Why are people always comparing ebook prices to hardcover prices? Considering there are no printing/storing/transportation costs involved, shouldn't ebooks be cheaper than paperbacks?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
We might have Apple to thank for eBooks becoming expensive
- Thread starter samcraig
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Because many publishers wish to make the same amount of $$ as a hard cover copy... sad, but true.
Well, of course publishers want to make as much money as possible, but we as consumers shouldn't help them along. We shouldn't be saying, "Oh, that's not a bad price, it's half the cost of a hardcover." We should be saying, "No, that's too expensive, it costs more than the paperback copy!"
Who knows what will happen when the dust settles. But as of right now - Apple, in the way they are entering the eBook market seems to not benefit the consumer. As I said - it's a reverse economics situation here (and not too common). Competition typically lowers prices, not raises them. After the iPad is released, I guess we'll see what happens to the marketplace.
And Amazon never was a monopoly with eBooks as someone else might have implied. The biggest, perhaps. But eReaders and eBook existed for a few years before Amazon introduced the Kindle. Amazon was smart to bring an eReader to the marketplace though as it capitalized on their biggest (then) product - books.
Funny the irony here. Steve is pissed at Google ("they entered the phone market, we didn't enter the search market") yet Apple entered the book market and self-admittingly stepped on Amazon's shoulders to do so. There's a little hypocrisy there. I don't begrudge the attitude - but it's interesting and further proof that Jobs knows how to be quoted.
And Amazon never was a monopoly with eBooks as someone else might have implied. The biggest, perhaps. But eReaders and eBook existed for a few years before Amazon introduced the Kindle. Amazon was smart to bring an eReader to the marketplace though as it capitalized on their biggest (then) product - books.
Funny the irony here. Steve is pissed at Google ("they entered the phone market, we didn't enter the search market") yet Apple entered the book market and self-admittingly stepped on Amazon's shoulders to do so. There's a little hypocrisy there. I don't begrudge the attitude - but it's interesting and further proof that Jobs knows how to be quoted.
Nope. Consumers get the last say on prices. Apple is just doing what it takes to lure publishers to the app store. eBooks are the future but the publishing industry is stuck in 1889. Actually what Apple is doing is classic bait & switch. Get the publishers in, and eventually they'll have to lower prices. Take a look at how DRM eventually vanished b/c of public demand.
You also have to remember that a lot of publishers won't go on the Kindle b/c of the pricing situation. So what is better - no eBook at any price, or you getting to choose paper or electronic even if they are the same price? At least in the latter scenario you get a choice.
You also have to remember that a lot of publishers won't go on the Kindle b/c of the pricing situation. So what is better - no eBook at any price, or you getting to choose paper or electronic even if they are the same price? At least in the latter scenario you get a choice.
Increased competition always lowers prices. The more readers out there the better for consumers.
Except that Google up until the Nexus was always in the intangible data business. Everything they did was Internet based or related. Apple OTOH has always sold tangible products, and sold digital songs, movies, TV shows long before Amazon did. Amazon copied Apple's iTMS. So to say Apple is stepping on Amazon's back is a little misleading. Amazon popularized the eReader, true, but digital books and readers were around for some time before. In fact, Sony's eReader and eBook Store preceded Amazons.
The prices will be set to what people are willing to pay, nothing more. I never buy ebooks when they first come out. I have such a backlog in my library that I pay arount $5 for a current book. I have thousands of PD books to last my lifetime.
Actually - Jobs himself used a similar phrase that Apple was stepping on Amazon's back on this. If you have an issue with that perspective, talk to the CEO of Apple...
And Amazon has changed their profit margin with publishers and is making the DRM optional. So I think that makes this a little more complicated than what Steve originally planned with the launch.
No one can argue that iTunes is a formidable storefront. But I eluded to an interesting notion the other day in another thread which was that the iPad is much more than an eReader. And one has to wonder if the people buying it are buying it because of eReader - or perhaps all the multimedia functionality. If the latter is the case - while the iBookstore will be popular and sell what I am sure impressive #s - I see more of a dilution of sales across music, video, books and apps. The Kindle, by comparison, as well as the Sony eReader are JUST for books - which means that sales are concentrated in that area.
Yes - ultimately things will probably "even out." - But how long will the consumer have to wait for prices to get back in line. 3 months? 6 months? a year?
What I can say is - the longer it takes, the more sales will be potentially lost to those people who will simply wait it out.
That will be the publishing industry's loss. I certainly plan to "wait it out" -- I have lots of reading material that I either got for free or less than $6, mostly from Amazon, and those I didn't get from Amazon can be formatted for the Kindle app or read using other book reading apps like Stanza and Bookshelf. So while the iBook interface does look crisp and easy to read, I won't be using it much unless I can load my own content into it.
Aye, this is something that bothers me. Along with the not being able to resell my used copy when I get done with it. This whole aspect of digital media is disturbing.
On the positive side there will be a price war that will drive down the cost for consumers. Bet on it.
Also on the positive side for developers of content, a great deal of the cost is in the unit piece production, the cost of printing, binding, distributing, etc. I know this as an author and publisher of books and magazines. I used to spend $40,000 per issue to publish a magazine (http://FlashMag.com) and now we could do that for a tiny fraction of that digitally. This is great news.
On the positive side there will be a price war that will drive down the cost for consumers. Bet on it.
Also on the positive side for developers of content, a great deal of the cost is in the unit piece production, the cost of printing, binding, distributing, etc. I know this as an author and publisher of books and magazines. I used to spend $40,000 per issue to publish a magazine (http://FlashMag.com) and now we could do that for a tiny fraction of that digitally. This is great news.
It wasn't a monopoly though, as there are other eBook sellers such as Barnes & Noble, and Waterstones in the UK.
Barnes & Noble also have an interesting Android-based eBook reader of their own for $259, although it's selling so fast there's never any stock. It reads ePub format amongst others.
One neat feature they are trialling which has never been seen before is that you can 'lend' one of your eBooks to a friend for two weeks:
"Share favorite eBooks with your friends or family. Most eBooks can be lent for up to 14 days at a time. Just choose the eBook you want to share and send it to your friend's nook or to any PC or Mac OS® or any iPhone or iPod touch® with the free Barnes & Noble eReader software downloaded on it."
This is a great idea.
If all of the publishers push Amazon to a higher price in order to match iBooks, I could see a class action lawsuit alleging price fixing happening.
Apple "overcutting" Amazon is just odd. Especially since Apple undercut everyone when iTunes first came out.
Apple "overcutting" Amazon is just odd. Especially since Apple undercut everyone when iTunes first came out.
Apple will usher in a whole new era of ebook piracy with the iPad. Once the iPad is jailbroken the first thing to get cracked is ebook's, I'm not promoting it but just speaking the truth. Piracy has a big impact on the music industry and I can see it happening with the publishing industry.
Actually - Jobs himself used a similar phrase that Apple was stepping on Amazon's back on this. If you have an issue with that perspective, talk to the CEO of Apple...
SJ said Apple was standing on Amazon's "shoulders" not back. Different body parts and different connotation. Nothing really similar about your remark and SJ.
To step on someone's back is to cripple them in a traitorously backhanded way; i.e. what Google is attempting to do w/ its former partner Apple w/ the Nexus. OTOH to stand on one's shoulders is to acknowledge one's work would not be possible w/o the others who came before. It's a homage. SJ is simply saying Kindle led the way to popularize eBooks, but he feels Apple can make a better product. Also Apple and Amazon were never partners.
So I'll stand on my earlier remarks.
I wasn't being nefarious either. A simple misquote. But justify it however you want. I stand by my comments
Latest info...
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/04/harpercollins-pressuring-amazon-to-hike-kindle-prices/
What good is exclusivity if no one will buy your books?
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/04/harpercollins-pressuring-amazon-to-hike-kindle-prices/
What good is exclusivity if no one will buy your books?
Because your still paying for a "new product" 9 times out of 10 paper backs aren't released 6 months to a year.
Why is everyone acting so surprised about this? you pay the same amount for a brand new movie on itunes as you would in the store.
Connivence is also a factor.
That is exactly what consumers should be doing.
1. its a fair deal,
2. paperbacks often aren't launched when new book is.
3. your paying to cut out the drive to the store, guess what your saving gas or bus money whatever.
all the market is buyers and sellers compromising it will sell at that price because its a fair price.
Everybody is missing the biggest problem here, DRM.
I would be willing to pay 15$ for an ebook that I can access anywhere, on my computers, iPad, Sony reader, Kindle, work's computer and so on. I would also like to share it with a friend, max 2-3 lending for a month is okay for 15$. Not to mention, what if Amazon/Apple dies out in 20-30 years (it's a serious question), what happens to the DRM copies? Books are the most important resources we have for our collective knowledge, to have them with a mechanism that can not open it is a serious issue, especially after the copyright protection ends.
Those are something that you can do easily with a book that cost 7$.
Also, ebooks are not going to replace libraries either, libraries nowadays are catching up and offering DRM ebooks for free rental. NYC Public Libraries are already doing this for Sony readers via Adobe Digital Editions.
DRM for Library copies are perfectly okay in my mind, not for copies that I buy myself.
DRM-free does not encourage piracy, look at iTunes and Amazon MP3 stores, it hasn't increase piracy and in fact encourage people to buy more.
I would be willing to pay 15$ for an ebook that I can access anywhere, on my computers, iPad, Sony reader, Kindle, work's computer and so on. I would also like to share it with a friend, max 2-3 lending for a month is okay for 15$. Not to mention, what if Amazon/Apple dies out in 20-30 years (it's a serious question), what happens to the DRM copies? Books are the most important resources we have for our collective knowledge, to have them with a mechanism that can not open it is a serious issue, especially after the copyright protection ends.
Those are something that you can do easily with a book that cost 7$.
Also, ebooks are not going to replace libraries either, libraries nowadays are catching up and offering DRM ebooks for free rental. NYC Public Libraries are already doing this for Sony readers via Adobe Digital Editions.
DRM for Library copies are perfectly okay in my mind, not for copies that I buy myself.
DRM-free does not encourage piracy, look at iTunes and Amazon MP3 stores, it hasn't increase piracy and in fact encourage people to buy more.
The eBook this is the least appealing part of the iPad. I read one book at a time and usually check it out from the local public library for free. My wife reads a lot more and wouldn't be inclined to use this. She buys the occasional book, checks out a lot, and when she can gets AudioBooks, usually on CD or download from the library.
I can see this really benefitting students and textbooks the most.
I would like to know how the iPad will treat PDFs, not just mail attachments which the iPhone can open, but also digital CD booklets from iTunes and most importantly other PDFs you may want to download from a webpage or sync from your computer.
I can see this really benefitting students and textbooks the most.
I would like to know how the iPad will treat PDFs, not just mail attachments which the iPhone can open, but also digital CD booklets from iTunes and most importantly other PDFs you may want to download from a webpage or sync from your computer.
Don't forget, Apple were pretty aggressive in setting the 99¢ price of songs on iTunes, which pretty much set the standard across the internet for music prices. I can't see book publishers getting whatever they want.