Monday, October 31, 2011

When Kindle, Nook, nor Google Books Has a Price Advantage

I've been meaning to buy a book by Paulo Coehlo that I've read rave reviews about from people I follow online. So, as a little reward, I thought to find the least expensive version, either on the Kindle, Nook, or Google Books. The book is the same price on all three.

Having an Android tablet, it doesn't really matter to me what format I use, when there is a clear price advantage. However, when the book is the same price across platforms, all sorts of considerations suddenly jump up at me.

Here are the things I think about:

  • Where do I have the greatest number of titles already purchased?
  • What platform do I want to keep for the long-term?
  • Which one is DRM free?
  • How easy is it to share?
  • Which has the better Android app?
  • Is the printed version cheaper?
  • Is this something I'd want in the "family library" (Nook)?
None of this would have mattered if I could save a dollar. It would be an easy decision. However, given no price advantage, my mind jumps to all manner of considerations rather than quickly choosing a platform and buying the damned thing. 

And here I am blogging about it; I still haven't bought it. 

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