Gust catches Amazon's skirt, reveals glimpse of 'Netflix for books'

Amazon appears to be preparing an all-you-can-read literary buffet, giving readers unlimited access to ebooks and audiobooks for $9.99 a month. A webpage temporarily viewable on the Amazon US site dubbed the service Kindle Unlimited. A copy of it was cached by Google and shared on Hacker News. According to the disclosed web …

[Michael Hoffmann]

Let's see the catalog first...

If they manage to add the top technical and science publishers, I would be quite interested. That means, from O'Reilly and Apress to Addison-Wesley and Springer. I'm increasingly moving my tech library to ebooks, once I found how convenient it is to have them always with me on a tablet on client site (even though I will always remain a dead-tree fan - just something about having solid paper in your hands to flick through).

You can keep the Hunger Games, 40 grayscales etc etc. Even LOTR - that one I will always enjoy with my much-loved dog-eared now-30+ year old hardcopies!

[RAMChYLD]

So...

What's wrong with supporting your local library instead? All you can read (as long as it's within working hours), and the ability to check out a book or two for free.

[Destroy All Monsters]

Re: So...

There is nothing wrong, but of course there will be contention on titles (especially if they are classics and/or -uugh- "bestsellers") respectively the stuff you want might not be in the archives.

[Anonymous Coward 101]

Re: So...

"What's wrong with supporting your local library instead?"

Local libraries are for women who want to read books about beaten-but-unbowed Victorian lasses who end up marrying his Lordship's son; for those with more diverse interests, they are not so good. That is perhaps unjust, but I see less value in local libraries.

[James 51]

Re: So...

A large number of libraries are being deliberately run down so councils can say no one is using them and shut them down. Looks like you've just been to one. The correct response is to support your library, not dismiss it.

[Phil W]

Re: So...

"A large number of libraries are being deliberately run down..."

Either this is true or there is some serious regional variation in library usage.

The library where I live has recently been heavily invested in, both cosmetically and with new RFID book check in/out and shelf checking systems and self service terminals.

[James 51]

Re: So...

The library closest to my house has lost half its shelf space. The books left on them are generally very old with a few new best sellers. Opening hours are 10-4 most days. There are also half the staff there use to be. Lucky you.

[Robert Helpmann??]

Re: So...

The local library in my county lists 165,128 volumes in its collections. While 600,000 may sound like a considerably greater amount, it will probably make little practical difference. While Amazon has greater span compared to my local library system, it also has a much larger customer base. Even assuming only a fraction of their current customers sign up, there will still be a far greater number than live in my area and make use of the public library. With them will come far greater variations in reading taste and selection.

Also, Amazon currently has a big incentive to increase returns on this new effort. They will almost certainly be pushing people to buy books from them based on the data gathered from the service. While this is a pretty good business plan, I would not have to deal with this from a public library. They are apt to push other books on me, it still comes to the low price of my tax contribution.

On the other hand, public libraries offer services such as inter-library loans, public meeting rooms, and free events for kids. None of these are likely to be offered by Amazon with this new paid-for service. I am not sure how much of that applies to you as you are almost certainly in a different locale, but I would guess that at least some of it holds true.

[fruitoftheloon]

Re: So...

Indeed,

having joined up at my local big library, one was very impressed to see the range of ebonised available.

And for the princely sum of NOTHING!

Check yours out, you may be surprised....

j.

[Anonymous Coward]

Libraries

We do support our county library system. They are our backup for Comcastic unservice provider (three days without service), let's us check out ebooks over the internet, laptops, and yes nice deadtree books. Wonderful people worthy of support.

I'll be all in with such a service but I'll still visit my local library all the same.

[Mystic Megabyte]

Re: Libraries Yet more DRM hindrance.

For me to borrow an ebook from my library I would have to install Adode Editions which is not possible as I only run Linux/Android. So TPB has become my library.

[James 51]

Re: Libraries Yet more DRM hindrance.

It is possible to get them to run using WINE but it wouldn't recognise my Sony e-reader so could read them on my laptop.

[mdava]

Re: Libraries

Drifting gently off topic here, but does anyone know why the OverDrive system (used by my local UK libraries for ebook loans) cannot be used on Kindles anywhere other than the USA?

http://help.overdrive.com/customer/portal/articles/1481616

I love my Kindle, but it would be even better if I could use it to borrow from the library as well.

[Neil Barnes]

"will automatically bill your credit card"

Checks Kobo[1]: 1 purchased book, 800 scanned epubs.

I guess I'm not their target market...

Kindle, Kobo and the others are, I suspect, not really in the business of selling books at all. They're in the business of locating permanent income streams and locking people in (or hoping they forget to cancel). Far better an income stream than an occasional splurge.

[1] Yes, I know. But I have a Kobo, and I don't have a Kindle, *because* the Kobo is open format. And really rather nice.

[Tom_]

Audiobooks

This is very exciting for someone who currently pays more than that to get two audiobooks per month from Audible.

[M. B.]

I wonder if...

...there will be any encyclopedias or scientific periodicals in the huge collection (and if they will be searchable). I hate it when my son has a project and my wife's first instinct is to Google something and trust the contents in the first hit are factually accurate and not subject to bias. It would be nice to get him started down the path of proper research and use quality references that don't start with a "W".

Technical books, especially certification books, likely will not make the list since they are a good cash cow for their prospective companies but if they do make the list I will go straight to Amazon as soon as it's announced and buy a Kindle PaperWhite and a subscription. Fingers crossed on that.

[Frankee Llonnygog]

Will this include books from Hachette?

I've been waiting ages for a service like this. I'd just prefer it not be from Amazon. Ideally it would be from my local library. At the moment UK libraries are compelled to buy multiple copies of ebooks from the publisher (one per concurrent reader) and renew them after a couple of years when they 'wear out'. Which is daft, obviously.They also only stock a small range of ebook titles. If the libraries themselves had a usage based deal with the publishers, they could offer an unlimited inventory. Publishers need to get their head around this model if they intend to remain in existence.

[Kit_]

Free Online Reservations

If you have kids - you really need to use the online reservation system.

1. Look up the books you want on Amazon

2. Reserve them for free in the library online system (works in Surrey, not sure if national or not)

3. Get an email when the books arrive to collect

For kids - no reservation fees, no late fees, friendly librarians can let them go above the 9 book limit if they are reading fanatics. The small local library doesn't have much choice, but with online ordering the books get shipped in from the other libraries.

[DrFrito]

Might save a bundle on college texts. My kid attended one college where the books were free, BUT, I know that's weird/rare/lucky. Books for my wife's masters were just stupid expensive.