The release of Tony Blair’s memoirs yesterday caused a bit of a stir which you would expect when any ex Prime Minister lifts the lid on the secrets of Government.

It also marked a welcome change in eBook pricing. Amazon is selling the Kindle edition for £6.99 which compares quite well to the hardcover which is £12.50. It’s also pleasing to see it released on the same day. I checked the iBooks library, but it was not available at the time of writing.

Joe Konrath has said that he sells 60 eBooks on Kindle for every 1 he sells as an iBook. This is in contrast to Steve Job’s claim that Apple has 22% of the market. Here is the full quote from The Next Web-

“Publishers might be looking at enriched or enhanced ebooks as their new big-ticket items to replace hardcovers. But the major ebook retailer, Amazon, isn’t set up for video. Kindle isn’t even able to do color yet. That leaves Apple, and according to my numbers Apple is a very small part of the ebook market. I sell 200 ebooks a day on Kindle. On iPad, I sell 100 a month.”

Guy Kawasaki is giving away free copies of The Macintosh Way in eBook form (PDF) if you follow him on Twitter. All you need to do is click the verify button here and you can then download the book to view in iBooks or another viewer. Be warned though, he is a prolific Tweeter and your Twitter list will fill up rapidly.

“It is hard to believe this book is now over 20 years old. Guy Kawasaki does a marvelous job of conveying key traits of effective ‘Macintosh Way’ companies and managers. The key, really, is to do the right thing, the right way. Seems common sense enough, but even 20 years later, it appears as elusive as ever.” Edward J. Barton.

Amazon UK is now accepting self-published works for its Kindle eBook service. Apparently we all have a book inside of us, so you may as well try to make some money out of the process.

LUXEMBOURG – 16th August 2010 – Amazon.co.uk today announced that publishers and authors worldwide are now able to upload and make their books available in the Amazon.co.uk Kindle Store using the self-service Kindle Digital Text Platform. The Kindle Digital Text Platform (http://dtp.amazon.co.uk) is a fast and easy tool which allows publishers and authors to add their books and start selling in the new UK Kindle Store in minutes. Books that are uploaded to the UK Kindle Store are available to UK customers via Kindle devices and Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac and Android-based devices.

“Publishers and authors can now take advantage of the Kindle Digital Text Platform and make their books available to the millions of customers that visit Amazon.co.uk,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon Vice President, European Retail. “Sales of Kindle books in the US continue to rise and we are now selling more Kindle books than hardcovers. We expect to see a similar pattern in the UK with publishers and authors benefitting from greatly increased sales as a result of adding their titles to the new Kindle Store via the Kindle Digital Text Platform.”

Amazon recently made improvements to the Digital Text Platform such as a more intuitive ‘Bookshelf’ feature and a simplified process for publishing. Additionally, publishers and authors can upload and make available their books in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. They are also able to set the digital list price for their titles on Amazon.co.uk in pound sterling.

Publishers that hold publishing rights for the UK and related territories will earn a 35% royalty for sales made on Amazon.co.uk. For sales made in the US via Amazon.com, publishers can take advantage of a 70% royalty option. In the future, Amazon intends to make the 70% royalty option available for UK sales as well.

This is big news and could go some way to restoring eBooks to the prices they really should be- a lot cheaper than paper books…

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating agreements between the country’s largest e-book publishers and two of the largest sellers — Amazon.com, Inc. and Apple, Inc. — that may block competitors from offering cheaper e-book prices.

Both Amazon and Apple have reached agreements with the largest e-book publishers that ensure both will receive the best prices for e-books over any competitors — contract provisions known as “most favored nation” (MFN) clauses.

In letters to Amazon.Com and Apple, Blumenthal is calling on the companies to meet with his office to address these concerns. Publishers that have reached such agreements with Amazon and Apple include Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, HarperCollins and Penguin.

These agreements appear to deter certain publishers from offering discounts to Amazon and Apple’s competitors — because they must offer the same to Amazon and Apple. This restriction blocks cheaper and competitive prices for consumers.

After a preliminary review, Blumenthal’s office has already found that e-book prices offered by Amazon, Apple, Borders and Barnes & Noble for several New York Times Bestseller books were identical among all four sellers.

“These agreements among publishers, Amazon and Apple appear to have already  resulted in uniform prices for many of the most popular e-books — potentially depriving consumers of competitive prices,” Blumenthal said. “The e-book market is set to explode — with analysts predicting that e-book readers will be among the holiday season’s biggest electronic gifts — warranting prompt review of the potential anti-consumer impacts.

“Amazon and Apple combined will likely command the greatest share of the retail e-book market, allowing their most-favored-nation clauses to effectively set the floor prices for the most popular e-books. Such agreements — especially when offered to two of the largest e-book retail competitors in the United States — threaten to encourage coordinated pricing and discourage discounting.”

Recently I wrote about the fact that many people will never move to eBooks and it turned into a conversation about whether eBooks are the future or not. Here are some of the most interesting comments which highlight the views of people in regards to eBooks-

Clark- “I find it more difficult to read a regular book. Having to hold your place while reading? If I set it down it closes and I have to search for my spot. Plus the smell. I’ll give you the new books smell ok but old ones? Please! I borrow books a lot and I can only imagine where these books have been. (where do most people read?) And the fact that they are probably full of bacteria and other germs. ewwwww Give me my germ free, anti-bacterial eBooks.”

Joel- “I went back to paper as I look at lit screens all day and a book is easier on my eyes. Resolution doesn’t matter much at all, not being backlit does.

The other problem is on new release or pre-order I can often get hard covers cheaper and easier than eBooks.”

Philippa- “You are forgetting e-ink devices like the kindle, Sony Reader or iliad. It’s perfectly possible to read those for hours in the same way as it is for books. As Joel says, it’s not so much resolution that’s the problem, as the extra strain from a backlit screen. Of course I’m expecting e-ink technology to just quietly die in favour of devices like the iPad which is a real shame.

The other thing about a book is that there’s no extra distractions – you can’t just flick a page to check the latest news whilst reading it.

The cost of eBooks and the limiting DRM is probably an article in itself!”

Andrew- “I saw my first Kindle the other day and what struck me is that the print appears to be on the top surface of the device. It looks far more natural. If I look at any of phone / pads / laptops, it’s always through glass, as it were.”

Tony- “Can’t see myself moving to eBooks any time soon, for most of the reasons mentioned already. I can read it on the beach without worrying about sand getting in the book, I can read in the bath and on an underground train without feeling like it might be stolen. I do not need to buy an expensive phone or eReader, nor do I need to worry about charging it or storing it safely. I can buy a book new or second hand for a fraction of the price on a eBook from outlets all over the world. I can leave the book on my shelf at home when I’m done and it can become a talking point when friends visit. I can also lend the book out or give it to charity to make a little money for a good cause.

And last but not least I like the touch and smell of a paper book, especially a good one!”

vboelema- “I’ve been using my netbook in bed to read ebooks in pdf format. In the evening I turn the backlight right down and I lie back and tap the space bar when I turn the page. I have surprised myself with how great it has been. I could see myself using an iPad in the same way… but more comfortable and with a better screen.”

It seems to me that there is a presumption that people who do not read eBooks have never tried them, but it would appear that many have tried and still don’t like the technology. I am firmly with Clark regarding the smell of old books (phew!) and am an avid eBook reader, but also feel that the pricing of eBooks is often way over the top for no good reason.

So it goes back to my original article and this quote which now seems truer than ever- “The fact is that people who do not want to read digital media care little for the quality of the text or the photographs reproduced within. They do not care that it is an advance of technology that deserves praise from every quarter. They just will not read for leisure on a screen.”

Many people have told me over the years that eBooks do not interest them because they prefer to read paper books and I have always understood this notion. You can sit at a screen all day in your job and the thought of then staring at another one in your leisure time will leave these people cold.

I have always understood it to be that the screen can never achieve the same level of clarity that printed paper can, but the iPhone 4 proves that wrong. Take a look at the two pictures below and you can see what I mean. If you ignore the reflection from the iPhone screen, it is arguably better than the newspaper which is also photographed.

Paper

Screen

There is little doubt in my mind that the iPhone 4 screen offers a similar, if better, experience than reading on paper. The imperfections are removed and of course so is the hassle of carrying around half of a tree, at least in the case of the Sunday Times. When / if this technology is ported to bigger devices like the iPad then the experience will take on a whole new meaning. It will offer the reader near perfect presentation of text and images and potentially this clarity will beat paper every single time. It will be like reading a normal newspaper or book, but better in every logical way. And it will not matter at all…

The fact is that people who do not want to read digital media care little for the quality of the text or the photographs reproduced within. They do not care that it is an advance of technology that deserves praise from every quarter. They just will not read for leisure on a screen.

This innovation is great for those of us who are more than happy to read digitally, but we are in the minority and will continue to be so for some time to come. I’m just glad that the technology was invented before the inventors realised this as well.

Amazon has decided that audio and video content is a good idea to bundle into the eBook experience and is starting on the iPhone and iPad. Of course this type of move will generate headlines and entice some to the idea of eBooks,  but I thought the aim was to make eBooks feel as close to paper books as possible? Call me old (new) fashioned, but I want my eBooks to contain text just like a real book does.

Sid has sent in details of Calibre which is an eBook management tool that can be used to sync eBooks to devices, convert eBooks into a variety of formats (i.e. iPub for iPhone and iPad) and is also a comprehensive eBook viewer. Can’t argue with that for free.

As expected, iBooks is now available for the iPhone and looks quite good. Still not convinced that Kindle isn’t better, but it is nice to have the option.

iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books. iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics – day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favorite passages.

Features:

• Enjoy a complimentary copy of the beautifully illustrated classic, Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne.
• Download many of your favorite books from the included iBookstore.
• Read a free sample of any book on the iBookstore before making it a part of your collection.
• Reorder your books on your bookshelf or browse them in a list sorted by title, author, or category.
• Easily adjust your screen brightness to find the perfect lighting for any environment.
• Change the font size and pick from six included type faces to make your books more comfortable to read.
• Find a word, character, or phrase anywhere in your book with the built-in search feature.
• Keep your bookmarks, notes, and your current page wirelessly in sync between iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with the new automatic bookmark syncing feature.
• Quickly find a specific page using the page navigator at the bottom of every page.
• Read your books on white or sepia colored pages.
• Choose left or fully justified text layout from Settings.
• Highlight your favorite passages and add notes with the built-in bookmarking features.
• Add books in the industry-standard ePub electronic book format to iTunes and sync them to iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
• Add PDF documents to iBooks from Mail, or add them to iTunes and sync them to iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
• Use iBooks with the amazing accessibility features in iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch – such as speaking the words on a given page.

I received some iTunes vouchers for my Birthday and spent them rather quickly. After consuming a couple of silly iPad games, a film and a couple of useful apps I has £10 left burning a virtual hold in my virtual wallet. Despite the £9.99 price tag for 28 days access I relented and decided to try The Times digital edition. What a good move that was!

I had previously criticised the pricing structure, but a quick calculation means that I am paying roughly 30 pence per issue which compares quite well to the paper edition. There are numerous incidental advantages to buying a daily newspaper this way; no recycling, no trip to the shop to buy one and the convenience of having it available when I need it (arguably a paper newspaper is just, if not more, convenient though).

It would be easy to talk about the clever design and the way in which the app mimics a newspaper so closely and these are fundamental factors in making the experience worthwhile, but ultimately the fact that I am consuming much more of each issue than I ever have with paper newspapers is telling. It feels like a newspaper, it really does, and this surprised me more than any other aspect of my purchase.

It is irrelevant that the writing is so good; if you like a newspaper, even the Daily Mail (shudders!), the fact fact that you can consume it in this way so easily highlights the potential for this medium. Many, like me, will naturally be sceptical about reading newspapers this way and The Times would surely benefit from letting people buy one issue to see what it is all about as a taster, but I can say with hand on heart that the experience has been great so far.

It is the first product that has let me into the world of digital newspapers and not made me feel like I am making a huge adjustment. The main barrier is that some other products are not so smart and try to do too much. If we could see a more standardised method in the digital newspaper world, just as we do with paper newspapers, the medium will fly.

The fact that I am highly likely to renew my subscription says a lot because I never buy newspapers, but this app has opened my eyes to the format and crucially the content within. I would likely have not discovered The Times without it.

iRex Technologies, maker of the illiad eBook reader, has filed for bankruptcy in the Netherlands. From SlashGear- “The life of iRex Technologies‘ DR-800SG and iRex 1000S is a fascinating story, for sure. We watched as it released one thing, fought to release another, and then slipped out of the mind’s eye for months. Even with the fact that Best Buy started selling the DR-800SG online back in February, it doesn’t look like the company has any good news to report. On Tuesday, iRex Technologies was forced to file for bankruptcy in the Netherlands.

According to the company’s CEO, Hans Brons, the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 due to “financial difficulties.” We know that if you promise a product for a holiday release and don’t deliver, bad things can happen. But, to think that missing the launch window by a few months meant the demise of a company, well that’s simply staggering…”

Where do I start with the letdown iBooks on the iPad has been? Let’s see- the books are very expensive, there are hardly any available for non-US owners and you cannot customise the appearance apart from font size, font type and brightness. You are stuck with a bright white background and that’s it. It is far from easy on the eye and my eyes were straining within a few minutes. It looks nice, as you would expect from Apple, but fails in all of the important areas that eBook readers like the Kindle succeed in.

It’s not all lost though because there is an alternative and that is the Kindle app. There is a huge range of books available with many at very good prices and you can sample any book by downloading the start for free. This is a great way to test a book before you buy and the only downside is that you are transported to Amazon to buy and peruse books. It is slickly implemented though and books are cleverly sent to the iPad with little manual intervention.

The most important area for me is that you can customise the look of eBooks and the sepia theme is perfect, in my opinion, for long periods of reading. It’s a simple feature, but one which should be standard in any eBook device or software.

As it stands I still haven’t bought an eBook from the iBooks store and can’t see a purchase happening anytime soon. eBooks cannot be sprinkled with Apple dust; they are just a collection of words and the presentation, availability and price are all important. Apple has somehow managed to miss out on all three and completely missed the potential of the iPad as an eBook reader. Thankfully Amazon got it right so I am eReading again as much as I was before the dreaded geographic restrictions took hold last year.

Gear Diary has written up an expose of MyPadMedia which looks at exactly what it does, which appears to be selling eBooks that are available for free. As is highlighted it is probably legal, but certainly not moral. The links you need are part one, part two and part three.

“We took on a shady eBook site, drama ensued, and this is the result. If you have a Kindle, an iPad or a nook, and you are used to paying for eBooks, then you can understand how a site like this could seem so appealing to the uninformed.

myPadMedia is SCUM…”

My son is heavily into his iPod Touch; games, internet, homework research, video and music are activities he regularly undertakes with it and he wouldn’t swap it for the world.

My son is also into reading and loves The Famous Five in particular- his appetite for reading is a pleasure to see, as it would be for any parent, but he is adamant that he will not read eBooks. He is 9 years old and when I commented to him the other day that you can buy books to read on the iPod, his reaction was “I like to read real books. Screens hurt my eyes after a while and I like the feel of a book.” He then went into a typical 9 year old description of how the “book is there in my hand” and how “an eBook is just words on a screen”.

It is a fascinating insight into the mind of a child who has not had many years enjoying the feel of real books, and it highlighted the stark differences between paper books and their digital equivalents. Is it built inside us to prefer reading on paper? The story can be extended by the book cover, the typeface and most importantly the fact that it is an object which is often times desirable to look at and hold.

It is different than music- when you listen to a song you don’t stare at your CD player or even the turntable if you can remember back that far; you simply listen to the music. When reading a book you turn the pages, you hold it and you immerse yourself into the experience. It seems that my son has already discovered this without even knowing it.

Publishers and software developers are doing their best to make the eBook feel more alive, but if a 9 year old child who is into technology in a big way still prefers the tradition book form what chance do they have?