The iDS - Is it about time iRex started offering some content?

[CommanderROR]

I just looked at the offerings at the Sony Connect Store and found them to be quite OK. Prices are higher than I woul dhave hoped, but lower than I would have feared, and there are many books online already. A quick search revealed that the store is far from complete (especially when compared to the paper-book diversity Amazon offers...) but not too bad and surely better than most (if not all) ebook sites out there right now.

But let's get back to the point...

iRex has been talking about the iDS as a platform for authors and publishers for a long time, but things have been very quiet for too long now...
So far, the iDS is for software updates only. It works, so the basis is there. We don't have any information about either format (DRM, IDFP, Mobipocket...) or publisher/author support.

I have neglected this topic in the past because there was no content for any of the ereaders yet. Now, Sony has started with Hardware, Connect Store and even sources and iRex ist still fighting bugs, making babysteps towards better power management and still has no DRM support (remember? it was supposed to be in Software release 2.5 or 2.6 if i'm not mistaken and vanished from the agenda quietly).

Do you think it is time for iRex to show us what their content service is like? Or should we start loking for ways to rip sony BBeB books to make them readeable on the Iliad?

For me, this has become a serious issue.
Example:
The newest Terry Pratchett Novel named "Wintersmith" is going to appear tomorrow (Sony Connect says 30th, amazon.de has different version appearing from 28th of September to 1st of October). Now...I have no chance to actually buy the ebook anywhere and use it on my Iliad without breaking at least some laws.
I can either buy the paper book and download the ebook or create it myself with scanner and OCR software (thus paying a hardcover price, killing the whole purpose of eboosk and violating the law at least a bit anyway) or I can download the PDF version of the ebook (if I find it somewhere) and then rip it and reformat it for the Iliad, or I can just wait a few days or weeks and download it illegally somewhere and pay nothing.
This is a situation I don't like at all and one I want to see addressed quickly. I love Terry Preatchett and his books, I own every single book he ever wrote (apart from "Where ia my cow" and the cook-books which don't count in my opinion...^^
I don't want to break any laws to read my favourite author and I don't want to pay more in time and money than I would with a paper book either.

Do you share these concerns?
What would you do about it? Or do you only read copyright-free books from gutenberg?

[ali]

It seems to me they didn't convince content providers, while Sony did. The lack of DRM support might be a reason. I guess publishers want to see how things go with Sony before they start thinking about supporting another store.

(Did I already say iRex lost the race completely?)

[The GreatGonzo]

I'm not remotely as interested in purchasing e-books as I am in getting some kind of newspaper content. E-book-wise, there's so much stuff available legally and copyright-free, I'll be busy for years reading all that.

No, one of the main reasons I picked the Iliad over the Sony was the concept of subscribing to wi-fi news delivery. I cannot wait for that to happen. Makes so much more sense to me than reading the news on a computer or, heaven forbid!, bother with all that stuff about converting RSS feeds to PDF and whatnot. I want to get up in the morning, push a button and have a news-e-paper to read. With my coffee. Sitting at the breakfast table.
Now when's that gonna happen? I will pay MONEY for it....

P.S. Reading Pratchett as an e-book just doesn't feel right. Maybe re-reading the older ones, sure, but the newest? Nahh, not tempted .. must order it from the UK though, the US covers still suck...

[Bob Russell]

Originally Posted by The GreatGonzo

I want to get up in the morning, push a button and have a news-e-paper to read. With my coffee. Sitting at the breakfast table.
Now when's that gonna happen? I will pay MONEY for it....

If you can live with the Sony selection of RSS feeds, you might actually be able to get that with the Sony Reader! We'll have to see how easy the software is to use, and what the selection of feeds is.

On the pda side of things, we've had that sort of functionality for a while with the various RSS readers and software like Sunrise. But then you don't get the e-ink screen, of course!

[Alexander Turcic]

I speculate that one of the reasons iRex has been holding off releasing the SDK/sources is that they are still working on their "DRM solution" to satisfy publisher partners. It wouldn't surprise me if they or one of their partners suddenly come up with a new Web store offering e-books in a new DRM format.

Of course it would be much easier to just go with something like encrypted Adobe files, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it be in Adobe's interest to actively approach companies like iRex and help them implement the necessary code?

[pdam]

The questions inyour poll are interesting - why only books? what about other content, newspapers magazines journals other paid for newsfeeds etc? Books is the obvious driver for DRM, but in the case of DRM free stuff - for one I am as interested in reading good blogs wikis etc as well as DRM free books ...
These devices are NOT ebook readers are they? Aren't the e-Readers of various content, some we may not yet have dreamed of?

[doctorow]

Originally Posted by pdam

These devices are NOT ebook readers are they? Aren't the e-Readers of various content, some we may not yet have dreamed of?

Especially the iRex iLiad. Remember those luring mockups floating around someone holding the iLiad in a train reading the New York Times from it?

Someone even posted hands-on experience here on board of playing with a newspaper specially formatted for the iLiad.

[rlauzon]

Originally Posted by CommanderROR

For me, this has become a serious issue.
Example:
The newest Terry Pratchett Novel named "Wintersmith" is going to appear tomorrow (Sony Connect says 30th, amazon.de has different version appearing from 28th of September to 1st of October). Now...I have no chance to actually buy the ebook anywhere and use it on my Iliad without breaking at least some laws.

Download it from Usenet in a few days, and buy the paper version.

But remember, you never buy an eBook with DRM. You rent it.

Unless Sony is offering their version for significantly less than the paper price, they are ripping you off.

Originally Posted by CommanderROR

Do you share these concerns?

Nope. I vote against DRM with my wallet. I refuse to pay money for any eBook with DRM. Instead I buy my commercial eBooks through Fictionwise (non-DRM formats only, of course) and from O'Reilly.

Sooner or later the DRM-proponents will figure out that no one wants to rent an eBook for the price of the paper version and correct the situation.

[scotty1024]

Right now my highest priority for them is to fix the power issue.

When I go to the library with my Wife, to help her study for college, I have to take my power brick (and freaking USB travel hub!!) with me. Now how stupid is that? I might as well just take my Librie, at least it has an excellent excuse for its power brick needing to come along (broken battery compartment.)

They've already said on their forum that they've been blown off by Microsoft and Adobe. Mobipocket is now in Amazon's pocket, and we've all seen the pictures of the Amazon e-ink reader right?

What magical 11'th hour iLiad DRM solution are some people expecting is going to occur here?

BBeB support?

[scotty1024]

And yes, I'm scanning iWoz tomorrow after it arrives from Amazon.

And I don't feel I'm breaking any laws, even the DMCA.

I bought it, I'll rebind it, I'll keep it and I won't be sharing the digital version.

And no, I didn't see it on the Sony store either.

[bingle]

Originally Posted by scotty1024

And yes, I'm scanning iWoz tomorrow after it arrives from Amazon.

And I don't feel I'm breaking any laws, even the DMCA.

I bought it, I'll rebind it, I'll keep it and I won't be sharing the digital version.

And no, I didn't see it on the Sony store either.

Actually, if you won't distribute it, you're probably not breaking any laws (IANAL, etc). The DMCA only applies to copy-protected digital works, so books don't count.

Since it's for personal use only, and not republication (format-shifting, in essence), you also have a strong fair-use case. Although according to a lawyer in the RIAA cases, format-shifting hasn't been explicitly declared legal. Still, you're at least in a grey area ;-)

[DHer]

wintersmith already arrived yesterday here (i guess amazon thought it would take DHL more then 24h to deliver)

I think i'll use my lunch break today to put it below a bookeye. But what a waste - they take the digital version, print it, i buy, scan it and ocr it again.

They really should give you an access code together with the pbook version so you can obtain a digital version. *That's* what i would call added value at an online shop.

[CommanderROR]

DHer...you put your finger on the sore point right there...the added effort is what I don't understand. The books are there in digital form, then they print them, bind them, make covers and everything and we go ahead and tear it all apart to make a PDF again...slightly mad isn't it...^^

[Riocaz]

The current process is ridiculous. Baen have already shown that DRM-free e-books are viable and that by giving some books away for free they can increase sales on later books.

I admit I skirt the law by dowloading books (Only ones I own in print form). And the fact that I am almost certainly breaking the letter of the law concerns me.

My reason for buying an iLiad, wasn't for so much for cheaper books (Though the Baen Library did give me an added inducement). But more for the fact that I read stupidly fast and carrying multiple books is annoying. To put this into context, I have had my iLiad back for just over a month (Since the 24th/25th of last month) , and in that time I have read 21 books, and am well into my 22nd .

Carrying the iLiad, is a lot easier than carrying 2 books arround everywhere I go.

[TadW]

Originally Posted by Riocaz

To put this into context, I have had my iLiad back for just over a month (Since the 24th/25th of last month) , and in that time I have read 21 books, and am well into my 22nd .

Can you do this, even with the slow page refresh of E Ink displays?