Oyster – The Netflix for Books

New Cool Product/App/service alert people. Today Oyster was launched, the equivalent of Netflix, but for Books. Given the amount of money I spend on books this seems like an awesome idea! Clearly i have already asked for an invite, haven’t gotten it yet, so cant comment on its functionality as of yet. You can request invites on the website link above. These are just my thoughts on what I have been able to see so far from the website and news. More thoughts when I actually get to use it!:

I’m not completely convinced about the price point. I think the current subscription level (Although I will join to try it out for sure) is a bit high. It currently stands at $9.95 per month. Especially because it would require you reading 3+ books a month to make it economically feasible( i do that but not many people do). I think there should be levels, not just a one size fits all. I think more people would go in this way!
Why is it just for Iphone to start? I think it would have made more sense to go Ipad first, as people read more in their tables than in their phones (I personally find the Iphone screen not as convenient for long reading but love the Ipad or kindle for it)

Here is some coverage on it from Forbes and Mashable. IT is notable that Mashable does note that not a lot of bestsellers are in yet, so t might be a good thing to catch up on your classics and not the latest fad (very mcuh like Netflix in that way).

What is Oyster? (as per their website): Oyster offers unlimited access to over 100,000 books for $9.95 a month, with new titles added all the time. We are currently rolling out invitations for iPhone.We created Oyster to evolve the way people read and to create more of the special moments that only books can offer. From anywhere a mobile device can go—a bustling subway car, a quiet coffee shop, or lost at sea with a Bengal tiger—our mission is to build the best reading experience, one that is both communal and personal, anytime, anywhere.

What are their highlights: