MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Visually impaired peeps using Sony Reader?

ktb1381 · 11-25-2006, 11:46 AM

Thanks folks! A few points:

You can convert PDF to RTF a lot of times... not sure if ebook PDFs are locked down in some way but there's probably a way around it if they are. The problem is, converting PDF to RTF is hit or miss...

Amazon.com does sell some PDFs, like this: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Computer-...e=UTF8&s=books

I am being tantalized(sp) by a site called bookshare.org, which has volunteers scan books into digital format, then provides these books to the disabled (including visually impaired). They have over 30k now, including a lot that are not available in 'normal' ebook format. They say that they provide books in HTML and TXT, among other formats... You have to be disabled and you have to pay a $50 fee a year to get all this. I might try it and if I do I'll report back on how good it is.

Please note, I believe all that I have said above is correct, but I've not had time to actually try the site out yet so it could be worthless.

K

p.s. does anyone know about how 'bootleg' ebooks are made available on the net? I'm interested for research purposes only!

If I ever downloaded ilegal content I would only do so for ebooks that are not available in any other way, and i would of course purchase them in paper.

11-25-2006, 11:46 AM	#18
ktb1381 Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 278 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Amazon Kindle	Thanks folks! A few points: You can convert PDF to RTF a lot of times... not sure if ebook PDFs are locked down in some way but there's probably a way around it if they are. The problem is, converting PDF to RTF is hit or miss... Amazon.com does sell some PDFs, like this: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Computer-...e=UTF8&s=books I am being tantalized(sp) by a site called bookshare.org, which has volunteers scan books into digital format, then provides these books to the disabled (including visually impaired). They have over 30k now, including a lot that are not available in 'normal' ebook format. They say that they provide books in HTML and TXT, among other formats... You have to be disabled and you have to pay a $50 fee a year to get all this. I might try it and if I do I'll report back on how good it is. Please note, I believe all that I have said above is correct, but I've not had time to actually try the site out yet so it could be worthless. K p.s. does anyone know about how 'bootleg' ebooks are made available on the net? I'm interested for research purposes only! If I ever downloaded ilegal content I would only do so for ebooks that are not available in any other way, and i would of course purchase them in paper.