Comments on: Random House Group announces enhanced ebooks

By: Yen

Yen — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:52:03 +0000

It sounds really fun and clearly RH is trying to emphasize the “e” portion of ebooks, a move that I applaud. I went to the Books and Beyond site to try to download one, though, and they’re not viewable on ereaders! Because of the size of the files, they can only be viewed (and listened to) on a computer. I’m a huge fan of ebooks … but not on my computer!

By: Steve Jordan

Steve Jordan — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:22:31 +0000

Heh… what’s next, action figures? Although I admire their intent, a lot of these extras sound like the kind of things you’d package in a kid’s DVD, to give them something to do when they aren’t reading your book (which, in this case, I expect will be most of the time).

We’ll take low prices and common formats, thanks.

By: Tony Rabig

Tony Rabig — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:55:55 +0000

The games and the graphic novel segments and whatever else they come up with to “enhance” the ebooks are all very nice, but this reader would be much happier to see more titles issued as simple text at rational prices and made available from plenty of vendors.

It would be terrific to see them finally do ALL of the Modern Library and Everyman’s Library titles as ebooks (I’ve given up hope of ever seeing John D. MacDonald or Ross MacDonald or Jon Hassler.) To my surprise, they did issue three V. S. Pritchett titles over the last year — Essential Stories, Mr. Beluncle, and The Pritchett Century. Bought all three the minute I saw them listed, and I’m glad I did. Essential Stories has now disappeared from Books on Board’s list; The Pritchett Century has a hardcover price set on it even though the title was issued in ML paperback years ago. Everyman’s Library editions of Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm had recently been available as ebooks, and the big collection of his essays and journalism had been announced — the essays volume was never released in e, and 1984 and Animal Farm no longer show available. Paul, you’d been interested in an ebook of Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy during the MobiPocket/Overdrive kerfluffle, if memory serves — hope you bought it then, because it doesn’t appear to be available now.

The ebook march may be going on, but with titles from a major publisher being here one day and gone the next (when they’re issued in e at all), I’m not always sure which way it’s going.

Bests,

–tr