Amazon Kindle might be the worst thing that could happen to e-books?

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by dedicated

I was under the impression that for PDF or Word files, you have to use the conversion via sending an email to yourself at the cost of 10 cents each. Would the USB route avoid the charge?

Yes and you don't even need to do this at all if you have a pc even though it is free. On a pc just download MobiReader and use it to translate your files.

Dale

[wgrimm]

For all fans of DRM, here's one person't story of dealings with Mobi:
http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkonther...cket-remi.html

And here is what Stallman has to say about ereaders:

http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkonther...cket-remi.html

[jharker]

Originally Posted by jgrnt1

jharker,

I own 40 Mobipocket-DRM'ed ebooks, which makes the Kindle a no-go for me. If they offered a one-time conversion for pre-existing ebooks, that might cover it, since their catalogue is so much bigger than other ebook sellers. I believe stripping the DRM is possible, but who is to say that Amazon won't be able to detect it? With EVDO, they have access to your device anytime they want. They can update the OS whenever they choose. Suppose they can also check your library? You could keep EVDO turned off, but then some of the best features of the Kindle become useless.

Why does Amazon care if you're using DRM-free copies of books in your personal library?

Say you have a legitimately bought DRM-ed Mobipocket ebook from somewhere else, you strip the DRM and put it on your Kindle for your own personal use. Even IF Amazon cares enough to snoop on your Kindle and check out your library, there's nothing you're doing wrong and certainly nothing that Amazon cares about.

In any case, a mobi file stripped of DRM is just a regular mobi file; there are plenty of those around and it would be very hard for Amazon to prove it's not legitimate, even if they cared, which they don't.

I have no qualms about recommending the use of mobipocket DRM-stripping software on e-books you legitimately own, as long as it's for your private use only. Once you own a book, you have the right to use it in any format you want. IANAL, but I'm speaking about ethics here, not legalities. And as long as you don't share your files with anyone else, there's no way to be "caught" and the legalities are irrelevant.

Not to mention, no one's going to sue you for NOT file-sharing.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jharker

Say you have a legitimately bought DRM-ed Mobipocket ebook from somewhere else, you strip the DRM and put it on your Kindle for your own personal use. Even IF Amazon cares enough to snoop on your Kindle and check out your library, there's nothing you're doing wrong and certainly nothing that Amazon cares about.

Um... there's nothing your doing wrong, except for the whole stripping DRM from the file thing. At least in the US that is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Since you are in NY you are doing something "illegal" although maybe not "wrong".

BOb

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Um... there's nothing your doing wrong, except for the whole stripping DRM from the file thing. At least in the US that is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Since you are in NY you are doing something "illegal" although maybe not "wrong".

BOb

Hi Bob,

We are informed by people who claim to be "in the know" that the act of removing DRM is probably not per se illegal, only the writing or distribution of the tools to do so. Of course, that's never been tested in court, so nobody really knows.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by wgrimm

For all fans of DRM, here's one person't story of dealings with Mobi:
http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkonther...cket-remi.html

<shrug>

I'm sorry that he had problems. My experiences differ; so do those of many other people.

[6charlong]

Originally Posted by rwsimon

All the discussion comparing Amazon and Kindle with Apple and iPod is interesting.

I think the better comparison is between IBM and Microsoft. In 1982--when IBM introduced their Personal Computer--Apple "owned" the microcomputer market. IBM let Microsoft have the operating system because IBM--as it turns out: correctly deduced--that they are a hardware maker.

If Amazon is as savvy a marketer as they seem, they will license the Kindle format to all hardware manufacturers COST FREE (so they'll adopt it), and drive the book selling business in Amazon's direction. Obviously this move makes the Kindle format available to other book-sellers too, but, as the Microsoft analogy shows, competition forces even big companies to innovate. And in this business companies innovate or die. So will the other eBook hardware makers come along?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by 6charlong

If Amazon is as savvy a marketer as they seem, they will license the Kindle format to all hardware manufacturers COST FREE (so they'll adopt it), and drive the book selling business in Amazon's direction... So will the other eBook hardware makers come along?

Interesting theory... in fact, if another hardware maker came up with a more attractive, less costly reader that also connected to Amazon's system, I might consider buying one... and possibly many others would, too. But can we expect other companies to make the devices? I'm not sure if brisk Kindle sales will be enough to convince them to bring new devices to market.

On the other hand, if other HW manufacturers see legitimate ways to improve the device (beyond the cosmetic, anyway), or give us a completely different Amazon-compatible form factor (LCD, OLED, flexible, no keyboard, larger, smaller, color, etc, etc), they may hit on a device that will really take off when combined with Amazon.

[pitcher23]

Originally Posted by Alisa

The new Motorola Razor 2 launched in Korea first and they're an American company.

Well there you go. They opened in the market where they believed they had their strongest customer base before opening in other markets. I believe Amazon is doing the same.

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Hi Bob,
We are informed by people who claim to be "in the know" that the act of removing DRM is probably not per se illegal, only the writing or distribution of the tools to do so. Of course, that's never been tested in court, so nobody really knows.

Hmm, didn't Sklyarov's case get to the courts? Though it did not go the whole way.

[wgrimm]

Originally Posted by 6charlong

If Amazon is as savvy a marketer as they seem, they will license the Kindle format to all hardware manufacturers COST FREE (so they'll adopt it), and drive the book selling business in Amazon's direction. And in this business companies innovate or die. So will the other eBook hardware makers come along?

Here is what simply amazes me- companies like Amazon and Sony are trying to "open up" the ebook market. Sounds good, but I have doubts about the depth of their analyses (though not the depth of their greed).

For example, Apple managed to make a success of the ipod and Itunes, despite the fact that it is very easy to obtain free music (illegal filesharing, newsgroups, etc.) I have used the Itunes store and have a couple of ipods, and the experience is easy and doesn't piss me off.

When it comes to ebooks, the only seller I have used with frequency is Ereader (formerly Peanut Press). Likewise, they don't piss me off. The other ebook DRMs piss me off and complicate my life. The companies that want to be a success had better realize that one of their competitors are ebook pirates. Apple realized piracy was a competitor, and made a go of it. Look at the average consumer- is he going to ewant to be pissed off by DRM, or will he decide to go to ebookshare.net and do a few free downloads. Like the music pirates, those guys make it look easy.

Ereader has a very successful model, and does not tie you to a single reader. I have 7 electronic ebook readers here, not counting the Palm, and I still find most of my reading is done on the Palm because it is so much less hassle. I have read 25 books or so on the Sony, but it isn't the reader I carry with me.

[wgrimm]

Originally Posted by wgrimm

For all fans of DRM, here's one person't story of dealings with Mobi:
http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkonther...cket-remi.html

And here is what Stallman has to say about ereaders:
]

Here's the proper Stallman link:
http://csclub.uwaterloo.ca/media/Cop...0Networks.html

[hidari]

ebookshare.net , I had heard of it but had never checked it out. It appears to be interesting.

I agree with you grimm, Most of the posts I read in regards to readers seem to have many small delays or obstructions due to drm/ format onversion/ limits on formats.

I for one am waiting for a pocket pc with eink. I like the small size. I am weary to buy a sony reader or Cybook. Many people own many ereaders on here but a large number seem to use their PDA as much as their ereader.

My Acern311 with mobipocket on it does. Fine. If i have a format problem. I simply convert it to .txt and pop it on my Acer to read. No problem. Have yet to try the ereader, mobipocket has been fine for me.

[astra]

Originally Posted by hidari

If i have a format problem. I simply convert it to .txt and pop it on my Acer to read. No problem.

Then you loose all the special formating of the text. All you get is a raw text. No bolds, no italics. Evereything is the same. It would ruin reading experience completely for me.

[fugsly]

Originally Posted by tirsales

The majority of their customers are in the US? Are you really sure? Well, I would guess that Amazon sells more books outside the US than inside, though I have no figures to prove that.
Oh and: There is a US-wide GPRS/UMTS, which is also supported elsewhere. So there really is NO reason to use other niche techniques ... And don't tell me that there are no GPRS-carriers willing to break a similar deal ...

Yes, they are a US-based company and they make the same mistakes tons of companys do: They ignore the rest of the world. Why?
One content customes is three customers won - one discontent customer is seven customers lost. Make your own calculations...
And yes, it is their right to sell only inside the US. But it is stupid.

@Zoot: There is no *technical* reason - agreed. But there is no *technical* reason to use a different format at all - so it is all down to marketing. And right now we see Amazons marketing strategy.

As people have mentioned before, the screen size of the kindle is different which could account for only using their format of ebooks. You will be able to convert other formats and soon enough i'm guessing amazon will sell their selection in other formats as well. If not then there's plenty of other places out there.

why only US? I would presume because it is cheaper/more profitable for them to do so - if they could have made more money selling it outside of the US then undoubtedly they would have done so. It will filter out soon enough if it does well.

Why worry about it anyway - by the time it comes to us all the first bugs will be fixed, all the hacks will be out and you'll be able to convert other formats for the kindle.

And since when was it a crime for companies to make money? How do you think amazon paid to develop the kindle in the first place?