eReader Comparison

There is a nice comparison of Kindle, nook, and Sony eReader specifications on Compare2Save.

More ebook pricing confusion

Okay, so here is the most bizarre pricing scenario I've seen yet. Can someone please explain this to me??

1. This is a reissue. The original stories were originally published in 1997 (Outrageous) and 2003 (Riley).
   
2. How is is possible that Amazon is charging MORE for the Kindle version than the mass market paperback copy? Really??? Does that make sense to anyone? $9.99 for the Kindle edition and $9.84 for the Mass Market. These are reissue stories!!!
   

Am I an ebook addict?

You decide based on these stats!

Binding	Total
Kindle Edition	163
Mass Market Paperback	5
Mass Market Paperback - Reprint	1
Paperback	3
Secure EReader	45
Grand Total	217

What do you think????

YTD Reading Summary

I haven't posted a YTD reading summary lately...so I thought I would provide a summary update. Looks to me like I'm a little behind last year. Except for in how much I am spending these days...that seems to be up!

	YearTo Date
Books Read 2009:	217
Pages Read 2009:	74732
Cost of Books Read:	$1,423.99
Books Purchased/Received 2009:	222
Cost of Books Purchased:	$1,415.87
Books Passed On 2009:	403
Cost of Books Passed On:	$161.99
2009 Postage:	$460.50

Why the huge price differences??

So I'm really perplexed by the significant price differences that I see between Amazon and BN.

Here is an example:


Hot on Her Heels by Susan Mallery
Available at Amazon (preorder) in Kindle format: $5.75
Available at BN.com (preorder) in ebook format: $7.20
Yes that is a difference of $1.45!

Both sellers list the Mass Market Paperback price at $7.99

Neither Fictionwise nor eReader.com show the book. Of course, I don't think they ever show books before they are available. Makes it hard to maintain a wishlist on those sites. In my experience, these ebook sellers would tend more to the bn.com price than the Amazon price.



So how can this be??? What is the factor driving the price differences? Can someone help me understand? I just don't get it. Who is driving these ebook prices...the publisher or the seller?

So much angst!

So I've spent much of my weekend playing on the BN site and following the discussion about the nook. I'm flabbergasted by the number of people who are "up in arms" over BN restrictions on lending. Some people are saying they are going to cancel their "nook" order. What?! What other ereader will you purchase....because no one else allows you to share at all. (And I don't count Amazon's sharing policy since it restricts you to devices on your account.)

The Barnes and Noble nook ebook FAQ says "Yes. With our new LendMe™ technology, you can now share from nook to nook. But it doesn’t stop there. Starting Nov. 30th, you can lend to and from any device with the Barnes & Noble eReader app, including PC, Mac OS®, BlackBerry®, iPhone™ and iPod® touch. All you need to know is your friend’s email address. You can lend many of your eBooks one time for a maximum of 14 days. When you use our LendMe™ technology, you will not be able to read your eBook while it is on loan, but you always get it back."

1. The duration (14 days) restriction ensures that you get the book back. How many of us have lent a book only to have it never return. 14 days seems like a reasonable initial duration to pass a book on. The limit is probably driven by both BN and publishers.
2. AT THIS TIME, BN is limiting the number of times a book can be passed on to ONCE. Okay, this is a bit disappointing but ONE time is one more time than I can pass on the 195 Amazon Kindle ebooks that I own.
   Yes, I know I can share books on Amazon with others on my account. But I refuse to share my account with DH and he wouldn't read the books I read anyway.
   Come on people!!! This is a GREAT first step! Maybe I'm just an eternal optomist but I think this is just the start! Let's face it! Publishers are as much a part of the problem as book sellers...maybe more. I expect that other ebook providers will start offering the ability to lend books and that the limit on the number of times a book can be passed on will be raised. I expect there will be a limit but I think somewhere in the 5-10 range will be more likely.
   

I'm still a huge fan of what BN is doing!! You can find me in the BN ebook communities via my email address!

eReaders Competition Heats Up

I know I was originally hesitant to join the eReader craze...but when I did I went whole hog. I first started with eReader/Fictionwise on my iPod (Sept 2008 - Feb 2009) then purchased a Kindle2 (Feb 2009 - TODAY). But the Barnes and Noble "nook" really has my attention.

The Press There is a lot of information and comparison about the nook and Amazon's response.

Here are some of the things that I really like about the nook:

1. Ability to lend books to friends. BN ebooks can be loaned to friends for up to 14 days. Is 14 days enough? Maybe/Maybe not but it is better than not be able to lend them. Or requiring that all devices are on the same account (read "credit card"). Heck, my husband and I don't share the same credit card...and we generally don't read the same books.
2. WiFi! This isn't that important to me...I haven't had any trouble with my Kindle 3G network but I could see where it would be a concern if you can't access Kindle's Whispernet.
3. A significant portion of the device isn't taken up with a keyboard I don't use often. And I really hate the keys on the Kindle...could they have made them any harder to see and use?
4. "nook" offers the same Download Sample feature as Amazon. I love this feature! It has saved me from reading a book I had read previously.
5. BN offers readers for the iPod AND Blackberry. I'm planning on getting the new Storm2 when it comes out (hopefully this week). Since I have the iPod Touch, I have to be connected to a WiFi network in order to get a new book. Having eReaders on my Blackberry should give me more flexibility.
6. I like the community features that BN has built. I belong to several book communities (BookCrossing, GoodReadsm, and Facebook) and now BN. Be sure to friend me!
7. Ability to touch and feel the "nook" before buying! I think this will give BN a significant advantage. I waited a while before buying the Kindle because I couldn't see and touch it first. Because of that I have offered to show my Kindle to others in the local area who want to see it and I've been happy to show it off.
   

I downloaded the BN ereader for the iPod Touch. Reading on my iPod is generally a pain but will work in a pinch. First, it means that I can't plug my iPod in to my home stereo system AND read at the same time. Second, the battery life on the iPod when reading is about 4 hours or less. So far I've found 2 books that are available in eBook format at BN that haven't been available at Amazon. That will probably mean that I continue to use multiple readers but will need to stick with the Kindle as my primary. (I can't afford to purchase the "nook" at this point.)

Both Kindle and "nook" have opportunities for improvement:

• Amazon needs to get with the program and find a way to enable the sharing of books. eBook readers want to be able to share books just like they do their paper copies. I suggested to Amazon earlier this year that they set up a way to manage the sharing to eliminate piracy concerns. Looks like BN beat them to the punch.
• Both Amazon and BN need to do a better job of integrating ebooks and wishlists. When I hear about a future release I want to add it to my wishlist...preferrably in the ebook format (since that is all I read these days). If I have to add it in paper format, I want you to tell me when the ebook format comes available. Amazon seems to do a better job of putting "to be released" books on their website. I wasn't able to find a couple of future release books on the BN site.
  
• When I got to the end of the sample on the BN iPod reader, there wasn't an option to "Buy Now." I had to go to the Amazon site, and search for the book. It didn't take me directly to the book I was reading. And it didn't appear that I could access any of my BN Wishlists. It made purchasing the book much more difficult. This issue may be limited to the reader and may be better on the "nook" but it is still a huge opportunity for improvement.
• Pricing. I'm still amazed at the price for eBooks. Really??? You don't have to send them to be printed and don't have to pay for paper and shipping but the prices aren't SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper. And if a book is available in hardcopy and paperback why does it seem that the ebook price is based on the hardback version? A very quick comparison seemed to show that Amazon's prices are better than BN's prices. It looks like Amazon's prices are about the same as BN's member prices. (I let my BN membership lapse when I started reading eBooks.) Hopefully, we'll see that start to change as competition heats up!
  

I definitely have "nook" envy! But I can't see buying another eBook reader at this time.

To Kindle or Not?

In a few short months I went from not being sure I wanted to read ebooks to being addicted to them....

I've been using my iPod Touch to read ebooks since Fall 2008. I've actually been very happy with the iPod as a reading device except for the lack of availability of books that I want to read. [NOTE: My preferred reader on the iPod was the eReader because of the ease of purchasing and downloading books from ereader.com or fictionwise.com. However, Amazon just released a Kindle eReader for the iPhone/iPod Touch.] You may want to have multiple ereaders on the iPod because of availability of books. I still haven't figured out why some books are available in some formats but not others.

In January I started getting antsy. I wanted more new releases right away...or at least at the same time that they are available in other formats such as Kindle. When John suggested he might want a Kindle also....I broke down and ordered a Kindle (okay...I ordered 2 Kindles)...on Tuesday February 24th my Kindle2 arrived.

I've now been reading on the Kindle for a couple of weeks and I have to say I'm very happy. I like the ease of purchasing books. But more than that I like the "sample" feature. While I haven't experiemented with the speech-to-text feature, I look forward to that time when I'm almost done with a book but have to put it down to leave or do something else...no I can just have it read to me while I'm doing something else.

My Favorite Feature - Samples: Amazon allows Kindler users to download a sample of a book. You can read the sample and at the end select to "Buy the book Now." I've started using this like a wishlist. Once a book is available in Kindle format, I download the sample. When I'm ready to start a new book, I browse through my samples and select a sample to read. I read the sample...decide it's what I want to read at this time...and buy the book at the end of the sample. AWESOME!!! I also like that Amazon tells me if I already purchased something. THANK YOU!!!

What is still missing: While Amazon allows you to share content with Kindles within an account, the license agreement says that you can share with 5 Kindles...but they must be on the same account which means that they share a single credit card for purchasing content. (And NO Noumena11 and I are NOT sharing an account!) Amazon already manages digital content and rights for Kindle content. It's not a stretch to see how Amazon could easily manage the exchange of digital content while still ensuring digital rights management by transfering rights to content from one user to another. I'm even okay if the content is limited to 5 or 6 "owners." I can see Amazon setting up a used digital content store.

Overall, the Kindle2 is a great ebook reader! Great form, fit and function and It's easy to use right out of the box. Amazon needs to be a leader in the exchange of managed digital content.

Previous related blog posts:
To ebook or not? That is only one of the questions...
To ebook or not? Revisited.

Paranormal Readers - Chance to win an iPod Touch

Here's an opportunity to win an iPod touch
http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=4815

January Statistics

	YearTo Date	January
Books Read 2009:	24	24
Pages Read 2009:	8174	8174
Cost of Books Read:	$145.87	$145.87
Books Purchased/Received 2009:	19	19
Cost of Books Purchased:	$118.07	$118.07
Books Passed On 2009:	303	303
Cost of Books Passed On:	$71.76	$71.76
RABCKs 2009:	290	290
Cost of RABCKs:	$71.51	$71.51
2009 Postage:	$239.23	239.23

January Books Read

No	Book	Date Read	Pages
1	Who Loves Ya, Baby?	20090102	344
2	What a Girl Wants	20090119	256
3	All the Right Angles	20090103	384
4	Show No Mercy	20090103	384
5	Take No Prisoners	20090117	384
6	Motor Mouth (Alexandra Barnaby Series #2)	20090101	320
7	French Pressed	20090113	288
8	Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home	20090103	320
9	Don't Talk Back to Your Vampire	20090103	340
10	Espresso Shot	20090111	352
11	Body Movers: 2 Bodies for the Price of 1	20090123	352
12	All or Nothing	20090105	384
13	All That Matters	20090114	384
14	My Heart May Be Broken, But My Hair Still Looks Great	20090110	310
15	Night Shadow	20090109	304
16	Secret Fantasy	20090116	224
17	Watch and Learn (Harlequin Blaze Series #428)	20090127	224
18	Red Hot Holiday Bundle	20090127	500
19	Body Movers	20090121	376
20	Winter Heat	20090128	320
21	Five O'clock Shadow	20090118	320
22	Dark of Night (Troubleshooters Series #14)	20090129	432
23	Witch Heart	20090130	320
24	Real Vampires Don't Diet	20090130	352

December RABCK Release Challenge Results

BCUser	Dec	Grand Total
apolonia		11
beckydore		113
Blackadder75		25
Cluricaune	1	18
Cowgirl-Up		2
Deepswamp	37	331
Elle311	5	162
etherea		40
Gypsysmom		9
Haugtussa	6	86
ILuvToRead2		2
jumpingin	5	33
Krin511		6
Marsala		2
Momx3lovesbooks	1	68
nmreader		15
noumena12		230
peachy93722		1
Plum-crazy	6	137
Pzarks		27
Shaunesay		52
Smhamn	6	101
Sybaritic-Lines		4
T02S03B11D20		1
turbostitcher		14
tuttasb		22
Valentina1209	12	131
Vamperstein8782		3
Grand Total	79	1646

November RABCK Release Challenge Results

BCUser	Nov	Grand Total
apolonia		11
beckydore		113
Blackadder75		25
Cluricaune	17	17
Cowgirl-Up		2
Deepswamp	6	294
Elle311	11	157
etherea		40
Gypsysmom		9
Haugtussa	5	80
ILuvToRead2		2
jumpingin	9	28
Krin511		6
Marsala		2
Momx3lovesbooks		67
nmreader		15
noumena12	4	230
peachy93722		1
Plum-crazy	2	131
Pzarks		27
Shaunesay	7	52
Smhamn	18	95
Sybaritic-Lines		4
T02S03B11D20		1
turbostitcher		14
tuttasb		22
Valentina1209	18	119
Vamperstein8782		3
Grand Total	97	1567