Comments on: U.K. news: Amazon Kindle and Sony gear up for slug-out, and top writers will be available in E http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:23:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Simon Drake http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-723327 Simon Drake Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:45:07 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-723327 eBooks will make it - and the evolution of Readers (Sony, Kindle, and anyone else game enough to enter the market) and Pricing (real pricing, not pumped up grab-all prices )will end in tears for many, joy for the rest. eBooks will make it - and the evolution of Readers (Sony, Kindle, and anyone else game enough to enter the market) and Pricing (real pricing, not pumped up grab-all prices )will end in tears for many, joy for the rest.

]]> By: Richard Herley http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-722231 Richard Herley Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:46:44 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-722231 The Kindle is ridden with DRM and will for that reason, in the long term, fail. The Reader (I have one) is a nice machine, but suffers, though to a lesser extent, from Sony's misplaced obsession with DRM. As Rob Preece implies above, the price of ebooks is too high. The future of ebooks lies in self-publishing by authors: for an essay on the implications, please have a look at http://www.richardherley.com/FTCebooks.html The price of the ebook-displays themselves, when they reach these shores, will no doubt be subjected to that peculiar exchange rate, so popular with technology companies, of $1.00 = £1.00! The Kindle is ridden with DRM and will for that reason, in the long term, fail.

The Reader (I have one) is a nice machine, but suffers, though to a lesser extent, from Sony’s misplaced obsession with DRM.

As Rob Preece implies above, the price of ebooks is too high. The future of ebooks lies in self-publishing by authors: for an essay on the implications, please have a look at

http://www.richardherley.com/FTCebooks.html

The price of the ebook-displays themselves, when they reach these shores, will no doubt be subjected to that peculiar exchange rate, so popular with technology companies, of $1.00 = £1.00!

]]> By: Richard Adin http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-718007 Richard Adin Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:25:19 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-718007 The Times article also said: "Pages are turned by touch rather than by fiddling with buttons. . . ." It isn't clear to me (at least) what the Times means. The Sony PRS505 uses buttons that you touch, as does the Kindle. Usually when using the term "touch" the reference is to a touchscreen, but unless new models are about to appear, both the Kindle and the Sony use buttons. Or am I missing something? The Times article also said: “Pages are turned by touch rather than by fiddling with buttons. . . .”

It isn’t clear to me (at least) what the Times means. The Sony PRS505 uses buttons that you touch, as does the Kindle. Usually when using the term “touch” the reference is to a touchscreen, but unless new models are about to appear, both the Kindle and the Sony use buttons.

Or am I missing something?

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-718005 Rob Preece Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:20:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-718005 Great news if the Sony Reader and Kindle appear over there. If Amazon and Sony insist on pricing books high, I imagine Fictionwise will have a field day. Yes, electrons are cheaper to push than paper. Although there certainly are costs involved with either format (if you think that the papermakers get most of the $29.99 price of your latest hardback, you're kidding yourself). I certainly believe in passing the savings on to the customer but I'm hardly a model of a high-profit business. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com Great news if the Sony Reader and Kindle appear over there. If Amazon and Sony insist on pricing books high, I imagine Fictionwise will have a field day.

Yes, electrons are cheaper to push than paper. Although there certainly are costs involved with either format (if you think that the papermakers get most of the $29.99 price of your latest hardback, you’re kidding yourself). I certainly believe in passing the savings on to the customer but I’m hardly a model of a high-profit business.

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

]]> By: Dan Jackson http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-717943 Dan Jackson Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:27:44 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/17/uk-news-amazon-kindle-and-sony-gear-up-for-slug-out-and-top-writers-will-be-available-in-e/#comment-717943 It's the first time I've heard anything about the Kindle coming out over here. Also it'd have to be redesigned somewhat, because I don't think our mobile networks use EVDO. Given the fact that the Times article also gets other things wrong (such as claiming that the Kindle and Sony Reader are interoperable!) I suspect their source is not very reliable. I do remember hearing about Sony planning a deal with Waterstones to launch the Reader at the London Book Fair 2008 though, but that's a few months away yet. It’s the first time I’ve heard anything about the Kindle coming out over here. Also it’d have to be redesigned somewhat, because I don’t think our mobile networks use EVDO. Given the fact that the Times article also gets other things wrong (such as claiming that the Kindle and Sony Reader are interoperable!) I suspect their source is not very reliable. I do remember hearing about Sony planning a deal with Waterstones to launch the Reader at the London Book Fair 2008 though, but that’s a few months away yet.

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