E-Book Stores: More Important than the Device - Page 2

rogue_librarian · 05-28-2010, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Not nearly an equal comparison as that would severely limit my usage of my car.

Actually, I think that's quite a good analogy: a car that only runs on a certain brand of gasoline (widely available at "competitive prices", no worries!). DRM severely limits the use of my books, tying it to a particular device as it does.

Quote:

Again, I'm no fan of DRM. I hope it dies soon.

That's one thing we can easily agree upon.

GhostHawk · 05-28-2010, 07:55 AM

"Being tied to the Kindle store hasn't limited me at all as I've found everything I wanted at a reasonable price, still have easy access to Feedbooks and the other sources for public domain books, and can use other book stores if need be."

Don't those books that come from other sources have to be converted?
Kindles read Epub's now? RTF? Mobi? FB? not to mention htm, .txt, and others.

"Again, I'm no fan of DRM. I hope it dies soon. But for the time being it doesn't really affect me as I re-read books so seldom and the Kindle app is on so many devices now I can still easily read on different machines."

Not so much a matter of DRM as it is proprietary formats.

I load what I want, when I want, from wherever I want on my Jetbook.
Can you say the same about your Kindle?
Yes, there are ways to work around it, but the device is tied to the store.

The store is only more important than the device when they are tied together.

If you have a device that can go anywhere, load anything "which" store is no longer an issue.

So yes the "Ford" analogy does hold together. Your limited with what you can do, and where you can go. You just prefer not to look at it that way. Which is fine, that is your choice.

dmaul1114 · 05-28-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostHawk

Don't those books that come from other sources have to be converted?
Kindles read Epub's now? RTF? Mobi? FB? not to mention htm, .txt, and others.

No.

Most all sources for public domain books have them available in Mobi format.

Feedbooks even has a guide file for Kindle that you load on the Kindle and then can download all their public domain books directly into the Kindle from it's web browser via a quick download. I think there are a few other similar guide documents for Kindle--maybe also one from this site.

Kindle store books are .Mobi as well--just with Amazon's own DRM attached unfortunately.

Just different strokes. I'm a light/casual/mainstream reader so I can find all I want on the Kindle between the Amazon store and public domain books--and I've never had to convert a book yet. And probably never would as there's more in the Amazon store and places like Feedbooks already in Mobi format that I could read in a lifetime.

When I buy some kind of gadget, my number 1 concern is convenience. And the Kindle was by far the most convenient e-reader at the time with it's wireless downloads, attached book store, Feedbooks guide for public domain books etc.

I appreciate that you and others loathe DRM, attached stores etc. and want something that supports multiple formats etc. Just a non-issue to me personally.

Enraptured · 05-30-2010, 10:15 AM

I wouldn't buy a device that only let me buy from one store. I've bought ebooks from Sony, Fictionwise, Kobo, Books on Board, Baen, Lulu, Smashwords... My reader can read all of them, and so will most readers out there. If I'm looking for a book, chances are I can find it at several different stores, and will be able to read the book on both my current reader and my next one (with the exception of books from B&N, but I'm hoping other readers will be updated to read their version of Adobe DRM). So for me, the device is more important, since it determines how comfortable and easy it will be to read the books I buy; the store I choose only affects the price (and sometimes availability, but I'll sacrifice Amazon's bigger selection for the ability to read my books on multiple readers).

Poppa1956 · 05-30-2010, 11:16 AM

IN the late Precambrian, when Personal computers were becoming popular, I Was sure my TI-99/4A was the cuttingist-edge since the stone knife. Then I traded up to a Coleco Adam(TM), and in turn, a Commodore 128, Atari ST, a Mac Classic, and a series of Win-boxes.
I couldn't even take the cassettes from the TI-99, put them in the Adam, and expect a positive result, nor when I started using computers that took the same size discs, could I take data from one computer to another ("peer-to-peer" was still directions for boating).
I believe that, at some point, the virtual dust in the eBook world will settle, and one format will reign supreme, just as it happened in the computer world. There will be pretenders to the throne along the way (Does any body still use CP/M?) Meanwhile, reading enthusiasts will engage in often heated debate about the best reader, the best format, the details of reading an actual, physical book that are missed or poorly synthesized when using a particular reading device, et cetera, ad nauseum.

watershawl · 06-01-2010, 01:06 PM

@Poppa1956 Yes, I agree, the ereader market just hit mainstream at the end of 2009 and is now in full tilt in 2010, which means it could be a while before we all consolidate and declare a winner.

By the way I started out using cassettes and TV for a computer, moved up to a Zenith without a hard drive, then a 386, 486, P120 Gateway, then a Compaq PIII, and so on...I feel ya.

05-30-2010, 10:15 AM	#19
Enraptured Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 262 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Nook Touch	I wouldn't buy a device that only let me buy from one store. I've bought ebooks from Sony, Fictionwise, Kobo, Books on Board, Baen, Lulu, Smashwords... My reader can read all of them, and so will most readers out there. If I'm looking for a book, chances are I can find it at several different stores, and will be able to read the book on both my current reader and my next one (with the exception of books from B&N, but I'm hoping other readers will be updated to read their version of Adobe DRM). So for me, the device is more important, since it determines how comfortable and easy it will be to read the books I buy; the store I choose only affects the price (and sometimes availability, but I'll sacrifice Amazon's bigger selection for the ability to read my books on multiple readers). Last edited by Enraptured; 05-30-2010 at 10:18 AM.

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05-28-2010, 07:55 AM	#17
GhostHawk Data Privateer! Posts: 586 Karma: 62887 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Fargo ND Device: Ectaco Jetbook& Jetbook Lite	"Being tied to the Kindle store hasn't limited me at all as I've found everything I wanted at a reasonable price, still have easy access to Feedbooks and the other sources for public domain books, and can use other book stores if need be." Don't those books that come from other sources have to be converted? Kindles read Epub's now? RTF? Mobi? FB? not to mention htm, .txt, and others. "Again, I'm no fan of DRM. I hope it dies soon. But for the time being it doesn't really affect me as I re-read books so seldom and the Kindle app is on so many devices now I can still easily read on different machines." Not so much a matter of DRM as it is proprietary formats. I load what I want, when I want, from wherever I want on my Jetbook. Can you say the same about your Kindle? Yes, there are ways to work around it, but the device is tied to the store. The store is only more important than the device when they are tied together. If you have a device that can go anywhere, load anything "which" store is no longer an issue. So yes the "Ford" analogy does hold together. Your limited with what you can do, and where you can go. You just prefer not to look at it that way. Which is fine, that is your choice.

05-30-2010, 11:16 AM	#20
Poppa1956 Evangelist Posts: 487 Karma: 344188 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon, USA Device: Verizon Ellipsis Tablit w/Kindle and Nook apps.	IN the late Precambrian, when Personal computers were becoming popular, I Was sure my TI-99/4A was the cuttingist-edge since the stone knife. Then I traded up to a Coleco Adam(TM), and in turn, a Commodore 128, Atari ST, a Mac Classic, and a series of Win-boxes. I couldn't even take the cassettes from the TI-99, put them in the Adam, and expect a positive result, nor when I started using computers that took the same size discs, could I take data from one computer to another ("peer-to-peer" was still directions for boating). I believe that, at some point, the virtual dust in the eBook world will settle, and one format will reign supreme, just as it happened in the computer world. There will be pretenders to the throne along the way (Does any body still use CP/M?) Meanwhile, reading enthusiasts will engage in often heated debate about the best reader, the best format, the details of reading an actual, physical book that are missed or poorly synthesized when using a particular reading device, et cetera, ad nauseum.

06-01-2010, 01:06 PM	#21
watershawl Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: May 2010 Device: nook	@Poppa1956 Yes, I agree, the ereader market just hit mainstream at the end of 2009 and is now in full tilt in 2010, which means it could be a while before we all consolidate and declare a winner. By the way I started out using cassettes and TV for a computer, moved up to a Zenith without a hard drive, then a 386, 486, P120 Gateway, then a Compaq PIII, and so on...I feel ya.