Mobipocket pids

HappyMartin · 11-14-2007, 05:59 AM

Why do some booksellers allow 4 pids and some like BooksOnBoard only 2? I was under the impression that this was controlled in some fashion by mobipocket its self. Can each bookseller set their own policy?

With only 2 pids I can read only on my iliad as the other pid is used by the download machine. Is there some way of downloading directly say to the CF card mounted in the iliad and will this save me a pid? I never read on my PC.

I cant believe I understand the above. Geekdom looms.

tribble · 11-14-2007, 07:37 AM

Mobipocket allows up to 4. What the retailer allows is up to him (max of 4 though). He could even let you download the book for only a short period of time only, not keep the books in an archive for you.

tompe · 11-14-2007, 07:44 AM

Does Mobipocket allow you to change a pid?

tribble · 11-14-2007, 08:10 AM

yes, and so can a retailer. But there is a maximum to changing your devices and i dont know, what the maximum is.

HappyMartin · 11-22-2007, 02:09 AM

Received a very prompt reply from Books About Everything and they allow 4 pids. I think these guys will become my principle book supplier.

DaleDe · 11-22-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

Received a very prompt reply from Books About Everything and they allow 4 pids. I think these guys will become my principle book supplier.

That is the standard for MobiPocket books. It is possible but not easy to deregister a device when you need a new one.

Dale

HappyMartin · 11-23-2007, 12:16 AM

Some sellers only allow 2 for some reason

HarryT · 11-23-2007, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

That is the standard for MobiPocket books. It is possible but not easy to deregister a device when you need a new one.

Dale

I think that FictionWise allow you to freely edit the PID list. The editing screen certainly looks as though it lets you do so, anyway. I've currently only got two devices registered, so it's not been a problem for me so far.

JSWolf · 11-24-2007, 08:45 AM

If you get a new computer or even a new system drive, what can you do to keep the same computer PID that you had previously so you can still read your Mobipocket ebooks without having to edit the PID list on all the sites you've purchased from and then have to redownload them all over again?

HarryT · 11-24-2007, 03:55 PM

I think, on a PC, that the PID is generated from the MAC address.

JSWolf · 11-24-2007, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think, on a PC, that the PID is generated from the MAC address.

So is there any way to keep the same PID if you change to a different/new computer? That might make it difficult otherwise.

HarryT · 11-24-2007, 04:27 PM

I'm a little puzzled by the question, Jon. Why would you be bothered about what the PC's Mobi PID is - do you read books on your PC?

Unless you want to buy a DRM-protected book to read on your PC, it's completely irrevelent what its PID is. The bookstore only cares about the PID of your reading device.

JSWolf · 11-24-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm a little puzzled by the question, Jon. Why would you be bothered about what the PC's Mobi PID is - do you read books on your PC?

Unless you want to buy a DRM-protected book to read on your PC, it's completely irreverent what its PID is. The bookstore only cares about the PID of your reading device.

On another forum I read, someone was saying that he lost some ebooks when he changed his computer due to DRM. I'm trying to figure out what formats can and cannot be moved over to a new computer with DRM. I know BBeB can if you unregister the old computer, register the new computer, download the books again. But can a new computer be setup in a way that your Mobipocket PID can be kept?

wallcraft · 11-25-2007, 01:35 AM

Many network routers masquerade as PCs by cloning their MAC address. See MAC Addressing. Cloning on a PC might work for preserving MobiPocket PIDs, but I have never tried it. I don't think this is DRM circumvention if you do this because of a machine (or Ethernet card) upgrade. It obviously is DRM circumvention if you have several machines with the same PID (from cloned MAC addresses).

As others have pointed out, providing the e-book store you bought from is still open you can change the PIDs allowed on MobiPocket e-books and download them again for the new device. If the store closes, techniques like cloning (or outright DRM breaking) are your only alternatives to get the e-books on new devices.

HarryT · 11-25-2007, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

On another forum I read, someone was saying that he lost some ebooks when he changed his computer due to DRM. I'm trying to figure out what formats can and cannot be moved over to a new computer with DRM. I know BBeB can if you unregister the old computer, register the new computer, download the books again. But can a new computer be setup in a way that your Mobipocket PID can be kept?

As I said before, if you don't want to READ your DRM-protected books on your PC, it's just a matter of copying your books from one computer to the other - that's what I do. I just use my computer to store my Mobi books, not to read them, so I don't have my computer's PID registered at any bookstore.

If you did want to have your PC as one of your registered devices on which to read the DRM content, then you'd have to register the new computer's PID at the bookstore and re-download the books.

I don't think there's any way in general of keeping the PID if you change the device. A PID, like a MAC address, is supposed to be unique to that device.

11-14-2007, 05:59 AM	#1
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Mobipocket pids Why do some booksellers allow 4 pids and some like BooksOnBoard only 2? I was under the impression that this was controlled in some fashion by mobipocket its self. Can each bookseller set their own policy? With only 2 pids I can read only on my iliad as the other pid is used by the download machine. Is there some way of downloading directly say to the CF card mounted in the iliad and will this save me a pid? I never read on my PC. I cant believe I understand the above. Geekdom looms.

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11-14-2007, 07:37 AM	#2
tribble iLiad Maniac Posts: 1,382 Karma: 2369 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Device: Bookeen Opus (i love that thing) and iPad (what an irony)	Mobipocket allows up to 4. What the retailer allows is up to him (max of 4 though). He could even let you download the book for only a short period of time only, not keep the books in an archive for you.

11-14-2007, 07:44 AM	#3
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	Does Mobipocket allow you to change a pid?

11-14-2007, 08:10 AM	#4
tribble iLiad Maniac Posts: 1,382 Karma: 2369 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Device: Bookeen Opus (i love that thing) and iPad (what an irony)	yes, and so can a retailer. But there is a maximum to changing your devices and i dont know, what the maximum is.

11-22-2007, 02:09 AM	#5
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Received a very prompt reply from Books About Everything and they allow 4 pids. I think these guys will become my principle book supplier.

11-23-2007, 12:16 AM	#7
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Some sellers only allow 2 for some reason

11-24-2007, 08:45 AM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,750 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If you get a new computer or even a new system drive, what can you do to keep the same computer PID that you had previously so you can still read your Mobipocket ebooks without having to edit the PID list on all the sites you've purchased from and then have to redownload them all over again?

11-24-2007, 03:55 PM	#10
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I think, on a PC, that the PID is generated from the MAC address.

11-24-2007, 04:27 PM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm a little puzzled by the question, Jon. Why would you be bothered about what the PC's Mobi PID is - do you read books on your PC? Unless you want to buy a DRM-protected book to read on your PC, it's completely irrevelent what its PID is. The bookstore only cares about the PID of your reading device.

11-25-2007, 01:35 AM	#14
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	Many network routers masquerade as PCs by cloning their MAC address. See MAC Addressing. Cloning on a PC might work for preserving MobiPocket PIDs, but I have never tried it. I don't think this is DRM circumvention if you do this because of a machine (or Ethernet card) upgrade. It obviously is DRM circumvention if you have several machines with the same PID (from cloned MAC addresses). As others have pointed out, providing the e-book store you bought from is still open you can change the PIDs allowed on MobiPocket e-books and download them again for the new device. If the store closes, techniques like cloning (or outright DRM breaking) are your only alternatives to get the e-books on new devices.