Oops - Wrong E-book

[Hughdal]

I was browsing the web the other day and came across a site called Books On Board. With my curosity raised just a bit I logged on. Lot's of books, nice format and cheap prices. Scolling down I saw that they supported the E-book reader! Nice I thought, a alternative to Connect. I found a couple books and duly registered and paid for them by Paypal, what could be simpiler? Well, after I paid and downloaded and was just scolling through the site I found in tiny 6 point font the following message: "Books On Board does not sell any books supporting the Sony E-Reader format." Sure enough, checking the file extension on the two books I purchased it was .pdb file. So always remember, an E-book is an E-Reader unless it's another E-book.

Hughdal

[JSWolf]

If you had purchased your ebooks in MS Reader format, you would have been able to strip the DRM and easily convert to LRF for use on your Sony reader.

[gwynevans]

As you've got .pdb format files, I'd suggest that there's a chance (and I've no idea how good) that Book Designer might be able to read them and let you convert them into Sony format.

It's a free app, so you've got nothing to loose by trying!

[Hughdal]

Yes and yes but I'll still feel like a dope for not reading the small print.

[JSWolf]

Book Designer cannot handle DRM laden PDB eBooks. The only solution you have it to read them on your computer or a PDA with eReader installed.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by gwynevans

As you've got .pdb format files, I'd suggest that there's a chance (and I've no idea how good) that Book Designer might be able to read them and let you convert them into Sony format.

It's a free app, so you've got nothing to loose by trying!

I recently clicked the wrong format link for a book, and ended up with PDB instead of LIT.
I couldn't get Book Designer to reformat it - I guess because of the DRM - so I ended up buying the lit version as well (luckily the book is fantastic, and even at twice the price it's good vfm).
But did I miss a trick with Book Designer? Is there a way to reformat a DRMd PDB?


Looks like Jon's post answered my query while I was typing - thanks.

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by Hughdal

I was browsing the web the other day and came across a site called Books On Board. With my curosity raised just a bit I logged on. Lot's of books, nice format and cheap prices. Scolling down I saw that they supported the E-book reader! Nice I thought, a alternative to Connect. I found a couple books and duly registered and paid for them by Paypal, what could be simpiler? Well, after I paid and downloaded and was just scolling through the site I found in tiny 6 point font the following message: "Books On Board does not sell any books supporting the Sony E-Reader format." Sure enough, checking the file extension on the two books I purchased it was .pdb file. So always remember, an E-book is an E-Reader unless it's another E-book.

I'm guessing you confused eReader and Reader.
eReader is the name of a pretty old ebook format (formerly Peanut Press), also known as "Secure Palm", while Sony's device is called just Reader without the E. There are eReader viewers for Windows, Palm and Pocket PC (Windows Mobile), but not PRS.

[HarryT]

It is rather unfortunate that some people seem to have started using the word "eReader" to mean "eBook Reader". It's just asking for confusion with the "eReader" book format (which no eInk reader will currently read).

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It is rather unfortunate that some people seem to have started using the word "eReader" to mean "eBook Reader". It's just asking for confusion with the "eReader" book format (which no eInk reader will currently read).

What is the name of the format? Is it really "eReader" or is "eReader" what the reader was called and then the format became "eReader format"?

If I look at

http://www.ereader.com/help/ereader/guide/install

they say things like

Books for use with eReader can be purchased and downloaded directly from eReader.com at http://www.ereader.com.

Books in eReader format can also be obtained from other websites, but care must be taken to download the book in the correct format, as there are other, incompatible eBook formats available that are not supported by eReader. eReader supports books in older Peanut Reader format, Palm Reader format, and Secure Palm format books.

so it seems to me that eReader is not the name of the format. Because then the first sentence in the quote is nosense.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by tompe

What is the name of the format? Is it really "eReader" or is "eReader" what the reader was called and then the format became "eReader format"?"

I call it "Peanut Press" format, since it was first devised by Peanut Press, an early ebook publisher targetting PalmOS handhelds. Palm bought them and made them the Palm Digital Media division, then sold that to Motricity, Inc., who renamed it eReader, and Motricity just sold the eReader operation to Fictionwise.

It's based on Palm Markup Language, or PML. It's documented here: http://www.ereader.com/dropbook/pml
______
Dennis

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by tompe

What is the name of the format? Is it really "eReader" or is "eReader" what the reader was called and then the format became "eReader format"?

If I look at

http://www.ereader.com/help/ereader/guide/install

they say things like


so it seems to me that eReader is not the name of the format. Because then the first sentence in the quote is nosense.

"eReader" *is* a format for Palm-based DRM'd ebooks. Always has been. The Sony e-ink device is the "Reader" and always has been. There should be no confusion between the two. Of course, "eReader" sometimes refers to the Palm software capability for the DRM files.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DrMoze

"eReader" *is* a format for Palm-based DRM'd ebooks. Always has been. The Sony e-ink device is the "Reader" and always has been. There should be no confusion between the two. Of course, "eReader" sometimes refers to the Palm software capability for the DRM files.

You might be right but I spent some time finding a source that confirmed that and I cannot find it. Do you have a pointer? It seems to me a strange name to choose for a format. Constructions like "an eReader reader" does not look so nice.

[kezza]

eReader books use a markup language called Peanut Markup Language, or PML, from back when PeanutPress had their PeanutReader. To avoid confusion, the books are just called "eReader-formatted" meaning that they are formatted to be read with the eReader software. This may change now that eReader has been acquired by Fictionwise. It could simply become "pdb" or "Secure Palm" format.
Obviously, eReader software is *not* the same as Sony Digital Reader hardware and eBook Library software.

The only place to buy DRM'd books for the Sony Reader, without conversion, is the Sony eBook Store. Or, as it's called now, the eBook Store from Sony and Borders.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tompe

What is the name of the format? Is it really "eReader" or is "eReader" what the reader was called and then the format became "eReader format"?

If I look at

http://www.ereader.com/help/ereader/guide/install

they say things like


so it seems to me that eReader is not the name of the format. Because then the first sentence in the quote is nosense.

It's obviously not a "definitive source", but if you look at Fictionwise you'll see that they call the format "Secure eReader". That, or some variant on it, appears to be what all the eBook stores call it.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's obviously not a "definitive source", but if you look at Fictionwise you'll see that they call the format "Secure eReader". That, or some variant on it, appears to be what all the eBook stores call it.

Actually they call the format "Secure Palm Reader" and not "Secure eReader". And then they get different terms for the format and the reading program wich is a good thing.