Tech Report: Amazon E-Books Outselling Print Books
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Amazon says that for the first time, it's selling more e-books than printed books. KCBS Technology Analyst Larry Magid said the online retailer is selling 105 Kindle books for every 100 print books they sell and that doesn't include the free Kindle books that people are reading. Magid said it's a sign that e-books have gone mainstream.
KCBS' Technology Analyst Larry Magid Comments:
"A Kindle book runs on the Amazon Kindle, which you can buy starting at $115, but they also run on iPhones, on Android phones, iPads, and I think even Blackberrys," said Magid. "Once you buy a Kindle book you can also read it on different devices. If I'm at my laptop I can read it there, or I can read it from my Android tablet. Frankly, I think e-books are going to take over."
Kindle books aren't exactly a bargain either. Magid said they're certainly cheaper than hardcovers, and usually cheaper than paperbacks, but they aren't the deals that they were when Kindle first got up and running and all titles were $10.
A similar thing happened in the music industry with compact discs replacing vinyl, and mp3s replacing CDs. Now, suddenly, vinyl is making a comeback. Will people be collecting books again in 20 years?
"My prediction is that at some point, not this year and not next year, books will become a rare commodity that wealthy people and collectors are going to own, the way vinyl records are now.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
