Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
Ok peoples. When it comes to ebooks, DRM rarely locks you to a specific reading device.
For example, DRMed books purchased from B&N can be read on their proprietary device (the Nook). And on iPhones, iPod Touches, PC's, Macs and Blackberries. Amazon Kindle books are on the Kindle, iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac. It's reasonable that Android versions will also be available, and additional tablet OS's are practically a given. AFAIK the Adobe ebook DRM is also cross-platform.
There's also a ton of ways to get DRM-free public domain ebooks. B&N can slap whatever DRM they want onto a Charles Dickens book, that is extraordinarily unlikely to prevent readers from getting open versions.
This is a bit of an exception, as DRM is often used for vendor lock-ins. But for whatever reason(s), that does not seem to be the case with a lot of ebook retailers.
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*IF* one is willing to 'take the next step' and gather the (in many areas illegal) DRM breaking tools, then yes, DRM rarely prevents one from using a purchased ebook on only one type of device.
On the other hand, if one sticks to 'the rules', one is so tied down with restrictions, gobbledigook and downright *HOSTILE* malware that it almost appears as if the publishers would rather that their clients not read at all!
Yes, I realize that one can 'authorize' multiple devices (especially true for Amazon), but that number is *FAR FEWER* than the number of reading devices I *personally* own! They are *my* devices, I should have no limits on which ones I may use to read my purchased ebooks!
Derek