MobiPocket Shut Down!? - Page 3

HarryT · 08-19-2007, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bombast

I'm using the mobi reader on a PC, to read "Alms for Jihad" - which has been banned in print.

I was able to open and read it just fine until Wednesday, when Mobi shut down. Now I can't open the book.

As near as I can tell, it's like Google shutting down their "Download to Own" movie service. If they want to turn the book off, they can.

The only way around it that I can find is doing screen captures of each page, as soon as you get the book.

Maybe yvanleterrible is correct. The book is all about how terror is financed, and one of the people who was doing the financing got the book banned. He's got a few extra billion. Could he pay to take out Mobi?

I'm rather baffled by this. Once you've downloaded a book, you don't need an internet connection to be able to read it (most MobiPocket books are read on PDAs with no internet connection). A downloaded book is "keyed" to the ID of the device it's being read on - it has no "contact" with the MobiPocket server once it's been downloaded.

Bombast · 08-19-2007, 03:58 AM

It's probably only a problem with their PC reader. They can reasonably require that a PC have internet connectivity to read their books.

I only have the one book in my bookshelf. When I click "read" it replies

An unknown error occurred when contacting the server. Please check your network connection and firewall server.

If I close that, if opens up "Activate This Book: Alms For Jihad" with my user name, password dotted out, and listing the ebook store as books on board. Clicking logon there takes me back to An unknown error occurred... etc.

The hard copy on Ebay is up to $177, still 3 days to go. I'm betting the Saudi's will snipe it at the last minute.

HarryT · 08-19-2007, 04:10 AM

I'm still puzzled by this - I'm certain that I've read commercial MP books on my notebook PC with no internet connection. Next time I buy one, I'll try it again. As you say, it's possible that it's a feature of the new MP Desktop Reader for the PC.

Azayzel · 08-19-2007, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

These things happen in the best run companies. A couple of years ago, my ISP which hosts approximately 60% of the ".co.uk" domains, lost their server farm for 5 days. Just one of those unbelievably unlikely combination of circumstances - I think that in their case they had a catastrophic power supply failure while they were in the middle of replacing their backup power system.

Sometimes it's just bad luck - nobody's fault.

I understand your point, but the simple fact that they system was down and no backup was in place, or it failed, does point to someone's fault for not being ready for a disaster. I wouldn't want to be the CIO, beacuse I know my job would be done since I didn't have a plan in place to protect against this much loss in revenue. They should have have some type of off-site backup available that would kick in in the event of catastrophic failure.

Wow, I can't believe your ISP was out for 5 days, especially for the number of sites you mentioned. I cannot imagine how much money copanies hosted lost due to such an incident. It would be interesting to read what type of hit they took for it.

Not too sure what the comment about the company being hosted in France had to do with anything. Are they slower to get things fixed there or do they just not care? eCommerce is big business, regardless of which country the parent company resides in.

JSWolf · 08-19-2007, 09:33 AM

So with MobiPocket down due to the DRM server can any DRM based MobiPocket books be purchased?

HarryT · 08-19-2007, 10:05 AM

Yes - eg Fictionwise say that they are using a different server, for some books at least.

BooksForABuck · 08-19-2007, 11:35 AM

Mobipocket supports a number of retailers who sell Mobipocket books under their own labels but who use Mobipocket to handle the transactions and distribution (and DRM). This is different from a vendor who actually hosts Mobipocket-formatted eBooks. I think the Fictionwise quote indicates that Fictionwise does both.

Mobipocket being down for so long certainly seems to be a major problem. I would have expected at least a more detailed explanation at the Mobipocket site. At least they took down the first note indicating we should check back in 'a few minutes.'

Rob Preece
Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com
(p.s., many of our books are available in unencrypted Mobipocket format)

Are you saying that if we purchase a MobiPocket book, it relies on the website of MibiPocket and not the website of the seller if that's not MobiPocket?
__________________
Jon

Robert Marquard · 08-19-2007, 11:42 AM

'a few minutes.' That at least indicates it is an unexpected tech problem. Maybe they simply cannot get the replacement hardware before Monday.

JSWolf · 08-19-2007, 06:58 PM

Someone posted say he could not read one of his MobiPocket books on his computer. Does the MobiPocket reader for Windows talk to the DRM server to allow you to read?

Liviu_5 · 08-19-2007, 09:34 PM

Just checked out a Mobi ebook from NYPL and I can read it on my PC just fine with the new Mobi reader (checking out a book Sunday at 9.30 pm - this can be among the joys of ebooks done properly; incidentally I have no problem with drm-ing books that you borrow )

cherdman · 08-19-2007, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

...May DRM keep them down forever (I hope).

Do you really hope for this? If so, why? I'm no Sony fan but I don't long for their demise.

I have dozens of Mobipocket titles that work just fine at the present. Once you download a Mobipocket book it is forever tied to the PIDs that you have registered. The encryption follows the file and there are no 'checks' against the DRM server post-download.

JSWolf · 08-19-2007, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherdman

Do you really hope for this? If so, why? I'm no Sony fan but I don't long for their demise.

I have dozens of Mobipocket titles that work just fine at the present. Once you download a Mobipocket book it is forever tied to the PIDs that you have registered. The encryption follows the file and there are no 'checks' against the DRM server post-download.

If the DRM server never comes back, maybe they'll have to start selling DRM free books instead. Now that would be very nice indeed.

How can one transfer a MobiPocket book to another Windows based computer without registering that computer?

delphidb96 · 08-20-2007, 02:03 PM

JSWolf,

Great fantasy. Nope, they'll fix it, sad to say. (Although *happy* to say as far as having content for the Bookeen Cybook Gen3.)

Derek

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If the DRM server never comes back, maybe they'll have to start selling DRM free books instead. Now that would be very nice indeed.

How can one transfer a MobiPocket book to another Windows based computer without registering that computer?

VillageReader · 08-20-2007, 02:46 PM

Fictionwise is now reporting that the problem will not be fixed until the 22nd or 23rd.

derboti · 08-20-2007, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VillageReader

Fictionwise is now reporting that the problem will not be fixed until the 22nd or 23rd.

May I ask, where you found that information? I just bought my first mobipocket ebook and I'm quite frustrated that I can't download it. Well, I don't need it right away, but Mobipocket should at least state what's going on... "to check back later" isn't really satisfying

08-19-2007, 11:35 AM	#37
BooksForABuck Zealot Posts: 123 Karma: 150001 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Long Beach, CA Device: Color Nook, Kindle 2, Palm III, eBookWise, HP Jornada	Where content comes from Mobipocket supports a number of retailers who sell Mobipocket books under their own labels but who use Mobipocket to handle the transactions and distribution (and DRM). This is different from a vendor who actually hosts Mobipocket-formatted eBooks. I think the Fictionwise quote indicates that Fictionwise does both. Mobipocket being down for so long certainly seems to be a major problem. I would have expected at least a more detailed explanation at the Mobipocket site. At least they took down the first note indicating we should check back in 'a few minutes.' Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com (p.s., many of our books are available in unencrypted Mobipocket format) Are you saying that if we purchase a MobiPocket book, it relies on the website of MibiPocket and not the website of the seller if that's not MobiPocket? __________________ Jon

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08-19-2007, 03:58 AM	#32
Bombast Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: none	It's probably only a problem with their PC reader. They can reasonably require that a PC have internet connectivity to read their books. I only have the one book in my bookshelf. When I click "read" it replies An unknown error occurred when contacting the server. Please check your network connection and firewall server. If I close that, if opens up "Activate This Book: Alms For Jihad" with my user name, password dotted out, and listing the ebook store as books on board. Clicking logon there takes me back to An unknown error occurred... etc. The hard copy on Ebay is up to $177, still 3 days to go. I'm betting the Saudi's will snipe it at the last minute.

08-19-2007, 04:10 AM	#33
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm still puzzled by this - I'm certain that I've read commercial MP books on my notebook PC with no internet connection. Next time I buy one, I'll try it again. As you say, it's possible that it's a feature of the new MP Desktop Reader for the PC.

08-19-2007, 09:33 AM	#35
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,417 Karma: 129358310 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	So with MobiPocket down due to the DRM server can any DRM based MobiPocket books be purchased?

08-19-2007, 10:05 AM	#36
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Yes - eg Fictionwise say that they are using a different server, for some books at least.

08-19-2007, 11:42 AM	#38
Robert Marquard Delphi-Guy Posts: 285 Karma: 1151 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: iLiad, Palm T3	'a few minutes.' That at least indicates it is an unexpected tech problem. Maybe they simply cannot get the replacement hardware before Monday.

08-19-2007, 06:58 PM	#39
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,417 Karma: 129358310 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Someone posted say he could not read one of his MobiPocket books on his computer. Does the MobiPocket reader for Windows talk to the DRM server to allow you to read?

08-19-2007, 09:34 PM	#40
Liviu_5 Books and more books Posts: 917 Karma: 69499 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: White Plains, NY, USA Device: Nook Color, Itouch, Nokia770, Sony 650, Sony 700(dead), Ebk(given)	Just checked out a Mobi ebook from NYPL and I can read it on my PC just fine with the new Mobi reader (checking out a book Sunday at 9.30 pm - this can be among the joys of ebooks done properly; incidentally I have no problem with drm-ing books that you borrow )

08-20-2007, 02:46 PM	#44
VillageReader Evangelist Posts: 430 Karma: 2718 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Iliad	Fictionwise is now reporting that the problem will not be fixed until the 22nd or 23rd.

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