The primary (that is, first) place that I look for ebooks is on the store related to my reader device; the second is at Smashwords. I end up at Smashwords second because, okay, it’s one extra step. I have to get on the computer, order the book, sync the devices, and then read.
Me = lazy.
I usually end up waiting until I have 2-3 things to sync before I do it.
Lessons from building the list:
- A lot of defunct ereader companies.
- A lot of ereader companies that don’t have primary bookstores, which surprised me.
- Major bookstores are Kobo, Amazon, B&N, Sony. Ebooks.com came up a few times but never as a primary store.
- A ton of ereaders I’ve never heard of, that look like they’re being mainly used overseas.
- One company, Samsung, looks like it abandoned its ereader for a tablet. I suspect tablets are taking over.
- I had been considering, come a windfall, getting a color Nook. Now, not so much; I want the market to settle again.
- I wonder if ereaders without primary bookstores are going to just dry up and go away. It seems like the main ereaders (at least in the U.S.) are the ones with primary bookstores.
- I need to look at how tablet owners get their books.
The list of major ebook readers and their primary bookstores, if any:
Aluratek – LIBRE ebook readers: Kobo (hypothetically through Smashwords; direct account still under research)
Amazon – Kindle: Kindle Direct Publishing (directly or through Smashwords)*
Barnes & Noble – Nook: PubIt!
Bookeen – Cybook: Don’t see a primary bookstore.
Condor Technology Associates – EGriver (also sold under different names worldwide): Don’t see a primary bookstore.
EBS Technology – Agebook: Wow, can’t find diddly squat on this.
Ectaco – JetBook: No primary bookstore.
Elonex – Ebook: Elonex Freebooks (searched for Cory Doctorow; he’s not on there. I’m not sure how they’re getting their books)
Endless Ideas – BeBook: Does not have a primary bookstore, but lists preferred partners (Dutch, Belgian, German, eBookMall.com, Borders.com, ebooks.com, Foyles [UK], Ellibs.com [prices in Euros]).
Entourage – eDGe: Online stuff closed.
Fnac – Fnac Book: French, has its own bookstore. Translation issues, not sure how books get there.
Foxit Software – eSlick: Discontinued.
Hanvon – WISEreader: Don’t see a primary bookstore.
Icarus Reader: Don’t see a primary bookstore.
Interead – Cool-er: Set up an ebookstore that’s now closed. Can’t find link to buy product.
iPapyrus: No links to a store, no links to selling product. Odd.
iRex Technologies: Went bankrupt.
iRiver – Story: They supposedly have a bookstore, but I can’t find it to find out where it comes from.
italica GMBH: They have a bookstore, but no indication of who powers it.
Jinke – Hanlin: Does not appear to have a bookstore.
Kobo: Kobo has its own bookstore.
Kogan Technologies: Comes with free ebooks, brags about not being tied to one bookstore.
Kolporter – eClickto: My vote for best company name. Has a bookstore that you can work with directly, looks like, if you can speak Polish.
Notion Ink – Adam: If there’s going to be a bookstore, it’s not up yet. Still in beta?
Onyx International: Doesn’t look like it has a bookstore.
Pocketbook: So cuuute! At “Where to buy ebooks?” it links to ebooks.com, Harlequin, Kobo, and a bunch of other sites.
Samsung: Looked like in 2010 they were making an ereader that would be powered by B&N, but now…where is it? I think they’re going with the Tab instead, which doesn’t appear to come with a preinstalled bookstore app.
Sony – Reader: Sony Reader Store.
Spring Design – Alex: Wow. Looks like they sued B&N on a dual-screen patent and settled, and are now no longer making the reader.
Stereo International: Seems dead.
Wolder Electronics: Don’t see a bookstore.
Zzbook: Doesn’t have its own bookstore.
DeAnna, all of the reasons you mentioned above are exactly why I got an iPad after having a SONY reader for a year. On my iPad I have iBooks, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Goodreader, and a couple of generic eBook reader apps.
I now have the freedom to buy any eBook, available anywhere.
For the work that I do, the added advantage is that all the reader apps (except Nook) allow real-time active links in the content on the iPad.
In addition to reading anything, I can write, do graphic design, build websites and do about a bazillion other things with ONE device.
Other tablets, as they mature, will offer similar capabilities. I fully believe the death knell has sounded for the dedicated reading device.
PS… I think that Amazon’s decision to do away with AZW and focus on MobiPocket (immediately behind ePub as a standard format) is another indicator that the next generation Kindle will provide expanded capabilities.