With nook (yes, no definite article and uncapitalized. That’s how you know it’s cool!!) arriving on the scene, there are now quite a few e-readers to choose from, and even more questionably named devices arriving imminently.
And though I tease the (whoops! Silly me, using the definite article) nook, it’s only because I want one.
Seriously: want.
But how much would you pay for one?
For the purposes of this discussion, let’s call our hypothetical e-reader the Wonderbook. The Wonderbook is much like the devices currently on the market: it has e-ink (no eye strain!), 3G wireless, and has a library of hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, which you can buy for about $9.99. In other words, the only difference between the Wonderbook and the devices currently on the market is that it has a better name.
How much would you pay for the Wonderbook? $50? $100? $150? Nada?
Click through for the poll! If you already own a dedicated e-reader please click the price that’s closest to the amount you paid:
Also, if you haven’t had your fill of e-reader polls today, Eric at Pimp My Novel is also having a poll about why you haven’t bought an e-reader yet. Check it out!
Henry Baum says
I paid $300 for a Sony e-reader, but that's too expensive. Should be $200 or less. One day.
ann foxlee says
I voted that I'd accept one as a gift, but the caveat with that is that it would then be shoved into a drawer for until I forget about it, and then in about five years, it would end up being tagged at $10 and being sold in my garage sale to one of the russian moms that buy all the clothes and electronics at my sales…
I didn't see a poll choice for that though.
J. Matthew Saunders says
I'm happy with my real books, thanks. For me, the difference between a book and an e-book is the same as the difference between cheese and cheese food product.
Lisa Dez says
I don't own an e-reader mostly because I don't want to shell out the $250 for one. If they were more affordable, (and had a really cool name) I'd think more seriously about it.
Kelly says
Own a 1st gen Kindle ($400 paid). I'd pay up to $300 to replace it as needed. It doesn't stop me from buying single books in print, I own more books total as a result of having an e-reader.
Tamaryn Tobian says
To me, an e-reader is no different than an iPod. It holds all my bought media. I can add my own acquired media (ie ripping a local band's CD).
An e-reader does the same thing for books. Stores all my books, and let's me add documents I don't wish to carry or print out.
I can take notes just like I make playlists in iTunes.
So… I wouldn't want to spend anymore on an e-reader than I would on an iPod.
Robin of My Two Blessings says
I've pre-ordered the nook. Considered all the rest, but this one… I like. However, I wouldn't be willing to pay more than $250 ish for a reader. So, if it had been more expensive, I would have just continued to lust after it, like I did the Kindle. Even when the K came down in price, something stopped me. Then the nook came along. Love at first sight.
tmonkey says
E-ink does not necessarily mean "no eye strain". You get eye strain from reading printed words on paper. (I have the bad eyes to prove it.) I also think E-ink has a ways to go (color, resolution, refresh rate) before its advantages outweigh its disadvantages (price being the main one).
Ink says
Henry,
Strangely, the picture of your Sony e-reader looks remarkably like my 1920 Royal typewriter… remarkable.
StrugglingSerpent says
I checked out the new "nook". It is about $259. OOOh, I like it. It's got colors. I'm thinking about buying one for my son and stepdaughter for Christmas since they like to read and I'm running out of room to store books at my house! Gee, maybe I'll cut out pics and spread them around my house so maybe someone who loves me will buy me one too.
Veronica Barton-Dean says
Nathan-
The Wal-mart Co-manager in me has to comment on this subject as e-books have been a topic of conversation on this blog. The reader in me is so excited for e-books, because I tear mine up re-reading them, not to mention the space they take up. However, I've heard all sorts of different reactions to the different versions of them. Much like when the IPODS first came out, my customers are a little leary of spending so much money on something that will quickly get better. Of course, a lot of our problem is our electronics associates don't necessarily understand them. When ever there's a question they call me and that's if I'm there. We got the Sony E-reader last year and still have all six that we received. We never even sold one! I hope that with all the press this year we are able to encourage people that these are truly great machines. I myself am doing my part by educating my associates on them, so they can talk about them intelligently.
Jon says
I suspect that I'll be reading books on my cell phone before anyone puts out a dedicated reader that meets my standards. The Kindle and nook are sort of cool, but way too proprietary and locked down for me. And everyone else is still too expensive and short on features.
It should help once the ebook market figures itself out. I'm not leasing digital books from Amazon at any price. Once there are reasonable ways for authors to make a living without absurd ebook prices, you'll see so many devices for reading that you won't be able to keep up.
Nathan Bransford says
SZ-
It needs to be cleared before publication, but not necessarily before you find an agent. Bear in mind that the author usually bears the cost of securing that permission.
T. Anne says
I paid a mint for the Kindle plus the insurance plus the case. Sadly. I love it though and I can testify it had boosted my book reading to astronomical levels. I haven't read this much in years!
Samuel T. Johnston says
I have an iPhone, which cost about $200 and does lots of other stuff in addition to ebooks. It's always in my pocket, so I can read anywhere I have a moment to spare. Plus, I'm not limited to a single vendor – I can get books from anyone who is willing to put out an app.
Why would I ever buy a unitasker when I can get a very nice multitasker for the same price or less?
Ca.ll.y says
everyone keeps talking about how the actual book book is dying. I can honestly say, though, that the reason I don't have an e-reader is because of how much money I would spend on books. Amazon is one thing, but to have instant access, on a hand-held, easy portable screen? I'd be broke in a week, even if they are 10$.
Dawn Hullender says
Nope. Don't want one. Won't buy one. Ever.
I'll keep my real books thank-you-very-much.
I know the future of publishing is moving toward e-readers, but I'll stand here, feet concreted in the ground.
J. Bookman says
If you can't be just, be arbitrary. I think W. S. Burroughs said something like that.
In the name of arbitrariness, I'd like to say it should pay for itself in a year. If I save $12* per book and buy 12** books per year, I would be willing to pay $144.
*If new releases are $10 instead of $26, that's a savings of $16 per book! But, a digital version has a lower value to me as a consumer who likes to impress people with the sturdiness of my bookshelves made immediately apparent by their overwhelming burden. That, and the fact that prices of printed books may be unable to remain constant, I would re-value the savings at $10-12 dollars per book.
**I probably buy about 12 books per year as a poor college student. I would feel much better paying less for electronic books that I don't want to own the hard copy of (books that are necessary for classes or just to stay current as a reader). But if I think I might like the book (judging by its cover?), I might feel uneasy buying a download of it, afraid of spending MORE money when I decide I want to own it for myself.
So, Nathan, how about THIS idea for a feature unique to the Wonderbook business model: If you buy a digital copy, a significant portion of the money you spent on that should go toward a rebate should you decide to but the printed copy! Oh wait, I forgot it was just a hypothetical device — drat!
Luc2 says
I'm more worried about the price of e-books than the readers. Here in the Netherlands the prices of e-books are almost equal to the paper books. I'm going to wait a while.
P.S. Nathan, how much are the Kings rookies worth? Evans is great, and my man Casspi is contributing.
Nathan Bransford says
luc2-
I was pretty confident that Evans would be good, but Casspi has been a great surprise. Didn't think he'd be so good right away.
Anna Cotton says
I'd love to have an e-reader so I can quick tripping to the library or use the e-reader on my iPhone; it's very frustrating only getting 2 paragraphs of text at a time.
The larger problem is the electronic versions are too expensive. I have to spend $200-300 on a reader just to pay $10/book. If a Hard Cover release from Barnes and Nobel is $18, why would I pay $200-300 for a reader and $10 for a book? And the paperback release is usually around $10, I can save that $200-300 for something else.
Ink says
Maybe the Kings need more exploding exercise balls… three in a row? I vote for a jacuzzi accident and an eight-game streak.
Marilyn Peake says
We have two Kindles in our home, received as Christmas gifts. We love them, especially when traveling. My own books are available on Kindle … and I discovered today that my own books and the TWISTED TAILS anthologies in which I have short stories published are now available for the Nook! My small press publisher is primarily an eBook publisher, very tech-savvy.
Rowenna says
I'm torn–I'm not willing to spend much on an e-reader, and I do like retreating to paper after staring at a screen all day at work. But I'm not opposed to them and don't panic about them singlehandedly killing books as we know them.
I have to say, too, that the process of selecting a book is a lot more pleasant for me in the "real" book realm–wandering the library rows or browsing a bookstore has a lot more appeal than clicking through a virtual shopping cart.
Genella deGrey says
I love my Sony e-reader. No one keeps tabs on what I DL and they can't start tossing out advertising because I'm connected to a particular book seller.
Remember way back when Cable TV promised no ads?
It's only a matter of time.
🙂
G.
L... says
Don't want one. Period. I like paper and ink books. I like to see them on my bookshelf. I like to thumb through them. I like to dog-ear the pages I like. And it isn't a fear of technology – I just don't like the coldness of reading a book on a machine.
Also, in the link you provided on Friday to the Big Think, there is an interview with Sherman Alexie. He laughs at the elitism of the e-readers and asks the question: Do people realize how much $300 is to some people?
Luc2 says
I hope Casspi can keep it up. The season is still young. But it seems Petrie did another good draft.
On topic, I heard a rumor that Kindle users from Europe have to pay more for the books they download from Amazon than US users. Anybody knows about this?
Amy says
I spend more than enough time with screens between my computer and the handful of favorite TV shows I need to watch. Why would I want to increase that?
And besides, the phrase "curling up with a good e-reader" does absolutely nothing for me.
Christina Lee says
I feel like I got mine for free because I bought a $99 iPhone (my new love) and it has a free Kindle for iphone application. I already downloaded and read two books on it (for 9.99 each)! yippee yay!!
Karen says
I paid $50 for my Sony when they did a "get a Sony card, we'll give you almost enough points to pay for a Reader" promo 2 years ago. It's taken a few dings, and I'd like to replace it, but not enough to pay more than $100 for a new one.
Julia says
I'm worried that the formats of the ebooks will not work with newer versions of whatever reader you own. Anyone remember Beta-Max VCRs?
The difference between the iPod and an eReader is that the formats for the iPod were industry standard. The device was designed for what already there.
I just blogged on this today!
Tere Kirkland says
I would love to receive one as a gift, but that said, I have more important things to shell out about $300 on. So I don't foresee buying one unless they're around $100 bucks and all the bugs are worked out.
I will still buy real books, too, of course. I like the smell, and I'd rather not take my nook or Kindle in the bathtub with me, which is where I get a lot of pleasure reading done.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's mostly the price of the e-reader that's keeping the e-book from becoming the "new" way of reading. The bourgeoisie can't afford e-readers yet, but when they can, look out!
Lori B says
I have too much to carry around with me as it is. My phone is fine for reading books/listening to mp3/etc. I even wrote 200 pages of my first ms on my phone. I'm starting to carry a netbook when I know I'll have time to write, why carry something else with such limited functionality?
John says
I think the prices for a dedicated reader are pretty ridiculous. As an IT director, I do a lot of bleeding edge technology testing.
If you're going to spend so much on a reader, why not buy a netbook? You can purchase an 8.9" Asus netbook for $200 or so, and use it to browse the internet, type letters, write your masterpizza, etc.
You can also use e-reading software to read books from various sources as well.
I have nothing against reading ebooks, and would probably prefer to do that for the vast majority of books that I buy if for no other reason than to save space. Aside from literary books I read, most of them are over and done with in the space of a few hours.
But $10 for an ebook? That's also crazy. Someone posted how much an author sold his books for in an experiment and the ones he sold for $1.99 obviously sold far better and actually netted him far more profit.
There's no way in hell I'm spending $10 with virtually no overhead, not unless the authors are actually seeing far more in royalties from it.
Word verification: redho (I guess she got a sunburn standing on the corner too long)
Anonymous says
After all my saying I'd never give up my old fashioned books . . . I was given a Kindle! I use it mostly for quick web research, but it is a lot of fun. I wouldn't entirely give up books, but I am enjoying it.
SZ says
Nathan, thank you for your response from yesterday !
As for the e reading, we are evolving so fast, with televisions, computers, blackberrys . . . Then there is "lets have less trash" … One unit is going to encompass all soon, and then we will be paying to add chips to the one unit.
Is my thinking anywho.
Like all electronics, they start high and end low. You pay a high price to have it first.
Stephanie L. McGee says
I don't care what they say about the technology. I can only stand so much time reading a computer screen before my eyes give out. I want to get lost in a book and that's simply not possible for me with an e-reader. That's why I clicked "You'd have to pay me."
And you'd have to pay me a lot. Like more than J.K. Rowling earned combined with the Queen of England's income.
That and I just would rather hold the book in my hands. Nothing beats new book smell.
Amalia T. says
Considering the fact that the only reason I have an mp3 player is because I won it as a door prize, and still find myself preferring my CD player… Well, the technology needs to take a significant price drop before I'm going to shell out. When my little (free) iPod dies, I won't be buying a new one of those until THEY drop in price too. Yowza.
But I'm kind of cheap, and only get the cell phone that I can upgrade to for Free with my contract, also. If the day comes that you can get a free e-reader with a subscription to… some magazine or some bookstore vendor, for a reasonable monthly fee, and NOT lose the books I downloaded when the contract is up, I'll start thinking about it.
But why am I going to put out 200 bucks (or more) for a device so that I can then pay a premium price for the e-book content on top of that? And by premium, I mean, Pricier than the good old fashioned paperback I know and love. I mean, with a mass market, I get the content, AND the device with which to read it (paper) for one low 7.99 price point. Sure it takes up shelf space (and my shelves are overflowing) but I love being able to glance over my books and see the titles, and say "hmmm…what do I want to read today?"
E-readers will never give me that. If I have to scroll, it's not a glance, and if it's black and white, it just isn't the same as titled spines peaking out at me en masse.
Now. Everything I just said might change drastically if Comic Book companies get in on the mix, and we have a full color e-reader to support electronic subscriptions to Superman and The Avengers. But the price point is still going to need to drop tremendously to get me there.
onefinemess says
I think I'd pay about $100 BUT I don't think I'd pay $10 for e-books. $5 yes, $10 no.
It's just not worth it for something I can't sit on my shelf. With enough patience, I can get almost anything I want for my shelf for $10-15, I just couldn't justify that for something non-physical.
It's the same problem I have with buying digital music: $10 or .99 a track is a ripoff. $5 is, again, the magic price point.
C.S. Gomez says
I don't want any kind of e-reader at all. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I'm not a huge fan of reading a screen (he said as he updated the blog for his first novel). I just find the sight of my library on the shelves, the rows of books that I can take down and leaf through and actually hold in my hands, to be more inspiring to my creativity than a piece of technology that will be out of date in seven months or so.
So yeah, you'd have to pay me to accept the Wonderbook. But your money would probably be wasted anyway. 🙂
Scott says
I said $50, but that was actually pushing it. More like $35. I rarely spend more than that on books in a year, and in a year, it'll either have broken or something else will come along to make it worth under $10.
ella144 says
I want nook, too, (*snort* that just sounds dirty) but I don't want to pay that much for a dedicated device.
Now I might consider paying that much for an e-reader/internet/mp3 player/video/ . . . wait, I have one of those. It's my laptop! 🙂
but I still wants nook. *sigh*
Anonymous says
I voted that I would accept it as a gift. But honestly, I don't know how much I would use one even then. When you consider how much more the cost of a book for an e-reader is in comparison to a paperback…and then add in the fact that it would be much more difficult to share books with my siblings, as I tend to do…I just don't believe I would buy very many books that way. It is simply not appealing to me.
ryan field says
I like reading digital books on my phone.
But I do think that e-readers are too expensive, so I clicked 100.00, which I think is a fair price.
Susan Quinn says
I would spend $100 to get one for my mom for Christmas – cheap enough that I won't worry about the tech obsoleting.
For myself, I think I would wait. Then again, if Mom likes it . . .
Guess I probably shouldn't use my mother as a guinea pig.
Wordver: retsions – the reasons I'm reticent to buy the Wonderbook.
Mira says
Well, it's on my I-phone – right? Is there any benefit to getting another type?
Assuming not, I paid 99 bucks and with that, I got the whole I-phone, a thing of great beauty.
I also discovered another use for the I-phone, aside from all the incredible apps. Flashlight. My power went out, and guess what I used to find my way around. Trusty old I-phone. Then I read a book on it until the power went on.
Really can't beat that.
Andrew says
My dad has offered to gift me a Kindle three times now and I've passed each time. With the DRM issues, the pricing problems in the publishing industry, and what's shaping up to be an e-reader platform war between various content distributors, it seems like a good time to pay a little extra for paper books and wait out the fighting.
I do use an e-reader app on my iPhone for reading books that are out of copyright though. Best thing since sliced bread.
Meghan Ward says
I'd pay up to $300, and I want a nook, too, but I'm hesitant with the tablet PCs on the horizon. Nooks can't play video books (Vooks), and I think they're going to gain in popularity. On a tablet PC you could at least view them in a browser. And yet, maybe the next generation of nooks will have video?
Jenn says
Ebooks . . . you know they've arrived when parents start buying them for their children instead of traditional books. I get the impression that people still spend a great deal more on their kids' books than they do on their own, in the same way that people spend more on their kids' food, transportation, housing and entertainment . . . (check out data from the survey of consumer spending–jumps disproportionately when there's a person in the household under 18). Parents are going to balk at spending more than $50 for a highly delicate machine just so their kids can experience reading in a new way.
Bane of Anubis says
The lack of Word .doc support bothers me. Would also like greater cross app functionality — the primary benefit of this thing, as I see it, is its portability, but I don't want to be stuck carrying around multiple PDA type devices…
My Wonderbook would be a bit more wonderful than the little nooky.