I selected 'not going to buy', but if it actually had 'start 4e now!' type info in it, I could see paying $5, maybe even $10 (not more because it obviously wouldn't be the complete rules & I wouldn't pay more than that just to start sooner).
No way. Is it a book about 4e's crunch? No. It's about fluff.
I like the crunch we know so far, but I'm appalled by fluff, and I couldn't care less about the standard setting (and the New Realms, which seem destined become just like the standard setting with a couple of names changed).
I voted "not buying", but my choice isn't on the poll. Such a book actually has "negative worth" for me, in that not only am I not willing to pay for it, I'm not even sure I would want to waste my time reading it if someone paid me to do so.
I say that as someone who fully intends to (eventually) pick up the 4E main books, and thinks the game will mostly likely be great.
I think these preview books are an interesting gamble by WotC, who essentially have several months of no real products in the pipeline.
For me, I'm not interested, and won't be buying. I'm not sure who the target market for this product actually is, but I'm assuming there will be several ENWorlders who pick up a copy and then can let me know the salient information--probably folks who want to have a complete collection.
I'll pay the price of a normal D&D hardback AS LONG AS the book has massive value-added content. Design essays. Concept art. Those have been mentioned. However, because I'm not sure what it's really going to look like, it's not a sale until I can browse it.
@Driddle: The preview books are softcover, according to the Previews for October and Beyond. At any rate, I can see snagging one or two of these if they're truly "lavishly illustrated," as the preview mentions.
Yeah. I have to wonder the same thing. I have to think it's a shelf-filler, just to keep the retail presence in place and maybe make a few bucks in the process. Holiday gift profits?
A hard question for me to answer as what the book contains affects how much I'm willing to pay for it. If there is quality conceptual art that is not going to make it into any print product and if there are any insightful and fascinating designer comments then I am highly likely to buy the book. If its just 96 pages of teasers, well...