Quote:
Originally Posted by magkelly
I was pretty ticked when I realized I had to put an Adobe application on my tablet to read library e-books. As it happened it doesn't work with my Cruz so it's either put back on and use the Kindle application which does, and which I really, really didn't like, or forget it. Between that and waiting for a month just to get one single book I wanted I pretty much gave up on the local library's e-book system.
I don't particularly like being hooked up to several book stores via e-reader, being forced to sign in or even to log on or download every book in the reader every time I want to read. I didn't realize that a lot of the readers out there either have you reading the book online or dl it whenever you open it. I also didn't realize that I was going to have to use my account sign in for Amazon all the time just to download and read e-books. Loading my own isn't all that easy in some of the readers. I've got several now on mine that are compatible that are strictly offline readers and that allow me to load my own e-pubs whoever I want to.
Not actually owning the books you buy, books expiring on the HD it's a little weird besides. You can't renew a library e-book, too many people waiting so if you don't get to it fast you're screwed and the lines for the e-books are kind of insane. I can only reserve 3 and I have to wait a month to get those more often than not, eh, what's the point? It's more trouble than it's worth I think. I didn't realize that it was quite this complicated getting the newer e-books from the library. I like my Cruz and I've always been a major supporter of libraries but I can't ever see myself getting too enthusiastic if they don't manage to somehow make it easier to borrow books.
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I often wonder about the animosity towards Adobe. They are providing a service to the libraries and publishers. They did develope (or buy) a method to apply DRM but they have no stake in it other than to sell the service and maintain it. Other forms of DRM have been in existence long before Adobe entered the market.
As to reserving/renewing library books one used to have to go to the library, fill in a form which was often filed wrongly, wait for several weeks, get a letter, go and get the book, bring it back to be renewed, and start all over again if it was on hold by someone else. Plus you had to pay $1.00 to reserve it and often didn't get the book. Once I had a book arrive two years after I ordered it and had already read it. Didn't pick it up and was charged $2.00.
Much easier now. For example in my library I can put a book on hold immediately after my first hold is filled, so on the off chance I can't finish it in three weeks the wait won't be as long. Plus no overdue fines and those can add up.
And the biggest benefit for me is that even if I run out of books I want to read at midnight, I can always get something good to read. Maybe not the latest craze in books, maybe not published last week, but I am not really a best seller driven reader. I prefer to make my own decisions rather than to blindly follow the herd.
Helen