(2002-02-14) a

PaulAndrews on the experimental pay-content rates at Trails.com looking for Business Models For Information. They user Adobe Acrobat eBooks. Whereas a book might cost $15 to $20, however, an eTrail costs ... well, it varies. Trails.com charges $3.95 for a guide to one trail, but with a pass you can slice the price considerably. A $14.95 "bronze pass" for five trails nets out at $2.99 per trail; a $24.95, 10-trail pass costs $2.50 per trail; and a $34.95, 20-trail "gold pass" runs a mere $1.75 per trail. The passes are good for a year. Holmes said the site figured that most pass purchasers would test the waters with a bronze pass. Instead, 75 percent of purchasers have chosen the highest-priced gold pass.