Posts Tagged ‘handheld ebook readers’

Steeper Prices for Ebook Users: Macmillan’s New Model

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Giant online retailer Amazon.com lately stopped the selling of Macmillan titles. Macmillan is established as among the top 6 publishers worlwide. Amazon had to resort to this move as a result of a disagreement on the consumer’s cost for Amazon Kindle and ebook users. Announced via a notice at Amazon.com, the Kindle Team wrote that they would sooner or later have to accept the Macmillan terms, because they would like to give the customer the option. Macmillan’s titles will be priced from $5.99 to $14.99.

The Macmillan group claims that they may actually generate less profit while Amazon makes more using the digital agent model. The retailer (Amazon) will receive 30% cut from the ebook sales. The tangible book market has followed an agency model that has provided considerable gains to all involved, and Macmillan states that the digital market needs a model to follow as well.

It is true that the publisher, retailer, author and/or illustrator is in this industry to make money. This monopoly, however, will hurt the consumer in the end.

Amazon’s removal of Macmillan titles is to express their protest of the higher cost, and according to Macmillan’s CEO, the miscommunication is more on the long term market. Obviously the retailer and publisher have different view points. Amazon believes that other publishers won’t go along with Macmillan’s move. But since it is clearly for their benefit, what would stop other publishers from doing the same?

If we look at the tangible book market, a consumer who wishes to purchase the latest and best hard cover books is going to do so. If the desire can be tamed, then they will watch for the cost to take a bit of a dive. The issue is, why should things be any different in the digital book market?

A boycott against Macmillan might be appropriate, but, would it really last? Once a reader is tempted by a fresh title from one of Macmillan’s exciting writers, the price doesn’t have much weight any longer.

The consumer will continue to buy what makes them happy. The simple pleasures of reading a book has become convenient and so simple by using Kindle technology. This alone is enticing, and when you add a new Macmillan book, reading enthusiast will take the bait. We haven?t been able to fight the urge when it comes to an interesting read.

Amazon has over 400,000 titles available so even if Macmillan ebook prices are much higher than the $9.99 ebook price tag that Amazon would like to stick to, Kindle users still have a wide range of ebooks to choose from. Visit us to find out what else the Kindle has to offer and why it is the most popularebook reader today.

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Barnes & Noble Nook Vs Amazon Kindle — A Comparison

Monday, March 15th, 2010

A lot of people are interested to see which would ebook reader would take top honors in a Nook vs Kindle matchup. The big question mark is — which one? While Amazon’s Kindle is undoubtedly the dominant ereader in the market today, there are consumers and tech reviewers saying that the Barnes and Noble gadget has the goods to give the Kindle a run for its money. But does it really? It’s time to put the two ereaders side by side.

Comparing the Basic Features and Design

Measuring 7.7 inches long and 4.9 inches wide, Barnes and Noble’s Nook is somewhat smaller than the Kindle which measures 8 inches long and 5.3 inches wide. But on the other hand, at 0.3-inch in depth, the Kindle is slimmer than the Nook which is 0.5-inch thick. The Barnes & Noble device also weighs a bit heavier at 11.2 ounces compared to the Kindle’s 10.2-oz mass.

Unlike the Kindle, the Nook’s back cover can be opened, allowing easy access to its replaceable lithium ion battery pack. But what actually places the Nook on a wholly new level is its 3.5-inch color touch screen which replaces a typical keyboard for navigation. The contrast between the colored LCD monitor and the grayscale e-ink display provides an interesting dynamics to the gadget that few other ereaders can boast of.

Other Add-Ons

The two ebook readers are equipped with 2GB of internal memory, but while that’s about it for the Kindle, the Nook gives the user the option of adding more storage space via its memory card expansion slot. The two devices are also connected through AT&T’s 3G wireless network but only the Nook offers WiFi connectivity. Get inside a Barnes & Noble store and you’ll have instant free access to WiFi.

Unique Features of Each

Now comes the more exciting Nook vs Kindle details. So what features are available on the Nook but are absent on the Kindle and vice versa? For starters, the Barnes and Noble ereader has two innovative services — book lending (being able to loan your ebook to a different Nook owner) and in-store browsing (being able to browse full ebooks at no cost within Barnes and Noble shops).

On the other hand, Kindle does come with text-to-speech feature which allows the user to just relax and listen to the book being read. Also, the Kindle allows web browsing, while the Nook doesn’t. Finally, the Nook’s battery life of 7 to 10 days (more like 4-5 days according to users) is way behind the Kindle’s up to 14 days battery power (more like 10 days in actual use). For both devices, the battery life estimated here is with the WiFi turned off.

The Decision

Like I’ve mentioned earlier, choosing a clear winner between the Nook vs Kindle is just not that easy. But while both have great features, Amazon’s device gets the edge in overall use as it has virtually perfected the technology, having gone through several Kindle versions. On the other hand, the Nook’s numerous issues, like slow page turns and sluggish startup may be addressed in succeeding versions, and then it can really give the Kindle a good fight.

There are still more factors to consider in this Nook vs Kindle matchup which will surely have you wondering if it’s time to trade in your Amazon Kindle for a Nook. Check out the site for the detailed Barnes & Noble Nook review and other ebook readers available today.

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Kindle Vs iPad – A New Battle Emerges

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Presenting a feature-for-feature Kindle vs iPad review, which gadget will likely win hands down? No doubt about it, the Apple iPad, with its recent much talked about launch, is the “in” thing at present. Hardcore Apple patrons can barely wait to get their hands on one as the WiFi versions are likely to ship in late March, while the 3G units are arriving in April. When that time comes, we will expect to see long lines in front of every Apple store as what transpired with the release of the iPhone.

But how does the entry of the iPad affect the current crop of ebook reading devices such as the Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader? The ereader has slowly become a common consumer device, with the Kindle getting the bigger share of the market. Seeing the promise of such a device however, many such ebook readers have also been released of late, with most of them sporting practically the same attributes as that of the Kindle. Now with the entry of tablet PCs like the iPad which can also ably perform as an ebook reader, the gadget demand may shift to multi-functional devices. Can the iPad really make a significant dent on the ebook reader industry? Let’s take a look at the significant elements.

First off, the negatives. The iPad will only be associated with Apple?s own ebook store. While getting an iPad is a smart move for those who are still considering buying an ebook reading gadget, if you already own plenty of digital books, you won?t be able to dump them in the iPad. Actual ebook prices are still for confirmation, but there’s word that buying iBooks in the Apple ebook store is going to run you around $12.99 and $14.99. These rates can be a little pricey if you have to start from scratch. Plus, Amazon’s ebooks are still retailing at $9.99 apiece.

Notwithstanding, purchasing an iPad has its own set of benefits, being a device that can perform a lot of functions. You can use this big iPhone clone, sans the “phone”, to stream high-def movies, catch your favorite TV shows, do online browsing, and play games on a 9.7 inch IPS touch screen. Sticking with Apple standards, the clarity and color is amazing, and it comes with your choice of 16-GB, 32-GB or 64-GB internal memory. With such storage capacity, the Library can hold tons of books, which are cleverly displayed on a “book shelf” design. With an easy tap, you may choose your ebook, and read it on the high-resolution, LED back-lit screen. Depending on your memory and connectivity preferences, prices start out at $499 and end at $829. It does run special apps developed specially for the iPad, and you’ll have access to most of the 140,000 other apps at the App Store.

On the other hand, the Kindle is a device intended for the user’s most relaxing and easy reading experience in mind. Unlike the LCD monitor of the iPad, the Kindle, like the current batch of ebook readers, is equipped with e-ink display, which many say, is still best for reading for longer periods of time. The Kindle’s battery can last up to two weeks without recharging, so it could also make the perfect traveling companion. The 6-inch model is priced at $259, while the 9.7-inch Kindle DX costs $489.

So which gadget gets our nod in this Kindle vs iPad matchup? Certainly for the gadget geek, the iPad will go perfectly alongside his MacBook Pro, AirPort Express, Magic Mouse and its smaller counterpart in looks, the iPhone. Jobs and his staff have come up with yet another brilliant product for the dedicated Apple user. But for the bookworm just looking to read in the most conjucive “environment” and don?t require all of the other fancy features, the Kindle remains to be your best option on the market today.

Portable ebook readers continue to rise in popularity as more reading enthusiasts discover the benefits of using one. But how will multi-function gadgets like the iPad fit into the picture? Visit us to read our detailed Amazon Kindle vs Apple iPad reviewand to know more about the most popular ebook readers today.

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