Are Ereader prices rising?

[disconnected]

I'm somewhat resigned to paying hardcover prices for my ereader ebooks, but lately it seems to be getting worse.

Some examples from the last day or two, showing the discounted (now 5%) ereader price/Amazon price/Barnes and Noble member price --

Conservatives Without Conscience 24.65/15.57/14.01
Wicked Break 23.70/16.47/17.96
Talk Talk 24.65/16.35/18.68
Me and a Guy Named Elvis 24.70/17.16/16.38
A Separate War and Other Stories 22.75/16.29/17.24

[ChristopherTD]

I am not so worried about the prices, but I am worried that the content is drying up. Some authors seem to have dropped off the scope: Bernard Cornwell, Robin Hobb and a few others have new books out in series, where the prequels are available on eReader. But there is no sign of the eReader edition of book 2 or 3.

[Jorgen]

These prices are ridiculous as you can only read these books as long as you have a platform they support. And you are stuck to whatever platforms they support. None of the eInk readers are as far as I know supporting ereader format. You are effectively leasing the book for a while.

A reasonable price for an eReader book would be something like US$ 2.50 or less.

[disconnected]

I agree with you, ChristopherTD. I hate looking forward to a new release from an author whose previous books have been available as ebooks, only to have the new one not available.

Jorgen, as far as the leasing/buying thing, I'm just trying not to think about it. I'm hoping that if ereader folds and software is no longer available, that there are enough of their ebooks out here to make it worth someone's while to develop software to reformat the books. I know it will be illegal, but I guess at that point I wouldn't care.

I don't know what's happening with the eInk world. So far I think every dedicated reader has had it's own proprietary format and hasn't been successful; I hope the new Sony fails too, to teach them a lesson (which they should have already learned). I don't know what formats the Iliad supports or will support. I don't want a dedicated reader myself, but if one is successful, I guess that will create a demand for more ebooks. Right now I have an aging iPAQ 4700, so I don't know where I go from there; I'm too old to read books on a two inch screen.

[ChristopherTD]

Most of my books are either MS Reader or eReader. I accept that the format isn't likely to last forever, but I feel that they are widespread enough that someone will produce a conversion tool if the original vendor disappears.

I am working through my eReader titles while I wait for MS to update MS Reader to support VGA properly. The 3 main tasks that I use my PPC (iMate JasJar) for are eBooks, PDA and email, of which eBooks is the main one. I don't have any desire to invest in a dedicated device, as I think the VGA PPC should be perfectly good to read on. (I do have a Nintendo DS and iPod as well, so I am not against a separate device where the advantages are compelling).

[Jorgen]

I get your point, but the prices you mentioned is what I call real money (I am assuming they were in US$)! Personally, I would want a sworn statement from eReader that they would provide a deconverter under certain circumstances before I bought too many books at such prices.

[ChristopherTD]

I tend to only buy ebooks at around the $6-9 mark, which comes around £4-6. A paperback is around that price, and I usually end up giving my paperbacks away for lack of storage. So they are both disposable/temporary reads to me!

The only time I shell out more for an ebook is if it is an author that I particularly like.

[ChristopherTD]

Perhaps I spoke too soon.

Yesterday eReader did release Forest Mage by Robin Hobb and a new Sharpe novel (Sharpe's Fury) by Bernard Cornwell. Quite pricey though, but at least they are still adding them.

[BoxWave]

I am not so worried about the prices, but I am worried that the content is drying up. Some authors seem to have dropped off the scope: Bernard Cornwell, Robin Hobb and a few others have new books out in series, where the prequels are available on eReader. But there is no sign of the eReader edition of book 2 or 3.

Despite your previous post, I'm in complete agreement -- my main concern is that content is goign to be lacking... we will see.

[dh]

Perhaps I spoke too soon.

Yesterday eReader did release Forest Mage by Robin Hobb and a new Sharpe novel (Sharpe's Fury) by Bernard Cornwell. Quite pricey though, but at least they are still adding them.

It's been a while since I bought any new books, just been too busy during the summer.

So today I purchased Forest Mage, at a horrible price - why are her new books twice the price of the last series???

To make it worse, the MS Reader thing totally sucked. I'm using a new PC and I have no idea what my old activation info was. So I download Reader and start a new passport account to active it.

All I can say is thank goodness for ConvertLit. I still have all the .lit books I've bought, but none will now open in the new Reader I have. As it happens I was smart enough to change them all to unprotected Mobipocket format some time ago or I would have been stuffed.

So after much messing around, I get the cool new graphical version of ConvertLit and I'm ready to roll. I then have to the latest Mobipocket ebook creator app to actually make my book.

Finally, I have something to actually read - talk about hard work.

I'm also looking forward to getting my new PPC, my Smartphone screen is not the greatest for reading - especially since I've been so spoiled with my VGA Zaurus.