New Device: Bookeen Opus

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Jellby

It will do whatever ADE does, and I'm afraid ADE does not support changing fonts (or justification, or margins...)

So the only thing it will have then is different sizes and whatever the ePub uses be it embedded or default.

[Godzil]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So the only thing it will have then is different sizes and whatever the ePub uses be it embedded or default.

Mobipocket have already such a comportment, if a file try to force a font somewhere...

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Jellby

It will do whatever ADE does, and I'm afraid ADE does not support changing fonts (or justification, or margins...)

I agree that ADE is very poor at allowing the reader to customize the layout. However, for DRM-free ePubs Calibre should be able to do the customization for you by format shifting from ePub to ePub. The trick is going to be finding a set of CSS overrides for what readers commonly want to customize.

ADE is one of the best arguments we have against DRM. It is so rigid in its "publishers always know best" approach to ebooks that they often look terrible when the publisher makes crazy layout choices. Calibre can fix these excesses, but only if the ebook is DRM-free.

[cybook_gen3]

Yes, I know what they say, I even talk to them.
They announce they will propose to choose between the ePub and the mobipocket format, but :
1) where is the mobipocket new firmware they already promised for T1/2009 ?
2) I shouldn't have to waste my time flashing my reader in a format or another according to the format of the ebook I wants to read ! It's is the same as saying that I have to flash my ipod to be able to read mp3 and flash it again it to be able to read acc : just crazy ...

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, and they also have (or will have) a different version of the firmware which will support Mobipocket DRM. You can choose which firmware you'd like or, for that matter, carry two SD cards and reflash the firmware at your whim.

You may wish to read the information about the Opus on Bookeen's web site before jumping to conclusions .

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Godzil

Why it will be the best way? If bookeen do a firmware that will run from a SD card, it's an open door to copy their firmware on other hardware clones. I seriously doubt they will do this at anytime.

Clearly you have no concept of how hardware-specific these ereader OSes are. The biggest problem with OpenInkpot is that the device drivers for the BeBook are different from that of the Kindle are different from that of the Cybook are different from that of the Sony, ad nauseum. So there is little guarantee that a BeBook mini will be able to run the Opus firmware. Yet, for the Hanlin V3 series devices, (BeBook, etc.) OI *does* work well in run-from-SD-card mode.

But given the relatively small amount of RAM available on the older e-ink devices, it's difficult to provide enough driver flexibility to guarantee that a Bookeen-developed firmware will run on a non-Bookeen device. (You can't really have the OS decide on run-time which drivers to load *AND* have enough space for ebooks on the SD card.)

No, I don't see that to be a realistic problem for Bookeen (owners of other devices 'stealing' Bookeen firmware for use on their devices).

Derek

[Gaurnim]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

But, I can't find anything if the epub DRM firmware will support non-DRM'd mobipocket...

It will not. Same thing for the Mobipocket firmware, no DRM-free epub supported.

Bookeen is using the Mobipocket software to read Mobipocket books, and they can't deactivate DRM support on it. They are also using ADE for the epub part, and can't deactivate DRM support either.

In order for the epub firmware to support DRM-free mobipocket, they would have to either develop their own Mobipocket reader or port another one, such as FBReader.

From the discussions we had with them at the rendez-vous, they are trying to focus on getting Mobipocket to agree on working alongside another DRM solution instead.

If the statu quo remains, maybe we can hope that they would consider it again.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by cybook_gen3

Yes, I know what they say, I even talk to them.

With respect, you claimed that you would have to "throw away" all of your Mobipocket books. That is simply untrue.

[Godzil]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Clearly you have no concept of how hardware-specific these ereader OSes are. The biggest problem with OpenInkpot is that the device drivers for the BeBook are different from that of the Kindle are different from that of the Cybook are different from that of the Sony, ad nauseum. So there is little guarantee that a BeBook mini will be able to run the Opus firmware. Yet, for the Hanlin V3 series devices, (BeBook, etc.) OI *does* work well in run-from-SD-card mode.

Ho yeah, that's right, I didn't know anything about computers hardware and software.

But given the relatively small amount of RAM available on the older e-ink devices, it's difficult to provide enough driver flexibility to guarantee that a Bookeen-developed firmware will run on a non-Bookeen device. (You can't really have the OS decide on run-time which drivers to load *AND* have enough space for ebooks on the SD card.)

No, I don't see that to be a realistic problem for Bookeen (owners of other devices 'stealing' Bookeen firmware for use on their devices).

Ho yes that's right, the Cool-er, the eSlick, the EB600 or the Elonex, PocketBook 310+ are NOT the same device as the Gen3, that's right. They even NOT been made by the same hardware manufacturer. And I don't count the other unknown chinese vendors that we can see around the web that does sell NOT_clone of the Cybook...

I was thinking at a time that you could work for bookeen, but now, I'm pretty sure you CANNOT even work for them. You say I know nothing, but you seems to know even less than me...

I think you don't have anything to learn to me about computer hardware and software, nor about eBooks software/hardware.

Thanks for give me a good laugh.

[HarryT]

Gentlemen - let's keep the conversation polite, please .

Thanks.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So the only thing it will have then is different sizes and whatever the ePub uses be it embedded or default.

Probably.

I was excited when we were told Bookeen was going to support ePUB. But my excitation was cooled down when it was clear they were using ADE engine. That means the same limitations and bugs and glitches, no new features, almost no possibility of customization or independent development...

[cybook_gen3]

Hopefully, I still have my cybook gen3 that works perfectly.

But I wish to copy all my mobipocket ebooks on the Opus, and that's impossible as there's no support (firmware) as of today and no release date (that's a key point with Bookeen as it seems it's difficult for them to commit on release date !...).
And when Bookeen will release the new firmware, I will have to choose between the old mobipocket and the new ePub format.

So, the choice Bookeen is offering is simple :
- sticking with the old mobipocket format, ignoring the ebooks in the new ePub format, which is the "choice of the industry" as they say : it doesn't sound to be the choice of the future, does-it ?
- adopting the new ePub format, with that question : what should I do with the 70+ mobipocket ebooks I already own and want to keep ?

Is there another choice I haven't seen ?
Can you help me ?

Originally Posted by HarryT

With respect, you claimed that you would have to "throw away" all of your Mobipocket books. That is simply untrue.

[pdurrant]

Use Calibre to convert your mobipocket books to ePUB.

Of course, if they're commercial ebooks with DRM you'd need to remove the DRM first.

Originally Posted by cybook_gen3

So, the choice Bookeen is offering is simple :
- sticking with the old mobipocket format, ignoring the ebooks in the new ePub format, which is the "choice of the industry" as they say : it doesn't sound to be the choice of the future, does-it ?
- adopting the new ePub format, with that question : what should I do with the 70+ mobipocket ebooks I already own and want to keep ?

Is there another choice I haven't seen ?
Can you help me ?

[cybook_gen3]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Of course, if they're commercial ebooks with DRM you'd need to remove the DRM first.

They are all, so it's a good idea. But how can I remove the DRM ?

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Use Calibre to convert your mobipocket books to ePUB.

Just for people that are interested : http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/

[cybook_gen3]

To answer my first question : it seems everything is available on the web !
Just ask google ;-)

[EowynCarter]

Yeap. Magic words are MobiDeDrm for mobi, and inept adobe for ePub/pdf