E-books cost too much, Kindle forum writers complain

25.02.2009
"Books cost too much" was a popular TV ad slogan used by the Haft family in the 1980s to promote the Crown Books discount hardcover and paperback bookstore chain.

Now it seems the slogan could be updated to say, "E-books cost too much," judging by the overwhelming customer irritation with e-books sold by Amazon.com Inc. to Kindle and Kindle 2 customers for more than US$9.99 apiece.

An informal boycott is under way, in fact.

On a popular Kindle online forum thread titled, "," more than 1,200 posts on the subject of high-priced e-books have appeared since the beginning of the year, with many more comments posted since the on Sunday.

Some comments say that certain books are worth more than $9.99, even if they are read on an e-reader, but most complain that Amazon promotes the Kindle and Kindle 2 by saying it has many thousands of for that price or less.

The general sentiment of commenters is that if a customer pays $359 for a Kindle 2, the books should be substantially less than the hardcover or even the paperback cost.