Linux compatibility question and online ebook stores?

[ePingus]

Hi,

I have never used ebooks before and am just about to purchase a reader out of which I have decided on going for a Sony PRS350 and Aluratek Libre Pro as they're small and pocketable which is what I need.

Now since I'm only accustom to using PDF's on my notebook or oldskool hardcopy books (non fiction based engineering books) I am a bit confused as to where to get the media from and if like going to any book store (eg. Amazon) I can buy them permanently and not need to borrow like a library.

I am an engineer by trade so I will be looking at grabbing certification guides and other books based on explaining how things work, as well as fiction novels for relaxing.

To start with I use the Linux/UNIX platform on my personal computer and everything at work is based around that also. I don't have any access to MS Windows or Mac OSX. This means that I will need to go the long way round for DRM issues in terms of Adobe Digital Editions and use wine to emulate MS.

Have found a quick link here:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3916420

which kinda describes where to get it from.

Although in another posting of mine when I was trying to work out which reader to get in the first place; did find some software to edit PDF's in order to make them work better with low-res smaller readers such as the 5" ones I specified but additionally found some software that would remove the DRM entirely:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47224


So without further ado I would really like to know if my setup would be compatible for using an eReader plus ebook (either ePDF or Epub format) combo or if I will enter any problems??


Additionally I would like to know of any good online stores in order to get technical publications and novels from? - the reason I ask is that I have Google'd a bit and come up with certain sites saying "hey you can download this for free" then not actually 'serving' the content at all.

An example book would be the Cisco CCNP Route 642-902 certification guide that I would like for eReader format. Basically something like Amazon but with support for devices other then the Kindle.


Many thanks in advance and sorry if the questions seem obvious!

[JoeD]

Whilst I use linux, I've never tried to use ADE on it, so can't really say how well that'll work with wine.

Book wise, try O'Reilly they sell DRM free books so you should have no problem loading those via linux. Don't discount Amazon just because you don't have a kindle though. If your device supports mobi format, you just need to remove the DRM, otherwise you'd also need to convert (which is pretty simple with calibre).

That said, if you find most of the tech books you'd want are available on amazon, something like the DX might be more suitable due to larger screen size working better with PDFs.

Have you considered the kindle? Due to the wifi delivery you can pretty much avoid any platform issues you may otherwise encounter, plus it appears as a standard USB hdd for loading of non DRM'd content. Screen is imo too small for reading PDFs though, DX would be better suited to that (or ipad), but if the tech books are reflowable, kindle is worth a look.

[ePingus]

Thanks for the response JoeD!

I did actually check out the Kindle as that was one of my first options and hence my first thread was created about which reader to get:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...2&goto=newpost


The Kindle however, is quite large and my biggest concern is portability as I do not wish to carry around an extra bag or backpack in order to store the device.


Without getting into my previous 'threads' discussion all over again and double posting; the tech books I will be looking at contain mainly text and computer code so I reckon any device should suffice for it........

As long as I can grab them in a sufficient format that will work with the reader as they do not need to be PDF. PDF's are great as they're mostly free - tech manuals etc... but I can purchase proper formats for books no probs there. It also works out slightly cheaper then physical copies I beleive according to what I've read.

[susan_cassidy]

The new Kindle (the $79 one) is quite small. 6.5" x 4.5" x 0.34" (166 mm x 114 mm x 8.7 mm)

Most technical PDFs are not going to work well on a 5" or 6" screen.

[rdjack21]

Like JoeD above I only use linux as well and have had no issues with my NST. I have also installed in wine (all in the same environment so every thing works well together) Nook, Kindle and ADE, all of them seem to be working as expected. But I should say that I have not used ADE to actually purchase anything yet. Both the Nook and Kindle software I have used to purchase content and they work just fine.

For reading on my computer and format shifting I use Calibre.

As far as books go I have found that the Tech (Programming) books I have purchased have not been DRM protected (Manning, O'Reilly, and another one but don't remember the publisher).

For hardware (the reader) go with what best suites your needs then just use Calibre to format shift the content you do buy. Personally I don't read PDF's or Tech books on my NST mostly because I have not had the need to. Generally I just read them on my laptop but I have been eyeing a refurb Nook Color because for the price it is getting hard to pass up. But even then I think I will generally stick to reading Tech books on my laptop.

[ePingus]

Most technical PDFs are not going to work well on a 5" or 6" screen.

I have already had this debate in my previous posting about which device to get. However, currently since I use my QVGA 320x240 res Blackberry 9700 - an eReader would be a much welcome improvement.

Besides like the Cisco CCNP book mentioned above I am sure that acquiring it in eReader compatible format will be just like any other novel apart with additional diagrams.......


My initial question really was basically if there was an online store similar to Amazon that carried many books of both fiction and academic/educational content that would be compatible with both my notebook and an eReader for max portability.


I mean I have a 12.1" 'ultraportable' notebook which is small but doesn't work well on the train or bus; or if I am in a plane the batter will last for max 1 hour.


Well.... maybe it's just back to Google then for searches on the reading material I require to see if I can get it in any other format other then paper 'hard copy'.

[ePingus]

Like JoeD above I only use linux as well and have had no issues with my NST. I have also installed in wine (all in the same environment so every thing works well together) Nook, Kindle and ADE, all of them seem to be working as expected. But I should say that I have not used ADE to actually purchase anything yet. Both the Nook and Kindle software I have used to purchase content and they work just fine.

For reading on my computer and format shifting I use Calibre.

As far as books go I have found that the Tech (Programming) books I have purchased have not been DRM protected (Manning, O'Reilly, and another one but don't remember the publisher).

For hardware (the reader) go with what best suites your needs then just use Calibre to format shift the content you do buy. Personally I don't read PDF's or Tech books on my NST mostly because I have not had the need to. Generally I just read them on my laptop but I have been eyeing a refurb Nook Color because for the price it is getting hard to pass up. But even then I think I will generally stick to reading Tech books on my laptop.

Aha so things do seem to be brightening up for me

Thanks for the input rdjack21!!

[DiapDealer]

Yes, ADE v1.7 performs well running under WINE, but ADE v1.8 does not currently play nice with WINE.

If Adobe were to ever make the jump to ADE v1.8 mandatory, there may be insurmountable issues for Linux/WINE users. Just throwing that out there. Many Linux users have already been voicing their concerns about this.

[rdjack21]

Originally Posted by ePingus

I mean I have a 12.1" 'ultraportable' notebook which is small but doesn't work well on the train or bus; or if I am in a plane the batter will last for max 1 hour.

Oh man that is horrible battery life! I have a ThinkPad X61 2G Core 2 duo 12.1" display 8 cell battery and I get 5-6hrs on it. You can buy this exact laptop on ebay for about $200 but to get good battery life you may need to replace the battery. My T410 (14" i5 2.66Ghz 9 cell) on the other had gets 8-9hrs of battery life with a fairly new battery. The X61 is about 5 years old while my T410 is less than a year old.

Have you thought about replacing the battery in your laptop? They do need to be replaced every now and then. I bet that would help as far as battery life goes at least.

Since my kids have claimed my X61 I've been looking at maybe getting a X200 Tablet with an IPS screen. I mean why in the heck would I want to spend $500+ bucks on a 10" tablet when I can get a 12.1" tablet that is far more capable and only cost me ~$350 (used from ebay). But then again I may go the cheap route and get another X61 I mean at $200 it is a great laptop.

[ePingus]

Have you thought about replacing the battery in your laptop?

Actually the battery is now totally kaput! I mean the bios is even claiming that it needs to be replaced meaning I don't get 10 minutes out of it.....

Since the device is always plugged in at the moment it doesn't really need replacing. I'm not a big fan of carting heavy things around anyway.

I would only get a tablet netbook or tablet ultraportable if I really needed it which would mean at the datacenter at work.

My Blackberry 9700 has taken care of most things for me; including web browsing, email and even SSH logins to remote servers.

The only time that I would actually need the battery would be when flying as I'm not a fan of using a notebook on transport since journey times are really too short to go through all the hastle of powering up, logging in, taking a peek at something, powering down then putting the device away.

Actually, I have the Libre Pro and the Sony PRS 350 on order right now which should come in within the next few days. I'll see how I get with those before looking into anything else at this point.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Yes, ADE v1.7 performs well running under WINE, but ADE v1.8 does not currently play nice with WINE.

If Adobe were to ever make the jump to ADE v1.8 mandatory, there may be insurmountable issues for Linux/WINE users. Just throwing that out there. Many Linux users have already been voicing their concerns about this.

And adobe made it clear they didn't care. Crossover also said they would not do specific dev for ADE. But, they say getting .NET 3 running was on their list, and as .NET is the most likely cause for ade not playing nice.

[ePingus]

And adobe made it clear they didn't care. Crossover also said they would not do specific dev for ADE. But, they say getting .NET 3 running was on their list, and as .NET is the most likely cause for ade not playing nice.

Why does the MS Empire have to be so much like the Nazi's????

That's why I stopped using MS Win after 95 and switched to Mac then Linux and UNIX.

Us Linux and UNIX users should have more support for our platforms. Ok so Solaris, BSD, AIX, or HP-UX might not be that common but Linux has a huge user-base of loyal and dedicated fans.

With books that are purchased online sure if they need to be digitally signed in order to be able to activate them for certain computers or mobile devices fine but then why discriminate in the process???

I mean it's like saying that Americans are able to buy a certain book title, just for argument Of Mice and Men. But Canadians aren't and will be limited distribution in Mexico.

Oh heck and now Global OS politics has driven me totally off topic of my original thread.... grrrr

[ePingus]

Why does the MS Empire have to be so much like the Nazi's????

That's why I stopped using MS Win after 95 and switched to Mac then Linux and UNIX.

Us Linux and UNIX users should have more support for our platforms. Ok so Solaris, BSD, AIX, or HP-UX might not be that common but Linux has a huge user-base of loyal and dedicated fans.

With books that are purchased online sure if they need to be digitally signed in order to be able to activate them for certain computers or mobile devices fine but then why discriminate in the process???

I mean it's like saying that Americans are able to buy a certain book title, just for argument Of Mice and Men. But Canadians aren't and will be limited distribution in Mexico.

Oh heck and now Global OS politics has driven me totally off topic of my original thread.... grrrr

Pardon my saying so but all this fiasco over a simple book???.................

Buy a compatible scanner - buy the paperback copy - scan the whole book in - convert the media to text or PDF or whatever suites - whack it onto an eReader and Bob's your uncle (well not in my case as I don't have an uncle called Bob, but still.....).

Less hastle then taking on the Third Reich!

[DiapDealer]

I just use ADE in a Virtualbox XP Guest installation to purchase and download the books... then I can save it to a Shared Folder that my Host Linux computer has access to. As long as both ADE installs (Linux/XP) are registered with the same Adobe ID, the ebook files can be shared and sent to a device that's registered to the same Adobe ID.

It's not pretty, but as a Linux user... I'm quite used to getting my hands a little dirty when trying to integrate with the (mostly) non-Linux world.

Sucks, but I'm not going to despair over it or anything.

[ePingus]

Yeah I guess you're right!

VBox with XP+ should be a good combo.....