I started using my ebook reader yesterday for the first time since I got it in May. For a cheap peice of shit it's actually quite good. The screen is bright and very well lit, it has nice colours, its not hard on the eyes, changes the page quickly, saves where I'm at and is no real different than reading a regular book. I've decided to try and stop buying books (with a few exceptions) because I have NO room left for them at home. I have 3 bookcases (one is huge and takes up an entire wall) and I am out of space. Again. I'm going to do a purge sometime soon and dump a shitload of old books on the door step of some Good Sammy shop somewhere maybe. Or palm some off to family I don't know.
I go to the online shop Kobo to buy my ebooks. I spent $20 on one which is not that much cheaper than what I would've been able to get it in the shops. I was happy to get it right away though and have no regrets. It's one less book that I will have to try and find space to squeeze into my many bookcases. I've been googling another book I want to get this morning and have noticed a flaw with the ebook industry.
For some reason the book I want is not available in ebook form. I have come to this conclusion because it is not on any websites. I don't know why. All the others in the series are available. I have a look to see if there are any Australian ebook stores. I found one. ONE. Where the fuck are the Aussie ebook stores? Hello? Anyone out there? Why are all of them in America? And some of the American ones don't even do business with people outside their country! How the hell do people expect ebooks to be able to take off if all the ebook stores are either restricted to one or two countries or even more irritingly restricted to one type of ereader? (I'm looking at you Amazon and Barnes and Noble....)
So here I am, trying to change to ebooks, trying to make less clutter in my house and be more environmentally friendly, and I can't even find the book I want in ebook format or a single Aussie ebook store. If this is what the future is going to be like with online stores restricting the sale of ebooks or even worse region locking them like they do with video games and dvds (most stupid thing ever!!) how in the hell are ebooks going to take over paper books? Jesus. It's like the publishing industry is determined to die, but at the same time, is clinging to life. Either make the change fully to ebooks and make them easily assessible to all or for Christ's sake make paper books less expensive!
I went to some online bookstores and one had the book I want for $41 (they are kidding themselves if they think I would pay that) another had it for $32 (not bad) and one had it for $28 (okay). You know what is going to happen? I'm going to end up getting it off Amazon for $15 and paying about $10 delivery. I'll get it in about a fortnight from America. One Aussie website said to expect delivery in 10 to 15 days. I'm sorry, but if I'm buying something from my own country, it should not take that long to come interstate. If it's coming from overseas, fine, but interstate? I should get it in a week.
And the Australian retail sector wonders why people shop online....
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