What is your dream e-device?

[astra]

505 with the following improvements:

8" screen and less fragile.
Dictionary support, which would include English-Russian
Search function.
Universal drmless ebook format very similar to LRF.
Faster page turn.

[danoja]

My focus isn't so much on the hardware--I'm more interested in the content and the features. I don't want static PDF pages. I want photos that come to life as video, illustrations that turn into animations, Web links, etc. I want products that fully utilize the power of todays computer and the Internet.

I'd rather it runs on a standard computer, preferably Mac, Windows, and Linux, including the nifty little netbooks that weigh just 2 pounds and cost just $300.00. But if it also runs on inexpensive specialized readers, that's fine too.

[ProDigit]

Originally Posted by danoja

My focus isn't so much on the hardware--I'm more interested in the content and the features. I don't want static PDF pages. I want photos that come to life as video, illustrations that turn into animations, Web links, etc. I want products that fully utilize the power of todays computer and the Internet.

I'd rather it runs on a standard computer, preferably Mac, Windows, and Linux, including the nifty little netbooks that weigh just 2 pounds and cost just $300.00. But if it also runs on inexpensive specialized readers, that's fine too.

That would perhaps be a good idea for a non e-ink device; moving images would cause too much strain on the battery.
What you'd need is an OLPC, which has a semi-reflective backscreen.

[Andurian]

My perfect e-device would be full vivid color e-ink, 300+ dpi with a 10" or bigger screen that rolls up and fits in my pocket. It would flip pages instantly and invisibly and could DL any book, magazine, newspaper, comic or manga I wanted wirelessly in a heartbeat either as part of a subscription or with "infinite media access" paid for with the device.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by Ervserver

A reader that can wirelessly buy books from anywhere. I'd like to see a universal ebook format, also checkout ebooks from any library

I hope EPUB will be universal ebook format very soon.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kris777

I hope EPUB will be universal ebook format very soon.

ePub has a major problem which is that the standard permits any DRM system to be used on the file, and for the result to be called "ePub". At the moment we have "Adobe Digital Editions" ePub files with Adobe DRM; shortly we'll also have ePub files with eReader DRM too. Who knows how many other additional DRM mechanisms we'll see added to "ePub" in the next year or two?

It all has the potential for massive confusion, with a maze of mutually incompatible files all (perfectly correctly) calling themselves "ePub" files.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

ePub has a major problem which is that the standard permits any DRM system to be used on the file, and for the result to be called "ePub". At the moment we have "Adobe Digital Editions" ePub files with Adobe DRM; shortly we'll also have ePub files with eReader DRM too. Who knows how many other additional DRM mechanisms we'll see added to "ePub" in the next year or two?

It all has the potential for massive confusion, with a maze of mutually incompatible files all (perfectly correctly) calling themselves "ePub" files.

wow Harry, i've never seen anyone go to so much trouble to undermine a format, particularly one which is the new industry standard (a good thing to have) and actually a very good, well-designed format, which is infinitely more suited to ebooks than any other existing format.

rather that spreading a bunch of FUD among our members, why don't you try to address this concern by mentioning it to hadrien, since we are lucky enough to have someone who is actually a member of ipdf as a moderator ? perhaps he can tell you how they intend to address this, or transmit your concerns to ipdf so that it can be addressed.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

wow Harry, i've never seen anyone go to so much trouble to undermine a format, particularly one which is the new industry standard (a good thing to have) and actually a very good, well-designed format, which is infinitely more suited to ebooks than any other existing format.

rather that spreading a bunch of FUD among our members, why don't you try to address this concern by mentioning it to hadrien, since we are lucky enough to have someone who is actually a member of ipdf as a moderator ? perhaps he can tell you how they intend to address this, or transmit your concerns to ipdf so that it can be addressed.

It's not "FUD" - it's a very real problem with the format, which I've been pointing out since its inception, and which has now come to fruition with the announcement that eReader are going to add their DRM mechanism to ePub. I completely, 100%, agree with you that the ePub format itself is excellent, but the "plug in any DRM you like" aspect of it is a major issue, and one which needs to be pointed out.

Hadrien is as aware of the issue as I am - he doesn't need me to point it out to him. I shall, however, do as you suggest and see what his take on the matter is.

It's a lot worse than the issues with the previous "industry standard", OEB, since at least with that, you got different "terminal formats" with the different DRM schemes - Microsoft Reader LIT format with one DRM scheme, MobiPocket with another, etc. With ePub, we could end up with half a dozen different formats, all (correctly) describing themselves as "ePub" and all mutually incompatible.

Hiding our heads in the sand and saying "it's the fault of DRM, not the fault of ePub" isn't going to make the problem go away!

It's an important issue which needs to be brought to people's attention!

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's an important issue which needs to be brought to people's attention!

Harry, what is your vision about universal format? If it is not EPUB, maybe regular .TXT that cannot be DRMed?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kris777

Harry, what is your vision about universal format? If it is not EPUB, maybe regular .TXT that cannot be DRMed?

Unfortunately I think the idea is a "pipedream" and won't happen in the foreseeable future. The best one can do is attempt to store books in an "open" format which can easily converted to the "reading format" of whatever device one is using (and DRM-free ePub is a very good candidate for that "storage format", certainly).

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Unfortunately I think the idea is a "pipedream" and won't happen in the foreseeable future. The best one can do is attempt to store books in an "open" format which can easily converted to the "reading format" of whatever device one is using (and DRM-free ePub is a very good candidate for that "storage format", certainly).

I think that DRM-free ePub will be unexeptable for many big publishers because they can't distribute new books to end users and make profit on it in case if it has no DRM.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kris777

I think that DRM-free ePub will be unexeptable for many big publishers because they can't distribute new books to end users and make profit on it in case if it has no DRM.

I entirely agree with you, Kris, and that's why I say that I think that the idea of a single "universal" format isn't going to happen! Publishers are going to want to use DRM for the foreseeable future, regardless of what customers may prefer.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I entirely agree with you, Kris, and that's why I say that I think that the idea of a single "universal" format isn't going to happen! Publishers are going to want to use DRM for the foreseeable future, regardless of what customers may prefer.

well, i hope you are wrong, and the fact that more and more publishers (O'Reilly, Pan MacMillan...) are making drm-free epub available makes me think that it's not unreasonable to hope. the music industry started with drm-ed mp3s but they've abandoned that now, and i believe the publishing industry will follow suit, hopefully sooner than the music industry did. Pan MacMillan et al seem to be good signs.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I entirely agree with you, Kris, and that's why I say that I think that the idea of a single "universal" format isn't going to happen! Publishers are going to want to use DRM for the foreseeable future, regardless of what customers may prefer.

What publishers will do if nobody will buy DRMed books?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kris777

What publishers will do if nobody will buy DRMed books?

It's not as if there are multiple sources for eBooks. Generally, a book is only available from a specific publisher, so for the honest person (and I'm ignoring people willing to download illegal material in this) there is no choice other than to download in whatever formats the publisher makes available - or buy the paper book, of course.