ePub vs Mobi, I don't get it

[speakingtohe]

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

EEK!!! and I just ordered a Kindle 3 for my mother.
Lucky for me if I don't tell her she will never know the difference.

Helen

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The overwhelming majority of books are available in both formats.

But as far as libraries go, most libraries are no longer purchasing in Mobipocket, so the new eBooks will mostly be ePub.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

As an end-user, non-programmer and non-publisher, I don't see any substantial difference due to format. If there is some "technical" advantage to epub, I'm not seeing it as even remotely relevant to my decisions as a consumer.

Sony, in the midst of sliding into irrelevance, switched to ePub and in theory this allows for a more open platform. This might be good for Sony users but it doesn't seem to have provided much, if any, tangible results for Sony.

As to MOBI, Amazon's ebooks are available on almost any platform that can support Whispernet; for better and for worse, they have zero interest in selling you an ebook that isn't hooked into their database(s). And yes, shock and gasp, they really want you to buy their ebooks instead of buying them from Apple or B&N. As such, unless Sony or B&N decides to implement Amazon's ebook protocols, switching to ePub would not produce the results you'd necessarily expect.

The way the story goes is this...

Sony wanted to add Mobipocket. Mobipocket said no because Sony also didn't want to give up LRX format (LRF with DRM). And so, Sony was unable to add Mobipocket. Sony then was able to go to Adobe and add ADE. So that made Sony compatible with ePub. And because of that, ePub started to take off.

Now, ePub would not be so popular if Mobipocket had not been so stupid and said no to Sony. If Sony had gotten Mobipocket, other reader makers would have followed suit and Mobipocket would now be the dominant eBook format regardless of which is actually technically better.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The way the story goes is this...

Sony wanted to add Mobipocket.

Very interesting. Thanks.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Well, I am not a fan of any DRM, but of the DRM's out there, B&N's ereader DRM is by far the most friendly. Its the only one that doesn't require you to register your reading device with some central server somewhere that might get shut off at some point in the future.

--
Bill

Actually, B&N's DRM requires some DRM server to serve you up an eBook that is chock full of DRM. So if that DRM server is down, you don't get your infected eBook. So yes, B&N also requires the use of DRM servers just like Adobe ad just like everyone else who is serving DRMed eBooks. The only difference is that you do not first have to register with the B&N DRM server. But, if you cannot register with the B&N server, you would not be able to get the eBook anyway. So non of the DRM flavors is any less reliant on a DRM server then the others.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MR. Pockets

Am I the only one who "likes" the current conflict over format? The way I see it, as long as you have the "hard-hitters" (Amazon vs B&N and Borders) promoting the opposite formats, and the ability to convert easily (easily being relative...) is available, the fight will prevent anyone from grabbing a monopoly and driving prices up. Of course, I could be completely wrong, but hey, someone will post and correct me.

WRONG! The Agency 5 have already driven up the prices of a significant number of eBooks. It's nothing to do with the competitiveness of Amazon, Sony, Kobo/Borders, and B&N. The Agency 5 sets the silly prices and they cannot do anything to stop them.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

I wonder how people would react if car companies started building cars that needed an additive that only the individual car company could provide for the car to work?

--
Bill

That's no different then buying a used car and having to go back to the dealer the car was bought from in order to have it serviced in order to be able to use the warranty that the dealer provides above and beyond what the car company provides.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Actually, B&N's DRM requires some DRM server to serve you up an eBook that is chock full of DRM. So if that DRM server is down, you don't get your infected eBook. So yes, B&N also requires the use of DRM servers just like Adobe ad just like everyone else who is serving DRMed eBooks. The only difference is that you do not first have to register with the B&N DRM server. But, if you cannot register with the B&N server, you would not be able to get the eBook anyway. So non of the DRM flavors is any less reliant on a DRM server then the others.

B&N's DRM requires access to the DRM server at the time you first download the book, just like any other DRM server. The big difference is that you don't need access to the DRM server to read that same file on any other device. B&N's DRM encodes the file with a key that's unique to you, not to the device to which it's being downloaded, and the file doesn't need to be re-encoded for a new device.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

B&N's DRM requires access to the DRM server at the time you first download the book, just like any other DRM server. The big difference is that you don't need access to the DRM server to read that same file on any other device. B&N's DRM encodes the file with a key that's unique to you, not to the device to which it's being downloaded, and the file doesn't need to be re-encoded for a new device.

Actually, Adept DRM doesn;t need to be reencoded for a new device as long as the new device uses the same info that was encoded into the file.

So if I have ADE on my computer, download a DRMed ePub and then after I buy a 650 and authorize it to the same account, then that ePub will work with the 650 no problem. No need to redownload the ePub.

The solution to all this DRM mess is just to strip off the DRM and enjoy.

[ProfCrash]

Correct.
Amazon has stated that they will license the Kindle DRM but *only* if the licensee supports Whispernet. Which renders Adobe's Adept servers redundant.
If whispernet is non-negotiable it follows that Amazon supporting whispernet means a *fourth* DRM-flavor for ePub.

Doesn't B&N use 3G and WiFi? If they do that using EPubs, why wouldn't they work over whispernet? I am guessing that this is a stupid question and that people are rolling their eyes. Honestly, I enjoy my e-books but I am not a techno wiz. The only programming language I have ever worked with is SAS and I stopped when it came time to learn how to use Pearl in SAS.

Two years ago the only e-readers I knew about where the Sony at, I think, B&N or Borders, and the Kindle. I had no clue that there was a difference between Amazon's format and everyone elses when I asked for my Kindle. I knew that Amazon had the best bookstore at the time and that I wanted an e-reader with 3G.

The only time I was not able to buy a book that I wanted was when Penguin and Amazon were fighting. I have not had to go shopping outside of Amazon's store to find what I want to read. If Amazon were to add EPub I might take a look at the other big stores to see if books were available for less but would buy from Amazon when the books were the same price. Why? I like having my books archived and easily accessible when I am away from a computer.

I would guess that my attitude is closer to the attitude of most people with e-book readers.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's no different then buying a used car and having to go back to the dealer the car was bought from in order to have it serviced in order to be able to use the warranty that the dealer provides above and beyond what the car company provides.

Check your local state law... in at least some states, it is not legal for a warranty to specify where you get your service done.

--
Bill

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Actually, Adept DRM doesn;t need to be reencoded for a new device as long as the new device uses the same info that was encoded into the file.

So if I have ADE on my computer, download a DRMed ePub and then after I buy a 650 and authorize it to the same account, then that ePub will work with the 650 no problem. No need to redownload the ePub.

The solution to all this DRM mess is just to strip off the DRM and enjoy.

Well, technically, stripping DRM might be illegal in your jurisdiction. Not to mention, some people will be intimidated by the process.

As for the problem with the 650... that is all well and good assuming that ADE will let you add the new device to the account. In theory at least, if you download and archive a copy of the B&N software for your computer, you can at least use that to read your book on any computer long after B&N gets out of the ebooks game (assuming they do). If Adobe gets out of the game, you won't necessarily be able to authorize new devices.

--
Bill

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I see a lot of hard core positions on content format.

But you somehow failed to notice that quite a few MR users list both Kindle and one of ePub capable platforms as their reading devices?

And I believe that that fact addresses all your questions. There is a substantial difference between reading platforms, not only in technical details of the formats, but what one can do with them.

My prediction is that we will, within a year or two, reach price levels where almost everybody can afford to have two readers, and that neither Amazon nor the rest of the world will "win" this "war".

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Ankh

But you somehow failed to notice that quite a few MR users list both Kindle and one of ePub capable platforms as their reading devices?

And I believe that that fact addresses all your questions. There is a substantial difference between reading platforms, not only in technical details of the formats, but what one can do with them.

And some of us just like gadgets, of course .

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Check your local state law... in at least some states, it is not legal for a warranty to specify where you get your service done.

--
Bill

I have a warranty via Toyota and a warranty via the dealer. The dealer warranty will be good after the Toyota warranty is over. So yes, I'd have to go back to the dealer if need be to get work done via their warranty. Otherwise, I can go to any Toyota dealer for the Toyota warranty.