E-readers. Use 'em? Love 'em?

[didache]

I know it's been said, but it bears repeating: for travel there is no better alternative than a dedicated ereader. I usually travel two or three times a year. The beauty of the dedicated ereaders is that a full charge will generally last for a week and more thus mostly eliminating the need to charge it along the way.

 

[warren]

Puffed up with a wee bit of self-importance. I have the latest, the Oasis. I love the dual batteries, one in the cover, photos (A gripe of mine with older models) are much improved (probably true also in the newer generation of older models), page turn button position, etc. A step forward in my estimation. Not necessarily a great leap requiring updating though. Just a bit more convenient and easier to use.

 

[deathmetal]

As an early e-publisher, I am rather fond of the recent generation of readers.
The difficulty is the cost of individual books: costs are still too high.
Then again, publishing is flailing as an industry. Too many hyped flavors of the day, not enough enduring classics.
Quantity over quality has its limits.

 

[ssjones]

I use mine several times daily. There's no need to keep the Wifi on (used only to receive books that I email to the device). I charge mine about every 5-6 weeks. The Fire, etc. needed to be charged much more frequently.

 

[warren]

They're not for everyone. But, for voracious readers who travel, they are almost certainly a must have.
Anchorage, at one time, had many bookstores. There is now only a lonely Barnes and Noble, a used one and one specializing in antique books. Bookstores are going the way of Ye Olde Tobacco and Snuff store. Soon, only a few small stores, catering to a shrinking market. Students will soon have all of their textbooks on iPads and e-readers. Manuals will be available only online. Pulp forests everywhere will whisper their thanks and grow larger until bull dozed, to be replaced by a subdivision.
Even such landmarks as Powell's in Portland, will either morph or die within a generation or two.

 

[aquadoc]

Warren, don't you think there is a separation between the cost of bringing an eReader to market and publishing an ebook? I look at those as independent events. We have had pdf formatted books and files for much longer than e-readers, for example. I do not think there is much connection between the 2 by way of development and production costs. I have worked on sections of books and as an author and the galleys are ready to roll into a given format with standard formatting tweaks, indexing, etc. without much effort once everything is signed off.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Warren I am glad to hear from a real life Oasis user. Better pictures and maps would be a real plus

 

[warren]

Certainly they can be separated to a point. But, are they. I'm betting Amazon and the others, at some point, take into the consideration all of the outlay before factoring in required profit. There may be a certain separation of costs but, when the corporate bottom line is examined, all the attendant costs must be considered. All the expenses required to bring an e-pub to market must be considered, reader development and production, scanning, proofing, all of the overhead including salaries, rent etc. and then profit is added in.
I'm guessing each step must stand on it's own and be contributing to the company's fiscal health. This is particularly important for a publicly traded company. But, the e-reader was developed to provide a market for the publications and there is where the profits will be realized. One can bring down the cost of the reader by purchasing one with ads and only WiFi capability. The costs of publishing before factoring in required profit are probably fairly static, but the need to provide newer/better readers must be factored into the publications retail price. Retailing the books is where the profit is most easily realized, not the readers, I suspect.
I'm talking through my ass here as I'm not directly involved in the process. I may be entirely off base but, I see the economic logic in my argument. Nothing Amazon and the others providers do is altruistic or based on improving the world. Not even their various donations to non-profits. For the companies it's all driven by profit motive and growth. The owners/founders, once no longer dependent on the company, are then free to do with their moneys, not the company's, as they feel so moved.

 

[iamn8]

An entire library at my fingertips, with me on my sofa and the bathroom or bed? What's not to love?

 

[didache]

I suspect the readers are sold on the razor blade principle: sell the readers at cost (or even a little below) and make the money on the consumables. Same principle as home printers, etc. Certainly I can remember when ereaders first appeared, lots of people bought them for Christmas presents etc, because they were so incredibly cheap for what they were. Perhaps the highest quality ones cost more these days, but the entry level ereaders I imagine are still sold for little or no profit.

 

[deathmetal]

I suspect the readers are sold on the razor blade principle: sell the readers at cost (or even a little below) and make the money on the consumables. Same principle as home printers, etc.

Ah! This seems likely.
As a side topic, we are still waiting for computers to grow up. Interface is a barrier at this point, and maintenance tasks are many, despite the technology being well-understood. Future machines will be more like an e-reader: content-focused, and interface minimized as much as possible.
But let's face it, I just want a 4ghz 64-bit Amiga.

 

[ashdigger]

I also have an Oasis and love it. Definitely a step up. Until I grabbed the Oasis I just used the Kindle App on my iPad mini, but the screen suffered in bright settings. My current travel setup is a Surface 4 Pro, IPad mini and Oasis. Still takes up less volume than a laptop AND it all fits nicely in my Pelican camera/travel case. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.

 

[deathmetal]

Laptops are generally more effective for computery tasks, but for reading, that Paperwhite display is hard to beat.

 

[warren]

Yup, e-readers lend themselves perfectly to sitting on the throne and reading. One hand for the reader and... well 'nuff said.

 

[aquadoc]

I understand that argument but it does beg the question about profits and authors rights and percentages. We have not crossed into that territory at this point but once we are in green light for publication, I wonder how e negotiations and rights will differ from paper. I suppose it is homework time. I am willing to bet that for a new author, effed is the operative word.

 

[aquadoc]

So there are a number of articles that support the argument That Amazon makes zero dollars on the sell of a paperwhite of if they do it is too little to matter. But, they net (yes, they NET) over 2 billion USD from ebook sales so their investment in Kindle electronics is a no brainer. Even if they lost a few dollars, they are still making bank.

 

[warren]

As an AMZN (Amazon) shareholder I want them making every dollar they can. I want the stock value rising, profits invested and dividends growing, should they ever decide on paying put. Amazon isn't simply Bezos, it is also many, many small investors. The company has a responsibility to me, a legal and moral responsibility, to do perform as well as possible for me.
So, I'd appreciate it if all of the members went out today and purchased one of the new Oasis readers. If you have one, upgrade or, buy one for your wife or child. Then browse and spend a little money for books. Not many, just enough to improve my bottom line. You will have my thanks.::

 

[aquadoc]

LOL. I have the paperwhite. Why the Oasis?

 

[warren]

It's new! You don't have one!
Seriously, it appears to do better with photographs and other illustrations. The cover is also a second battery. I'm not sure the improvements, page buttons and print are a big improvement over the Paperwhite. If you like the Paperwhite I certainly can't make a case for a new reader.
Well, other than the reasons stated in my earlier post. And, those are purely selfish. So, if you are feeling altruistic and are the least bit concerned with the state of my finances I would strongly urge you to buy the new Oasis! I'm childlike, getting more so as I age so... one could argue that it is for the children.

 

[aquadoc]

I will put it on my electronics wish list. I just upgraded my phone only to find out it is a PITA to root. Not happy. Should have stuck with my Galaxy 3.