Quote:
Originally Posted by robinson
But there's the rub... which format to buy them in? And which ebookstore to get them from? (Our ereaders of choice are the Stanza and eReader apps.)
I've read lots of discussions about ebook formats (ePub, etc.) and understand that things are a morass of competing, incompatible formats but, as an exclusively free ebook reader, I hadn't really focused on what the best, future-proof, buying choice was. (OK, "future-proof" might be tough, so how about decent longevity?!  )
I really see things changing rapidly in the next couple of years, with bookstores going by the wayside or certain formats discarded. I really don't want to get locked into a particular bookstore or ereader...or buy a bunch of books that won't be readable in the future on some new device! |
You are planning to buy the books today and read them in the foreseeable future, right? Then shop at the bookstore that provides a decent savings and experience; and use the e-reader that ditto provides the best reading experience.
I don't believe DRM should play a role at all in your decision. In the short-run, DRM is irrelevant since you are buying for devices you intend to use to read current material. DRM or not, you can still read the stuff today, right?
Amazon and Kindle are considered "closed" and therefore "bad". But my Kindle works fine today; I can read these purchased ebooks on a variety of platforms, including iPad and Blackberry and Android and Mac and Windows .... The risk is if Amazon goes broke and all my books eventually become unusable as the Kindles and apps being obsolete.
ePub with DRM is considered an "open" system and therefore "good". But it still requires co-operation between my supplier, the publisher and Adobe to make sure all the pieces work, and work for me. It's still just as "closed" as Amazon -- the books are "locked" and can only be read on Adobe sanctioned devices tied to my personal account.
So, what happens in ten years when I want to re-read my purchased DRM copy of
Buddenbrooks? And my Kindle or Kobo has long since died? I simply do not believe the underlying formats will be orphaned and the investment lost: there will be a solution and it could easily be the Kindle 6 or the iPad 3 or the Kobo 4. Or, perhaps, DRM for e-books will have evolved so all devices gracefully handle DRM in any case -- like DVD and Blu-ray players do today (the content is locked but no one notices).
To each his own: but I'm going to read the stuff that's of interest to me, on devices that enhance the reading experience, and at competitive prices in today's marketplace. The future will take care of itself.