What books are allowed on the new Kobo & B&N readers?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Ah, I wasn't clear. My meaning was that I think B&N assumed that once their version of the DRM was available in the Adobe SDK, that Kobo/Sony/everyone would all rush to accommodate the B&N DRM on their devices because B&N is just Too Big To Ignore.

Clearly that hasn't happened. I don't know about Kobo, but I bought a new Sony 350 for my mom 2 months ago and loaded a free B&N book to it - the reader would not open the thing. No prompt for username/CC#, just a big fat No.

Ahhh, gotcha.

[stonetools]

OT question: can you read Borders books using the Kobo Reader App?

[EowynCarter]

It's the same DRM. Should work if the kobo apps can side load.

[stonetools]

Thanks

[anamardoll]

Wait, the Kobo reader device should read the Borders books, but when you say "app" do you mean the Android app?

I don't know of a single "store app" (Kindle, Nook, Kobo) that allows sideloading books. Third-party apps like Aldiko can read Adobe DRM, though.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by stonetools

OT question: can you read Borders books using the Kobo Reader App?

Nope, you'll have to use the Borders app or you could load the DRM'd ePub into Aldiko (also Bluefire for Android is supposed to launch next month). While the Kobo app supports sideloading it doesn't support sideloading DRM'd content. Or did you mean the iThingy app when you said app? AFAIK the answer is still no.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

And yet B&N is always priced the same or higher than Kobo when I search Inkmesh for books. This is anecdata, of course, but B&N books are not significantly discounted - and they NEVER offer ebook coupons.

The inkmesh database is out of date in a lot of cases. It still shows books that no longer exist at some shops, prices that are wrong, shops come up that no longer exist. So really, when you get results from Inkmesh, don't take them as correct. They could be wrong. Go to all the shops and see what's what. A lot of the prices are pre-agency and wrong. CyberRead is still showing in search results and they no longer exist. Some books show up at sites that no longer have them after the agency mess. So really, Inkmesh needs to be updated.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The inkmesh database is out of date in a lot of cases. It still shows books that no longer exist at some shops, prices that are wrong, shops come up that no longer exist. So really, when you get results from Inkmesh, don't take them as correct. They could be wrong. Go to all the shops and see what's what. A lot of the prices are pre-agency and wrong. CyberRead is still showing in search results and they no longer exist. Some books show up at sites that no longer have them after the agency mess. So really, Inkmesh needs to be updated.

This is true, but since B&N is my "first source" for books, I always do check.

And they are always, in my experience, "same price or higher". If they are saving on their books somehow with their DRM, it's not reflected in the ebook prices.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Unless they've disabled support for it like Sony did.

Last I heard (when Sony shipped their latest generation last year) they were still using a pre-B&N version of RMSDK and did not 'see the need' to update. But it's ridiculous, if it was just to spite B&N: does anyone with a Sony actually shop in the Sony Bookstore? I wouldn't.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Last I heard (when Sony shipped their latest generation last year) they were still using a pre-B&N version of RMSDK and did not 'see the need' to update. But it's ridiculous, if it was just to spite B&N: does anyone with a Sony actually shop in the Sony Bookstore? I wouldn't.

Oh, maybe that was it. There was an RMSDK out that supported it before the Sony's came out, but if they were still using an older one I guess that would explain it.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Wait, the Kobo reader device should read the Borders books, but when you say "app" do you mean the Android app?

I don't know of a single "store app" (Kindle, Nook, Kobo) that allows sideloading books. Third-party apps like Aldiko can read Adobe DRM, though.

Kindle and Kobo and Overdrive Media Console allow sideloading of non-DRM content. Anything with Adobe DRM? Aldiko & txtr are it on Android AFAIK (Bluefire on the way, I hope) None of the others use Adobe RMSDK, which would be required to sideload Adobe DRM stuff (including PDF).

The corollary to this is that apps that don't use RMSDK are using their own DRM keys, bound to the app instance in question. The content that is downloaded is unreadable on anything but that instance of the app.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Kindle and Kobo allow sideloading of non-DRM content. Anything with Adobe DRM? Aldiko & txtr are it on Android AFAIK (Bluefire on the way, I hope) None of the others use Adobe RMSDK, which would be required to sideload Adobe DRM stuff.

There's also Mantano Reader which does Adobe DRM (both ID and Password styles).

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

There's also Mantano Reader which does Adobe DRM (both ID and Password styles).

Had not learned of that one, looks good. Unfortunately my Android device does not have access to Android Market. I'll check the usual alternatives...

Thanks for mentioning it.

[J. Strnad]

Just skimming this thread makes my head spin. This is insanity. It's as if you bought a DVD that could only play on Sony players, or you bought a car that could only run on Exxon gasoline.

The industry needs to get over this proprietary DRM nonsense and standardize. Or better yet, dump DRM completely as a large number of indie authors have done.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

Just skimming this thread makes my head spin. This is insanity. It's as if you bought a DVD that could only play on Sony players, or you bought a car that could only run on Exxon gasoline.

The industry needs to get over this proprietary DRM nonsense and standardize. Or better yet, dump DRM completely as a large number of indie authors have done.

I agree - it's insanity. I had alfing tools in place before my Kindle even arrived, and the whole time I was reading this thread I could only be thankful for all the confusion I'm avoiding.

When I see an ad for a new ereader, I can just look at each one in a comparison of tech specs, features, and such. I don't even worry about format or DRM. If not for the ridiculous tangle of DRM schemes, EVERYONE could have that same painless experience. Pubs don't even need to do away with it completely (I don't dare dream that high), just standardize to some degree. I think we're quite a bit beyond the point where these things are being developed in a vacuum.