Buying books is, for me at least, definitely not just a case of "I want that particular book, I shall buy it online." Very often I want to browse, to pick up books that I like the look of and have a flick through before actually buying something. I suspect I'm not the only one, though.
Good point about second hand stuff. But I was more thinking about the viability of high street shops in the age of Amazon, triggered by the traditional Christmas headlines of "Nobody is Buying Our Stuffs!" and today's announcement about Waterstones dropping 9% of their turnover (or profit, or something) and sacking their chief exec.
I only buy CDs and DVDs for other people. Most of those are from HogsHead. All my own stuff is digital, except books. I trawl charity shops and the delight that is Tills for books. I buy from Waterstones when I take Daughter there, because she likes the cafe. I have a lot of digital books, but keep forgetting I have them. Even those I've bought, which is many.
It is virtually impossible to get physical games *I want* for Mac in Edinburgh. No-one even attempts to order games in, even on repeated request. I'm guessing this is due to the necessarily high premium vs PC games. [though ironically multi-platform independent games do terrific business with Mac users]
Also, as you mentioned with Spotify - I've either legally or illegally downloaded and/or streamed almost all my new music (and a few TV programmes), for free, but guess that's not the same as buying, with, like, money.
I've counted my occasional one-day membership of Spotify (for example to cover my birthday party) as online download purchase of music, otherwise that box would have gone unticked.
Mostly if I download something I don't pay for it. If I like the thing I downloaded though, I'll likely then eventually buy a physical, legal copy of it.
I budget ruthlessly to be able to squander my limited disposable income on fun. Consequently I only buy books in second hands shops, I only 'buy' DVDs if they come free with a newspaper and I listen to new music on Spotify.
I have never in my entire life felt the slightest interest in acquiring a computer game, though I occasionally play bubble shooter or tetris.
Yes yes yes. I go into bookshops to look at books, enjoy looking at books, choose books, ind books. Sometimes I go into bookshops to do this when I have no money and therefore no way of actually buying anything. I just love being around books: when I'm stressed at uni I sometimes go and walk around the stacks in the library to calm myself down.
I do however buy books on Amazon - but much less often. I made a £50 order there on Tuesday, but that was for this term's books. Amazon is great for sitting there with reading lists for four different modules and finding eg exact editions for each of many different exact books.
All my music/movie/book purchases this past 15 months have been online, but they would normally have been matched by a shop purchase.
Ah.. just recalled I did buy one movie and one computer game in shops. I'd forgotten because in both cases my elder god-daughter actually chose the item and all I had to do was fish out my credit card.
Until very recently I used to buy most of my music from independent record shops, but for the last couple of years it's been almost all from eMusic (or streamed over Spotify), with only stuff that's not available through either of those being bought from either HMV or Amazon.
I'd *LOVE* to buy from independent bookshops, but I know of no independent (non second-hand or remainder) bookshops in Manchester, just a couple of Waterstones and a Blackwells.
I have bought one computer game in my life - one of the Discworld ones - though I have downloaded a few free-as-in-beer text adventures...
I haven't bought *anything* for ages. SB bought the new Pratchett in Tesco (because they had it for half price and we're skint), and there've been a few games bought for the Wii online.
Our only real purchase is a LoveFilm subscription, which is great.
I used to work at the Oxfam bookshop on Byres Road in Glasgow. I have to agree that shopping secondhand is ace. Stuff comes through the door there that you would never, ever see in any high street shop or on Amazon. I have some great finds from there. Also, I like to read books in hardback. Nobody likes to buy books in hardback, though, so they tend to be about the same price as a secondhand paperback, making them actually affordable. Bonus.
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And I've rented a couple of movies over iTunes.
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And serve Waterstones right for being shit.
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It is virtually impossible to get physical games *I want* for Mac in Edinburgh. No-one even attempts to order games in, even on repeated request. I'm guessing this is due to the necessarily high premium vs PC games. [though ironically multi-platform independent games do terrific business with Mac users]
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I have never in my entire life felt the slightest interest in acquiring a computer game, though I occasionally play bubble shooter or tetris.
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I do however buy books on Amazon - but much less often. I made a £50 order there on Tuesday, but that was for this term's books. Amazon is great for sitting there with reading lists for four different modules and finding eg exact editions for each of many different exact books.
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Ah.. just recalled I did buy one movie and one computer game in shops. I'd forgotten because in both cases my elder god-daughter actually chose the item and all I had to do was fish out my credit card.
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I'd *LOVE* to buy from independent bookshops, but I know of no independent (non second-hand or remainder) bookshops in Manchester, just a couple of Waterstones and a Blackwells.
I have bought one computer game in my life - one of the Discworld ones - though I have downloaded a few free-as-in-beer text adventures...
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Our only real purchase is a LoveFilm subscription, which is great.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jul/01/best-bookshops-north-west
I must look at emusic again.
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