Reasons I'm not getting a Kindle but the Sony 505 instead.

[dugbug]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

It's all about attitude. Amazon's attitude is very Big Brother-ish. They feel that they know how books should be read, and that you'd be better off doing it their way.

SONY's attitude isn't much better, but because SONY released an e-ink device (The librie) way before anyone else, tools have matured around the SONY that empower you to do what you want with it. So the 505 is a tool for power users, the kindle isn't (at least, not yet).

wtf are you talking about



-d

[talaivan]

Kovid -- have you played with the Kindle? What you say in the previous message is quite correct -- you can do things with the Sony that you can't with the Kindle. There seems to be a fundamentally different system used for interpreting text. The Sony allows font and formatting info to be included in the lrf file, while on the Kindle, the only control you have on font and formatting is through the reader -- it's not in the mobireader file. This means, I think, that no one can write a program to change the format on the Kindle. Only Amazon can do that by allowing one to change the format through a preference on the reader. This also means that formatting options will be far more limited on the Kindle (no Russian, Greek, etc.) -- you will have to be content with whatever formatting options Amazon deems fitting to provide. Right now, you're stuck with double-spacing. You can't turn it off (I even asked them -- they said no). Also, I have both devices and am coming to the conclusion that the Sony is easier to hold and more comfortable to read.

[kovidgoyal]

The fact that Amazon for no apparent reason decided to make it impossible to buy DRM'ed books for the Kindle from anywhere but their own store, despite the fact that they are using the mobipocket DRM scheme. The fact that by not releasing cross-platform desktop software they don't seem to care about facilitating the use of your own content on the Kindle. The fact that they charge for letting you view free content when it's really not that hard to write software that would enable you to get the content yourself.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by talaivan

Kovid -- have you played with the Kindle? What you say in the previous message is quite correct -- you can do things with the Sony that you can't with the Kindle. There seems to be a fundamentally different system used for interpreting text. The Sony allows font and formatting info to be included in the lrf file, while on the Kindle, the only control you have on font and formatting is through the reader -- it's not in the mobireader file. This means, I think, that no one can write a program to change the format on the Kindle. Only Amazon can do that by allowing one to change the format through a preference on the reader. This also means that formatting options will be far more limited on the Kindle (no Russian, Greek, etc.) -- you will have to be content with whatever formatting options Amazon deems fitting to provide. Right now, you're stuck with double-spacing. You can't turn it off (I even asked them -- they said no). Also, I have both devices and am coming to the conclusion that the Sony is easier to hold and more comfortable to read.

No I haven't yet played with it, but this seems to be in line with their general policy of restricting functionality, either because they're too lazy to implement it, or because they feel their customers don't deserve it.

[rflashman]

Originally Posted by talaivan

The Sony allows font and formatting info to be included in the lrf file, while on the Kindle, the only control you have on font and formatting is through the reader -- it's not in the mobireader file. This means, I think, that no one can write a program to change the format on the Kindle. Only Amazon can do that by allowing one to change the format through a preference on the reader.

I just took a look at a sample for "Sign Language for Everyone: A Basic Course in Communication with the Deaf" and it has a different (beautiful) font. Quite readable. So there is *some* way for books to send a different font.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by talaivan

It hasn't been much remarked on, but the Kindle gives you lots of choices for formatting -- one. ..... Nor will Kindle allow you to change the spaces between lines -- you're stuck with a huge space whether you want it or not. On the Sony, you can make it whatever you want. As a result, the Kindle has about 2/3 per page as is comfortable on the Sony, and you have to advance the page much more often.

Yes, but this is primarily the fault of MobiPocket's Java Reader (same problems from the same Reader on the iLiad, for example). Other versions of MobiPocket Reader have user-settable fonts, line spacing, and margins.

MobiPocket realy needs to add line spacing and margin options to its Java Reader, it would make it much more user friendly.

MobiPocket's Java Reader can support multiple fonts (it does on the Pepper Pad 3 for example), so this is Amazon's (and iRex's) "fault". Restricting the device to a small number of preloaded fonts is understandable (Cybook's user fonts have caused problems), but one font seems excessively stingy and I wish there was a bolder font like Ariel Black available.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by rflashman

I just took a look at a sample for "Sign Language for Everyone: A Basic Course in Communication with the Deaf" and it has a different (beautiful) font. Quite readable. So there is *some* way for books to send a different font.

It is likely that they used images. It is possible to specify a font in MobiPocket format but the font must be already available on the target device.

Dale

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by dugbug

wtf are you talking about

I believe that Kovid is confusing you by returning to the original topic of the thread -- he's quite sneaky that way.

[tsgreer]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It is likely that they used images. It is possible to specify a font in MobiPocket format but the font must be already available on the target device.

Dale

I have found that some of Amazon's books do use a different font and it's NOT because it's a .pdf. So there must be some way to change it, but I don't know how.

Also, I do have a book that the obviously used a .pdf because it was very faded and pretty horrible to read. Also, I found out that I couldn't look up words on it--which makes sense since it was a pdf--but it still used the .azw extension. I returned it and there were cool about it.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by NatCh

I believe that Kovid is confusing you by returning to the original topic of the thread -- he's quite sneaky that way.

It's a regular insurgency campaign

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by tsgreer

I have found that some of Amazon's books do use a different font and it's NOT because it's a .pdf. So there must be some way to change it, but I don't know how.

I have only seen mention of two fonts on the Kindle, Caecilia and Neue Helvetica, see the copyright page from the manual. The e-books typically use Caecilia, which is somewhat similar to Bitstream Vera Serif (e.g. it has a similar capital J). Caecilia is nicer, though.

[tklaus]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The fact that Amazon for no apparent reason decided to make it impossible to buy DRM'ed books for the Kindle from anywhere but their own store, despite the fact that they are using the mobipocket DRM scheme.

Yes, I hope they change their mind on that.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The fact that by not releasing cross-platform desktop software they don't seem to care about facilitating the use of your own content on the Kindle.

Why do they need to do that? There are already several ways to do that:

1- Copy your files directly to the Kindle via USB (.txt or .prc)
2- Convert them yourself using MobiPocket Creator and transfer them via USB.
3- Email them to Amazon for free conversion, then transfer them via USB (can't get more cross-platform than that!)

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The fact that they charge for letting you view free content when it's really not that hard to write software that would enable you to get the content yourself.

They only charge you for the convenience of wireless delivery. The conversion service is free if you are willing to transfer via USB (just like any other reader).

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by tklaus

Yes, I hope they change their mind on that.



Why do they need to do that? There are already several ways to do that:

1- Copy your files directly to the Kindle via USB (.txt or .prc)
2- Convert them yourself using MobiPocket Creator and transfer them via USB.
3- Email them to Amazon for free conversion, then transfer them via USB (can't get more cross-platform than that!)

1. What if my source material is not txt or prc
2. What if I don't use windows
3. What if I want to customize/extend, build on top of the conversion process. What if I don't want to send my perhaps private documents to Amazon. What if I don't want to have to connect to the internet just to convert my content. There is no reason Amazon could not have released their conversion tools.

They only charge you for the convenience of wireless delivery. The conversion service is free if you are willing to transfer via USB (just like any other reader).

Even for blogs and newspapers?

[azog]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

2. What if I don't use windows

I'm seeing this argument a lot, and I'm confused. I have no idea what OS you use, but I know most modern Linux variants support USB mass-storage devices (which is what the kindle appears as). I couldn't say anything about Mac, having never used one, but don't they have USB ports?

[kovidgoyal]

Windows is needed to run mobipocket creator, the conversion software.