The application has a few bells and whistles featuring personalized recommendations, offline access, and an achievement or rewards system. I mean, who doesn't like to earn badges or rewards? My question to parents is, do you need Epic? Our family is still fond of the library experience and we sometimes use it as an excuse NOT to use our tablets or phones. We like to get out of the house, look for books, take a few home, and return them when we're done. Let's not also forget that this is another monthly bill for us on top of any existing a la carte services we currently subscribe to.
Do you already have Cable TV? HBO? +Netflix? Amazon Prime? If you are a Kindle owner, how about Kindle Free Time for your children? Maybe you already use Oyster Books as well. What about the highly anticipated +WWE Network? Sure, I understand that most of those services are strictly for entertainment purposes and not education but bills are bills. Do I want my children to read more? Sure. Are there more ways I can get my child reading without a monthly fee? Of course. Check with your school system as they may provide access for sites like, http://tumblebooks.com or some other source. Another thing to think about is, if you handed your child your iPad right now, would they first open up a game or a reading app? Are you going to hand over the device or get them their own device? If so, you might want to make sure they are using it for what you intended. Also, if you are not bringing your child to the library, you need to start doing that first. It goes beyond books. It's about community, events, and being social. The library can be a great getaway for you and your children to spend some quality time together. Try it. Find your local library here.
Are our children reading less now than we did? I make my career in technology, applications, and services so I don't dismiss the value and importance of Epic or any other service but maybe the right thing to do is show them how they can get satisfaction and enjoyment from NOT being on their gadgets all the time. Odds are, your child is going to be a gadget guru by the time they are ten years old whether you have a premium e-book service or not. They are also going to learn how to read about two years earlier than you did based on my experience with current elementary curriculums.
Epic looks like a good service and it looks like something your child will enjoy if you own an iPad but you'll have to decide if the monthly price tag is worth it or if you simply have the added budget to include it in your existing monthly subscription expenses. It's only $9.99 right? But this is just the beginning of a vast future in an la carte internet based consumption services world. Say that three times fast and choose wisely.
Update: In addition to a free trial through the iPad app, Epic is offering an incentive price of $79.99 per year, as opposed to the standard monthly rate.
