For those that still PM and email me concerning the various things I've done on the iLiad: my iLiad passed away. Cause of death was the poor battery design of the iLiad (in human terms: congenital heart defect). Services were held and its now stuffed and mounted in a place of shame in my private computer museum.

Yes, all content purchased for it from http://www.mobipocket.com is so far a total write off. DRM can really bite at times. But all the content from http://www.fictionwise.com and http://www.baen.com lives on.

I have absolute assurances from iRex that they won't fix it. Frankly they probably popped corks and celebrated that I'm out of the iLiad development business. That despite all the benefit they got from me. If you think I'm exaggerating: ever notice how I'm missing from their credits page on the iLiad?

So its seriously over folks. I turned its 4GB compact flash card containing all the development files into an SSD as an experiment for my Motion Computing LE1700 (which was so successful I got a 32GB card for it).

I'm now a very happy Kindle owner/operator. :2thumbsup

Scotty,

If you have a significant investment in MobiPocket books, might it not perhaps have been a good idea to get another device which supported MobiPocket?

:(

Any chance you could elaborate on the battery design defect?

Hi Scott!

Welcome back to MobileRead after almost a year hiatus ;)

Sorry to hear about your iLiad and the abandonment of all that beneficial development stuff! :(

I've been meaning to ask you if you still had some REB 1200 development code lying around, namely your JRebPub (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/REB1200/message/963) java utility and such.

Sorry to digress, but I remember reading your earlier posts (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=51900#post51900) about the early days with the REB 1200 and couldn't pass this opportunity to ask you!

I've recently started developing for the REB 1200 (ya, I know, "...get with the times..."), but it's really exciting to be able to capitalize on the laurels of past efforts, like the .imp format reverse engineering by Jeffrey Kraus-yao.

Any insights you may have would be welcomed given you were a "pioneer" of sorts on the REB 1200 development front!

One last question, if I may, do you know the format of the SoftBook PICT image format used in the .imp? It's not the Apple PICT format (or MacPaint pct format). I can't figure it out! :angry:

BTW, if you have any old (unencrypted) .imp ebooks that you would like to transfer to your Kindle (where you don't have access to the source .html), consider trying deimp.exe (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22894) to extract just the text portion. I've also written a perl script (imp_dump.pl) to extract the images within the .imp (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24952), but I have not yet integrated the (decompressed) text with images to yield a .html version of the ebook. I will soon release the perl script, though!

:thumbsup: And here's to a better battery design on the Kindle! :rolleyes:

Scotty,

If you have a significant investment in MobiPocket books, might it not perhaps have been a good idea to get another device which supported MobiPocket?

He did. It's called the Kindle.

True, but we were talking specifically about books from the MobiPocket web site. One cannot download books from there encoded with a Kindle device PID.

Any chance you could elaborate on the battery design defect?

Anything specific thats not because of the lithium-ion batteries all todays device suffer from, like discharging it completly, and then leave it some days on a sunny place? That will lead for example to "total dischargement", ruining the battery.

He did. It's called the Kindle.

Why is the kindle better in your opinion? You dont have a history of using it yet, so how can you tell?

Why is the kindle better in your opinion? You dont have a history of using it yet, so how can you tell?

I was joking when I said that before. I did not mean it was better, just that it was a Mobipocket device.

Anyway, I bought my Kindle the day it was announced. I like it and I do think it's better than the Cybook, but it's not my main reader anymore. Back around the beginning of May I bought a HP Jornada 720.

I think the Kindle is better because it implements more features of Mobi Reader than the Cybook.

I've been meaning to ask you if you still had some REB 1200 development code lying around, namely your JRebPub (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/REB1200/message/963) java utility and such.

I've recently started developing for the REB 1200 (ya, I know, "...get with the times..."), but it's really exciting to be able to capitalize on the laurels of past efforts, like the .imp format reverse engineering by Jeffrey Kraus-yao.

Any insights you may have would be welcomed given you were a "pioneer" of sorts on the REB 1200 development front!


OMG, yes that stuff is still kicking around. I even have a small pile of REB1200's and my original SoftBook that still power up and work. I was able to liberate my content when Fictionwise stepped in.

Does Mobileread even have a REB1200 forum?

If you have a significant investment in MobiPocket books, might it not perhaps have been a good idea to get another device which supported MobiPocket?

I think its illustrative of the DRM world that I do have a device that supports DRM'd Mobipocket books and I should be able to re-download onto it. But I can't from this one web merchant.

I was able to re-download nearly all my content from Fictionwise and all of my content from Baen.

I bought something like 120 books off Mobipocket so I've got an axe to grind with them.

I've already had one kind offer to break the DRM but I'm a straight shooter on IP matters. What I want is for Mobipocket to get out of the way and allow the material to be re-downloaded for the PID I entered.

:(

Any chance you could elaborate on the battery design defect?

I'm soooooo done with giving them free engineering. So that chance is zero.

If you buy a Kindle we could talk about that. :)

I think the Kindle is better because it implements more features of Mobi Reader than the Cybook.

It implements a different subset of MobiPocket features; I don't think it's true to say it implements more than the CyBook. For example, personally I'd find its inability to change the font far more of a loss than the "gain" of being able to have a link to a different book.

What specific Mobi features did you have in mind that are implemented on the Kindle but not the CyBook?

I'm soooooo done with giving them free engineering. So that chance is zero.

Sorry, but by all love, I've a problem with people complaining the battery being bad engineered, and when asked why? "I will not say."

I say the kindle is great piece of crap! Don't ask me why, I won't provide them free hints. :-/

my iLiad passed away.


That's really too bad Scotty. It must hurt, given the price of the Iliad. I would be really pissed off were that to happen to me (even my cybook even though it doesn't cost that much)

'The Iliad is dead, long live the Kindle'

Good luck with your Kindle

I think its illustrative of the DRM world that I do have a device that supports DRM'd Mobipocket books and I should be able to re-download onto it. But I can't from this one web merchant.


Sorry, Scotty, I think you're missing the point of my question. As someone knowledgeable about the eBook world you did (I presume) know in advance that you wouldn't be able to re-download your Mobi books for the Kindle. It is an extremely well-known fact, after all. I was just wondering why, knowing that, and having a large investment in books, you bought a device which wouldn't allow you to read those books?

Sorry, but by all love, I've a problem with people complaining the battery being bad engineered, and when asked why? "I will not say."

I say the kindle is great piece of crap! Don't ask me why, I won't provide them free hints. :-/

I have a real problem with people whom can't read.

Did I complain about the battery? Did I say "I will not say"?

I said it died because of a congenital battery defect. When prompted to expand upon the cause of death I said I'm not giving away any more free engineering.

I've more than paid my dues on the iLiad. If you have one you're running some of my IP and benefiting from it.

When you've paid your dues you can judge me. Until then, may I suggest you learn to read?

You accuse of "poor battery design", and when asked why you say implicit "I don't tell".

Your merits nice and fine, but I'm talking just about this thread, that has absolutely nothing to do with how much software you released last year or not. And in this: accusing without bothering explaing = fail. Sorry.

Oh for crying out loud...

If he doesn't want to say, he doesn't want to say.
What's with the spanish inquisition?

Oh for crying out loud...

If he doesn't want to say, he doesn't want to say.
What's with the spanish inquisition?

I'm just really allergic to arrogance, and this thread is full of it.


When you've paid your dues you can judge me. Until then, may I suggest you learn to read?


Thats what arrogance is. Okay, this makes me a lesser human, not a right to have an opinion, not having porting an application the iliad, or what? :(

Sorry, Scotty, I think you're missing the point of my question. As someone knowledgeable about the eBook world you did (I presume) know in advance that you wouldn't be able to re-download your Mobi books for the Kindle. It is an extremely well-known fact, after all. I was just wondering why, knowing that, and having a large investment in books, you bought a device which wouldn't allow you to read those books?

Sorry Harry but you are incorrect.

I've had a Kindle since announcement day + 1 and I didn't purchase it to view my old content, I purchased it in hopes of future content. Said hopes having been bountifully fulfilled by Amazon.

Since the Kindle acquisition several things have occurred.

I was able to re-download all my multi-format content from Fictionwise as well as all of my Baen content. Heck Fictionwise even did it right: I can push a button and its delivered via EVDO!

In fact earlier today I dropped a few dimes on their site and bought a half dozen more multi-format titles and they were on my Kindle minutes later.

Last week I bought the eARC for Ringo's latest and emailed it myself to my Kindle.

A few select titles from the free TOR ebooks have been getting emailed to my Kindle as well.

Anyway, then Igor figured out his header trick.

I was able to re-download all my secure mobipocket content from Fictionwise. Way to go Igor! :)

Then the iLiad suffered a fatal heart attack and expired. Way to go irex, living down to my expectations!

The fact that Mobipocket were butt heads and refused to respect the Kindle PID I entered became a bigger issue at that point.

At this time I believe Mobipocket will provide an iPhone reader and I'll get to finish re-reading Tom Swift on an iPhone 3G. No need for a CyBook which I could only use to read Mobipocket anyway. And I'm not keen to give them any more money.

You can say what you want about Amazon. But I like the return to the days of my SoftBook Reader. I like being able to order from the device and have it pop into existence a few moments later: no PC required. Heck no phone line required like with the SoftBook Reader!

You finish Dracula's Succubus: Love at First Bite on the bus, you can immediately order and start reading Dracula's Succubus: Still Bitten.

The CyBook can't do that.

Or maybe I'm at lunch and someone at the next table is talking about some financial development of the day I find interesting. I can whip out my Kindle and order the day's Wall Street Journal and read all about it: then, or later on the bus.

The CyBook can't do that either.

You enjoy your CyBook Harry, my Kindle and I are very happy together.

I'm just really allergic to arrogance, and this thread is full of it.



Thats what arrogance is. Okay, this makes me a lesser human, not a right to have an opinion, not having porting an application the iliad, or what? :(

This thread isn't full of my arrogance. This thread is full of me being tired of folks chasing me around about the iliad. Go read the title of the thread again: "Its really over" means "no more". And in this case no means exactly that: no.

Last time I checked I had no tattoo or brand marking me as irex's slave. I choose whether I contribute my IP to them. Not you. Me. You are the one not respecting someone else's opinion here. My opinion is irex deserves no more benefit from my mental efforts. And I'm sorry, but your opinion of my opinion doesn't sway me one tiny bit.

If you had made some contribution of your own then maybe I might have considered your opinion a teensy bit more. But the purpose of this thread is to let folks know its over: no working hardware == no more development possible.

Grok?

This thread isn't full of my arrogance. This thread is full of me being tired of folks chasing me around about the iliad. Go read the title of the thread again: "Its really over" means "no more". And in this case no means exactly that: no.

Last time I checked I had no tattoo or brand marking me as irex's slave. I choose whether I contribute my IP to them. Not you. Me. You are the one not respecting someone else's opinion here. My opinion is irex deserves no more benefit from my mental efforts. And I'm sorry, but your opinion of my opinion doesn't sway me one tiny bit.

you said, the battery is badly designed, we asked why, you say, I don't tell. Really I don't see any positive, even positive criticism in this thread. Its just all negative.

If you had made some contribution of your own then maybe I might have considered your opinion a teensy bit more.

Look this is really problematic. I am an engineer myself, but I really hate engineers that think they are something better than other people because of their tech skills. If I'd port any application to the iLiad yet, or if I didn't, that really doesn't make an opinion more or less worth. Got it?

"I'm better than you" -> fail.

But the purpose of this thread is to let folks know its over: no working hardware == no more development possible.


In what way is this new?

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9576

We alreedy know, you deeply hate the iLiad, thats okay, thats your opinion, I respect that. Now move on, Goodbye, don't stumble.

Sorry Harry but you are incorrect.

I've had a Kindle since announcement day + 1 and I didn't purchase it to view my old content, I purchased it in hopes of future content. Said hopes having been bountifully fulfilled by Amazon.


Got you. My apologies for the misunderstanding - I thought you'd bought the Kindle after the iLiad died.

I completely agree that the Kindle is a very nice book reader. It's not perfect (the ability to load your own fonts is a major shortcoming, IMHO, as I've said elsewhere), but there's no such thing as the perfect device. I entirely agree that wireless download is a "killer app"; if the Kindle is ever launched in the UK, I'm sure that I'll buy one for that feature alone.

Look this is really problematic. I am an engineer myself, but I really hate engineers that think they are something better than other people because of their tech skills. If I'd port any application to the iLiad yet, or if I didn't, that really doesn't make an opinion more or less worth. Got it?

If your opinion is on the topic of whether I should continue to donate? Your own lack of record on donating your ??? quality skills to irex is certainly of paramount importance to me.

Since you apparently haven't done squat, that's how much your opinion of me continuing to donate is worth to me. We have an expression: pot calling kettle black. You want to criticize me for not donating when you aren't donating? :rofl:

And if you could read, this thread is here because people kept emailing (the real issue) and PMing me (not a problem since I wasn't logging in). I was most certainly "out the door".

Also? You, an engineer? I doubt it.

Engineer's don't rank each other by "tech skills". Technicians are compared by their tech skills.

Engineers are ranked by their knowledge, mathematics and communication skills and ability to apply them to creative and elegant new designs. Engineers are also usually legally responsible for their designs and seeing to it that they are built in a legal manner so they don't cause harm.

Technicians though are in some cases envious of engineers and sit around grumbling about how engineers are overrated, over paid prima donnas, arrogant beyond belief and never do any real work.

Hey does that sound familiar to you? :2thumbsup

If you want to move up I suggest you work on your communication skills. Engineers need excellent communication skills to consume vast quantities of information and then clearly communicate what and how to build things based on all that knowledge to technicians. And yes, it is unfortunate that mastery of English is very helpful for any aspiring electronics engineer.

It's not perfect (the ability to load your own fonts is a major shortcoming, IMHO, as I've said elsewhere), but there's no such thing as the perfect device. I entirely agree that wireless download is a "killer app"; if the Kindle is ever launched in the UK, I'm sure that I'll buy one for that feature alone.

Yes it would be nice if they had downloadable selectable fonts but I suspect that has more to do with the Java Mobipocket reader code base than the actual Kindle itself.

Its certainly not a limitation of Java. They could easily create a search path in the underlying Linux system to search directories on the internal and external storage for more fonts. Java would then be able to discover and make them available.

The popularity of the Kindle seems to have caught Amazon by surprise. I think they thought they'd have to flog it heavily for far longer to reach the current level of success. And I do wonder if they cut a couple corners on cost-of-goods by using a dual band North America only EVDO card.

Oh the support calls they'd get if an American took their Kindle to London and they couldn't shop when the UK Kindle was working for Londoners. :)

If your opinion is on the topic of whether I should continue to donate? Your own lack of record on donating your ??? quality skills to irex is certainly of paramount importance to me.


Did I anywhere write you should contine? I think your imagination makes you read something into the text that isn't there. I wrote your tone in this topic is IMHO definitely not okay. You came, "but I contributed so much in the past". I don't care, nobody talks about the contributions but you... so want us to be sorry you go? No. Goodbye, don't let the door hit you on your way out.


Also? You, an engineer? I doubt it.


Now get personal? Can I call the mods? This is definetly wrong. Merits of quited projects or not, this does not make you right to call people names.

And about this nonsense of engineer vs. tech I don't even think its worth replying to. I didn't seperate this words until now.


Frankly they probably popped corks and celebrated that I'm out of the iLiad development business.

After reading through tone and style through this topic, I can fully understand that kind of celebration.

I suggest getting back on topic and trying to have an intelligent conversation or this thread will be closed.

Thanks ;)

Alex, I'd just close it. It will serve its purpose quite nicely closed. Thank you!

Thread closed :locked: