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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CharlesRyan" data-source="post: 1782075" data-attributes="member: 5265">While that's certainly true, it's not the entire answer. We're also serving the marketplace of people who simply like PDFs better (based on the features, not the price) than physical books.Here's the entire post I made on the WotC boards (for the convenience of those who haven't clicked over there):-----Since we offered Frostburn as a DRM eBook online, we’ve had a number of questions (here and in other fora) from gamers about the decision. In particular, many people have concerns about the DRM format, and about the fact that the eBook format has the same MSRP as the physical book. There have been a million other comments and questions--good and bad--but since those two issues seem to be the biggest, they’re what I’m going to tackle here.The MSRP: The problem most people have with the price seems to be that eBooks are not "worth as much" as physical books. If that’s true for you, by all means continue to purchase physical books at your local game store (or wherever you shop for D&D). We’re not trying to convert you into an eBook user if you don’t want to be; I myself will likely stick with physical books around the gaming table for the time being.Some people, however, feel that the eBook format offers a lot of advantages over physical books. It’s easier to carry 20 books in a laptop than to lug a 30-pound bookbag around, for example. eBooks are bookmarked and easily searchable. And you can cut and paste text out of the eBook (in limited amounts) if, for example, you want to paste a monster’s stat block into the adventure you’re preparing, or want to add the text of a feat description to your character sheet.eBooks cost less to manufacture than physical books, that’s true. But the bulk of the value of a D&D product--and the bulk of our cost in making it--isn’t the paper, ink, and glue of the physical product. It’s the great content--the art, the ideas, the writing, the game mechanics, and so on. That’s what you’re really paying for when you buy a D&D product, and that’s what generates the real cost for us.Finally, we value everyone who has helped make D&D a success over the years, and that "everyone" includes not just gamers but the game store owners who have supported D&D and helped it grow for three decades. We could always make a few more bucks by cutting out the middleman and selling directly to you--that’s true of physical books as well as eBooks. But we aren’t going to undercut the businesses that have helped us get where we are today--the businesses that probably helped you first get into gaming, and maybe continue to be a place where you find games, meet other gamers, and keep up with what’s going on in D&D. These game, hobby, and book stores are our bread and butter, and we’re not going to operate a cut-rate side business at their expense. If that means that we sell a few less copies of the eBook, so be it.Please don’t think of an eBook as an el cheapo alternative to other formats. If the only reason you want to buy a PDF is to save a few bucks, this offering isn’t for you. There are plenty of places where you can buy D&D products at below MSRP; feel free to take your money there. If, on the other hand, you see more utility in a PDF than in a paper product, I think you’ll find that Frostburn is just as valuable in eBook form as it is as a physical book--and worth every penny.The DRM Format: Sorry to be a little long-winded on the MSRP issue, but it’s a complex issue and there’s a lot to say. This one should be easier (and shorter).There’s a lot of false information on the net about secure eBooks. Some people will tell you that you can’t use your DRM product unless you’re connected to the internet, or that you can’t print it, or that you can’t use it on more than one computer, or that you can’t make back ups of it, or that Adobe Reader is spyware, and on and on. Frankly, that’s a bunch of baloney, propagated mostly by people who’ve never actually tried a DRM eBook.Here’s the scoop: If you have a copy of Adobe Reader (and who doesn’t?), you simply register it with Adobe. (Go to Tools-->eBook Web Services-->Adobe DRM Activator in Adobe Reader.) It takes three minutes, tops. Once you do that, you can use any DRM eBook you purchase just as if it were a regular PDF. You can read the eBook on other computers you own, as long as you register Adobe Reader on that machine too. Other people can’t read the eBooks you purchased, and you can’t read theirs, but other than that there’s no difference between a DRM eBook and any other PDF. If you don’t believe me, I invite to you go to DriveThruRPG.com, download one of their free products, and give it a spin. Doesn’t cost you a dime.-----I think my comments here address the majority of questions that have been raised--if not, feel free to post your comments. Again, the bottom line is this: If you don’t think the eBook is a good deal, don’t buy it. We won’t be offended--honest! If you like the idea of eBook D&D products, give it a shot. You won’t get any special discount, but you will get a great book in a really useful format.</blockquote>

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