Buy ebook when you own the series?

paulroberthill · 11-10-2010, 05:10 PM

Peeps, I'm in a quandary,

I'm a sci-fi nut that is a big fan of Peter F Hamilton, who recently released the latest (and final) novel in his Void trilogy.

The problem with Peter is that he tends to write large books (1000+ pages), which is one of the reasons I bought my Kindle.

I own all of his books in paperback. Should I or should I not buy this as an ebook?

I'm (hopefully) moving soon and it's depressingly hard to find a flat in London in my price range so I suppose that's a factor...

queentess · 11-10-2010, 05:14 PM

If you're moving soon, think of all those books you won't have to lug to your new apartment if you buy the ebooks!

I did the same with the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time series: bought them all as ebooks and got rid of my hardcovers. Haven't regretted it for a second. When I re-read them, I don't want to try to hold up a book that large.

Ravensknight · 11-10-2010, 06:06 PM

Ethics rears its ugly head

If I own paper copies of books, I find it acceptable to download them for free. I keep the dtb copies though. which kind of defeats the purpose for you. If I want to save space, I buy the ebook.

DuncanWatson · 11-10-2010, 06:27 PM

I have replaced a number of series that I own in ebook format.

Jim Butcher's Dresden series.
Kim Harrison's Hollows series
Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series.
Elizabeth Moon's Vatta's War series
Naomi Novik Temeraire series
Charles Stross's Laundry Files series

In most cases it is due to me being a chronic re-reader and I repurchased the series just before a new novel was about to come out in a given series. One of the major advantages of ebooks for me is the lack of bulk as compared to paper books. I am trying to reclaim space in my house that previously was taken up by over 1200 paper books.

ManosHandsOfFate · 11-10-2010, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulroberthill

Peeps, I'm in a quandary,

I'm a sci-fi nut that is a big fan of Peter F Hamilton, who recently released the latest (and final) novel in his Void trilogy.

The problem with Peter is that he tends to write large books (1000+ pages), which is one of the reasons I bought my Kindle.

I own all of his books in paperback. Should I or should I not buy this as an ebook?

I'm (hopefully) moving soon and it's depressingly hard to find a flat in London in my price range so I suppose that's a factor...

Are you asking whether you should buy just this one book as an ebook or whether you should purchase all his books as ebooks?

For the former, there's no time like the present!

For the latter, if you want to get rid of your physical copies find some *cough* "other" means of obtaining electronic versions and then toss the physical copies. You do want a clean conscience don't you?

desertgrandma · 11-10-2010, 07:23 PM

Well, I"m not a "peep" but I'll throw in my two cents....I own the paper versions of several authors who are my favorites......but have the ebook versions as well.

Why? Because its so much easier to read on the K3 than to lug around the books, and I enjoy re-reading certain authors.

If you love this author......by all means buy the ebook version.

Jar Jar Binks · 11-10-2010, 08:30 PM

Agreeing With ManosHandsOfFate
hmmm interesting. I am feeling the same way about series books I have. When I get my reader I hope I am able to let go of the paper books and just down load to my ereader. But I would likely make sure I had them all on my ereader on on a memory card of some kind before I got rid of my paper books.
My paper books will be going to a nearby Long Term Care Home.

SensualPoet · 11-10-2010, 08:31 PM

paulroberthill:

Buy the ebook for your Kindle. Save money, save space.

Later, if you are so inclined, sell the first two installments and repurchase in ebook form and enjoy then entire trilogy again.

Less dust, more room for the wine rack. Case closed.

simplyparticular · 11-10-2010, 09:46 PM

I also advocate replacing the entire series with e-books. I have done so with at least 4 series, and I only start new series as e-books. There are several major benefits for me:

Space! My precious bookshelves are being overtaken by board and picture books

Heft - at least 3 series I like to re-read have books that are 800+ pages.

Wear and tear - some of the long-running series are in rough shape because glue has let go, or the paper has yellowed to the point of illegibility. Some mass market paperbacks don't hold up to much abuse.

Dust - hubby and son are both allergic and books are dust collectors.

For series reading, whether hefty titles or not, it is SO easy to do a find on the device and look up a detail in a previous volume. I love being able to look up an obscure character or place rather than having to re-read an entire series EVERY time a new books comes out.

Worldwalker · 11-10-2010, 10:53 PM

There's a discussion going on in the chat box that has mentioned peeps several times. I was advocating for peep jousting.

As for ebooks, if you can afford it, buy the whole series as ebooks and sell or give away the pbooks. I'm slowly doing that, just as I've sold off my hardcovers for MM paperbacks. No matter what I do, though, the books seem to keep breeding....

SeaBookGuy · 11-10-2010, 11:33 PM

Well, peepz ...

I broke down and bought the e-version of a bulky paperback (nearly 600 pages) on my TBR pile.

sabredog · 11-10-2010, 11:37 PM

This is precisely what I am trying to do, though I have no intention of selling my collection off.

It is simply easier to read an ebook version than raid the rapidly diminishing bookshelf space for one of my paperback books. Some of my book series are original editions (Robert E Howard Conan and Kull series in original Lancer paperbacks for example)

For some books though, there is no ebook version available to purchase (even if I take a quick peek at the darknet)

All Kudos to dedicated mobileread members such as HarryT who have created fantastic omnibus versions of classic series by Edgar Rice Burroughs etc. Free is a good thing! Great formating is a superb bonus.

Jar Jar Binks · 11-12-2010, 01:19 PM

Interesting happening for this question last night at my Bible Study.
I take a lot of hand written notes at Bible Study.
My pastor has begun the same thing. Which he used to do on his laptop he brings with him.
He pointed out that if his laptop is stolen or the hard drive gets wiped out as we know can happen with any computer. All those notes (years of note) are gone forever with no way to replace them.
So now I am back to the same question asked here in the first place.
Duhh Grrrr.
LOL
Jar Jar

44Dave · 11-12-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Binks

He pointed out that if his laptop is stolen or the hard drive gets wiped out as we know can happen with any computer. All those notes (years of note) are gone forever with no way to replace them.

You simply make back ups of all your digital data, ebooks and otherwise. If that pesky DRM is gone, you have nothing to fear if your device is stolen/dies.

DuncanWatson · 11-12-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Binks

Interesting happening for this question last night at my Bible Study.
I take a lot of hand written notes at Bible Study.
My pastor has begun the same thing. Which he used to do on his laptop he brings with him.
He pointed out that if his laptop is stolen or the hard drive gets wiped out as we know can happen with any computer. All those notes (years of note) are gone forever with no way to replace them.
So now I am back to the same question asked here in the first place.
Duhh Grrrr.
LOL
Jar Jar

Notes can be transferred off of your ereader onto your computer. I dump all such items into my personal folder that I replicate to an online cloud backup and to my backup drive (eSATA).

Paper books can also be stolen, burned or damaged. It is easier to replicate digital information and back it up. I have scripts that backup my data so I don't have to remember to do it. Just one of those things.

11-10-2010, 05:10 PM	#1
paulroberthill Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: London, UK Device: Kindle 3 WiFi + 3G	Buy ebook when you own the series? Peeps, I'm in a quandary, I'm a sci-fi nut that is a big fan of Peter F Hamilton, who recently released the latest (and final) novel in his Void trilogy. The problem with Peter is that he tends to write large books (1000+ pages), which is one of the reasons I bought my Kindle. I own all of his books in paperback. Should I or should I not buy this as an ebook? I'm (hopefully) moving soon and it's depressingly hard to find a flat in London in my price range so I suppose that's a factor...

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11-10-2010, 05:14 PM	#2
queentess Reading is sexy Posts: 1,303 Karma: 544517 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: none	If you're moving soon, think of all those books you won't have to lug to your new apartment if you buy the ebooks! I did the same with the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time series: bought them all as ebooks and got rid of my hardcovers. Haven't regretted it for a second. When I re-read them, I don't want to try to hold up a book that large.

11-10-2010, 06:06 PM	#3
Ravensknight Serpent Rider Posts: 1,123 Karma: 10219804 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony 350; Nook STR; Oasis	Ethics rears its ugly head If I own paper copies of books, I find it acceptable to download them for free. I keep the dtb copies though. which kind of defeats the purpose for you. If I want to save space, I buy the ebook.

11-10-2010, 06:27 PM	#4
DuncanWatson Kindle Convert Posts: 190 Karma: 62704 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Woodinville, WA, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook (all)	I have replaced a number of series that I own in ebook format. Jim Butcher's Dresden series. Kim Harrison's Hollows series Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series. Elizabeth Moon's Vatta's War series Naomi Novik Temeraire series Charles Stross's Laundry Files series In most cases it is due to me being a chronic re-reader and I repurchased the series just before a new novel was about to come out in a given series. One of the major advantages of ebooks for me is the lack of bulk as compared to paper books. I am trying to reclaim space in my house that previously was taken up by over 1200 paper books.

11-10-2010, 07:23 PM	#6
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Well, I"m not a "peep" but I'll throw in my two cents....I own the paper versions of several authors who are my favorites......but have the ebook versions as well. Why? Because its so much easier to read on the K3 than to lug around the books, and I enjoy re-reading certain authors. If you love this author......by all means buy the ebook version.

11-10-2010, 08:30 PM	#7
Jar Jar Binks Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Lindsay,Ontario Canada Device: PRS650 And PRS 350 Yay I got it !!! I got it !!! I'm in love.	Agreeing With ManosHandsOfFate hmmm interesting. I am feeling the same way about series books I have. When I get my reader I hope I am able to let go of the paper books and just down load to my ereader. But I would likely make sure I had them all on my ereader on on a memory card of some kind before I got rid of my paper books. My paper books will be going to a nearby Long Term Care Home.

11-10-2010, 08:31 PM	#8
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	paulroberthill: Buy the ebook for your Kindle. Save money, save space. Later, if you are so inclined, sell the first two installments and repurchase in ebook form and enjoy then entire trilogy again. Less dust, more room for the wine rack. Case closed.

11-10-2010, 09:46 PM	#9
simplyparticular Guru Posts: 610 Karma: 1395952 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York Device: Oasis 3 & GlowLight 4	I also advocate replacing the entire series with e-books. I have done so with at least 4 series, and I only start new series as e-books. There are several major benefits for me: Space! My precious bookshelves are being overtaken by board and picture books Heft - at least 3 series I like to re-read have books that are 800+ pages. Wear and tear - some of the long-running series are in rough shape because glue has let go, or the paper has yellowed to the point of illegibility. Some mass market paperbacks don't hold up to much abuse. Dust - hubby and son are both allergic and books are dust collectors. For series reading, whether hefty titles or not, it is SO easy to do a find on the device and look up a detail in a previous volume. I love being able to look up an obscure character or place rather than having to re-read an entire series EVERY time a new books comes out.

11-10-2010, 10:53 PM	#10
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	There's a discussion going on in the chat box that has mentioned peeps several times. I was advocating for peep jousting. As for ebooks, if you can afford it, buy the whole series as ebooks and sell or give away the pbooks. I'm slowly doing that, just as I've sold off my hardcovers for MM paperbacks. No matter what I do, though, the books seem to keep breeding....

11-10-2010, 11:33 PM	#11
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	Well, peepz ... I broke down and bought the e-version of a bulky paperback (nearly 600 pages) on my TBR pile.

11-10-2010, 11:37 PM	#12
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	This is precisely what I am trying to do, though I have no intention of selling my collection off. It is simply easier to read an ebook version than raid the rapidly diminishing bookshelf space for one of my paperback books. Some of my book series are original editions (Robert E Howard Conan and Kull series in original Lancer paperbacks for example) For some books though, there is no ebook version available to purchase (even if I take a quick peek at the darknet) All Kudos to dedicated mobileread members such as HarryT who have created fantastic omnibus versions of classic series by Edgar Rice Burroughs etc. Free is a good thing! Great formating is a superb bonus.

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11-12-2010, 01:19 PM	#13
Jar Jar Binks Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Lindsay,Ontario Canada Device: PRS650 And PRS 350 Yay I got it !!! I got it !!! I'm in love.	Interesting happening for this question last night at my Bible Study. I take a lot of hand written notes at Bible Study. My pastor has begun the same thing. Which he used to do on his laptop he brings with him. He pointed out that if his laptop is stolen or the hard drive gets wiped out as we know can happen with any computer. All those notes (years of note) are gone forever with no way to replace them. So now I am back to the same question asked here in the first place. Duhh Grrrr. LOL Jar Jar