Epub is Not Universal So Stop the BS

[Ankh]

Wooow...

I've read Mike's blog, but I honestly think that he has missed the point. ePub is a standard. There is a technical spec, body that maintains it, the works. Everybody (and their mother) can write its own app for reading, the book format is defined by that spec (not by the whims of Amazon, pids and God knows what else in the future), everybody can hand-edit ePubs if they are up to the task and are willing.

DRM-free ePubs work on any ePub reader, be it Sony, B&N, iBooks@iPad or any of the number of smaller competitors. No conversion, they just work. DRM-free ePub is universal.

Since I don't give a damn about DRM infested material that can not be stripped immediately(except for library loans), I really don't see why would I struggle with the proprietary device or format like the Kindle, no matter how inexpensive, sophisticated or well it is done. It is a hassle, I simply can't be bothered to convert those books from proprietary to standard format.

We live in technically adept society, I believe that quite a few posts here underestimate the tech level of the average customer today. Joe Sixpack has used computers for a long time, even when it was only to play video games.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by Ankh

We live in technically adept society, I believe that quite a few posts here underestimate the tech level of the average customer today.

This is so truly an international forum. I say that because, well... if you can make that statement, you're not from around here. Sad but true.

I only WISH I underestimated the tech level of my friends and neighbors. I say that with much love in my heart, however.

[TomF]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, I believe you're right. There is the complicated Python script-based one, which one uses with a "real" Kindle, and then there's the dead simple executable one that one uses with "Kindle for PC". The latter really couldn't be any simpler to use.

Well, it could be! I made several unsuccessful attempts until I found a detailed post in a thread on another forum. I was using Python 2.7 with wxPython installed and Kindle for PC v1.2.0 and found that I had to uninstall everything and install Python 2.6.5 and K4PC v1.0.1 (beta) that I found somewhere. Then it was quite simple!

But thanks for insisting how simple it was as it spurred me to work on it until I succeeded!

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I've got to do some reading up on this...last I knew, the Kindle scripts were ug-ly. So I've avoided buying from Amazon all together.

But if it's really as easy as y'all are saying....

There's also the K4PCDeDRM Calibre plugin now too, and a GUI version of K4PCDeDRM which are supposed to be a piece of cake. Haven't tried them though.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Crowl

To read any books on an ipad you need to add reader software since ibooks doesn't come pre-installed either.

Ah, didn't know that. Considering the emphasis there was put on that app when the Ipad came out, I assumed that it was pre-installed... And nobody implied, with all the reviews I've seen, that you had to install it yourself...

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You can tell that person to use the txtr app and his eBooks will then be usable on his iPad.

Oh, this thread started right after the Ipad came out and before Txtr app was available.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

They can be used on an iPad with the DRM. The user just needs the correct app to do it.

I did hear that you need to do some work to get DRM'd epub working on your Ipad, using the Txtr app. Not really userfriendly...


But I stick to my point: it's not the format that isn't universal, it's the DRM. And that makes the format not universal. As long as companies can't decide which DRM they will use and keep making their own "protection" scheme, no format will be universal.

[bestseoservices]

Originally Posted by Anarel

I'm not saying epub is bad, I understand that it fulfills the ebook reading necessities for many people.

My problem is the second coming of jesus attitude towards epub and derision towards the Kindle for not adopting the "industry standard" when "open epub" really only applies to public domain books. It's not open if there's drm on top of it that all epub reading devices have a different version of.

Oops. My public library's e-book system, one of the mightiest on planet Earth, has ePubs and PDFs only. Sorry; I realize that Kindle owners may be less that sympathetic, but there are really a lot of us non-Kindle owners out here, and ePub is what works for us. Also, even if DRM can be applied to ePub, it's open-source. This is, for many of us, a good thing on many levels.

Oh, and I think the title of this thread is pretty inappropriate. There are quite a few points of view here, including supporters of several sorts of largely incompatible technologies. Calling the other party's perspective BS doesn't really seem to fit with the generally collegial atmosphere of this board.
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[svenlind]

Originally Posted by Ankh

Wooow...


DRM-free ePubs work on any ePub reader, be it Sony, B&N, iBooks@iPad or any of the number of smaller competitors. No conversion, they just work. DRM-free ePub is universal.

Since I don't give a damn about DRM infested material that can not be stripped immediately(except for library loans), I really don't see why would I struggle with the proprietary device or format like the Kindle, no matter how inexpensive, sophisticated or well it is done. It is a hassle, I simply can't be bothered to convert those books from proprietary to standard format.

Epub might be the answer to several prayers, but it has, in my view, a very important shortcoming, no dictionary support. I always convert epub to mobi in order to use a dictionary. A built in dictionary is very convenient when your native language is different from English.
I would pay handsomely for an English-Danish dictionary, but Kindle's English-English is certainly a big help.

[Ben Thornton]

Originally Posted by svenlind

Epub might be the answer to several prayers, but it has, in my view, a very important shortcoming, no dictionary support. I always convert epub to mobi in order to use a dictionary. A built in dictionary is very convenient when your native language is different from English.
I would pay handsomely for an English-Danish dictionary, but Kindle's English-English is certainly a big help.

Reading ePub on the Sony has dictionary support. Surely that's about the reader, not the format?

[AGB]

Originally Posted by svenlind

Epub might be the answer to several prayers, but it has, in my view, a very important shortcoming, no dictionary support. I always convert epub to mobi in order to use a dictionary. A built in dictionary is very convenient when your native language is different from English.
I would pay handsomely for an English-Danish dictionary, but Kindle's English-English is certainly a big help.

My Sony PRS-900 has a dictionary that works splendidly with epubs (and pdfs or whatever I am reading on it). Dictionary "support" has very little to do with the format, but everything to do with the reader.

I'd pay good money for a Danish-English and English-Danish dictionary too, but while the two of us are dreaming, I'd like to have a Nudansk Ordbog as well

[rty]

Dictionary support is available for EPUB as well on Nook

[svenlind]

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

Reading ePub on the Sony has dictionary support. Surely that's about the reader, not the format?

It seems to be a problem with the format, according to this link.
http://beranger.org/post/433075313/w...y-epub-english

And I haven't been able to find any epub dictionary anywhere.
If dictionary support was integrated in the epub-standard, then I believe we would see a lot of all kind of dictionaries.

Try to search "dictionary" on the mobipocket side!
http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/...Str=dictionary

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by Ankh;

We live in technically adept society, I believe that quite a few posts here underestimate the tech level of the average customer today. Joe Sixpack has used computers for a long time, even when it was only to play video games.

I think you are overestimating the tech level .... a goodly number of users want the 'plug&play' not the hacking/faffing about.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

I think you are overestimating the tech level .... a goodly number of users want the 'plug&play' not the hacking/faffing about.

Yup.
Even me, i'll gladly spare myself de-drming, editing ePub...
I can mess around, but I don't really want to. I just want to read.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

I think you are overestimating the tech level .... a goodly number of users want the 'plug&play' not the hacking/faffing about.

So, as long as the publishers/hardware creators don't decide on one format and either no DRM or a single DRM setup, ebooks won't be for the majority of the readers (and I'm talking worldwide).

But if my mother decides to buy an ereader, I know I will make her a nice application/batch process that will help her removing the DRM from her bought books, using one click of the button.

[AGB]

Originally Posted by svenlind

It seems to be a problem with the format, according to this link.
http://beranger.org/post/433075313/w...y-epub-english

And I haven't been able to find any epub dictionary anywhere.
If dictionary support was integrated in the epub-standard, then I believe we would see a lot of all kind of dictionaries.

Try to search "dictionary" on the mobipocket side!
http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/...Str=dictionary

Oh, so you're not looking for a dictionary to be used with epub books you read, but actual epub dictionaries. Well, that's a different kettle of fish.

My Sony-reader can use its inbuilt dictionary when reading books in whatever format I am reading on it. I don't think I really need the dictionary itself to be in a particular format, as long as I can use it while reading whatever book i'm currently reading and can use it as a stand-alone dictionary (which I can).