http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 7:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
You like them because they're retro? But...they are 2010 products. LOL. ]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Yea, I dunno about retro.

I bought a Kindle on Woot for $150 last week. I think I'm in love.]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
He is talking about Star Trek: Voyager. EMH = Emergency Medical Hologram, the Doctor.]]>Jul 19th 2010 8:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 9:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Still. Can't. Loan. When. Done.

I can do that w/ a cheaper paperback. Why would I pay for a kindle?]]>Jul 20th 2010 8:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 7:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/.>]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 7:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 7:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Older, paperback releases have already been scooped up by a large percentage of people who have had a Kindle for a while and avid readers. These are generally going to more price conscious people who probably haven't bought a Kindle, but that's also a bit of speculation.

In the end, the reason why this number is important is because it's the more likely of the two groupings that captures the avid readers, and that is currently the Kindle's market (though it is growing to a general consumer device and that's their end goal).]]>Jul 19th 2010 10:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 7:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 9:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Buying a Kindle Book: Press one click buy and boom you start reading the book.

Buying a paper book: Drive to the bookstore, look for it, take it to the register, lady asks you if you have a Barnes and Noble card or whatever, no, and no I'm not interested in getting one. She hands you a very long receipt which you crumple into your back pocket. You drive back home and you read the book.]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Absolutely right. The speed and ease of buying a book is incredible on the Kindle. No other eReader does it that well.]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Got an iPad in April, I haven't darkened a brick-and-mortar since. Yes, a lot of it is because I enjoy the Kindle/iBooks apps on the iPad, and the convenience. Part of it is because brick-and-mortars have turned the buying experience into something less pleasant. "Hmm, click a button and start reading right away, or go explain for the umpteenth time why I don't want a Border's reward card?"]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 8:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Throw it in your backpack or suitcase, read it whenever. The text on the page doesn't dissolve as your eyes move from the top to the bottom of the page.

It smells cool. It's fun nice to collect and build a library.

People today are so pathetically tasteless, and so eager to shell out money for LESS value. Just like downloadable movies and music. Instead of a robust and visually interesting medium that is already archival quality, you get... a digital file that you're forever responsible for backing up and not losing. That's if you're even ALLOWED to back up the product that you PAID FOR.

If you want the convenience of loading stuff onto an electronic device, then fine. But don't denounce collectible, attractive media with some stupid strawman argument about what a hassle it is to acquire.]]>Jul 19th 2010 9:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Oh man, what would we do without our smelly silverfish filled coffee-stained copies of Dragonlance?]]>Jul 19th 2010 10:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 20th 2010 11:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
From my experience, I've bought ebooks to hardcover 10:1 since getting a kindle. ]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
See - the material of the book does not matter at all.

So in summary - if you want to get an ebook at the same time as hardback, you will have to pay almost the whole hardback price (minus 2-3$ that it costs them to make the physical book). Currently ebooks are positioned as a middle layer - between hardbacks and paperbacks. And sometimes (lest say after a few years of release) the ebooks become discounted to form a fourth layer of release.

You can read more about it on the blog of a well known author Charles Stross.]]>Jul 20th 2010 4:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
You're right. Yours is pretty much the same argument I use against those comparing the cost of producing audio CDs (cheap) with the cost of actually producing the music contained on the media (expensive). Our culture seems to only attach value to that which we can touch and hold. It seems most believe intellectual property should be free and only the transport or archival medium should have a cost.

It's sad, really. What a shame that so little value is placed upon that which people are actually consuming. After all, who would pay more than a few cents for a CD without any content (or with undesired content)? Obviously it's the content that brings people to the purchase decision!]]>Jul 20th 2010 7:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
The balance is not the balance between authors 'rights' and public good - the balance is between the public good of having everything in public domain and reusable and the public good of having more creativity. The interests of the authors are irrelevant in the debate.]]>Jul 20th 2010 9:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/This is a good argument for setting the different tiered pricing of books (or why books cost more at airports). To boil it down: the kindle consumer should pay more simply because of convenience?

When books are available as hardback, paperback, and Kindle, the Kindle price should be the lowest, simply because there are no physical costs to recoup (printing, storage, etc. There is a small delivery cost for the network) despite the "convenience fee" (to use Ticketmaster jargon). Digital media will always be cheaper to produce and distribute. There are books for $12.99 or so in hardcover with an *$18.99* Kindle price (hello, Penguin). Charging more for digital versions of works results in sticking it to the consumer and maximizing profits.

@Zer0fluX
Yes, the whole process of making a CD is not cheap, but it is always cheaper to have less physical copies kicking around/in circulation (see: REM "Monster" in every used bin) and digital-only (theoretically) undermines the used market, so the artist and label (or for books author and publisher) are not competing with a copy that brings no profit. And, it is never as expensive as the record companies claim (or maybe they shouldn't have flown in 10 producers).
]]>Jul 20th 2010 10:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Cut the 3G radio out completely. MAYBE even cut Wi-Fi in favor of tethering. Then cut the price to $99 and we've got a deal. Okay, I got a Wi-Fi Nook for $150 already, but you know what I mean.]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I disagree with everything you just said.]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 8:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I do have none concern. In case of catastrophic loss of power, we are royally out of lucky with any digital content. We need to recharge our devices. So regularly physical books are advantageous after tornados, hurricanes, and power outages. ]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Except the Kindle lasts several weeks on a single charge. If you're still without power after a couple of weeks then you'd start wishing that you had a paperback -- so you could burn it to heat your last can of beans. ]]>Jul 20th 2010 12:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Who would've thought that lowering the price would mean higher sales numbers?

]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 20th 2010 4:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Well, Amazon really doesn't care about the hardware profit here. What they really care about is the profits from selling the individual books, which is why they chose to write apps for so many platforms. Sure, the most avid readers will want a dedicated device (screens other than the iPhone 4 aren't quite there yet, and no device can match the Kindle's battery life), but that's not where the money really is. ]]>Jul 20th 2010 7:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
True, but the writing is already on the wall (forgive the pun). Book publishers will soon be fighting the same battle that record labels are fighting. They can either accept that their industry is changing and make the digital distribution model work, or they can lose money. Self-publishing authors is already a reality on the Web, and as e-readers overtake traditional books and magazines we'll see more and more self-published authors in that arena as well. After all, people won't see the difference once the content is formatted and on the reading device. ]]>Jul 20th 2010 7:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 20th 2010 9:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Amazon cares more about getting people onto their site and paying for other things. They don't just want you to buy e-books from them, they want you to buy everything from them.

It's kind of like how Best Buy lower prices on CDs and movies, so that you'd consider buying other things in the store. Actual music/video stores find it hard to compete because they couldn't lower the prices since that's their bread and butter. And this is why so many of them closed down.

Once e-book readers get better (color even) and cheaper ... more and more people will go towards it. We're getting tired of having "stuff" sitting around our homes, collecting dust.]]>Jul 20th 2010 1:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I would also like an SD card slot added again.]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I could see wanting it to have more screen area relative to the overall size of the device, but the bezel, as with the iPad, provides you with an area to hold it by.]]>Jul 19th 2010 7:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 8:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 7:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 8:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 8:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 8:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/Jul 19th 2010 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Your local library's website. Unfortunately, they can only be viewed with that stupid Adobe app. Sorry, Kindle and Ipad owners! ]]>Jul 19th 2010 9:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I think it's great people are reading more, but color me surprised that ebooks and e-readers are even newsworthy, much less buzzworthy, in our fast-paced, modern world. I guess that's why anyone wanting an iPad, which is pretty much an expensive Web browser/e-reader, is also surprising to me. Who would of guessed that people would be buying specialized gadgets to do something I figured most people didn't have the desire or time to do? Perhaps my schedule is too full... either that, or people are sleeping even less than me!]]>Jul 19th 2010 8:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I have barely enough time to read, and no time for TV.]]>Jul 19th 2010 9:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I hear ya! I usually choose TV over books only because I can keep working while I watch.]]>Jul 19th 2010 9:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
Books are far better for your brain than TV shows, because you are not only consuming information, but you also have to produce - you have to imagine the scenes in the book to enjoy it. This gives more pleasure and better brain exercise and also better brain relaxation from stress.]]>Jul 20th 2010 4:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/kindles-digital-book-sales-overtake-hardcover-device-purchases/
I agree with everything you said, but I don't have the option of using public transportation. It just doesn't work for me - I tried. I even tried carpooling so I could get in some casual reading on the ride, but I thought it was a little rude to ride with someone and never talk to them.

Anyway, I admit I actually COULD fit in some reading in 10-15 spurts here and there. I don't enjoy reading novels and such in that manner. It's fine for blogs, news, and such, but not so good for involved storytelling. To me it's as annoying as watching a movie in 5 minute intervals with hours between each viewing.

Ultimately, if I really wanted to read a book I would find a way. Perhaps when the kiddos are out of the house...

... at least I'll have a huge library of material to consume when I finally get back to it!]]>Jul 20th 2010 7:45AM