Quick news: Microsoft Press will launch new site with Pearson on April 1
We're excited to announce that Microsoft Press will be distributed by Pearson starting April 1! Check back for a link to our brand new website and special offers. You'll still enjoy DRM-free ebooks and great service! Our books will continue to be sold by retailers around the world.
We’ll unveil our new website to all of you when it’s ready. You will also be able to purchase Microsoft Press books through Informit.com.
Comments
Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Too bad that this isn't an April Fools joke. I was extremely happy with Microsoft Press being available via O'Reilly and have purchased several dozen e-books there as a result. I have also purchased several books through Pearson as well. The quality of the e-books are fine, but I do not care for the website and generally avoid it when possible. I'm sure that there was some business reason for this that isn't being told, but this change offers no improvements to your customers.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Will Microsoft books still be available on O'Reilly's Safari site? Will the new web site be just for Microsoft Press Books or will they be rolled up in the Pearson/Informit products? Like the previous reviewer stated, I don't see a benefit for the customer by this move? I am not that excited as Microsoft is. Didn't find any problems with O'Reilly.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
We will have a new web site to unveil in April. It will be a Microsoft Press Storefront that we've never had before. We hope you'll really like it and would welcome your feedback. We believe this change offers many advantages to our customers around the world. Our books will continue to be available in the Safari Books Online library.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Business relationships change and you won't always be 'exposed' to the reason for every change. Could be something that O'Reilly was doing that would impact the price to the consumer? Could be different type of offering/solutions?Anonymous
March 18, 2014
@ITAcctGuy - well said. We hope everyone will enjoy our new upcoming site.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
So do I have to pull down a copy of all my MS Press books from O'Reilly site before the switch? Sorry, but Microsoft has burned me with it continuing changing of Music, (MSN music, then Zune music, now this Xbox music, + Zune video, Xbox video) Your company stuck me with Zune hardware and Window 7 Phone hardware. So what do I to do with all the $$$ I have put into your O'Reilly site? Does my account transfer to the new site?Anonymous
March 18, 2014
LiveFromRaleigh, Microsoft Press ebooks that you have purchased via O'Reilly will remain in your O'Reilly account after we launch our new site.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
@LiveFromRaleigh - you purchased those ebooks. They belong to you. You can check your digital locker at oreilly.com. They have promised to keep the Microsoft Press ebooks in customers' digital lockers even after the transition.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Will we still be able to register our physical copies to the e-book at a discounted rate?Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Excellent news, I welcome change and hope it is for the better.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
@LiveFromRaleigh: The Zune still works and is still one of the best players out there. The music service name changed, but you kept all your purchases. WP7 hardware is still supported and is fantastic, too. Let me guess - you're also feeling burned by Windows XP end of life?Anonymous
March 18, 2014
@Matt - we're working out the details now. Stay tuned.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
I am deeply concerned with your decision to move your Ebooks from Oreilly.com. Oreilly.com has built up a lot of trust within the IT community and Pearson as well as InformIT im afraid dont have that same element of trust bestowed upon them. Perhaps some of that lack of trust is due to the fact that Informit does not trust their customers to provide them with a "proper" DRM free Ebook. Also the quality of their ebooks are poor. Lets not even begin with the layout of the website. I also own around 300 ebooks purchased through oreilly and a good percentage of Microsoft Press books. I also own print books due to my lack of trust with ebooks from many publishers and distributors for example amazon.com and their Kindle with their George Orwell erasing from the device stunt.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Thank you all for your comments today. Look for more details over the next couple of weeks as we launch our new site.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Has this got something to do with Microsoft setting up a market place similiar to Apple with their market place. Is this linked with the Windows 8 and trying to drive consumers through a single purchasing platform that Microsoft controls. Hope this is not the case!Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Will the books we bought through O'Reilly still get updated with amendments and revisions? I've bought a fair few books through O'Reilly and I'm worried some of the new ones won't be updated to correct errors like some of my ebooks have been in the past.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Disappointed that you have stopped O'Reilly from being your ebook supplier. Will the books still be offered in plain pdf or will I need to use some special software such as the awful Digital Editions which Pearson seem to require. If only Digital Editions books are available then I am sorry but I will no longer be purchasing any Microsoft Press ebooks. Would you be able to outline the many advantages to customers that Pearson can provide because they don't really have a track record of that so far.Anonymous
March 18, 2014
Same question as Jared, will purchases from O'Reilly continue to be updated with errata and revisions? Or will we get some kind of license transfer over to the new store?Anonymous
March 19, 2014
@KimSpilker - "We believe this change offers many advantages to our customers around the world." It would be more convincing if you actually told us what a few of those advantages are. I've been very happy with O'Reilly's service and pricing. I'm skeptical about your ability to do better elsewhere, but I guess I'll have no choice but to find out.Anonymous
March 19, 2014
Since Kim has stated that the new web site will be shown on April 1st, and that it will be a whole new Microsoft Press store front, I would like to know why so many people are stating they don't like it! How can you not like something that you have never seen? Also If you are an O'Reilly user as I am then I am sure you also got the same E-Mail that I did to tell you about this change. And that you also should have seen the statement - " All of your Microsoft Press ebooks will continue to be available in your oreilly.com account." So quit panicking, and lets wait and see what the future holds, then if it is not up to par is the time to speak up based on facts.Anonymous
March 19, 2014
@Robert E - thank you for your comment. I couldn't have said it better. To everyone who had questions about updated ebooks and such, we are working out transition details now. I have been collecting the concerns and will address them when we launch the new site. Thanks for your interest and feedback. -KimAnonymous
March 20, 2014
This is unfortunate. I've had terrible experiences with Pearson's electronic platforms as a student and am deeply skeptical of their ability to deliver your content with the ease and quality that O'Reilly did.Anonymous
March 20, 2014
We can debate the change in distribution from O'Reilly to Pearson, but I'm just glad that Microsoft Press is still alive and well. After 30 years, who hasn't gone through a few twists and turns along the way?Anonymous
March 23, 2014
Well, at least I'll get a wishlist, O'Reilly never bothered. Informit is fine, if a bit expensive sometimes.Anonymous
March 24, 2014
I certainly liked the O'Reilly partnership; here's to hoping I'll also like the Pearson partnership. One thing I'd like eBook-wise (which has nothing to do with the partner, as far as I know) is that I'd like an eBook option for "Windows via C/C++" by Richter.Anonymous
March 26, 2014
Microsoft has not been making the best choices in the last couple of years. I feel like this is another one. I've had nothing but problems with Pearson in the past and swore I'd never use them again. O'Reilly was smooth sailing. Looks like I'll have to go elsewhere for my books. I've found the Apress titles are pretty good.Anonymous
March 27, 2014
Today (Friday 3/28/2014) I tried to register some Microsoft Press print books that I recently purchased, but the O'Reilly site is not accepting them. I was hoping to buy e-book upgrades. What do I do now?Anonymous
March 28, 2014
@Brian K - if you send a private email using "Email Blog Author" in the upper right hand corner of this blog, I can pass along your email address to O'Reilly and they can help you purchase those ebook upgrades. -KimAnonymous
March 28, 2014
@Brian K - you can also send an email to O'Reilly here - accounts@oreilly.comAnonymous
March 31, 2014
What will be the URL of the web site for buying Microsoft Press books?Anonymous
March 31, 2014
Well, it's April first and I can't find MS books at Informit. Nice job!Anonymous
April 01, 2014
See post from today (April 1). Our books are available today at informit.com. Our new site won't be ready for a few weeks. I'll have a post when it's ready plus an FAQ answering many of your comments above. - KimAnonymous
April 22, 2014
A month ago I expressed my disappointment that MSPress was leaving O'Reilly, a site that I have happily purchased several dozen ebooks from over the last few years, and continue to still. I have purchased several books from Pearson before but was generally unsatisfied. That said, it is only fair to give MSPress a fair chance with Pearson. It is now three weeks later, and I did purchase one MSPress from via Pearson. The book is "Windows via C/C++ (5th edition). I also own the print version from 5-6 years ago when it came out. Great book and I had always been a bit disappointed that the ebook was not available via O'Reilly in the past. I am sorry to say that I am disappointed. Other than a poor website, the book includes "From the Library of [my full name]" on EVERY SINGLE PAGE. Yes, that even includes the cover! It is so distracting that it is essentially the first thing that I notice and read on each page. Seriously, why does it need to be on every single page? I'd prefer nothing at all (O'Reilly and APress style), but if absolutely necessary, then please consider something like once every 20-30 pages. I regret purchasing this and am seriously questioning whether I should even try again at a later time. It is extremely sad that you had to ruin a perfectly fine situation with O'Reilly by moving to Pearson. I'm sure that there is some undisclosed business reason for this (likely money), but I am at a lose for the advantages to your customers. My bookshelves filled up several years ago, so I typically only purchase ebooks now. Historically MSPress has produced many fine titles and I expect that will continue in the future. But now I am unsure if or how I will continue to purchase them.Anonymous
April 26, 2014
I'm sure this has a LOT, if not everything to do with the price we could get eBooks from O'Reilly for with deals like "buy one, get one free"!Anonymous
April 26, 2014
@Ben, I totally agree with you about being at a loss for the advantages to customers. Interestingly, the Microsoft people who are defending this decision (you know who you are), haven't quite told us yet what those perceived advantages are. It's like when a politician defends unpopular decisions by his government with beguiling expressions like, "We're confident this new way of doing things will be even more seamless, fair, efficient & advantageous to the community and we're confident the benefits will be realised within the next few years. We intend to conduct a review at the end of the 3 year mark (incidentally, a couple years after the next election)."Anonymous
April 28, 2014
@Ben: APress does watermark their ebooks, but less obtrusively than InformIT and only every 10 pages or so. While I'd agree that no watermarking is better than having watermarks, I'd disagree that it's a deal killer.