solajijic Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Well, this is fabulous! At Amazon.com the front page tells all about it. Although there are only 600,000 titles now they are accompanied by just as many AUDIO books. Yep, love that option! This will cut down my Kindle budget thank goodness. I have been able to use it even though it says it is for US only because my Kindle is registered at my old US address. Unfortunately it will further erode the need for the local english library. If they would get on the stick and order a dozen basic Kindles at $50 each and use this service it might work well enough and they have the funds set aside by a specific bequest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 I suspect that Amazon has found out that their excessive pricing for e books wasn't working so well. Now they're trying the NetFlix model. We'll probably go for this. We didn't go for paying $20 for an ebook that was $28 in hard cover and $10 or so at Costco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 I hope some reporter has the time to research the 600,000 titles. If my lady can get old Pat Conroy but not recent James Patterson, it won't work. (By the way, it is 2,000 audio books.) I have a feeling that however Amazon struck this deal with publishers and authors, they didn't get the popular stuff. A lot like NetFlix and their really very-limited selection of current stuff. This is not to negate the move; it is the way of the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhite1948 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Solajijic: Your title is KindleFree....but it costs $9.99 a month. Maybe it's a good price, but it ain't FREE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solajijic Posted July 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 I made the cost clear in the second part of my title and I think Kindle is making it clear that access will cost you. My first book this AM is Piketty, "Capital in the 21st Century" a $20 Kindle purcahse and one which I was putting off until I could find 3 or 4 people who wanted to share it, now I don't have to wait. There is a 26,000 base of books from the past 30-120 days and numerous from back when in addition to full series which I enjoy getting and plowing through quickly. At this point I will take my 30 day trial, they have me thru Prime and if I don't like it I can cancel but given that I spent over $150 last month I think we will have to give it 90 days or so at least. happy reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobita Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/business/media/amazon-introduces-kindle-subscription-service.html “So far, it appears that few of the biggest publishers will be making their titles available through the service. Books published by HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, for example, are not offered, representatives from both companies confirmed. A spokesman for Penguin Random House declined to comment, but titles from the company’s 100-plus imprints are not currently available on Kindle Unlimited.” With all the bad blood between Amazon and the major publishers, I'd be surprised if their offerings broadened anytime soon. I have a subscription to Scribd, which is similar (slightly cheaper, so far only 400k books instead of 600k, but includes publishers like HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster who haven't signed on with Amazon). It is both a] frustrating in the number of things I want to read that it doesn't have, and b] better than nothing. I expect Amazon's offering to be much the same. Note: only 2000 audiobooks are included in the Kindle Unlimited subscription. You do get three months free access to the full Audible library (150k titles), but after that you'll have to pay a separate fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony_In_Mexico Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 I hope some reporter has the time to research the 600,000 titles. If my lady can get old Pat Conroy but not recent James Patterson, it won't work. (By the way, it is 2,000 audio books.) I have a feeling that however Amazon struck this deal with publishers and authors, they didn't get the popular stuff. A lot like NetFlix and their really very-limited selection of current stuff. This is not to negate the move; it is the way of the future. Never understood why James Patterson is such a popular writer. Guy is a total hack. I'm the type of person that will slog through anything once I've started it, but I've tried on three different occasions to read a James Patterson book and haven't been able to finish any of them. He writes like a sixth grader with ADD. That said, you're right that this is probably not going to be a realistic option for most of us who have our favorite authors and want newly released books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Tony, I agree wholeheartedly about Patterson. And now that he has a huge staff to write for him, and teams up with unknowns to keep his output up at unbelievable levels... but obviously there are lots of people who do like him. And if they check first, they won't be interested in this Amazon plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conejorapido Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 When you read the details on Kindle Unlimited, 500,000 of the 600,000 titles offered are self-published. That means that only 100,000 titles by publishing houses are available. It's a good bet that a number of very popular authors will not be available in this offering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solajijic Posted July 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Well to each his own. I found 6 books that were on my read list and another 4 were volumes I hadn't read in a series. So right there out of 100K books I have 10 which represent about $80 add in the Pikeety and thats $100 whichis a years worth of cost in just this month. I will see what the expansion of the lists provides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Sola, I'm glad you shared this information with us and this is a very informative thread as I am a big Kindle user. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losgatos Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Yeh. To each his own. The service is ,in fact, called Kindle Unlimited , not Kindle Free which is their youth programs/promotions. I am an avid fan of Kindel and spent some time this afternoon checking out my reading preferences, mysteries, history, biographies/memoirs and an occasional mix of other topics. I found nothing in these categories offered in Kindle Unlimited that I would spend time with. So, I will continue to buy what interests me and hope that the Kindle Unlimited offerings broaden and improve with time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protekme Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 One more reason to be happy to have bought my Kindle in Canada. It's still in the box and I have no idea how to set it up. I know I have to plug it to charge it. . . that' it. Now, because I bought it in Canada, is there anything that will prevent me from taking advantage of all the benefits. Is Mexico blocking anything or requiring that I set up something differently. Ovbiously, I'm a real moron (for these things). Please help!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Here's the page of Terms of Use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201556940 When you go to that page, look under the bold-face heading "The Program", near the top of the text section. Mexico does not block or otherwise impede access to Kindle books, but right now Amazon has the brand-new Kindle Unlimited program only for users registered in the USA. They say that other countries will be added. Go ahead and plug it in, get it charged and ask a friend who has one to help you set it up. My model is old, so if I give you instructions they will be incorrect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protekme Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Thank you for your link. I didn't even know we had to become paying members. I will certainly ask someone to assist me with this. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 You do not have to be a 'paying member' to use your Kindle to buy and read books. The membership is for Kindle Unlimited only, and you are not eligible for that until Amazon adds Canada to its list of the countries where that program is available. Don't be intimidated by all this. The Kindle is a wonderful thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Now, because I bought it in Canada, is there anything that will prevent me from taking advantage of all the benefits. Is Mexico blocking anything or requiring that I set up something differently. Ovbiously, I'm a real moron (for these things). Please help!!! You should plug it in and charge it. It will step you through what you need to do, which involves registering the device (with Amazon) using your email address. It should also ask you to input your Wireless security code so you can buy books instantly from the Amazon book store. You will see a display, both of new books available, your own purchases, and other book options. If you have any problems, just ask here again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy2013 Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 you can also have more than one kindle on an account. This way you can share the ebooks within the group with one purchase. This works great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the walkers Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 You do not have to be a 'paying member' to use your Kindle to buy and read books. The membership is for Kindle Unlimited only, and you are not eligible for that until Amazon adds Canada to its list of the countries where that program is available. Don't be intimidated by all this. The Kindle is a wonderful thing! we have to disagree. kindle is a very seductive instrument, but it will wind up limiting rather than expanding the scope of your reading. never seen anyone enticed to buy an unknown title by its cover. if you could see the wholesale destruction of books a la Farenheit 451 you would be outraged, but to disguise it as an improvement and everyone just follows the leader. its not just modern popular books that aren't available ,its published books on unpopular subjects that will only be relevant when we need to research the causes of our modern history. tons of books have been dumped by people who lost their homes, relocated or just stopped reading for pleasure or knowledge. this dwarfs the burning of the ancient library of Alexandria.....we're only one good EMF blast from the sun to fry all digitally stored data. we'll keep our hard copies of books and records thank you..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Yes, we should all live in fear of one good EMF blast. That's why I don't go out anymore: I could get hit by a car at any second. That is also why I live under a metal tarp in my bathroom.... just in case we get nuked. Of course, I'm starving to death because of my fear of GM foods and bug sprays... All kidding aside: eReaders have expanded my scope fantastically, especially being here in Mexico where new books on any topic are difficult to find. I read all the time now. I use my tablet to get news from all over the world, like Al Jazeera, The Guardian in the U.K. (there's a chuckle), NPR, USA Today... and tons of magazines from my library back home. Although I'm thinking of stopping reading now, as I realize everything is tainted with opinion and bias, causing me confusion and disorientation about the real world, and perhaps driving me to move up north where I can get me a good set of firearms for the coming revolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony_In_Mexico Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 While we're still on the subject... if you're like me, and you hate the ads that are displayed on the screen when it's off (I have a Kindle Touch) there is a way around that. Just don't use the wifi. I order my books off Amazon, and then download them to the desktop of my computer and install them to the Kindle via USB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protekme Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Yes, we should all live in fear of one good EMF blast. That's why I don't go out anymore: I could get hit by a car at any second. That is also why I live under a metal tarp in my bathroom.... just in case we get nuked. Of course, I'm starving to death because of my fear of GM foods and bug sprays... All kidding aside: eReaders have expanded my scope fantastically, especially being here in Mexico where new books on any topic are difficult to find. I read all the time now. I use my tablet to get news from all over the world, like Al Jazeera, The Guardian in the U.K. (there's a chuckle), NPR, USA Today... and tons of magazines from my library back home. Although I'm thinking of stopping reading now, as I realize everything is tainted with opinion and bias, causing me confusion and disorientation about the real world, and perhaps driving me to move up north where I can get me a good set of firearms for the coming revolution. :D You're too much. I had a good laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protekme Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 While we're still on the subject... if you're like me, and you hate the ads that are displayed on the screen when it's off (I have a Kindle Touch) there is a way around that. Just don't use the wifi. I order my books off Amazon, and then download them to the desktop of my computer and install them to the Kindle via USB. Thanks, I'm getting there with my knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 I research books on several sources: the NY Review of Books, the NYTimes book reviews, and Oyster, to name three. Reading a review helps me to know if the book's subject interests me, if someone with a trusted opinion thinks the book is worth reading, etc. "Don't judge a book by its cover," has always been true, both literally and figuratively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 This came out today:http://askbobrankin.com/amazons_kindle_unlimited_netflix_for_books.html?awt_l=8xxD_&awt_m=Jko5uvzRBuP6SL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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