Buying unprotected EPUB ebooks? Or good text-to-speech? - Page 2

GlenBarrington · 04-24-2011, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amward

Don't forget BeWrite books, they don't have DRM and have a good selection of books.

Just went there to look around. Man! that is the UGLIEST web site I have ever seen!

Hatgirl · 04-24-2011, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

Just went there to look around. Man! that is the UGLIEST web site I have ever seen!

Heee.... yeah, it is a bit like traveling back to the 90s. But they do have very enlightened customer service principals.

neilmarr · 04-25-2011, 12:48 PM

Glen, you sure you're seeing the current website and not accessing through an out-dated browser. A hundred percent reaction is that the BeWrite Books site is one of the most attractive and easily navigable sites out there. The front page is deliberately retro -- everything inside is the best design, navigation and merchant software imagination and money can buy. Cheers. Neil

Anke Wehner · 04-25-2011, 01:26 PM

I've certainly seen uglier websites than the BeWrite start page, but the hardly-readable font there used for a chunk of text does put me off.

After a look at the genre listing, I'd also say it gives a too limited impression of the offerings - the "olden-times book" thing looks like you're specialising in fantasy or historical romance.

Main part of the site looks much better, yes.

amward · 04-25-2011, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

Just went there to look around. Man! that is the UGLIEST web site I have ever seen!

Are we talking about the same place? I love it, it's almost like going to a book store and really easy to navigate. Also the best customer service you're ever likely to get anywhere.

neilmarr · 04-26-2011, 04:14 AM

That's the idea, Amward. The home page is intended as an old-fashioned welcome. And we do live up to those traditional values. Anything linked from the buttons there hits thoroughly modern pages with easy links to genres, new titles, author bios, book notes, reviews, free extracts, buying details, etc.

I guess that olde worlde home page is a matter of personal taste, but I must confess that the first negative comments we've had are in this thread. Your thoughts, Glen and Anke, are much appreciated. You can count on us taking the advice seriously and disucssing it thoroughly.

My only worry is that sometimes -- when someone has mentioned difficulty -- we've found the problem is down to old browser versions leading them to early trial runs of the site before the makeover was complete and went live mid last-year. All's fixed simply by updating their old Firefox, Internet Explorer or whatever. I guess this isn't the case with you, though, and that your opinions are based on what's actually presented.

Thanks and best wishes. Neil

mjhudston · 04-26-2011, 04:47 AM

I have probably missed something, but why not try Audio Books from Audible or Itunes? Being read by a real person / persons, I tend to find the emotion that can be conveyed is far superior to a Text to Speech converter which is emotionless.

HarleyB · 04-26-2011, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjhudston

I have probably missed something, but why not try Audio Books from Audible or Itunes? Being read by a real person / persons, I tend to find the emotion that can be conveyed is far superior to a Text to Speech converter which is emotionless.

I just read this thread twice trying to work out why nobody suggested Audio books. My father in law has just lost his sight and is eligible for free audio books. He is loving them and now asks for specific narrators as well as authors when choosing his next books.

neilmarr · 04-26-2011, 09:33 AM

We're currently in post-production of our first audio book (Bosley Gravel's 'The Movie'). To do the job properly meant recruiting professional actors, a fully equipped studio in California, sound technicians, mixers and a tape editor. It's not a matter of merely having someone read out loud into a tape recorder. Big job -- and darned expensive -- to produce an outstanding piece of work. Nowt's easy. Cheers. Neil

PS: We do, of course, always enable text-to-speed wherte the facility is available. It's more 'human' now than it once was, but still a tad robotic. Not so much a complete experience as a prompt for those with less than perfect eyesight or a reading disability of some other kind. In that way, it does its job. N

Elfwreck · 04-26-2011, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjhudston

I have probably missed something, but why not try Audio Books from Audible or Itunes? Being read by a real person / persons, I tend to find the emotion that can be conveyed is far superior to a Text to Speech converter which is emotionless.

Potentially, because the selection is much more limited, and there's no option to compare the spoken words to text. And I believe Audible books have DRM; they don't work on just any MP3 player.

AJ Starr · 04-26-2011, 09:53 AM

My prefered Audio book store is AudioBookStand.com. They offer CD and MP3s (which is the only kind I buy), and also they have a sister site that does downloads, though not in MP3. AudioBookStandDL.com.

Their prices are good if not better than the other stores, especially if you are keeping the books not just renting them. And they have excellent clearance prices also.

If you just want to rent, do you have Overdrive where you are? They have audio books there also.

Piper_ · 04-26-2011, 06:48 PM

Some of us do not like audio books because of the interpretation and dramatizations of the narrator, as well as the inability to use other functions available in text ebooks.

Listening to TTS is more like reading a book; we only hear the words, with just enough inflection and pauses to capture essential punctuation.

It is indeed bland, but that neutral delivery is what allows us to use our own imaginations and hear the voices and emotional states of the characters as we will, without interference. That's the best part of reading books, to me.

Zita · 04-29-2011, 02:57 PM

The kind of books my sister is mostly interested in aren't usually available as audiobooks, hence the need for a workable text-to-speech solution.

NoLearningLimits · 04-21-2012, 09:27 PM

This is an accessibility topic. Android and Iphone (Ipad) devices have accessibility apps designed for people with print disabilities. ReadToGo is one for the Apple products and Darwin Reader and GoRead are products for the Android. All of these apps will automatically link to Bookshare.org. Bookshare.org membership is required. Membership is allowed to people with a print disability; visual, learning disability, mobility, etc. Bookshare provides the type of text you need. The apps provide you with the tools to use them.

Yapyap · 04-22-2012, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoLearningLimits

This is an accessibility topic. Android and Iphone (Ipad) devices have accessibility apps designed for people with print disabilities. ReadToGo is one for the Apple products and Darwin Reader and GoRead are products for the Android. All of these apps will automatically link to Bookshare.org. Bookshare.org membership is required. Membership is allowed to people with a print disability; visual, learning disability, mobility, etc. Bookshare provides the type of text you need. The apps provide you with the tools to use them.

Aren't things like that generally US-only? The original poster mentions she's from the UK.

04-26-2011, 04:14 AM	#21
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	That's the idea, Amward. The home page is intended as an old-fashioned welcome. And we do live up to those traditional values. Anything linked from the buttons there hits thoroughly modern pages with easy links to genres, new titles, author bios, book notes, reviews, free extracts, buying details, etc. I guess that olde worlde home page is a matter of personal taste, but I must confess that the first negative comments we've had are in this thread. Your thoughts, Glen and Anke, are much appreciated. You can count on us taking the advice seriously and disucssing it thoroughly. My only worry is that sometimes -- when someone has mentioned difficulty -- we've found the problem is down to old browser versions leading them to early trial runs of the site before the makeover was complete and went live mid last-year. All's fixed simply by updating their old Firefox, Internet Explorer or whatever. I guess this isn't the case with you, though, and that your opinions are based on what's actually presented. Thanks and best wishes. Neil Last edited by neilmarr; 04-26-2011 at 04:24 AM. Reason: trypo

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04-25-2011, 12:48 PM	#18
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Glen, you sure you're seeing the current website and not accessing through an out-dated browser. A hundred percent reaction is that the BeWrite Books site is one of the most attractive and easily navigable sites out there. The front page is deliberately retro -- everything inside is the best design, navigation and merchant software imagination and money can buy. Cheers. Neil

04-25-2011, 01:26 PM	#19
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	I've certainly seen uglier websites than the BeWrite start page, but the hardly-readable font there used for a chunk of text does put me off. After a look at the genre listing, I'd also say it gives a too limited impression of the offerings - the "olden-times book" thing looks like you're specialising in fantasy or historical romance. Main part of the site looks much better, yes.

04-26-2011, 04:47 AM	#22
mjhudston All round good egg Posts: 229 Karma: 1005039 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Apple Ipad 3rd Generation	I have probably missed something, but why not try Audio Books from Audible or Itunes? Being read by a real person / persons, I tend to find the emotion that can be conveyed is far superior to a Text to Speech converter which is emotionless.

04-26-2011, 09:33 AM	#24
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	We're currently in post-production of our first audio book (Bosley Gravel's 'The Movie'). To do the job properly meant recruiting professional actors, a fully equipped studio in California, sound technicians, mixers and a tape editor. It's not a matter of merely having someone read out loud into a tape recorder. Big job -- and darned expensive -- to produce an outstanding piece of work. Nowt's easy. Cheers. Neil PS: We do, of course, always enable text-to-speed wherte the facility is available. It's more 'human' now than it once was, but still a tad robotic. Not so much a complete experience as a prompt for those with less than perfect eyesight or a reading disability of some other kind. In that way, it does its job. N

04-26-2011, 09:53 AM	#26
AJ Starr Guru Posts: 815 Karma: 1029784 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nebraska, USA Device: PEZ, Color Libre, 2@Sony T1, Onyx i62HD	My prefered Audio book store is AudioBookStand.com. They offer CD and MP3s (which is the only kind I buy), and also they have a sister site that does downloads, though not in MP3. AudioBookStandDL.com. Their prices are good if not better than the other stores, especially if you are keeping the books not just renting them. And they have excellent clearance prices also. If you just want to rent, do you have Overdrive where you are? They have audio books there also.

04-26-2011, 06:48 PM	#27
Piper_ ~~~~~ Posts: 761 Karma: 1278391 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: USA Device: Kindle 3, Sony 350	Some of us do not like audio books because of the interpretation and dramatizations of the narrator, as well as the inability to use other functions available in text ebooks. Listening to TTS is more like reading a book; we only hear the words, with just enough inflection and pauses to capture essential punctuation. It is indeed bland, but that neutral delivery is what allows us to use our own imaginations and hear the voices and emotional states of the characters as we will, without interference. That's the best part of reading books, to me.

04-29-2011, 02:57 PM	#28
Zita Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 112 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3	The kind of books my sister is mostly interested in aren't usually available as audiobooks, hence the need for a workable text-to-speech solution.

04-21-2012, 09:27 PM	#29
NoLearningLimits Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 590 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3	This is an accessibility topic. Android and Iphone (Ipad) devices have accessibility apps designed for people with print disabilities. ReadToGo is one for the Apple products and Darwin Reader and GoRead are products for the Android. All of these apps will automatically link to Bookshare.org. Bookshare.org membership is required. Membership is allowed to people with a print disability; visual, learning disability, mobility, etc. Bookshare provides the type of text you need. The apps provide you with the tools to use them.

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