Quote:
Originally Posted by Crescent_Hawk0
@ JSWinden: So basically I can get a touch screen netbook/laptop and turn it into "every" e reader on the market. Looks like the only thing I would really lose is the e ink screen and battery life. On the other hand, I gain the ability to not worry about a specific format closing down or rather out of business. Also the fact that it's a netbook means that I can surf the web if wanted.
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The one caveat to using a netbook, or any non-dedicated reader device, is that you can read non-DRMed eBooks. However reading DRMed eBooks can be a problem. Of course this applies to dedicated reader devices too in that Sonys will read Sony DRMed eBooks but not B&N or Kindle DRMed eBooks, etc. To get around this you either purchase from a specific supplier like Sony, B&N, Kindle, etc., or you learn how to strip the DRM away from the eBooks you purchase. Sony ePubs can be stripped of their DRM fairly easily. I'm not sure about B&N, but the Kindle eBooks might be more difficult. MobiPocket format can be stripped of DRM too, but sometimes with poor results.
So you have three options for reading eBooks on a netbook:
- Buy non-DRMed eBooks, or get them from free (but legal) sources
- Buy DRMed eBooks and strip away the DRM (but please don't distribute them to other people)
- Buy DRMed eBooks from specific suppliers and use them with their own PC software. For example, read Kindle eBooks in Kindle for PC, B&N eBooks in B&N Reader for PC, MobiPocket eBooks in MobiPocket Reader, etc.
And yes, since a netbook is a full computer with a complete OS you can surf the web, work on Office documents, or anything else you wish to do with a computer.