1. Buy once, read anywhere

The day I first laid hands on Apple’s iPad I banished my Amazon Kindle to the back of the proverbial drawer. And yet, I have been spending, on average, about $10 every 3-5 days on Amazon’s site buying a book to read using the Kindle application on the iPad. In fact, the reading experience on the iPad is so superior to that of the Kindle I often find myself staying up later than usual reading a book.

Why Amazon’s Kindle Will Eventually Win the e-Book Wars


Great read on the staying power of Amazon's Kindle. I totally agree that the Kindle SOFTWARE will be around forever and will continue to trump iBooks and the Nook's software. As for the Kindle hardware, I am not convinced it will be around in 5 years. I haven't touched my Kindle since I picked up an ipad, the reading experience is 10x better (note: I have a 1st gen Kindle, so there may be many more improvements since). The fact I can buy a single book, read it pretty much on all my devices, including a $150 Kindle, is the reason they are here for the long haul. My only worry is that Apple realizes this and starts to cripple the Kindle software on its Apple devices. If that starts to happen I am not sure who will be louder; Apple fanboys shouting "Hurrahs", or Amazon-loving-Apple-Detractors shouting "Unfair!".

Make no mistake, ebook publishers are happy we are all discussing the pros and cons of different readers instead of the merits of digital vs tangible. They have won on that front in a few short years.

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I still watch Band of Brothers at least twice a year. This and Song of Fire and Ice is gonna be a damn good run on HBO. Seriously, can't wait for 3/14.

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Let me be perfectly clear: I have no price sensitivity with regards to books. I read the books I want to read when I want to read them. I have never bought or avoided buying a book based on whether it was hardcover or trade paperback. (Incidentally, since we’re all businessmen here, let’s be honest: you want to extract as much money out of me as possible because I am price insensitive, and staggering hardcover and paperback release dates is just a way to accomplish that. Neither of us really care about the physical format in the slightest.)

It does not matter to me what you charge for the books on my Kindle. However, I’m hearing things about you windowing Kindle releases — i.e. delaying them so that you can protect your hardcover sales. You think my likely behavior is to go to the bookstore where no one knows my name and pay extra so that I can have the hardcover on release day. Words cannot express how mistaken you are.

Four Open Letters To The Book Industry


Picking the wrong fight happens to all of us at some point. The question is if you learn anything from it or previous people who have fought that battle. I would have thought that publishers might get a small hint from the music industry. If that were the case though, I don't know why the hardback didn't disappear many many years ago (or at least be a niche release like vinyl albums).

Great Read.


UPDATE:
Further reading -> Amazon Pulls Macmillan Books Over E-Book Price Disagreement
At Amazon, Giving In to Demands
Good read on summary of events -> Hooray for Amazon!

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