BLADAM - Entry - Irrationality in the digital age

DISCLAIMER: This is my personal blog. The blatherings here aren't (necessarily) the views of the current company I work for, companies I've previously blessed with my presence, my loving parents, the Illuminati, or anyone other than me, me, me!

Irrationality in the digital age

I was checking out a book on Amazon.com and, unsurprisingly, got sticker shock. I know, I know... the age of $4.95 popular softbacks has long since passed, but when a popular novel is promoted in a hardcover format at $26... ouch!

But what I saw next surprised me even more.The DIGITAL (Adobe e-book) version of this book was selling for $19.95. As if that wasn't ridiculous enough, I noticed the following warning:

This title is not compatible with Pocket PCs, PDAs, or other handhelds.

Okay, so let me see if I got this straight. This company is asking me to pay twenty smackeroos for the privilege of squinting to read a non-portable version of a fiction novel?

If this were a reference book of some sort, then I could understand the price.

But charging a customer $20 for bits and bytes that -- at least deliverywise -- cost practically nothing to provide... am I the only person who finds this to be simply loopy?

- Blathered by Adam on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 at 19:22 [ Permalink | Trackback ]
- Filed under Geekery
- Commented on by one person so far. Check out their comment below (and leave your own, too!)

Comment from
Matt Hendrickson

[ BLADAM Profile | URL ]

I think the great promoter / shyster P.T. Barnum said it best when he said “There’s a sucker born every minute!”

- Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2003 at 0:55 [ Permalink to this comment ]

Say something! If you're a member, log in first, though :-).

Name (Required)

Email (Optional)

Please include at least your first name or a nickname

Only I, Adam, will see this. It's not posted!

Location or affiliation (Optional)

URL (Optional)

e.g., Mannheim, Germany or Microsoft
or Seattle Savoy Club, etc.

Tags supported: <a href>, , , , , <strike>, , <pre>, <code>, and <blockquote>
Pop-up smiley chooser

I warmly welcome you to register and reserve your nickname.

While non-members are welcome to comment freely here, members get nifty benefits and more prominently displayed comments.

Signing up is free, super-fast and painless. No rude invasive questions or evil spam!

Remember my personal information (it'll be pre-filled for future comments here)
Send me an e-mail when others comment

IMPORTANT: Please type in the word adam below:
(This is to thwart automated spambots; sorry for the inconvenience)

A live preview of your comments will appear below as you type (including supported HTML but not showing graphical-smileys).

Next entry: And yet further proof of "selling out" -- but in a good way :)
Previous entry: Naked eunuch sumo wrestler with Whitney Houston... at my gym?!

FEEDS:	Full-text, all categories: (See a complete list of category-specific and other BLADAM feeds!)
CREDITS:	Site powered by ExpressionEngine. Cool menus by the Ultimate Dropdown Menu. Thoughtful advice and assistance from Ingmar, LisaJill, other awesome EE forum volunteers, and nice friends.
COPYRIGHT:	My sites are the result of many hours of hard work. Kindly ask before using my content. Thanks! :)
[ Return to the top of the page]