Kindle's digital book sales overtake hardcover, device purchases triple after price drop
By Ross Miller 
posted July 19th 2010 7:01PM
posted July 19th 2010 7:01PM
While Amazon is being as coy as usual when it comes to an actual number (still keeping to the vague "millions" figure), the company has revealed that sales of its Kindle hardware has tripled since the price took a plunge from $259 to $189. While it's hard to gauge just how many champagne corks are being popped over that statistic, news that downloaded kindle books has overtaken its hardcover brethren is certainly cause for major celebration. According to a press release, 143 Kindle books have been sold for every 100 hardcovers in the past three months, and that ratio is a more impressive 9:2 if you only look at this past month. Before you start asking about the obvious caveats, the data both include sales of hardcovers where no Kindle equivalent exists and exclude free Kindle downloads -- meaning if those weren't considered, the ratio would be even greater. Guess the agency pricing model didn't deter too many customers. Since you're in such a good mood, Amazon, how about a slimmer model to satiate the remaining holdouts?
So much for iPad taking over the world , and other Apple related hype.
@bufbarnaby does the numbers include purchases from the kindle store to the ipad, iphone, blackberry? I know I bought a lot of books from the kindle app on the ipad.
@neojubei The statement is about "kindle digital book" sales so I would expect that it would certainly cover all Kindle ebooks no matter which device is used to read them at any given time.
There is no way ebooks outsell hardcopy books at Amazon. This is pure manipulation of numbers by PR types to create a sense of urgency to publishers to release their titles to ebook market, preferably at Amazon if you ask Amazon's PR of course.
I doubt they will ever disclose the criteria/formula they used to compute those numbers because that would immediately show they are hiding something.
@movedor Your tin foil hat must be on too tight.
@movedor hardCOVER, not hardCOPY. Big difference, and very easy to believe, actually. They are higher cost and lower volume than paperbacks..
I just got a DX and I like it alot. Its much better reading on it than using Aldiko on my Droid. Now if can only remember to use the 5-way controller button. I keep touching and swiping the screen with my fingers.
Could this have anything to do with the fact that it's also being sold in physical stores now? (i.e., Target) A $70 price drop coupled with actually being able to see it and hold it before you buy it makes a pretty compelling buy, especially when it's in a place where impulse purchases happen all the time.
@shawmino
Probably not. So far all the reports are that Target is doing an awful job on the Kindle. There's typically one small kiosk or an end cap that you have to look hell and back for to find. They didn't even have working demo units, just a cardboard model.
Maybe things have gotten better since then.
Their new graphite DX with a 50% better contrast looks nice, but that 9.7" screen seems too big. I always preferred reading a smaller paperback to the larger hardcovers, so I think I'd wait for their smaller 6" model to get the same upgrade in contrast.
I'm waiting for my Kindle coming home. Amazone is amazing.
If I like a book or it's in the public domain, I'd prefer it on an e-reader. If I ABSOLUTELY LOVE a book, I'll buy the physical copy. Same goes for all media, really.
Hardbacks are one thing, but I don't see e-readers taking over coffee table books anytime soon.
"The pace of change is quickening, too, Amazon said. In the last four weeks sales rose to 180 digital books for every 100 hardcover copies" according to NYT. That's 9:5 in the past month, not 9:2 as the entry states.
Great news. I frickin hate hardcovers.
Here's why I think this is essentially misleading, or at least that most people are choosing to be misled by it:
http://eldade.com/2010/07/why-amazons-ebooks-outsell-hardcovers-announcement-is-misleading/