Does anyone have an Amazon Kindle?

have been playing around and found mumsnet mobile works ok on the kindle. m.mumsnet.com

I just think that it's not possible to argue that the costs of producing a physical book and an eBook are the same, roisin. It can't be true. How could it?

Reprinting a book does seem different to me because there are still the costs of materials and distribution. When a hardback goes into paperback, the costs and price drop, presumably because the materials and distribution costs (you can fit more books into the same physical space as they are smaller) are less. How can this not be the same for an eBook?

dyzzidi, there are a fair number of very cheap or free Kindle books in the crime genre on Amazon. Some are not necessarily from well-known authors but lots are very good. I've noticed too that if there is a series, often the first book is discounted in the hope of getting you hooked!

Hi Sponge i believe Project Gutenberg has at least one free Wodehouse book,"Start Over"

Does anyone have any websites were you can download boooks from. I really like crime one.

"But at the moment, all those things are already being undertaken for print versions of books before the eBook is even thought of. I would be surprised if whatever kind of file you end up with once all those tasks have been undertaken isn't very easily and quickly converted into an eBook."

But using that argument you could say that when a book is reprinted, instead of charging £9 they should charge £4, because all the costs are accounted for.

The point is the successful books are the ones that make the money for publishers, that allow them to take risks on publishing unknown authors or unusual texts. Most books are not a success, most books do not reprint.

Hello Kindlers! Glad to have found you! Had a kindle for Christmas, blue cover with light arrived yesterday and I am v happy (but read far too late) DH happy too as no longer annoyed by me having the light on.

I love reading on it - more comfortable than a book but I'm finding it a bit weird getting used to choosing books. Still think I might browse book shops to see what I like then try and find on amazon. Am enjoying some old classics I hadn't read for years.

Anyone know where you can get PGWodehouse for free / cheaply?

The other costs - typesetting, editing, proofreading, etc. all still apply for an electronic book.

But at the moment, all those things are already being undertaken for print versions of books before the eBook is even thought of. I would be surprised if whatever kind of file you end up with once all those tasks have been undertaken isn't very easily and quickly converted into an eBook.

I appreciate the position would change a bit if no print books were being produced.

Agree, roisin - but it's not just the printing costs for paper books, it's also the materials and distribution costs, which must be substantial.

I fail to see how an e-book can cost more than a paperback, which is what the Sony e-reader books seem to be costed at.

I bought my partner a laptop for christmas... so he had to agree to buying me a Kindle!

He's now Kindle Widower

Horton, I used to work in publishing. You would be surprised how tiny a percentage of the cover price is for the actual printing costs of the book, especially if you have a big print run.

The other costs - typesetting, editing, proofreading, etc. all still apply for an electronic book.

display is feint.cant see the post button and impossible to punctuate. going back to reading my book now

Also impressed here! I signed into Gmail once and then gave up. I did think it might be handy for on holiday, though. At least it's free so you could get a map or something if you needed it. Should probably test that to see how it works!

I would also like an iPad. Hmmm. I think 'in my dreams' might be the correct expression here...

I'm impressed you got far enough to post! I gave up trying to access both MN and Twitter. Somehow it doesn't really work for me in black and white, either.

It made me realise (if I hadn't already!) that I really need an iPad as well.

posting from my kindle for the first time! not very user friendly is it?

MrsPresley, apparently if you want to keep the picture to a specific one, there is a techie way of doing it that will invalidate the warranty! So not recommended really!

But there are fewer production costs. There is no paper to buy, no printing, no staff to run the presses etc. Obviously we all want to pay authors decent royalties and the publishers need to make a profit but I can't see how the production costs of a book in electronic format are the same as those for a physical book.

I don't think charging pb price is nuts.
Obviously the dream/vision is that books as we know them will peter out: so this will become the prime publishing medium.

In order to have ongoing quality literature, authors need to be able to claim decent royalties and publishers need to be making sufficient money to employ decent editors and proofreaders. The books will still need to be marketed, etc etc.

My lovely pink case arrived for mine today, so now I have a light I can read in bed

Still pondering over books though, I am soo indecisive.

I think some books are quite expensive. But I am assuming that as people get wise to the freebies on offer - and there are LOADS of decent books for hardly any money - the price may well drop. I agree that charging the same as a paperback is nuts. But most books offer some kind of discount and lots are heavily discounted, free or pennies. You certainly won't be paying more than the print price on Kindle.

I have had my kindel for a couple of days now and have read three books already! I absoutely ove it. DH has acquired a memory stick from a boke at work for me which has 500 books on it including loads i wanted to purchase;)

Kindle has a variety of books at different prices. I looked at the top 100 and the 1st one was selling for 71pence. Various unknown artists go for 1p to £3. There are of course technical books which go for a lot more. I suppose the novels of well known authors could be cheaper. There was one book on cot death prevention for $289 ok it was a print book though, another one was more reasonable, look at this page
I think supply and demand will rule in the end and prices will drop unless you have a tendency to read quantum physics

Just to say, my Kindle e-mail address isn't actually [email protected] - although I could change it to that if we're doing lending!

Having said that, I've only paid for one book so far, the others are free ones that I've downloaded.

Longstocking2 - are you sure you've been looking at Kindle books? My DH has a Sony e-reader and their prices are shockingly high. They seem to be pitched between the cost of a paperback and the cost of a hardback.

I mean why are books to read on a kindle so expensive? Have anyone broken the costs down for the customer or is it just Greed!

why are books so expensive?
Also why are audio books so expensive to download?
It makes no sense, they're cutting out the whole delivery system....
I want a kindle too but baulk at the cost of many books.

Mine arrived an hour ago

VERY excited, have just finished charging it and half 10 minutes to spare before the school run...

I've only bought around 10 books so far (via Kindle on Iphone) but I'd be happy to join in the MN loan scheme