"Premium" ebooks, anyone? - was Re: OT: Physical Book Prices

[Toby Thain]

On 14/12/14 6:54 PM, Sean Caron wrote:
> Used books are where it's at! I've always believed in the value of the
> printed word and I've been steadily stocking my library all along :) Many
> good deals can be obtained on Amazon used, or through AbeBooks. ...
>
> I wouldn't say printing is dead but certainly it's moved upmarket. As well,

I am hoping for a "premium" tier of ebooks. The current versions are 
typographically horrible (think 1987 DTP) and overpriced.

I would expect this tier would have:
* complete proofreading and debugging
* high quality fonts
* actual input from designers and typographers
* all of the above leading to a better reading experience
* high quality images (implying better UI, which puts pressure on the 
device platform itself...)

If we are going to be screwed on price we should demand better quality :)

Much as a high end print book has. (And the low end stabilised to 
"decent" layout and typography decades ago, thanks to farsighted 
paperback publishers like Penguin who invested in design and typography.)

--Toby

> in a way, it's somewhat less ephemeral than bits and bytes. As you say, the
> Nook version doesn't do much for your coffee table.
>
> Best,
>
> Sean
>
>
> On Sun, Dec 14, 2014 at 5:55 PM, Charles Dickman <chd at chdickman.com> wrote:
>
>> ...
>>
>> I guess the printed page is dead. Gutenberg RIP.
>>
>