NEWBIE HELP NEEDED!!!!!

tonyt · 03-02-2009, 06:23 AM

Hi,
I am a complete beginner at ebooking. I hope someone out there will be able to help me.
I am UK based, use a Mac Power PC with Leopard 10.5.6. I am intending to use Caliber, the open source library manager, unless someone can suggest a better option.
I am looking at the CyBook or Sony readers. Again, any other alternatives?
My main questions are these:
1 If I purchase a legal epub or mobi format book I guess they will have DRM attached. Will I get a physical file I can save on my hard drive?
2 Will I be able to install them by 'dragging and dropping' on the Sony and CyBook? I have heard Sony tie you up to their website?
Answers to these will at least get me started. I am sure there will be more questions to follow!
Many thanks
Tony

gwynevans · 03-02-2009, 06:42 AM

1) Yes
2) Yes.

The Sony 'tie-in' is simply that to buy from the (US) Sony eBook Store, you need to use the Sony software. That's not an issue for us in the UK (unless we make special efforts) as the UK version of the software just links to Waterstone's web site as it's store (and the US Sony site doesn't accept UK credit cards anyway, if you wanted to use it, you'd have to source some credit vouchers for the store first.)

I just buy from other sites, either in a suitable unDRMmed format (take a bow, Baen/Websubscriptons), or in Lit or Mobipocket, then convert to a more suitable format using Calibre.

pdurrant · 03-02-2009, 06:48 AM

Calibre is definitely the way to go to organise your eBooks.

I'd recommend the CyBook. It's still slightly cheaper in the UK (£195 to £224), and it's noticeably lighter. Buy it from WH Smiths.

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndS...-90010859.html

http://www.waterstones.com/waterston...do?sku=6337796

Most "mainstream" publishers are still using DRM. Luckily there are ways to remove this from mobipocket ebooks.

For a Mac user, the Sony is a bit more inconvenient as it seems to require use of a Windows PC for some operations, like registering with the Sony Store.

Now to your questions :-)

1. Yes, you get to download an actual file. DRMed files will usually only work with the devices that were registered at the time of download. To use on a new device you'll have to re-download, unless you've stripped the DRM.

2. Both the CyBook and the Sony 505 connect via USB as mass storage devices. Copying new books to the device is drag & drop, or you can use Calibre's "send to device".

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyt

Hi,
I am a complete beginner at ebooking. I hope someone out there will be able to help me.
I am UK based, use a Mac Power PC with Leopard 10.5.6. I am intending to use Caliber, the open source library manager, unless someone can suggest a better option.
I am looking at the CyBook or Sony readers. Again, any other alternatives?
My main questions are these:
1 If I purchase a legal epub or mobi format book I guess they will have DRM attached. Will I get a physical file I can save on my hard drive?
2 Will I be able to install them by 'dragging and dropping' on the Sony and CyBook? I have heard Sony tie you up to their website?
Answers to these will at least get me started. I am sure there will be more questions to follow!
Many thanks
Tony

tonyt · 03-02-2009, 06:52 AM

Many thanks!
Can you point me in the direction of stripping drm without getting into trouble?
Cheers
Tony

pthwaite · 03-02-2009, 07:14 AM

I concur with pdurrant. Calibre makes life easier with the MAC from an organisational point of view, not just with the cybook. However you can just drag and drop.

wrt your last item, have a look at the mobi forum and read through the de-drm section. There are a number of hints and pdurrant has written a very nice applescript that will make life easy once you acquire the file.

To find the file though, do a google or equivalent for phrases like dark and reverser after reading the mobi de drm forum

tonyt · 03-02-2009, 07:25 AM

Many thanks again folks!

Katelyn · 03-02-2009, 07:42 AM

It's not rocket science to remove the DRM from mobi titles but it's not easy to figure out either. In my humble opinion, most posts tend to start at square 6 instead of square 1 and it takes a lot of digging and head-scratching to figure out what to do.

In spite of this, I've been able to successfully use Mobidedrm on all but 2 of my DRMed mobi files. If you need help, feel free to contact me and I will send you details.

zelda_pinwheel · 03-02-2009, 07:53 AM

plenty of good advice for you so far and i'll add my vote for calibre which is truly a brilliant application and makes life so much nicer for us ebook readers

.

as for your choice of device, i strongly recommend you get a device which can read epub, the new industry standard format. read the first page of this thread to find out why epub is important. the sony devices already do natively, (as does the iphone / ipod touch, using the stanza app, and in fact any web browser), and bookeen has announced support for the cybook but not yet implemented it so if you decide on a cybook i would wait for that. other devices are also announcing epub support and should be implementing it in the coming weeks / months, so your choices are not limited to the sony or the cybook.

epub *can* easily be converted to other formats (especially now that the adobe drm has been cracked) including mobipocket, however converting from epub to mobipocket you'll end up with a somewhat inferior file in terms of layout and future-proofing, particularly if the book has any kind of special formatting. epub is overall a far better format than any other ebook format currently available.

pthwaite · 03-02-2009, 10:31 AM

I'm not sure if drm "epub" can be converted on the MAC yet. All the data I have seen (although python based) seems geared around Windows and I have no idea how to "mac-ify" them. However I am sure it will come.

johanm · 03-02-2009, 01:44 PM

Alternative: BeBook (Hanlin v3).

pilotbob · 03-02-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwynevans

1) Yes
2) Yes.

The Sony 'tie-in' is simply that to buy from the (US) Sony eBook Store, you need to use the Sony software.

Keep in mind, you can't use the Sony software, hence the Sony ebook store with a Mac.

BOb

sigma8 · 03-02-2009, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

For a Mac user, the Sony is a bit more inconvenient [than the Cybook] as it seems to require use of a Windows PC for some operations, like registering with the Sony Store.

Who cares about registering with a store you can't use? I wouldn't hold that against the Sony. Heck, the Cybook can't register with the Sony store on Mac OR Windows, but we don't count that as a strike against!.

The general point is still valid though, since you need Windows to install the firmware updates (.exe files).

gwynevans · 03-03-2009, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sigma8

Who cares about registering with a store you can't use? I wouldn't hold that against the Sony. Heck, the Cybook can't register with the Sony store on Mac OR Windows, but we don't count that as a strike against!.

The general point is still valid though, since you need Windows to install the firmware updates (.exe files).

While I'd reiterate the point about the Windows-only Sony software being a non-issue - Tony's in the UK, so would be directed to the Waterstone's web store - the firmware update's not really a problem either, as it's not needed a stream of fixes - there's been one update, which added ePub support, so it's not as if he'd need to be switching to BootCamp every week, is it!

pilotbob · 03-04-2009, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwynevans

- Tony's in the UK, so would be directed to the Waterstone's web store -

I also understand that you can buy from Waterstones right from the web site... you don't need to use the Sony software as you do with the US/Canada store.

BOb

03-02-2009, 06:23 AM	#1
tonyt Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	NEWBIE HELP NEEDED!!!!! Hi, I am a complete beginner at ebooking. I hope someone out there will be able to help me. I am UK based, use a Mac Power PC with Leopard 10.5.6. I am intending to use Caliber, the open source library manager, unless someone can suggest a better option. I am looking at the CyBook or Sony readers. Again, any other alternatives? My main questions are these: 1 If I purchase a legal epub or mobi format book I guess they will have DRM attached. Will I get a physical file I can save on my hard drive? 2 Will I be able to install them by 'dragging and dropping' on the Sony and CyBook? I have heard Sony tie you up to their website? Answers to these will at least get me started. I am sure there will be more questions to follow! Many thanks Tony

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03-02-2009, 06:42 AM	#2
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	1) Yes 2) Yes. The Sony 'tie-in' is simply that to buy from the (US) Sony eBook Store, you need to use the Sony software. That's not an issue for us in the UK (unless we make special efforts) as the UK version of the software just links to Waterstone's web site as it's store (and the US Sony site doesn't accept UK credit cards anyway, if you wanted to use it, you'd have to source some credit vouchers for the store first.) I just buy from other sites, either in a suitable unDRMmed format (take a bow, Baen/Websubscriptons), or in Lit or Mobipocket, then convert to a more suitable format using Calibre.

03-02-2009, 06:52 AM	#4
tonyt Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	Many thanks! Can you point me in the direction of stripping drm without getting into trouble? Cheers Tony

03-02-2009, 07:14 AM	#5
pthwaite Fanatic Posts: 597 Karma: 430 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ellesmere Port, UK Device: DR1000S Sony PRS505 iPad iPhone	I concur with pdurrant. Calibre makes life easier with the MAC from an organisational point of view, not just with the cybook. However you can just drag and drop. wrt your last item, have a look at the mobi forum and read through the de-drm section. There are a number of hints and pdurrant has written a very nice applescript that will make life easy once you acquire the file. To find the file though, do a google or equivalent for phrases like dark and reverser after reading the mobi de drm forum

03-02-2009, 07:25 AM	#6
tonyt Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	Many thanks again folks!

03-02-2009, 07:42 AM	#7
Katelyn Addict Posts: 225 Karma: 342 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indiana Device: Pocketbook 360, Iphone 3g, Sony 505, REB1200, GEB1150	It's not rocket science to remove the DRM from mobi titles but it's not easy to figure out either. In my humble opinion, most posts tend to start at square 6 instead of square 1 and it takes a lot of digging and head-scratching to figure out what to do. In spite of this, I've been able to successfully use Mobidedrm on all but 2 of my DRMed mobi files. If you need help, feel free to contact me and I will send you details.

03-02-2009, 07:53 AM	#8
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	plenty of good advice for you so far and i'll add my vote for calibre which is truly a brilliant application and makes life so much nicer for us ebook readers . as for your choice of device, i strongly recommend you get a device which can read epub, the new industry standard format. read the first page of this thread to find out why epub is important. the sony devices already do natively, (as does the iphone / ipod touch, using the stanza app, and in fact any web browser), and bookeen has announced support for the cybook but not yet implemented it so if you decide on a cybook i would wait for that. other devices are also announcing epub support and should be implementing it in the coming weeks / months, so your choices are not limited to the sony or the cybook. epub can easily be converted to other formats (especially now that the adobe drm has been cracked) including mobipocket, however converting from epub to mobipocket you'll end up with a somewhat inferior file in terms of layout and future-proofing, particularly if the book has any kind of special formatting. epub is overall a far better format than any other ebook format currently available.

03-02-2009, 10:31 AM	#9
pthwaite Fanatic Posts: 597 Karma: 430 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ellesmere Port, UK Device: DR1000S Sony PRS505 iPad iPhone	I'm not sure if drm "epub" can be converted on the MAC yet. All the data I have seen (although python based) seems geared around Windows and I have no idea how to "mac-ify" them. However I am sure it will come.

03-02-2009, 01:44 PM	#10
johanm Member Posts: 18 Karma: 26 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Belgium Device: BeBook (Hanlin v3) and iPod Touch	Alternative: BeBook (Hanlin v3).

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