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Amazon Testing $9.99 Unlimited Reading Service Called Kindle Unlimited

Published on July 16, 2014 by Justin Diaz

Everyone is doing streaming video for a small(depending on how you look at it)monthly subscription fee that lets you watch unlimited videos all month long. This includes online retail giant Amazon, who is also heavily invested in offering e-books to would be readers. One thing that Amazon has yet to touch though, which isn’t too surprising as there aren’t that many other services around that offer it currently, is a monthly subscription based service that offers unlimited reading of as many books as you can stomach in a month. Amazon is actually testing a service out that does exactly this for its subscribers, and it’s called, wait for it… Kindle Unlimited. Most of you thought it would probably have something to with the word Fire didn’t you? Well.. you were wrong.

Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service doesn’t sound all that different from an app that we talked about just the other day called Scribd, which actually offers this very same service of unlimited reads for just $8.99 a month. They also just updated their app to add in some really cool new features like easier library management. Book worms rejoice and if you like to get your reading on during the summer months, you may want to look at Scribd to provide you with what you need for the time being as there is no word on when Amazon is planning on launching their Kindle Unlimited full scale to the public. Although the service is going through testing right now, when Amazon launches Kindle Unlimited it should carry a library of some 600,000 book titles(which includes audiobooks), a number that is a good couple hundred thousand higher than that of what Scribd offers at this very moment.

While Amazon’s service looks like it’ll be costing slightly more per month, it also seems to have more available content for readers. Amazon is reportedly talking to major publishers about participating in Kindle Unlimited and if anyone should be able to convince them of accepting such a deal, it should be one of the largest online retailers that already has a decent relationship with those publishers through the selling of those e-books and hard copies. Would you use this instead of just buying your e-books through play books?

 

 

Anyone going to try this service?? :huh:

 

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With as much grief as publishers have given to libraries and overdrive (and the libraries are indeed buying the rights to the books) I am surprised that they are so willing to do these services at all. I get most of my kindle and audiobooks from my public library. The newest best sellers usually take a while to get, but I have a 50 book long to-be-read stack just from this year already, so I can wait. I buy books when they go on sale and then just cycle them in when I haven't gotten anything good from the library.

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I used to buy all my books -- I had over a thousand, and since I used to receive lots of ARC's for my old website, books were everywhere. Now that I have two kids (just had my second -- and last! -- back in October) my book storage space is next to nothing. I've whittled my collection down to about 600 and with the exception of those authors who are close to me, I don't purchase books any longer. (I'm glad I've gotten over the need to buy books, since for every gem there's about 5 duds I'm glad I don't own.)

 

That being said, I find this service very intriguing. Then again, why pay 10 bucks a month when my library is free? I guess I'll wait to see what people say about the service.

 

However, I am an Amazon Prime member and if this were parceled into Prime then I'd be all about it, but since this is going to be a separate service, I doubt I need it -- and I read a ton. Can't imagine a more casual reader would pay for it.

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I never thought Microsoft 360 would work, but it seems to be a big hit. I could see this service being perfect if you're traveling for a month and don't want to lug around books and want one basic book service as you travel around. Will be interesting to see what happens when this rolls out.

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I could see doing it short term - as Princess says, if traveling. But I read too much and am too cheap to pay. I use my library and overdrive- I still read a lot of books hard copy from the library and what I pick up at library book sales, tag sales etc.

 

I do make sure to get my 1 free Kindle Prime book every month (I have a reminder in my calendar, otherwise I forget) I do tend to use my kindle mostly just when traveling.

 

My husband just got a kindle paperwhite - his first e-reader - and he's enjoying it, but he's a more casual reader than I am so unless Amazon opens up everything to its unlimited option (doubtful) I can't see either of us would use this on a regular basis....

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Hoya - somewhat off topic, but how does your husband like the paperwhite?

 

I have a second gen kindle whose battery is dead, mostly due to my own negligence. I haven't replaced it because my books come mostly from the library and when I do read an ebook, I read mainly via the kindle app on my ipad/iphone (however I find they hurt my eyes if I read for too long on that type of screen).

 

I've read a few iffy reviews of the paperwhite, so I'd like to hear what you guys think of it. Not sure I even want/need a new one, but I was wondering whether the paperwhite or the regular ereader would be better for me at this point. I'd prefer something that isn't easily broken and doesn't require a ton of protective padding like that my old kindle.

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So literally (yes, weird Al, I promise to use that word properly!!) a week after my husband got his Paperwhite, my Kindle (2nd gen from 2011) fell & cracked/leaked inside - don't know what except I can't read in the upper left corner anymore. So I tried his Paperwhite and for me - used to buttons - having a touch screen was really odd. For that reason, and for price, I decided just to get the bottom of the line kindle ereader instead of the Paperwhite. My husband loves it - he does have a cover and he's careful, esp since he saw what I just did to my old one.

 

I have kindle apps on my phone & tablet but never use them - I definitely prefer the screens of an ereader! My husband does like the built-in light in his for twilight & nighttime reading, but I'm so used to wearing a headlamp (and I always travel with my headlamp) that it wasn't a concern for me either.

 

So - for him, he loves the Paperwhite (he is reading more in the past 2 months than the past 15 years I've known him ;-) but for me the higher price wasn't worth it.

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Hm ... the light is a big thing for me. I don't know whether to get the cheapest kindle + a cover with a light or else just get the paperwhite. I'm fine with having either buttons or a touchscreen.

 

Do you have the one with special offers? Do you find them intrusive?

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I have the plain kindle and I just use a clip on light at night when I need one. As for the special offers. I don't find them intrusive at all. I basically don't even notice them. They are just a screensaver, and when I pick up my kindle to read, I just click wake and it goes away. Definitely not a big enough deal to pay extra to remove them.

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I have the plain kindle and I just use a clip on light at night when I need one. As for the special offers. I don't find them intrusive at all. I basically don't even notice them. They are just a screensaver, and when I pick up my kindle to read, I just click wake and it goes away. Definitely not a big enough deal to pay extra to remove them.

Ooh that's good to hear. What case do you have for yours? I was looking at the leather one they link to but I couldn't tell if it would be possible for me to clip my book light on it. Right now I'm leaning toward the basic one with special offers, if and when I do decide to upgrade. I don't think I'd use the built-in light enough to justify the paperwhite.

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I have this M-edge case, but I got it in blue and purple on eBay for about $5. It matches my daughter's Nook case. She's 10 and matchy-matchy is exciting. The edge of the case has a very slim pocket that the M-edge light slides into (also bought for cheap, probably on Amazon). She has a nook simple touch and I have the original nook with the screen at the bottom too. Having also been a several-thousand book collector, I'm well covered in ereaders. I actually like the Nook, but library borrowing is cumbersome on it.

 

http://m.staples.com/touch/product.html?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:408344&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=408344&KPID=408344&sk_test=a#408344

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My old case was just big enough the new kindle slips out (and since that's how the old one broke....) I opted to get a case through amazon - one of the only for that size that flips to an easel, since that's a position I like to use when I'm flying so it can stand on the table. But now that I have it, I'm not sure it will stand up on its own. Ah well.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KDY8AU/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

My husband says his paperwhite's screen lighting is "the cat's ass" though "my wife complains about it when I read in bed" ;-) So he likes the light....

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So as of today Kindle Unlimited has gone live - I didn't think it would be this soon! I like that they give you a 30-day free trial. However, if I were ever to sign up, I'd really need a new kindle ... seems like a money pit :D

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Huh. I might finish the library books I have out now and give the 30 day trial a go. The audiobooks might make it worthwhile IF they are audible format and not tied into the kindle app. But just flipping through the list I'm seeing no current titles. Even Overdrive has current titles. I think this will possibly like Netflix streaming which never has the movies I want to see.

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I read on my iPad and have the kindle app. I have Amazon Prime but cannot access the lending library because I do not have a kindle. :(.

 

Side note : A trick I found out thought I would share - it works great!

 

Problem with iPad is reading outside. I googled solutions and found if you wear polarized sunglasses and turn the iPad to landscape you can read without shading, turning up the brightness etc. was on the beach all week with it!

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FYI, I just went through the list of books I currently have on hold through Overdrive and my local libraries. I live in Northern VA and we have multiple public library systems in our immediate area, so we can belong to all of them for free - i belong to 4 and they all have different holdings through Overdrive. Of the maybe 12 books I have on hold, none of them were available for Kindle Unlimited. I'll probably hang onto my free library account and hope Kindle Unlimited doesn't ruin the library program the way Kindle LendMe basically killed my Nook LendMe.

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I agree - the pickings for Kindle Unlimited are slim. If it featured the majority of current, big releases that would be one thing. But they aren't offering anything I want or need, so ...

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