Quote:
Originally Posted by ccccclark
But it is not only a question about my current EZ Reader. This will probably not be the only reader I will ever own. If my library will not work on a future reader, it is no good to me. I had no idea the Mobipocket was under restriction. I thought it was open.
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The MOBI format is on lots of general purpose devices (PCs, PDAs, cell phones), but on dedicated ebook reading devices MobiPocket (Amazon) requires DRM exclusivity. So if a dedicated reading device supports MOBI DRM then it won't support any other kind of ebook DRM. The exclusivity requirement was moot for a while because there were no alternatives, but now there is Adobe Digital Editions (currently on Sony Readers only) and eReader (soon on EZ Reader and Foxit eSlick).
We now find there is another requirement for MOBI on these devices - limits on US sales. This isn't entirely clear, because no vendor talks about their agreement with MobiPocket, but we know that the only company (Astak) that tried to sell a MOBI DRMed EInk reader in the US via retail channels was stopped by Amazon from doing so. On the other hand the Ectaco Jetbook (not EInk, but a dedicated reading device) is also available though retail channels in the US, and it will reportedly support (DRM-ed?) MOBI at some point, see
ECTACO jetBook Now Includes Fodor's Travel Guide.
DRM is intrinsically anti-longevity. MobiPocket could shut down tomorrow (Amazon isn't trumpeting MOBI sales after all, but rather Kindle sales), as could eReader, and Adobe's DRM scheme is so draconian that in the past it routinely rendered old ebook collections unreadable on new devices (it may be less prone to that today, but what about tomorrow). If a DRM provider shuts down, the ebooks on existing devices will typically still work but they won't be transferable to new devices. So the only recipe for ebook longevity is a DRM-free collection, because format shifting does work (more or less) and this insulates you from reliance on particular reader software. In today's environment that means either only buying DRM-free titles or stripping the DRM (which may not be legal). If you have a Windows PC, then I recommend the MS Reader (LIT) format for those who want to strip DRM and archive for the long term. This is the richest of the major unsecure DRM formats, and so will be easiest to convert to other formats later. The other two possibilities are MOBI and eReader, and they are also ok - particularly if today you are happy with either the MobiPocket or eReader reading software. The downside of LIT is that you pretty much have to format shift it immediately to use it on most devices.