Two "All you can read" services coming to the Netherlands

[Katsunami]

Source: Tweakers.net

Quick translation of part of the article:

Two new subscription services for reading ebooks will be launched in the Netherlands later this year. The Danish Mofibo, and British Bookmate will both be targeting users reading books on mobile devices.

Both services will be using an "all you can read" subscription, for which a set monthly fee needs to be paid. Users will not be paying per book. Mofibo has already started, and is asking 12,99 euro per month; early birds who decide this month will be paying 9,99 per month. It is not possible to use this service in combination with an e-reader.

Bookmate will be starting in September, and will be asking €9,99 a month, for access to about 3500 Dutch books. This service has a catalogue of about 600.000 books, and has 2,5 million subscribers world-wide.

Both services are using their own app; they will be competing with other services, such as Bruna's Bliyoo.

[mtravellerh]

Has someone tried bookmate? Looks interesting.

[DuckieTigger]

Why wouldn't it work on an ereader if it is an android eink device, for example?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Why wouldn't it work on an ereader if it is an android eink device, for example?

I would interpret the word "e-reader" to mean "a dedicated reading device", not "a device with an eInk screen". If there is an Android app available it should of course work on an eInk Android tablet.

[Katsunami]

To be honest, I haven't even taken a look into these services. I only read about 25-35 books a year at the moment; often I'm not reading for days on end. Reading an average of 30 books using a service that costs €10 a month would make each book cost €4. That is around the price I pay for a new book, which is €3-5, generally, sometimes less when using Kobo codes.

So, for me, renting and buying is about the same regarding price, but when buying and un-DRM-ing, I own the book forever. Also, I have a TBR that will last me for at least 20 years at this rate of reading...

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I would interpret the word "e-reader" to mean "a dedicated reading device", not "a device with an eInk screen". If there is an Android app available it should of course work on an eInk Android tablet.

Might not necessarily work if the device needs to have constant internet access to be able to read - that would exclude more than just ereaders. A clear cut line is no longer really there, IMO. Onyx Boox advertises itself as android ereader with eink screen and not as android tablet with eink screen. They maybe completely wrong and you don't agree. Some might think a dedicated ereader may not support auidiobooks, and others would consider an ereader with audio support still an ereader. Even on a Kindle it used to be possible to get games and such with active content from the store.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Might not necessarily work if the device needs to have constant internet access to be able to read - that would exclude more than just ereaders. A clear cut line is no longer really there, IMO. Onyx Boox advertises itself as android ereader with eink screen and not as android tablet with eink screen. They maybe completely wrong and you don't agree. Some might think a dedicated ereader may not support auidiobooks, and others would consider an ereader with audio support still an ereader. Even on a Kindle it used to be possible to get games and such with active content from the store.

That's why I said "I would interpret..." and not "it is universally agreed that..." . It was my personal opinion.

[murg]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If there is an Android app available it should of course work on an eInk Android tablet.

Not necessarily. The colours in the app could translate poorly to black & white eInk. Cramming millions of colours into 16 or 32 grey levels can be a disaster.