Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Francesco
The moment you buy a new PDA is the moment you lose all the eBooks you bought. Isn't it? I guess Mobipocket can clarify this.
I was about to buy a MobiPocket dictionary, until I was required to identify my PDA. So I was like "I'm NOT paying this much to buy a disposable dictionary!!!"
So far, I haven't kept the same PDA for more than one year and a half. Usually, paper dictionaries last a LOT longer than that!
If it's possible to have your ebooks installed in a new PDA (and read them, of course), then it should be clearly stated when they ask you ID numbers. Every six months (at most) you should be able to submit a new ID.
Anyway, I believe ebook publishers need to find new schemes.
|
Different readers use different types of DRM, each with it's own issues and/or ease of use. Ereader uses the credit card number used to purchase the book, so as long as you keep track of the CC number for each purchase, you'll never have any problem with new PDA, etc (as long as there's a version of ereader available for it).
Mobipocket uses a device dependent code, but you can update that code and redownload your books if/when you update your hardware (again dependent on that hardware having a version of the software available for it). Ereader allows something similar as well, when you get a new CC.
M$ is the most insidious IMHO. It appears almost transparent initially, but as soon as you exceed the number of PC's or devices allowed for that passport, say goodbye to all your ebooks. On the other hand, the .lit format, at least, can be reverse-engineered into HTML with convertlit, for those who wish to do that.
Other types of DRM exist, but I'm not aware of the details for them.
... I don't see any of these as satisfactory, but they are what we have to live with at the moment, and as I've already posted, I'm a keen ebook reader for the sheer convenience and ease of it, so I must live with the consequences of DRM. I just wish most publishers would take the same stance as
Baen Books ...
Craig.