Quote:
Originally Posted by ATDrake
* I may still be bitter about Fictionwise.
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You aren't the only one.
I lost mine (well, I had them backed up, but got zero transfer and no help from B&N on the problem, despite repeated emails to them) and the nook apps on the desktop won't sync my library, either. So, I try to do no new books there (other than freebies), as it is such a pain to try to extract them to back them up.
Kobo also makes it Russian Roulette to buy there, as you can't tell if you can download until you've finished the order (and then back out and find your library - would it kill them to give you a link to the library at the order confirmation page, even if they don't want to give you a download link?).
I hesitate to buy much from Google, either - their customer service is no doubt worse (many parts of their business have a policy of zero contact/response/no support), although they seem to be the big holdout, so far, in the EPUB world, as far as blocking downloads and forcing non-standard formats/apps down throats. Of course, they still see themselves as competing with iTunes and Amazon, I'm sure, rather than trying to block legit customers from backing up their files, just in case one customer somewhere wants to post the book on a torrent site (and why would those particular people not just borrow it from a library or buy it at google, where downloads are easier, or just get it cheaper and amazon and convert it to epub?).
They are offering a $30 bounty for those willing to turn in their older readers and get a (crippled) Samsung Tab - one might think it more of their conspiracy to block downloads, were one the paranoid type....
It's too bad that whoever is making decisions there can't see that the publishers have been leading them into a black hole of bankruptcy that they can't get out of, even after they killed off Borders in an effort to strengthen B&N and hurt Amazon (net effect here? we went from 4 bookstores, two very busy, to two, neither with many customers, and a thriving used bookstore that no doubt resells books bought at Amazon, Walmart and Sam's/Costco almost exclusively). There's no upside to the store to drive off those who want to back up their books - it's clearly a publisher driven ploy/policy and one that is killing their sales even more. Of course, when they spin off Nook to it's own business unit, it should be pretty low value and not hurt the main stock price, much (probably even help it).