Comments on: Sony Reader to reach Canada—while the e-book count reaches almost 40,000 at the company store http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:52:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Dan Jackson http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-766555 Dan Jackson Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:55:07 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-766555 So the London Book Fair is now over and the Reader has failed to materialise, and there's no sign of Amazon's Kindle over here either (although I'd expect that to take longer to come out because of the need to rejig the mobile connection infrastructure). Will UK ebook readers be stuck with importing hardware and illegally stripping DRM from purchased books (since they can't buy in the devices' native format)? So the London Book Fair is now over and the Reader has failed to materialise, and there’s no sign of Amazon’s Kindle over here either (although I’d expect that to take longer to come out because of the need to rejig the mobile connection infrastructure). Will UK ebook readers be stuck with importing hardware and illegally stripping DRM from purchased books (since they can’t buy in the devices’ native format)?

]]> By: Tamas Simon http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765418 Tamas Simon Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:36:02 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765418 You only rely on SONY if you - want their DRM - want to be in their store otherwise you can sell PDF or RTF formats on your own website. You only rely on SONY if you
- want their DRM
- want to be in their store

otherwise you can sell PDF or RTF formats on your own website.

]]> By: MoS http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765198 MoS Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:22:05 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765198 Re: Kindle #s - Blogs, newspapers, magazines search turns up about 350 items. At the top of the Kindle Books page, it indicates there are 117,335 items. There are definitely duplicates in that number - a search on "Jane Eyre" returns 17 versions of the book, some as part of larger collections. Re: Kindle #s -
Blogs, newspapers, magazines search turns up about 350 items.
At the top of the Kindle Books page, it indicates there are 117,335 items. There are definitely duplicates in that number - a search on “Jane Eyre” returns 17 versions of the book, some as part of larger collections.

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765197 Rob Preece Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:21:58 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765197 I can't give you a count on Kindle vs Sony. I will say that Amazon has been MUCH more cost-effective in allowing small publishers play. For Sony, there's a required third-party conversion process which costs mucho-money. For Amazon, there's either a direct approach (for self-publishers) or (for small publishers) getting into their catalog via Mobipocket with its free Creator software. I realize that Amazon is far from saintly, and I think competition is a great thing. But I know of several small publishers who, like me, ended up having to decline the opportunity to participate in the Sony store because of costs. (That said, Sony users can purchase both Kindle and Sony-formatted books from Fictionwise, so the number of books in the Sony store may not really represent opportunities for Sony Reader users. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com I can’t give you a count on Kindle vs Sony. I will say that Amazon has been MUCH more cost-effective in allowing small publishers play. For Sony, there’s a required third-party conversion process which costs mucho-money. For Amazon, there’s either a direct approach (for self-publishers) or (for small publishers) getting into their catalog via Mobipocket with its free Creator software.

I realize that Amazon is far from saintly, and I think competition is a great thing. But I know of several small publishers who, like me, ended up having to decline the opportunity to participate in the Sony store because of costs. (That said, Sony users can purchase both Kindle and Sony-formatted books from Fictionwise, so the number of books in the Sony store may not really represent opportunities for Sony Reader users.

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

]]> By: HeavyG http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765196 HeavyG Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:21:51 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765196 David says: <i>"but then Amazon lumps magazine, newspaper and blog subscriptions in with books in its 110,000 count. Anyone know what the true Kindle book count is at Amazon?"</i> A quick look at the amazon website (as of 1316EDT on 04/15/06) shows that there are: Kindle books - 117,334 Kindle newspapers - 17 Kindle blogs - 324 Kindle magazines - 11 It seems clear they do not include the number of items that are not "books" in the tally and even if they did the quantity of non-book titles is a small fraction of a percentage of their stated total. David says:
“but then Amazon lumps magazine, newspaper and blog subscriptions in with books in its 110,000 count. Anyone know what the true Kindle book count is at Amazon?”

A quick look at the amazon website (as of 1316EDT on 04/15/06) shows that there are:

Kindle books - 117,334
Kindle newspapers - 17
Kindle blogs - 324
Kindle magazines - 11

It seems clear they do not include the number of items that are not “books” in the tally and even if they did the quantity of non-book titles is a small fraction of a percentage of their stated total.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765186 David Rothman Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:08:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765186 Hi, Tamas. Thanks. Have done tweak to clarify that. I was thinking of what DE could do with PDF, beyond the promised ePUB reading capabilities. The present Reader, yes, can read <em>non</em>encrypted PDF, as I've said many times. Slip of the keys. Still, this is another example of the nuances that DRM requires you to pay attention to, so, unwittingly, I've helped my case. :-) Thanks. David Hi, Tamas. Thanks. Have done tweak to clarify that. I was thinking of what DE could do with PDF, beyond the promised ePUB reading capabilities. The present Reader, yes, can read nonencrypted PDF, as I’ve said many times. Slip of the keys. Still, this is another example of the nuances that DRM requires you to pay attention to, so, unwittingly, I’ve helped my case. :-) Thanks. David

]]> By: Tamas Simon http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765156 Tamas Simon Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:19:09 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/15/sony-reader-to-reach-canada-while-the-e-book-count-reaches-almost-40000-at-the-company-store/#comment-765156 Thanks for the news David. a small correction: <i>let’s hope, can read ePUB, not just encrypted PDF?</i> Actually the SONY Reader can read unencrypted aka plain PDF files. Encryption and DRM applies only to their own format. It will be interesting to see prices and whether the store will work with older models (PRS500) brought in from the US. Thanks for the news David.
a small correction:
let’s hope, can read ePUB, not just encrypted PDF?
Actually the SONY Reader can read unencrypted aka plain PDF files.
Encryption and DRM applies only to their own format.

It will be interesting to see prices and whether the store will work with older models (PRS500) brought in from the US.

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