Specs of Bookeen Cybook E-Ink reader

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by NatCh

Weeeell, they're not technically part of Baen, they just organized themselves on Baen's forum, since they were all hanging out there anyway.

Their website is here, and they have an MR thread with some discussion of their reader here.

On release of our version the ebook reader software will support ebooks in the following formats: RTF, HTML, PDF and PRC (Mobipocket) No DRM will be built into the software

That puppy if it comes out with the specs listed is going to tank. I'm sorry, but in this day and age to succeed, you need some DRM format that you are able to get books for. But then The Cybook might have DRM MobiPocket support. So it might do ok.

[HarryT]

I must admit that, having read that web site, I am a little puzzled. What they seem to be describing is a standard CyBook (albeit in white rather than black) with the ability to handle DRM-protected Mobipocket files removed from it. Why someone would wish to buy a machine that will do less than the original is something I don't really understand at all!

[Robert Marquard]

We Baen readers get our books from Baen without DRM. :-)
Add Project Gutenberg to that and you have more books to read than your lifespan allows.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Robert Marquard

We Baen readers get our books from Baen without DRM. :-)
Add Project Gutenberg to that and you have more books to read than your lifespan allows.

I agree with you. The question remains, though, why someone would specifically commission a CyBook variant which does less than the standard machine!

[Robert Marquard]

Because we requested it? I am also not sure if it is the Mobipocket Reader. Only the unencrypted Mobipocket format in Palm compression can be read by other readers.

[NatCh]

I get the impression that it's kind of a deliberate statement of opposition to DRM, guys.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by NatCh

I get the impression that it's kind of a deliberate statement of opposition to DRM, guys.

That's what it is from what I gather. But also, from what I gather, it was meant to be something made just for the people on the pre-order list and not a commercially available product. So the people purchasing it would know what they are getting before they get it. But think it's a moot point now with the Cybook on the way. I know we do not support DRM, but without out, a regular non-techie person might not be able to use it very well.

[delphidb96]

Guys,

While NAEB does not support the proliferation of DRM'd ebooks - or DRM in general - it is clear that to not support *some* DRM-encrypted ebook format would exclude many current ebooks from the NAEB device. I cannot say whether a specific DRM-encrypted format will be included, but I believe I can - without breaking any NDA agreements - state that we at NAEB will *not* insist upon 'dumbing down' our version from the standard version. Should Bookeen negotiate deals with the major ebook suppliers to allow for one or more of the encrypted formats to be read by the latest model, our version will be capable of reading same. If *I* were part of Bookeen, I'd want to negotiate such inclusion.

Rather, what NAEB is pressing for is the ability of the NAEB reader to support as wide a range of non-DRM ebook formats as possible to allow for people to not have to convert ebooks in their favorite non-DRM format to a 'limited few' on the NAEB reader. Will we support them all right now? No. But we *are* working on it.

Look, I use both Microsoft Reader and eReader Pro on my x51v. And I get tired of having to 'unlock' my ebooks purchased from eReader each time I install them on my Compaq laptop, my HP desktop and my x51v. And let's not even *think* about discussing the hassle of keeping my MS Reader ebooks straight - I made the mistake of changing computers about a year ago and in the process, I lost my Microsoft Passport information - and couldn't recover that, not for several months anyway, which meant I ended up creating and using a second login to buy several dozen 'secure' .LIT ebooks - so now I have *two* sets of 'secure' ebooks and I'm constantly having to, when I re-read them, re-login under the 'correct' Passport account to 'verify' I yam who I yam! I'm so disgusted with MS Reader and Passport I could spit!

It is bad enough that I must pander to Mobipocket, eReader and Microsoft in order to read the 'secure' ebooks *I* purchased; I won't support creating a new 'secure' format. I'm quite sure others are of the same mindset.

Derek

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's what it is from what I gather. But also, from what I gather, it was meant to be something made just for the people on the pre-order list and not a commercially available product. So the people purchasing it would know what they are getting before they get it. But think it's a moot point now with the Cybook on the way. I know we do not support DRM, but without out, a regular non-techie person might not be able to use it very well.

[HarryT]

Thanks for the clarification, Derek - that all makes excellent sense. When I read the "no DRM" part of the spec on the web site I thought that you meant that the machine would specifically not read any DRM-protected books. Your explanation that it simply means that the machine will not introduce "yet another" DRM format makes a lot more sense.

As a big Baen fan myself (I've bought every "Webscription" since the service began) I completely support such sentiments.

[wallcraft]

Bookeen has not explicitly said they will support DRM, but they have a picture on their website of the Cybook reading the Da Vinci Code. They can hardly claim ignorance of copyright laws, so they must be intending to support some DRM format (presumably MobiPocket).

[delphidb96]

What I'd *like* to see, would be for someone, *ANYONE*, to develop a black-box Linux open-source replacement for the litgen.dll that is the core of the Microsoft Reader application - so that I could also read - without having to 'break it out' - any of my 'secure' .LIT ebooks on an eInk device. Anyone out there up to the task? NAEB would buy such an application.

Derek

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks for the clarification, Derek - that all makes excellent sense. When I read the "no DRM" part of the spec on the web site I thought that you meant that the machine would specifically not read any DRM-protected books. Your explanation that it simply means that the machine will not introduce "yet another" DRM format makes a lot more sense.

As a big Baen fan myself (I've bought every "Webscription" since the service began) I completely support such sentiments.

[Robert Marquard]

I am not sure this can be done without breaking the DMCA and probably some patents of MS. That the LIT encryption has been hacked does not mean it is legal to create a book in LIT encryption. Unfortunately even LIT books without DRM are encrypted.

[delphidb96]

Robert,

I'd let the ebook publishers worry about creating .LIT versions of the ebooks. Although, I have a copy of WordRMR added onto my copy of Word 2k2 and I can use it - legally - to turn any of my text, Word DOC or RTF files into LIT files. I just can't *sell* (or give) them to others.

Derek

Originally Posted by Robert Marquard

I am not sure this can be done without breaking the DMCA and probably some patents of MS. That the LIT encryption has been hacked does not mean it is legal to create a book in LIT encryption. Unfortunately even LIT books without DRM are encrypted.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Bookeen has not explicitly said they will support DRM, but they have a picture on their website of the Cybook reading the Da Vinci Code. They can hardly claim ignorance of copyright laws, so they must be intending to support some DRM format (presumably MobiPocket).

They also have an e-book store that sells books in secure Mobipocket format, which I'd guess would make it even more likely that they intend to support DRMed Mobi files.

[Michael]

Michael's post contained such interesting information that I've copied it to a new thread. Please post responses there.

Thanks!

Moderator