06-24-2010, 03:29 AM | #16 |
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Don't be too sure that formats won't be abandoned. AmiPro was once a leading word processor; good luck finding anything that can read its files today. (I know, because I've tried)
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06-24-2010, 03:53 AM | #17 |
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As long as Barnes & Noble sells their epub books with DRM, epub is not an open format. It's no better than mobi.
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06-24-2010, 07:13 AM | #18 |
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"Longevity" and "Digital" cannot stay together in the same sentence.
If you want to be future proof, you need a paper copy of that same book. And not a pulp one, a good, well manufactured edition. ebooks are the modern equivalent of oral tradition. It stands as long as memory (once neurological, now magnetic) stands. If Homer didn not put the Iliad on paper, we'd lost it. So, don't bother with longevity and conservation. Buy your book, read it, and forget it (the file, I mean, not the content...) |
06-24-2010, 07:20 AM | #19 |
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06-24-2010, 11:54 AM | #20 | |
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An open format is one whose specifications are published and which is usable by anyone. HTML is a perfect example. If you in some way limit access to a specific instance of an HTML file (encrypt it, zip it with a password, store it on a floppy and lock it in a safe) that doesn't change the standard, or the openness of the standard. Open is the opposite of proprietary. Likewise, B&N's (and Sony's) locking of epub books with DRM doesn't change the fact that epub itself is a published, freely usable format. If you want to build an epub file from scratch, you can read the specification and go to it, and nobody can stop you. A hundred years from now, someone can look up what the epub standard was and write something to read that book. The same would not be true if it was in some Microsoft proprietary format; only Microsoft knows what's really going on inside of those files. DRM is another issue all together. All else aside, DRM is the biggest obstacle to future-proofing any ebook, even if that future is next week. |
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06-24-2010, 12:14 PM | #21 | |
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If there is only 1 copy of something physical, it is 100% certain it will be gone eventually. |
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06-24-2010, 01:17 PM | #22 |
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I feel people are forgetting that digital storage is just as real as printed paper. It'll last a while, and probably longer than a book. Longevity is digital, simply put. It's a lot easier to take a copy of an ebook, say, 80% into the lifetime of a storage device, and put it on a new one, than to copy a book.
The argument that books are some how more durable and last longer is just weird to me, when one considers that ebooks are able to be transferred, shared, and as a result are essentially viral. |
06-24-2010, 01:21 PM | #23 | |
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Quote:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/208863 I've seen a couple other converters around too. |
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06-24-2010, 03:01 PM | #24 | |
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It's been six months or a year since I looked, but I couldn't find anything that seemed promising back then. If you (or anyone!) knows of a standalone converter for .sam files, or anything that plugs into OOo, please let me know. @#$@!& proprietary formats .... Y'know, if AmiPro supported long file names (yeah, it's a Win 3.1 dinosaur) I'd probably still be using it. It was fast, slick, efficient, and exactly what I needed for writing and lightweight DTP. Sure, modern word processors can do everything, but I don't want to do everything. |
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06-24-2010, 03:19 PM | #25 |
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Or you could ask an online friend that already has MS-Word to help you out...I'm just sayin'
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06-24-2010, 03:50 PM | #26 |
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If you can get a hold of a copy of Wordperfect 8 (newer version appear to have dropped support) it will open files from...
# Ami Pro 1.2 # Ami Pro 1.2a # Ami Pro 1.2b # Ami Pro 2.0 # Ami Pro 3.0 Last edited by AnemicOak; 06-24-2010 at 05:50 PM. |
06-24-2010, 04:09 PM | #27 |
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I have Wordperfect on a computer. If you send me the files I can try to convert them for you.
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06-24-2010, 04:12 PM | #28 | |
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I worry about DRM and losing out on future purchases, particularly when the content is available from other marketplaces (think: B&N folds but Amazon goes on). Major League Baseball shut down their DRM server, leaving customers unable to access the content they'd licensed. Yahoo, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart have all pulled a similar move in no longer supporting the license server for their music stores, which renders the music unusable. In the case of proprietary content an organization owns, like MLB and their baseball games, it's conceivable that a master key could be released. For music that's still being sold elsewhere, or where the content is being sub-licensed, this is a more dicey proposition. |
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06-24-2010, 04:35 PM | #29 | |
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The B&N ereader DRM does not depend on an online authentication server (unlike Microsoft reader and Adobe Adept) And the books are not tied to the reader hardware (unlike Mobipocket reader and Kindle format). |
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06-24-2010, 05:43 PM | #30 | |
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We can agree to disagree, however, on my main point which was should Adobe or Amazon go out of business, my belief is current content will be transferable some way -- like Samna or Ami Pro files. And the main thing is to enjoy the content in the medium term, optimised for the reader of your choice which delivers the best e-reading experience and value today. |
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