." All the pleasures of reading are yours for the taking, no matter where you go."

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