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Originally Posted by akira28
I am considering an eBookwise and have two questions for current owners:
1. Can ebooks bought at Fictionwise/Ereader for a Palm be used or converted to the Ebookwise?
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Fictionwise Muliformat ebooks can be used, but not ereader .pdb files without deDRM'ing them with some
dark reverser's ereader2html.py. If you want mainstream ebooks, your selection may be wanting with just Fictionwise.
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2. Is the eBookwise still a viable machine today with a future?
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If price is a concern or if you want to do a lot of reading at night, then the ebookwise ebook reader (
aka EBW1150) IS a viable choice. It is ancient (circa 2001) hardware (LCD touchscreen with relatively heavier battery), but it is well built and rock solid as an ebook reader i.e. allows annotations, highlights, dictionary look-ups, bookmarking, left-hand use, etc...!
It isn't flashy, trendy or ultra-light, but as an entry level ebook reader it is alright, IMHO.
And a couple of points about ficbot's post above, namely:
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Originally Posted by ficbot
Also, the eBookwise bookstore is crapola. Sorry, but it is. Nearly all the books are 'protected' IMP files, and by 'protected' this means you can only read it on the actual device to buy it on.
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Yes, this ebook reader was designed with DRM that ties it to just your reader's hardware serial number and your Ebook ID. That's the way things were almost a decade ago...
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So, if you have an eBookwise, buy a book in this format, and then your reader breaks or gets stolen or whatever, and you buy another device FROM THEM, you can't re-download it.
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Not so, as the ETI ebook server can be authorized to re-transfer a broken, lost or stolen unit's ebook personal library to a new device. However, it's best to have ebookwise/ETI customer service handle this for you. The Ebook ID is retained, but just reassigned to your new unit's machine serial number. Quite clever these ETI folks...
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This is the most restrictive DRM in the biz and imho is a losing proposition. Other bookstores which have devices associated with them sell in more open formats. Amazon has a proprietary format but you can read it on more than one device, and Sony is selling protected ePub which can be read on numerous devices.
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Yes, that's true, but it would be even nicer to have a little or no DRM. Perhaps in a few years...
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Just my opinion  I sold mine to a good home where the person already had an eBookwise, knew what he was in for, and was techie enough to much around with other formats. I would not personaly buy an eBookwise again.
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I think if you like it for what it can do, then it will be a good choice. Oh, btw, these units do hold their value well when listed on ebay or such, so if you change your mind afterwards, you wouldn't have lost a whole lot... Just my 2 cents.