B&N removed download option on all books in "My Nook" library

[conan50]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

I never bothered transferring my Sony books over to Kobo. On purchasing a book, no matter from what online source, I always download it and add it to Calibre stripping the DRM, and the Calibre library is backed up on several hard drives. I doubt I'll bother transferring my B&N books as well. I never had much faith in a store not screwing up what books I own or keeping them forever available for me.

That is the safest idea.
Too many people are feeling good about Amazon Kindle ebooks and they could just as quickly change their DRM scheme to make it impossible to set their ebooks free even if they are around for years to come.

[eschwartz]

I doubt it. But either way, I am safe.

I also have books with the proper metadata, ,which is more of an immediate concern of mine. Happily, I can get many benefits out of backing up.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by conan50

... Too many people are feeling good about Amazon Kindle ebooks and they could just as quickly change their DRM scheme to make it impossible to set their ebooks free even if they are around for years to come.

This concerns me as well, perhaps because I feel so burned by BN. I'm also wondering how much of BN's changes were publisher-driven -- trying to tighten up the loosest DRM scheme, as it were. And wasn't the "hardened DRM" in ADE 3+ created to appease publishers? Not sure how much Amazon would resist if publishers pressured them to tighten their DRM. After all, doing so would help them keep Kindle users in the fold. Then again, it would mean non-Kindle owners who liberate Kindlebooks would stop buying from them.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I wonder if Kobo or Amazon (or Google, or Apple?) would be willing to take over B&N accounts if they do get out of the ebook business...

Is there any word on what's happening with the non-US/non-UK Nook accounts that are being closed next month? If they're being transferred to another bookseller, that might indicate what would happen if (when?) the Nook division shuts down completely.

[conan50]

Originally Posted by odamizu

This concerns me as well, perhaps because I feel so burned by BN. I'm also wondering how much of BN's changes were publisher-driven -- trying to tighten up the loosest DRM scheme, as it were. And wasn't the "hardened DRM" in ADE 3+ created to appease publishers? Not sure how much Amazon would resist if publishers pressured them to tighten their DRM. After all, doing so would help them keep Kindle users in the fold. Then again, it would mean non-Kindle owners who liberate Kindlebooks would stop buying from them.

In the beginning Amazon was impressive with keeping DRM off of mp3 downloads. Also they still allow publishers to choose whether or not to apply DRM to ebooks. But as they get larger I suspect they are more comfortable with lock in, and have already had to cave a bit to publishers, and they are now interested in pushing their ecosystem like Apple and Google, with hardware and everything that goes with it. So being wary is probably best.

[ZodWallop]

I bought a Nook book today, but I'm thinking it may be my last. In the past, if the price was the same at B&N and Amazon, I chose B&N because I didn't have to convert to ePub.

Since B&N completely removed Nook for PC and Nookstudy from their servers, I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. One day, I'll open one of those programs and it will no longer download books.

I know it's stupid, but the last few times I bought one of their books, I get a panicky, fluttery feeling wondering if I'll be able to strip the DRM this time.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by conan50

Too many people are feeling good about Amazon Kindle ebooks and they could just as quickly change their DRM scheme to make it impossible to set their ebooks free even if they are around for years to come.

Yeah, I agree.

I think the stricter companies get with DRM, the more piracy flourishes.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I bought a Nook book today, but I'm thinking it may be my last. In the past, if the price was the same at B&N and Amazon, I chose B&N because I didn't have to convert to ePub.

Since B&N completely removed Nook for PC and Nookstudy from their servers, I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. One day, I'll open one of those programs and it will no longer download books.

I know it's stupid, but the last few times I bought one of their books, I get a panicky, fluttery feeling wondering if I'll be able to strip the DRM this time.

It's not stupid given their changes to make it difficult to get your books. I haven't bought from them in years because they are so expensive.

[conan50]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I bought a Nook book today, but I'm thinking it may be my last. In the past, if the price was the same at B&N and Amazon, I chose B&N because I didn't have to convert to ePub.

Since B&N completely removed Nook for PC and Nookstudy from their servers, I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. One day, I'll open one of those programs and it will no longer download books.

I know it's stupid, but the last few times I bought one of their books, I get a panicky, fluttery feeling wondering if I'll be able to strip the DRM this time.

I bought a nook HD refurb tablet awhile back, price was too good to pass by and I really like that tablet. But I had to debate even using the $5 credit for an ebook as it seemed a waste of effort. And without a herculean effort I can only read the ebook I bought on the nook. Also I'm hoping that one day I don't turn on the tablet to find a server error or such and that I must root the tab to use it again and with another OS. Every day I expect to read that nook is history.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

If Apple took over B&N accounts that would be the same as no one taking them for me. I don't have an iTunes account and don't intend to get one.
[...]
Also, I thought Kobo took over Sony accounts. That went much smoother for me than when B&N took over Fictionwise accounts.

Yes, Apple taking over B&N accounts would be bad. Better than no-one for most people, but Apple DRM is next to impossible to remove (i.e. no-one has a tool for the current encryption).

And yes, you're right it was Kobo with Sony. I got mixed up.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by conan50

I bought a nook HD refurb tablet awhile back, price was too good to pass by and I really like that tablet. But I had to debate even using the $5 credit for an ebook as it seemed a waste of effort. And without a herculean effort I can only read the ebook I bought on the nook.

Right this moment, it isn't too bad, assuming you have Nookstudy or can find a place to download it. At the moment, it's as easy to remove Nook DRM as it is Kindle DRM. Since they changed their scheme, it's actually less work for the end user than the old Nam and CC route. I'd say use that credit PDQ though.

Originally Posted by conan50

Also I'm hoping that one day I don't turn on the tablet to find a server error or such and that I must root the tab to use it again and with another OS. Every day I expect to read that nook is history.

I wouldn't be too worried about that. B&N could shut down all operations immediately and your tablet would still work. The O/S isn't dependent on Barnes and Noble in any way, aside from updates, which you aren't likely to ever see for the HD line. It has the Google Play store on it now, so you never need to deal with B&N again as far as that goes.

The irony is that their tablets and e-readers (until the most recent version of each) are wonderful devices. If they revived the Nook Simple Touch w/Glowlight and slapped a Voyage screen in it, I'd buy that baby today!

[conan50]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I wouldn't be too worried about that. B&N could shut down all operations immediately and your tablet would still work. The O/S isn't dependent on Barnes and Noble in any way, aside from updates, which you aren't likely to ever see for the HD line. It has the Google Play store on it now, so you never need to deal with B&N again as far as that goes.

The irony is that their tablets and e-readers (until the most recent version of each) are wonderful devices. If they revived the Nook Simple Touch w/Glowlight and slapped a Voyage screen in it, I'd buy that baby today!

B&N putting Google Play on nook tablets saved them from utter uselessness. Perhaps the real problem is resetting or buying a used one as you must have a nook online account to even activate the tablet.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by conan50

B&N putting Google Play on nook tablets saved them from utter uselessness. Perhaps the real problem is resetting or buying a used one as you must have a nook online account to even activate the tablet.

In theory, you could boot it from an SD card and run or install then run cyanogenmod. When the HD and HD+ were relatively new there were lots of reports of individual units difficult or impossible to boot from SD. Does anyone know whether that has been resolved?

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

In theory, you could boot it from an SD card and run or install then run cyanogenmod. When the HD and HD+ were relatively new there were lots of reports of individual units difficult or impossible to boot from SD. Does anyone know whether that has been resolved?

They have trouble booting from certain SD cards, but they boot and run fine from SanDisk class 4 cards. I haven't read of a booting problem that wasn't resolved by changing cards. My wife, daughter and I each have one running Cyanogenmod from a 32 GB card.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by conan50

Perhaps the real problem is resetting or buying a used one as you must have a nook online account to even activate the tablet.

You just have to have a B&N account. Even if they shut down the Nook, I don't think it would give you any issues.

[DBDigital]

There is a way to bypass the "required" registration when starting a new Nook device. I forget the method off hand but there is a keypress or something to hold and it will start fully without requiring a B&N login.

As for tablets not booting from some cards, the trick is to turn off the device, and insert a card (or already have it inserted) then plugin the device to the charger. That gives it the necessary "kick" to have to boot the card. Not all devices require this, but many do. It seems to vary from device to device.

With regard to B&N moving Fictonwise to Nook...I signed up for it, and it never happened. I wasn't too concerned though as I downloaded my entire library there twice just to be safe and I have it all sideloaded to my nook. Didn't bother me I couldn't access it from the servers. I trust my own machine far more than I ever will a "cloud" server.