eBook Prices - Is it just me…

[payn]

I like bookstores. I have a shelf of vintage books in my classroom. Sometimes I just like a physical book (the new Monsetrr Manual, for example). I think if you completely prefer physical books and like having a library, there isn't much of a question about eReaders.

By and large, though, I see licensing as a feature, not a flaw, and while I understand how others feel completely the opposite, I mention this just to point out that it is not intrinsically bad or predatory. There are some pretty good rationales from my perspective: the switch to licensed, streamed content has given me access to much more content for much less money, and I don't have to fill up my living space with storage and leave behind a ton of stuff for my kid to deal with, not to mention the environmental impact. I read 10-20 books/month, so for me the savings alone are enormous.

Yeap, I was one of the initial sub skeptics when its popularity arose. I find myself consuming actually much more of...everything for much less than ever before. Folks often talk about losing content, but I can hardly recall it ever happening. I got three sleeved books with hundreds of burned DVDs cant remember the last time I even put one in a player. Shelves with books that im never going to read again. If I did want to, id probably just get an ereader copy anyways as I can barely read physical books anymore.

I, for one, have welcomed our new digital subscription overlords.

 

[trappedslider]

For me it depends on the book/series. Some series/universes i will automatically buy the book to place on my shelf others, I'll go kindle to save money AND space.

For example in Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series, there's a total of 8 books,and I lost the majority of my Dresden Files books during my move. I only have from skin game to Battlegrounds. It's going to be cheaper and less space intensive to get missing 14 on my kindle.

And some books/series are just plain easier to get on digital.

 

[Clint_L]

I think it costs more money in the long term.

You're wrong. At least for budget, it's not remotely close. I have saved thousands of dollars. And that's without putting a price on storage, environmental costs, etc.

Or let's look at music. I recently donated a collection of well over a thousand CDs. That's $20-30,000 in sunk costs. Whereas now my streaming service gives me access to all of that music plus almost all other published music, takes no space, goes with me whereever I go, is shared with my family, and costs me around $25/month. About the price of one CD per month.

The thing I really care about is the music. I get a lot more of it for a lot less. Same goes for books on an eReader. And the thing i'm giving up - physical objects - mostly makes my life better without. I'll go further: culturally, I think our compulsion to own a ton of stuff is bad for us, bad for the planet, unsustainable, and in practical terms, a pain in the butt for our kids.

 

[GrimCo]

I don't have problem with licensing or subscriptions per se. I have problem with lack of transparency and unilateral right of provider to revoke it at any time. I would much rather have strict, black on white, time frame. FE if i buy license to read book from amazon, then give me clear time frame how long is license valid and i'll judge if i find good value in it or not. But with clear cut terms, if they remove content early, you might be eligible for compensation. As is, you in theory have unlimited time, but not really, since they can revoke it at any time.

@Clint_L

Yeah, but streaming services can remove songs they deem problematic, or even artists for their off platform behavior. But that's lesser problem. Other one is geofencing. Some songs might not be available depending on what region you are in. Last but not least, artist or their publisher, can remove songs from platform and then you are out of luck. I've been trying to find song from one Ukranian industrial/folk band for ages now, it's like they expunged it form the internet. No trace of it, even AI can't find it, but i know it was on yt couple of years ago.

 

[Staffan]

It seems you guys are talking about two tangentially related things.

One is the "Spotify" model of accessing stuff: you pay a recurring fee and get access to a large library of stuff for as long as you pay that fee. I have no issues with this.

The other is the "iTunes" model, where you pay a one-time fee for access to a single thing, without this somehow counting as a purchase. This is the one I think is problematic. If you "buy" a thing, you should have ownership rights and the ability to give away or re-sell that thing, regardless of whether that thing is physical or digital. The seller should not have the ability to deprive you of that thing, and should not have the ability to change it without your permission.

 

[GrimCo]

Spotify is in essence library model. You pay fee and are free to consume whatever is in their current catalog. You are paying for access in essence, you don't pay for any specific piece content that's there.

Don't know about iTunes, but it's probably similar to Amazon. You don't actually buy piece of content, you buy license for specific piece of content and then you can consume it as long as service provider has rights to sell you that licence. If provider loses rights, they revoke your access to that piece of content and that's it. If you didn't consume it before it was revoked, too bad for you.

 

[Belen]

You're wrong. At least for budget, it's not remotely close. I have saved thousands of dollars. And that's without putting a price on storage, environmental costs, etc.

I recently compiled a list of all my subs. I was paying close to $800/month that was around $9500/year.

How long did it take you to collect those CDs? 10, 20, 30 years?

As for my kids, both my parents recently died. I had to go through decades of stuff. I sold or donated it. It was not wasted. It added to my retirement funds and made me think I just made get a chance to retire before I die. Assets have value. Subs only benefit you in the short term.

As for environment, data centers are an evergreen environment costs. They are not run on green energy and will not be any time soon. They are a net polluter and growing every day.

Subs used to cost me nearly 10k per year. I do not spend that much on physical luxury goods per year.

They are an enormous cost.

 

[Morrus]

I recently compiled a list of all my subs. I was paying close to $800/month that was around $9500/year.

Yikes! I can't even imagine how!

 

[GrimCo]

SaaS subs. Those can add up pretty fast without noticing even if we are talking about regular consumer SaaS and not professional level software. Looking at my own, Netflix, HboMAX, Disney+, Yt premium, Spotify premium. Granted, most of those are family tiers and shared (while we still can do that).

 

[Morrus]

SaaS subs.

What is a Saas?