Why this Apple Fan doesn't read iBooks

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by leebase

It is only in the eInk world that a device is all but captive to the store the device maker tailors it to.

Only in YOUR eink world, perhaps, not in THE eink world. Like many others at MR, I read books from Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords on my Kobo but this sort of vendor agnosticism is not limited to MR ereader nerds. It's a selling point for many eink devices.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

An e-ink device reads books really well,

Kindles, not really. You have a fixed set of settings and that's it. Wide L/R margins and a wide line-height at it's best. The other settings are unusable. As they make the L/R margins and line-height even larger.

That's why I made ChareInk as I did because it can reduce the line-height for KF8 and negative margins can reduce the L/R margins.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

3. They want a device that doesn't distract with notifications from other apps.
4. They want a device that will last weeks without needing a recharge.

#4 is really good. Imagine going on an 8+ hour flight and your device running out of power. I prefer not having to dig out the charging cable and (maybe) the charger to then have to find the plug (if there is one) to change my phone or tablet.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Only in YOUR eink world, perhaps, not in THE eink world. Like many others at MR, I read books from Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords on my Kobo but this sort of vendor agnosticism is not limited to MR ereader nerds. It's a selling point for many eink devices.

But, take the Kindle with the average non-techy type person. They are going to buy eBooks from Amazon. They won't know about removing DRM and converting. yes in the US they can also borrow from Overdrive but outside the US, they cannot borrow from Overdrive.

So really, most Kindle users are rather locked into Amazon's walled garden.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

...take the Kindle with the average non-techy type person...

So really, most Kindle users are rather locked into Amazon's walled garden.

Yes, but they also don't complain about it and recommend Kindles to others.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. And in this example, the horse may not even be thirsty.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by leebase

The platforms that Apple and Google command - provide something like 5 Billion people the chance to read books from anyone that can make an app.

I read my Kindle books on devices made by Apple and Google.

It is only in the eInk world that a device is all but captive to the store the device maker tailors it to.

Not true for eInk. But close to true for iOS. Less true for Android as most devices have a setting to allow non-Playstore apk apps.

I've had five makes of eInk. All could read DRM free books from any source. Some Amazon books are DRM free. All 80,000+ PD ebooks work on just about any eink ereader and have no DRM.
DRM doesn't actually really work. It's not hard to read ebooks with DRM from Kobo, Google or Amazon outside their ecosystems.
Apple did remove DRM from MP3s. The ebook DRM is doomed.

I'd not bother buying ebooks from Apple Books or Barnes & Noble as it's pointless. They have no DRM content that's not at the same price or cheaper elsewhere on average and it's more work to remove their DRM. Smashwords has no DRM.

It's trivial to convert epub to azw3 for Kindle, or to mobi for very first Kindles or lrf for first Sony, or pdb for earliest phones and PDAs. It's trivial to Download to PC from Amazon and convert mobi, azw or azw3 to epub (all current non-Kindle ereaders) or lrf for first Sony, or pdb for earliest phones and PDAs.

You can't install any app on iPhone or iPad unless it's from Apple Store. You can't run an iOS app on Android or Windows.
You can't convert an Android App to iOS and couldn't install it if you could. It's just about possible, but flaky, to run an Android App on Linux or Windows.
A real reflowable ebook will work on any eink reader, and free viewers on Palm OS, Symbian, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, BSD etc.
A flxed layout Kindle file will only work maybe on a Fire or Kindle App. It's like a PDF in an Amazon wrapper.
PDFs are not ebooks. They are electronic documents as print replica or for actual publishing on paper. They do need a big tablet or larger eink.

I read my Kindle books on devices made by Apple and Google.

About half of ebooks are read on phones and tablets. About 92% of the English language ones are sold by Amazon. Google doesn't make most Android devices and less than 1% of ebooks are sold by Google, so it's an irrelevant comment. I've sometimes read part of an ebook on a 4.3″ Android phone older than my iPhone. The 32G Apple iPhone was pristine when given to me but only had the factory apps and even several years ago no ereader or mp3 player could be installed. So can't read ebooks on it. The older Android 4 phone still installs players and reader apps from Google's Playstore.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Only in YOUR eink world, perhaps, not in THE eink world. Like many others at MR, I read books from Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords on my Kobo but this sort of vendor agnosticism is not limited to MR ereader nerds. It's a selling point for many eink devices.

Warhammer ebooks are DRM free. Buy via Web browser and download. Copy via USB to any ereader.

Reading 3rd party or PD ebooks is far more difficult on the iOS Apple Books App, or Kindle App or Google PlayStore Books App. It's the big company Apps on iOS, Windows, Chrome OS and Android that are locked to a store. Not ereaders.

I've never bought ebooks from a store on the Kindle or Kobo. I use a Web Browser. Download, make a backup, and copy via USB to Sony PRS-350, or Kindle or Boyue Mars or Kobo. Mostly I read bought books on a Kobo Sage now and have never used the Kobo Bookstore.

Reading PD ebooks since before 2000 (on Laptop or PC). Bought eBooks since maybe 2012 or 2013. Selling ebooks since maybe 2016. First MSS rejection in 1992.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Warhammer ebooks are DRM free.

Too bad their prices are so outrageous. (Unless they are cheaper directly from Games Workshop. On Amazon, they are sold at prices that make me think they don't really want anyone to purchase them.)

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Too bad their prices are so outrageous. (Unless they are cheaper directly from Games Workshop. On Amazon, they are sold at prices that make me think they don't really want anyone to purchase them.)

They were not bought on Amazon because the fan's dad had directly downloaded epubs, but I didn't ask which dark bookshop sold them. I was able to copy them from an SD card extracted from inside a broken ereader. Possibly a Nook. However turns out they did have a backup and obviously not bought from Barnes & Noble because no DRM, so simply copying to the lad's replacement Kobo worked.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Quoth

They were not bought on Amazon because the fan's dad had directly downloaded epubs, but I didn't ask which dark bookshop sold them. I was able to copy them from an SD card extracted from inside a broken ereader. Possibly a Nook. However turns out they did have a backup and obviously not bought from Barnes & Noble because no DRM, so simply copying to the lad's replacement Kobo worked.

I haven't bought Warhammer ebooks, but I have bought from 2000AD and they also sell DRM free epubs and CBZ files. So I could see another British company (Games Workshop) also having such sensible standards.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Too bad their prices are so outrageous. (Unless they are cheaper directly from Games Workshop. On Amazon, they are sold at prices that make me think they don't really want anyone to purchase them.)

They are still silly prices direct from the publisher.

[Aleron Ives]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I would add to the above list

5. Reading is the user's primary recreation.

I would also add:

6. The user wants to read e-books without eye strain.

I used to read library e-books on a computer, and the eye strain got so bad it felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head. I primarily bought an e-reader to be able to read without hurting my eyes in the process.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Reading 3rd party or PD ebooks is far more difficult on the iOS Apple Books App, .

Has chucking epubs into Apple Books become much more difficult since the last time I did it?
*checks*
Nope, still easy.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

They are still silly prices direct from the publisher.

Yeah, when I got home I went to the Black Library website and checked. I very much appreciate them selling DRM-free ePubs. But $19 for the Eisenhorn omnibus? Ye gods!

[leebase]

Originally Posted by meeera

All but captive to the what now? Just this past week alone I've loaded onto my kobo a book from Amazon, a book from Smashwords, books from two different public libraries, stories from Patreon authors, an indie SF magazine...

Thus the "all but" instead of "is"