Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan OldStudent
Hello all,
KindleKitten asks me:
I gather you're quite partial to the Kindle. The main reason I did not get it is that I did not like the idea of vendor lock-in. When Amazon remotely deleted a couple of George Orwell books from their customers' after discovering that it did not have the proper distribution rights, it both alarmed me and turned me off.
No doubt this was human error and not corporate wickedness on Amazon's part, and I like Amazon. But this unfortunate incident made me conscious of the need to support more open devices.
To the somewhat clueless first-time buyer (like me) of this new technology, Kindle does not seem to encourage use of other formats, especially EPUB. In 1960s lingo, Kindle puts out heavy Microsoft-style "vibes."
Moreover, being on the USA's senior citizen retirement program ( Social Security), I do not have a lot of disposable income. So I opted for what seemed like the more open-format-friendly alternative when a local bookstore offered the Sony-600 for $150 US.
Regards,
Alan OldStudent
The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living -- Socrates
My Web Site |
unfortunately that was the Amazon shot hear 'round the world. a mistake was made and handled incorrectly. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
as far as the "lock-in" goes. for the umpteenth time. you are NOT. just to mention a few; Baen, Smashwords, Kobo, Project Guttenberg, here.... and there are quite a few more