Topic: Blues and Gospel Records : 1890-1943 (Blues and Gospel Records)

[Rivers]

In the "No News" Department, I checked Kindle availability again today, there is still no electronic version of B&GR

The book is currently available and selling for US$ 170 on Amazon. I seem to recall mine costing NZ$ 45, or something like that, which seemed expensive at the time.

[Bunker Hill]

When I purchased mine in 1997 it cost me GBP75 which at the time didn't seem too expensive for 1,370 pages. As somebody once commented "all things are relative"!

[Rivers]

I wonder if OUP have any plans to progressively make eBook versions of their catalog available. There are some Oxford titles already in eBook form. I think it's inevitable, if a publisher adopted that strategy nothing would ever go out of print, ever, offering potential sales until the sun goes dark.

However I must say the Kindle format's search / lookup / contents / indexes & general navigational aspects, in its current form, are not ideal for using with a reference books of lists like B&GR. The current software and hardware works fine for reading ripping yarns cover-to-cover. Much as I love B&GR it will never be a page turner. I'm totally sure the eBook software and devices will improve over time to support this type of reference work though.

[dj]

A few comments on an electronic version of B&GR.  Which, by the way, I'd love to see.

..if a publisher adopted that strategy nothing would ever go out of print, ever...

Ideally, that's the case.  In reality, the experience with digital music sales indicates that publishers will, for various reasons, take electronic product in and out of print, even though it costs them nothing to keep the product available.

...the Kindle format's search / lookup / contents / indexes & general navigational aspects, in its current form, are not ideal for using with a reference books...

 

Technology and products are always changing.  But if you're a user who wants that sort of function, you'd be better served at the moment by the Barnes & Noble eReader software.  I've used the Nook color for a year now and have been quite satisfied with the search, highlighting, bookmarking, index/contents, etc.  (Full disclosure:  my wife works for B&N, but has nothing to do with either the Nook or their eReader software.)

[Rivers]

Amazon currently has 1 new @ $156.80 and 12 used all at fairly silly prices. Winner of the silly price contest was $1,899.33. Be careful before buying used to confirm it's the fourth edition 1997.