? about Kindle

[bicker]

There are an awful lot of ereaders being sold for Christmas this year and the libraries won't be able to keep up.

As I have said many times before, it depends on whether you want to spend or not. If you buy your own books you are always able to read when and for how long you want, but you spend money to do it. If you check out from the library you are always able to control your costs, but you lose the convenience.

Yes, good point. One of the things I worry about, most, with regard to people who buy (specifically) Nooks, is that they're buying into a bill-of-goods that is not guaranteed. B&N is not promising to ensure that there will always be ready-access to lots of free choices. (To be fair, neither did Amazon, with regard to the Kindle.) As with many aspects of emerging technology, a lot of what you see today is a reflection of getting people hooked on the new technology, and then later changes will monetize the great value people are getting today, for free. The big question is When is later? and that needs to be considered in the context of how long you expect your Nook (or Kindle) to serve you. I don't know about you, but I'm planning on using my Kindle for at least four years - maybe more. In that time-horizon, is not rational to expect the same extent of free books that I'm enjoying today. If you're expecting this gravy train to last that long - or even longer, if you think your Nook or Kindle should last you longer than four years - then you're much more likely to be disappointed.

 

[Kathi OD]

Yes, good point. One of the things I worry about, most, with regard to people who buy (specifically) Nooks, is that they're buying into a bill-of-goods that is not guaranteed. B&N is not promising to ensure that there will always be ready-access to lots of free choices. (To be fair, neither did Amazon, with regard to the Kindle.) As with many aspects of emerging technology, a lot of what you see today is a reflection of getting people hooked on the new technology, and then later changes will monetize the great value people are getting today, for free. The big question is When is later? and that needs to be considered in the context of how long you expect your Nook (or Kindle) to serve you. I don't know about you, but I'm planning on using my Kindle for at least four years - maybe more. In that time-horizon, is not rational to expect the same extent of free books that I'm enjoying today. If you're expecting this gravy train to last that long - or even longer, if you think your Nook or Kindle should last you longer than four years - then you're much more likely to be disappointed.

Just curious, how did you arrive at the 4 year figure? Do you think it's at that point that the pool of potential e-reader purchases will hit its limit so that revenue would then have to come from the purchase of the books?

 

[bicker]

Just curious, how did you arrive at the 4 year figure?

It's a pretty-consistent Lagrangian point for electronic device utility, these days. TiVo, for example, uses it as the amortization horizon for "lifetime" service, and generally terminate deploying enhancements for a TiVo Series four years after the last unit in that series is put on clearance.

Do you think it's at that point that the pool of potential e-reader purchases will hit its limit so that revenue would then have to come from the purchase of the books?

No, quite the opposite. That's the point in time at which I believe people will begin to feel pressure to replace their e-readers with a new one. Many people will resent that pressure, and will rail against it and the circumstances underlying it, but that pressure will be there all-the-same, and at that point manufacturers and service providers will generally have little sympathy for consumers looking to squeeze a fifth year of utility from a device, rather than buying a new one.

The age of buying something once and have it last, and be happily supported, forever is history.

 

[momof1princess]

how does one join the library of philadelphia? i've checked out the website, and couldn't even find the e-books!

 

[Kathi OD]

how does one join the library of philadelphia? i've checked out the website, and couldn't even find the e-books!

here you go...

http://www.freelibrary.org/registration/Card_Application.pdf

 

[momof1princess]

here you go...

http://www.freelibrary.org/registration/Card_Application.pdf

thanks so much! is there a place where i can view their selection of e-books? the selection at my own local library is pretty small right now.

 

[Imzadi]

thanks so much! is there a place where i can view their selection of e-books? the selection at my own local library is pretty small right now.

Here you go. If you want to look by genre, go to Subject and scroll down to your selected genre. If you are interested in eBooks only, set the format to Adobe PDF or ePUB. There are usually more PDFs than ePubs.

http://freelibrary.lib.overdrive.com/45F69DF0-7E25-43D6-A9A1-5F564CDAEDF3/10/354/en/AdvancedSearch.htm

It's been taking 4 weeks for people to get their Philly library card. Used to take 2, but they've been innundated since word has gotten out.


Also, from what I've read, many libraries in CA and in AZ & FL have statewide memberships, allowing residents within their own states to join their libraries. They don't have to be local area residents. Those residents should hunt around online for the larger eBook programs and check out the membership requirements.

People should also check their local college libraries. They may be able to get a non-student, research card. OR, if all it takes is signing up for one course, find out if registering for one non-credit course may be enough to make you eligible. Some of them are just a one evening course. A $30 course is the equivalent of 2 paid for eBooks, yet you'd have long term access to their library eBooks.

 

[momof1princess]

Here you go. If you want to look by genre, go to Subject and scroll down to your selected genre. If you are interested in eBooks only, set the format to Adobe PDF or ePUB. There are usually more PDFs than ePubs.

http://freelibrary.lib.overdrive.com/45F69DF0-7E25-43D6-A9A1-5F564CDAEDF3/10/354/en/AdvancedSearch.htm

It's been taking 4 weeks for people to get their Philly library card. Used to take 2, but they've been innundated since word has gotten out.


Also, from what I've read, many libraries in CA and in AZ & FL allow residents within their own states to join their libraries. They don't have to be local town residents. Those residents should hunt around online for the larger eBook programs.

thank you!

 

[darlak]

I am loving my Kindle. Got it in September and have no complaints so far at all. I typically only read 4-6 books a month, so purchasing them hasn't been an issue. I frequently find myself spending a fair amount of time sitting in the courtroom waiting on one of my cases, so having it in my purse has been wonderful. The truth is that the main reason I wanted an ereader is the ability to choose my font size. I looked at the Nook and my only complaint seemed minor, but was important to me...there seemed to be a slight delay in the page turn time. Just enough to distract from the "flow" of my reading.

There are still things I'm trying to figure out with it, but so far I've learned that I can check FaceBook and I can have reports emailed to my Kindle email address, which has been an unexpected benefit for me.

 

[Kathi OD]

I always keep reading people saying how Kindle has lots of free books to download. Yes, I have a Kindle account and have downloaded many in the past year. But none of them really "grab" me as, "Ooooh! I must read that," or, "That's the one book I've been wanting to read." For those, I head to my library's eBooks.

NM, you answered my question on the other thread.

 

[Buckalew11]

Nook just did an update that speeded up their page turn time. The time bothered DD also but not me...wonder what that says about me? lol

 

[Imzadi]

I think there is a tipping point - how many new memberships at what price provide the majority of readers with the ability to read a best seller without a lengthy wait list? When a library figures that out and can fund it with subscriptions from people outside their geographic area, they'll be in great shape. I just don't think they are there yet. I think there will be more demand and longer wait lists for the forseeable future. There are an awful lot of ereaders being sold for Christmas this year and the libraries won't be able to keep up.

I'm hoping word will spread to other libraries with large eBook collections. When they realize how many new memberships and the amount of money the Philly library is raking in, they may follow suit. This will spread memberships around and cause less waitlists at any one library.

Until that time, the Philly Library may eventually institute a non-resident membership cutoff point, per year.