Kindle

[marinyork]

Anyone got a link to availability stats, indicating what books are, aren't available and if they're limited to certain e-formats?

It's a good question MacB. I haven't seen one. I only really know you can buy them at waterstones, penguin, whsmith and amazon (just interested). Waterstones seemed to be the worst by a country mile in terms of price selling many at full RRP hardback price which is more than others sells the hardback books for. Unfortunately there were rather a lot available in epub sold on either penguin/waterstones site apparently not available in kindle format or sold on other sites. I'm mostly interested in the cashing in of what should really be budget titles.

For example nineteen-eighty four which will go out of copyright here according to some people in around 10 years time apart from the kindle fiasco a while back has the totally ludicrous cashing in:-
£4.64 in kindle format
£8.99 in epub from Penguin
£2.14 from WHSmith in epub but another version is sold cheaper than elsewhere at £7.01
£8.48 for the same version in EPUB DRM from Waterstones

 

[CopperBrompton]

Unfortunately there were rather a lot available in epub sold on either penguin/waterstones site apparently not available in kindle format

Format isn't an issue. The excellent Calibre software will convert from anything to anything. I had a load of ebooks in PDF format which I converted in Calibre to Mobi format to read on my Kindle. (The Kindle reads PDF too, but Mobi is much more flexible, allowing you to choose the font size, etc.)

 

[Granville Kuosonsavath]

Pointless. just get a normal book, they're cheaper PER BOOK, AND you don't have to buy the device in the first place. Win win.
The sort of object that you would laughed off dragon's den with on the grounds that no one would be gullible enough to buy it when it's over a 100 quid AND you then have to pay again for the "books", bu it takes a company with the capacity for risk of amazon to just go ahead and build it anyway to prove that people will.

 

[Keith Oates]

Pointless. just get a normal book, they're cheaper PER BOOK, AND you don't have to buy the device in the first place. Win win.
The sort of object that you would laughed off dragon's den with on the grounds that no one would be gullible enough to buy it when it's over a 100 quid AND you then have to pay again for the "books", bu it takes a company with the capacity for risk of amazon to just go ahead and build it anyway to prove that people will.

I know what flouncing means but what is the name for unflouncng!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[darth vadar]

Why not just go to the library and borrow a book and read the newspapers ?

And just think. All that money you would save on not buying one of these pointless gismo's could go towards that new expensive bike you've always wanted.

Every cloud eh?

 

[CopperBrompton]

Pointless. just get a normal book, they're cheaper PER BOOK, AND you don't have to buy the device in the first place.

Printed books are pointless. Just go visit a normal stone tablet, the cycle ride is cheaper PER TABLET, AND you don't have to buy the book in the first place.

 

[MrGrumpy]

was going to get one of these for Xmas but pricing up books etc decided its just not worth the money.

 

[sparkyman]

I only want one for traveling... having a selection of books to read without the hassel of all the extra weight is the only reason to have one..

Sparkyman

 

[darth vadar]

This invention is the next Betamax video player or K-Tel Pop o' Matic.

And how long did they last?

 

[CopperBrompton]

This invention is the next Betamax video player

I suspect the Sony reader will prove to be Betamax and the Kindle VHS.

 

[Granville Kuosonsavath]

[QUOTE 1197801"]
Each to their own, eh Ben?
[/quote]

Just saying. It's your money. £110. A hundred and ten quid. Just think what you could buy with that.

 

[Piemaster]

With the massive marketing power of Amazon I'd be more inclined to compare it to an iPod, but can't see it ever being as pervasive as one - you can do lots of things listening that you can't do reading.
As it is very much a gadget it may even get more people reading. Ok, so 'gadget' wil probably have more success with men and kids, but if it does where is the harm?

 

[CopperBrompton]

Just saying. It's your money. £110. A hundred and ten quid. Just think what you could buy with that.

I currently have 350 classic novels on mine, all of which were free, and which would have cost me well over two grand in paper form.

 

[CopperBrompton]

As it is very much a gadget it may even get more people reading. Ok, so 'gadget' wil probably have more success with men and kids, but if it does where is the harm?

Of all the gadgets that are bought by non-gadgeteers, the Kindle seems to have been one of the most successful. At least a dozen friends have bought one after seeing mine, including the most anti-gadget person I know!

 

[Granville Kuosonsavath]

I currently have 350 classic novels on mine, all of which were free, and which would have cost me well over two grand in paper form.

not if you got them from the lib'ry.
hang on. "Classic". Is that just a euphemism for "old hat"?