Amazon soon offering Mobipocket e-books?

Colin Dunstan · 03-31-2005, 01:15 PM

Franklin sold its 16,765 ordinary shares in Mobipocket to Amazon for about $2.5 million in cash and retired 29% of its outstanding preferred stock for $1 million. The company still has 2,434 preferred shares with a liquidation value of about $2.4 million outstanding.

What is this story about? Amazon is currently selling e-books in Microsoft .LIT and Adobe .PDF formats. The new deal could indicate that the Internet giant is planning to offer e-books in the proprietary Mobipocket format as well. For those who still don't know: Mobipocket is an ugly duckling among e-book formats, because its restrictive DRM format is incompatible with any other reader but Mobipocket (have you ever tried using Mobipocket with a WM2003SE Pocket PC? It doesn't look pretty!) and because it is "device-based", limiting the number of devices that can decrypt your purchased e-book.

[via Teleread and Philadelphia Business].

zilla31 · 03-31-2005, 07:40 PM

actually mobipocket looks great on my SE VGA axim x50v once i applied the tweaks2k brute force hack... just an FYI!

ps great news that amazon may soon be selling them - hopefully at a deep discount. still hate the fact that an ebook is as much (or more) than a paperback...

Colin Dunstan · 04-01-2005, 01:09 AM

But using external, unsupported hacks cannot be the solution. We contacted Mobipocket before and haven't received a concrete answer when WM2003SE would be fully supported. Considering for how long these devices have been on the market, this is a true shame, and the example per excellence why proprietary formats suck.

zilla31 · 04-01-2005, 07:53 AM

def agree w/ you there. found a way to "make" it work but def not ideal. it's too bad too because mobipocket is my favorite reader.

DrewAlpha · 06-24-2005, 02:12 PM

I develop content for MobiPocket reader. I also provide Customer Support to several people who use our applications.

The MobiPocket reader, v4.8 build 413 seems to be fully and completely compatible with WM2003SE. The only issues that people have with the reader is the problem setting their PIDS (the DRM stuff).

Regarding the cost of eBooks: Why shouldn't they cost as much (or more) than paperbacks?
1) All the same work that goes into producing the paperback is put into the ebook.
2) Additional costs are incurred by publishers and retailers for

a. Hosting MobiPocket Content

b. Converting the book source from the original format to something that can be parsed for the MobiPocket reader

c. Additional time it takes to make the book look presentable on the MobiPocket reader -- Adding additional code and images that may-or maynot- be in the original source material

hacker · 06-24-2005, 04:28 PM

Why are you surprised? Amazon already fronts the entire PalmGear catalog... eBooks is just another avenue for them to bring in more revenue.

Rob Mitchell · 01-17-2006, 01:13 PM

my favourite by far is ICUE using it's flicker mode to read text FAST one word at a time... have so far downloaded & read 5 books since their launch in Decemeber - anyone else doing this? Just text ICUE to 64888 to try

03-31-2005, 01:15 PM	#1
Colin Dunstan Is papyrophobic! Posts: 1,926 Karma: 1009999 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: USA Device: Dell Axim	Amazon soon offering Mobipocket e-books? Franklin sold its 16,765 ordinary shares in Mobipocket to Amazon for about $2.5 million in cash and retired 29% of its outstanding preferred stock for $1 million. The company still has 2,434 preferred shares with a liquidation value of about $2.4 million outstanding. What is this story about? Amazon is currently selling e-books in Microsoft .LIT and Adobe .PDF formats. The new deal could indicate that the Internet giant is planning to offer e-books in the proprietary Mobipocket format as well. For those who still don't know: Mobipocket is an ugly duckling among e-book formats, because its restrictive DRM format is incompatible with any other reader but Mobipocket (have you ever tried using Mobipocket with a WM2003SE Pocket PC? It doesn't look pretty!) and because it is "device-based", limiting the number of devices that can decrypt your purchased e-book. [via Teleread and Philadelphia Business].

06-24-2005, 02:12 PM	#5
DrewAlpha Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2005 Device: Dell, Palm & Symbian OS	eBook Pricing & MobiPocket Reader I develop content for MobiPocket reader. I also provide Customer Support to several people who use our applications. The MobiPocket reader, v4.8 build 413 seems to be fully and completely compatible with WM2003SE. The only issues that people have with the reader is the problem setting their PIDS (the DRM stuff). Regarding the cost of eBooks: Why shouldn't they cost as much (or more) than paperbacks? 1) All the same work that goes into producing the paperback is put into the ebook. 2) Additional costs are incurred by publishers and retailers for a. Hosting MobiPocket Content b. Converting the book source from the original format to something that can be parsed for the MobiPocket reader c. Additional time it takes to make the book look presentable on the MobiPocket reader -- Adding additional code and images that may-or maynot- be in the original source material

01-17-2006, 01:13 PM	#7
Rob Mitchell Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 12 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: london Device: Nokia 630	forget mobipocket anyone seen the latest ICUE works great on my phone my favourite by far is ICUE using it's flicker mode to read text FAST one word at a time... have so far downloaded & read 5 books since their launch in Decemeber - anyone else doing this? Just text ICUE to 64888 to try

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03-31-2005, 07:40 PM	#2
zilla31 Member Posts: 14 Karma: 36 Join Date: Dec 2004 Device: HP iPAQ 4150	actually mobipocket looks great on my SE VGA axim x50v once i applied the tweaks2k brute force hack... just an FYI! ps great news that amazon may soon be selling them - hopefully at a deep discount. still hate the fact that an ebook is as much (or more) than a paperback...

04-01-2005, 01:09 AM	#3
Colin Dunstan Is papyrophobic! Posts: 1,926 Karma: 1009999 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: USA Device: Dell Axim	But using external, unsupported hacks cannot be the solution. We contacted Mobipocket before and haven't received a concrete answer when WM2003SE would be fully supported. Considering for how long these devices have been on the market, this is a true shame, and the example per excellence why proprietary formats suck.

04-01-2005, 07:53 AM	#4
zilla31 Member Posts: 14 Karma: 36 Join Date: Dec 2004 Device: HP iPAQ 4150	def agree w/ you there. found a way to "make" it work but def not ideal. it's too bad too because mobipocket is my favorite reader.

06-24-2005, 04:28 PM	#6
hacker Technology Mercenary Posts: 617 Karma: 2561 Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: East Lyme, CT Device: Direct Neural Implant	Why are you surprised? Amazon already fronts the entire PalmGear catalog... eBooks is just another avenue for them to bring in more revenue.

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