should I or shouldnt I? - Page 2

JSWolf · 10-30-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egghead

It presupposes that someone would want to read a DRM'd book.

There are 4 formats that Cybook supports:
txt - not DRM'd.
html - not DRM'd
pdb - either not DRM'd, or DRM'd in eReader format, which is not supported.
prc - DRM'd, requiring Mobipocket software, which is Windows-only.

Why does the epublishing industry want to prevent me from putting the titles I've purchased onto a portable device? I'd like to be a good citizen, but this behavior on the part of the industry encourages piracy.

One place here where you are very wrong is about the PRC DRM format. While there is no software for
OS X to view DRM laden mobi format. you can still purchase and download such using your MAC. All you need is the PID from the Gen3 to input to the site to then download the Mobi file. The mobi file can be copied to the gen3 and read fine. When you plug the Gen3 into the USB port, it is seen as a USB mass storage device. So there should not be any problem copying the PRC file (full of DRM goodness) on to the the Gen3 to then use the Gen3 to read this book. So being able to purchase and read Mobi format books with the Gen3 does not need Windows based software.

Loopy65 · 10-30-2007, 06:03 PM

yup already doing it all just fine on the iRex (that i want to sell!)

Loopy

DaleDe · 10-30-2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egghead

It presupposes that someone would want to read a DRM'd book.

There are 4 formats that Cybook supports:
txt - not DRM'd.
html - not DRM'd
pdb - either not DRM'd, or DRM'd in eReader format, which is not supported.
prc - DRM'd, requiring Mobipocket software, which is Windows-only.

Why does the epublishing industry want to prevent me from putting the titles I've purchased onto a portable device? I'd like to be a good citizen, but this behavior on the part of the industry encourages piracy.

PDB is not eReader format. The PDB supported by Cybook is the Palm Doc format which MobiPocket also supports. There is no DRM for that format. I would certainly like to see them support eReader in non-DRM but I suspect there is a license restriction from MobiPocket on the DRM support requiring them to only support MobiPocket DRM. But this is only conjecture based on data on the iLiad.

They also support PDF in non-DRM format. And they say other formats are coming.

Dale

NatCh · 10-30-2007, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

PDB is not eReader format. The PDB supported by Cybook is the Palm Doc format which MobiPocket also supports.

Actually, you're correct and incorrect at the same time.

PDB, or Pilot DataBase format is a wrapper, all sorts of different file types can go inside it, including Mobi, eReader, Palm Doc and a passel of others. PRC (I don't know what that one stands for beyond Pilot Something Something), is sorta the same deal, It's usually an executable, but sometimes it's not. Some Mobi Files are PRC, I think, and I remember having some Palm Doc and eReader files that were PRC's too.

HarryT · 10-31-2007, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egghead

It presupposes that someone would want to read a DRM'd book.

I'm perfectly happy to read DRM content personally.

Quote:

There are 4 formats that Cybook supports:
txt - not DRM'd.
html - not DRM'd
pdb - either not DRM'd, or DRM'd in eReader format, which is not supported.
prc - DRM'd, requiring Mobipocket software, which is Windows-only.

Why does the epublishing industry want to prevent me from putting the titles I've purchased onto a portable device? I'd like to be a good citizen, but this behavior on the part of the industry encourages piracy.

Sorry, I really don't follow your argument. You certainly do not require any Windows software to buy Mobipocket DRM-protected books. They can be bought and downloaded from the web site of any Mobipocket retailer; all you need is the MobiPocket ID of your reading device which you enter into the seller's website to allow you to download the book. Once you've download the book onto your Mac (or whatever) you can transfer it to the CyBook via its USB connection.

The MobiPocket Windows desktop reader can act as a "Librarian" and as a "front end" to the various Mobi stores, but you certainly do not have to use it. I don't use it to buy books myself - I buy them directly from the seller's web site (I generally buy from Fictionwise).

The only facility that the Windows software gives you that's not available on other platforms is the ability to read RSS feeds. That's of zero interest to me personally.

DaleDe · 10-31-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

Actually, you're correct and incorrect at the same time.

PDB, or Pilot DataBase format is a wrapper, all sorts of different file types can go inside it, including Mobi, eReader, Palm Doc and a passel of others. PRC (I don't know what that one stands for beyond Pilot Something Something), is sorta the same deal, It's usually an executable, but sometimes it's not. Some Mobi Files are PRC, I think, and I remember having some Palm Doc and eReader files that were PRC's too.

How can I be right and wrong and the same time? I stated the format on the Cybook which is correct. You added some information about general PDB which I already knew. you can read the exact details of PDB in the wiki where I generated the table of values and tuned the description. You can also read about PDB/PRC on my web site in the article on ebooks.

Dale

NatCh · 10-31-2007, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm perfectly happy to read DRM content personally.

I think he mean that he wanted to read DRM formats, and that the Cybook's support for them is limited.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

How can I be right and wrong and the same time? I stated the format on the Cybook which is correct. You added some information about general PDB which I already knew.

I think I misunderstood what you meant by:

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

The PDB supported by Cybook is the Palm Doc format which MobiPocket also supports.

I think I thought you were saying that PDB is Mobi, which would not be correct, but it's also not what you actually said. Sorry 'bout that -- I didn't read it as carefully as I should have.

IreneDelse · 11-10-2007, 09:46 AM

For me, DRM is a disincentive to buy an e-book! I either download public domain and Creative Commons titles, or buy DRM-free e-books from the publishers and e-stores who sell them. I've already spent nearly 100 $ with Baen Books and the Fictionwise Multiformat catalog...

So I'm fine with the Cybook!

bwit · 11-10-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

Actually, you're correct and incorrect at the same time.

PDB, or Pilot DataBase format is a wrapper, all sorts of different file types can go inside it, including Mobi, eReader, Palm Doc and a passel of others. PRC (I don't know what that one stands for beyond Pilot Something Something), is sorta the same deal, It's usually an executable, but sometimes it's not. Some Mobi Files are PRC, I think, and I remember having some Palm Doc and eReader files that were PRC's too.

NatCh is correct - a PDB file may contain thousands of different data formats. Basically a Palm only supports two types of files:

.PDB - Palm Database - used by applications to store data.
.PRC - Palm Resource - used to store data in resource segments.

A resource database may be used to store executable code, data, or both.

A Palm file may be identified only by examining the contents. Each file contains a Creator ID and a File Type. The Creator ID is a 4 character string registered by a developer with Palm and identifies the application that created the file. The file type is another 4 character string selected by the application developer to allow a single application to support multiple file types.

Quite a while ago I created a Windows Explorer shell program to dynamically display the type of a PDB file by hovering the cursor over it in Windows Explorer. I will attach it to this posting in case anyone here uses Windows and is interested. It would be pretty easy to create something like this that could be run from a command line and support multiple OS's - let me know if anyone is interested.

Regards,
Bob

IreneDelse · 11-10-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egghead

It presupposes that someone would want to read a DRM'd book.

There are 4 formats that Cybook supports:
txt - not DRM'd.
html - not DRM'd
pdb - either not DRM'd, or DRM'd in eReader format, which is not supported.
prc - DRM'd, requiring Mobipocket software, which is Windows-only.

Five, actually! The Cybook also supports the non DRM'd PDF files.

Or six if you count the non DRM'd Mobipocket file format (extension prc or mobi), which the Cybook supports.

10-30-2007, 06:03 PM	#17
Loopy65 Groupie Posts: 172 Karma: 360 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Wales, UK Device: Kindle 3; iPad & iPhone 4	yup already doing it all just fine on the iRex (that i want to sell!) Loopy

11-10-2007, 09:46 AM	#23
IreneDelse Groupie Posts: 154 Karma: 589 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Paris Device: Bookeen Cybook Gen3 & Opus	For me, DRM is a disincentive to buy an e-book! I either download public domain and Creative Commons titles, or buy DRM-free e-books from the publishers and e-stores who sell them. I've already spent nearly 100 $ with Baen Books and the Fictionwise Multiformat catalog... So I'm fine with the Cybook!

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