Re: "The Elusive E-book"

> 2c. Re: "The Elusive E-book"
>     Posted by: "Aaron Walker" [email protected] ajwalker42
>     Date: Wed May 7, 2008 4:53 pm ((PDT))
>
> I'll stay out on my very lonely limb and say the reason e-books  
> haven't taken off has nothing to do with with endless rantings  
> against the evils of DRM or that "1 in 4 Americans didn't finish a  
> single book last year" but everything to do with the high cost of e- 
> reading devices and publishers still on the fence.

I think the Kindle is a very good test case.

In my opinion, the only major thing wrong with the Kindle _is_ the  
DRM. The _devices_ were good enough in 2000 and by all accounts the  
Kindle is far better.

Before Kindle, the problems were: title availability, price, and DRM.  
Kindle has solved the first two, or, at any rate, made a quantum-leap  
improvement in both of them. DRM is the only problem left.

I don't think for an instant that device price is the barrier. If it  
were, the Franklin eBookman would have succeeded. And the Apple iPod  
would have failed.

Anyone who a) reads, and b) travels can afford a Kindle. The ability  
to take a week's reading with you in carry-on justifies the price.  
And there are enough people who fit categories a) and b) to, well,  
kindle the virtuous cycle of increasing sales and cheaper/better  
devices.

I personally think DRM _is_ a problem, and it may be the Kindle deal- 
breaker. It certainly is for me. I am seriously considering writing  
to Jeff Bezos and saying that I'll buy a Kindle if Amazon will give  
me a gift certificate that I can use to re-purchase Kindle versions  
of all of the Rocket eBook titles I purchased. 100% legal, purchased,  
paid-for content that I own and can't read on a Kindle.





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