Harry Potter eBooks to be officially sold

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, the Kindle can load Mobi books via its browser. It works fine, for example, for the Mobi books in our library here at MR.

Ah, well, there you go.

[pilotbob]

Of course PotterMore could always email the ebook your Kindle. Many author sites that sell books are doing this now. You of course do have to add them as an authorized sender in your Mange My kindle page.

You could also use Calibre to email it to your kindle. I don't think I have hooked my Kindle to the computer in over a year now.

BOb

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Do most of them with browsers allow for downloading of files, and of those who do, do they add the files to the library if it is an ebook? Some of the stuff I've seen can't do either.

Aren't they supposed to? If there is a store linked to the device, isn't the process of getting a book from the store technically downloading?

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Yeah, this idea that browser = download ability is not a good assumption. I know from experience that an unrooted Nook Classic most definitely cannot download books directly from the internet, at least not from a Dropbox location.

I can't imagine it. I mean, why would the customers accept this? If they used a computer before they should expect that the browser would also be able to download.

[Shopaholic]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

I can't imagine it. I mean, why would the customers accept this? If they used a computer before they should expect that the browser would also be able to download.

Yes but they download from the specific store's site ie Amazon, Borders, Kobobooks, Barnes & Noble or Sony for the 950 but you can't surf the net and find a site to download a book. As far as I know, it goes directly to the particular manufacturer's book selling site.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Shopaholic

Yes but they download from the specific store's site ie Amazon, Borders, Kobobooks, Barnes & Noble or Sony for the 950 but you can't surf the net and find a site to download a book. As far as I know, it goes directly to the particular manufacturer's book selling site.

The Kindle can download a Mobi format book from pretty much any site with it's browser, it's not tied to only Amazon's store.

[Jessica Lares]

JKR has always had loads of control over HP. She has NEVER liked to get companies involved because she wants to protect her young readers. She is known to have rejected so many promotional offers. I don't think she likes the idea of stuff like iBooks/Kindle advertising with her book plastered all over it. She wants the fans to buy books and not a $100 toy (the iPad is a toy, it is marketed as a toy pretty much in the ads/the Kindle is getting to be almost a toy, but not quite). She rejected a TV series too I do believe.

I think this is pretty bad though. Not just really bad timing, but just overall a bad approach to finally getting the book out in digital format. It's actually pretty depressing, because it's like she hasn't got with the times.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

I can't imagine it. I mean, why would the customers accept this? If they used a computer before they should expect that the browser would also be able to download.

What can't you imagine? The N2 browser isn't even advertised as part of the device; the only use anyone can get out of it is basically backdoor access. It shocks you, therefore, that the browser on the device doesn't have the same capabilities of the browser on your computer? Does the browser on your phone behave exactly the same as the one on your computer? I very much doubt it -- even cross-platform browsers like Opera behave differently on phone and computer. Why should a browser on an eInk device be somehow equally to one on a computer?

I'm similarly confused by your "why would the customers accept this" statement. I don't use the web browser on any of my eReader devices -- I either download directly from the store (which is NOT the same as browser downloading), or I sideload my books.

This is...fairly standard for all devices, except maybe the Kindle which (as has been pointed out) will support direct browser downloading. I'm not sure why you seem to think that all customers start out with the expectation otherwise.

[Dulin's Books]

I've used the browser on the Onyx Boox to download stuff allover the net. Books from here and Gutenberg in epub and mobi. Manga from another. Space Opera PDFs from Raygun Revival. DRM'd epubs from Books on Board and Powels etc.

I've used the PocketBook 902 to read engadget and autoblog, check my gmail and download a book or two. It's not quite as useable as the webkit browser on the Boox.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

I've used the PocketBook 902 to read engadget and autoblog, check my gmail and download a book or two. It's not quite as useable as the webkit browser on the Boox.

The Kindle's browser is based on webkit, too. Its main limitation (on the Kindle, that is) is that there's no support for multiple windows, so if a site wants to open a popup window, you're out of luck. That means that, for example, with my ISP's webmail interface, I can see a list of e-mail messages on the Kindle, but I can't read or write a message, since both of those activities use popups.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Why should a browser on an eInk device be somehow equally to one on a computer?

Not equal, just able to perform the same basic functions. I got a device with wifi because I intended to use it to go online and download books. I never even considered that I wouldn't be able to do that.

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I'm similarly confused by your "why would the customers accept this" statement. I don't use the web browser on any of my eReader devices -- I either download directly from the store (which is NOT the same as browser downloading), or I sideload my books.

Because browsers go with the ability to download. I don't really understand how a person that buys a reader that has a browser can think: oh, it isn't capable of downloading, that's normal. Since we're moving towards a world that is based on cloud storage, haw can you not expect to have access to it. And how is downloading directly from the store NOT the same as browser downloading? Isn't it just copying a file from a web address?

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

Not equal, just able to perform the same basic functions. I got a device with wifi because I intended to use it to go online and download books. I never even considered that I wouldn't be able to do that.

Because browsers go with the ability to download. I don't really understand how a person that buys a reader that has a browser can think: oh, it isn't capable of downloading, that's normal. Since we're moving towards a world that is based on cloud storage, haw can you not expect to have access to it. And how is downloading directly from the store NOT the same as browser downloading? Isn't it just copying a file from a web address?

I'm guess I'm just a little surprised that you assume that everyone expects a browser to have a download ability. Well, different strokes, I guess. I was disappointed when my Nook Classic turned out not to be able to download from my Dropbox account, but not overly surprised. And I'm pretty sure my old RIM phone's browser had serious limits on downloading. Maybe that's been improved since I moved to Android.

Perhaps B&N agrees with you that Browser = Download, and that is why they don't claim a browser for the N2 device, even though it does in fact have a very rudimentary one (that can't download).

[JoeD]

I read this thread initially with a bit of trepidation. Whilst it was nice to hear that J.K.R has finally understood eBooks or at least realised some people do prefer them to paper books, I was expecting the books to be rife with DRM. If the news items are true and it is just a watermark, then I know what I'm buying in October

I said years ago on here that I'd never buy the paper books as I'm pretty much eBooks only now so would either miss out on the entire series or have to borrow it from a friend. Either way J.K wouldn't have seen a penny from me. But she's picked the perfect time to release the eBooks, close enough to the release of the final film that my interest is still there for reading the books.

As for the sub-discussion of watermarks been DRM, well, I do agree they are DRM, but its a form that's about as good a compromise between the existing alternative and draconian DRM schemes and no DRM at all.

The only restriction it really imposes is on re-sale and since you're licensing the book and not supposed to resell it, it's a form of DRM that actually does what it's supposed to do and no more.

It won't prevent you using the content on the devices of your choice, editing it if you wish, reformatting and knowing you can port it to new devices in the future, making notes and so on.

Would I rather buy books totally DRM free. Yes. But if a book is only available with watermarks I don't mind buying it. The only thing that would put me off is if the watermarks are visible in any way.

[anonymoose]

In the news today. Google eBooks is going to be selling Harry Potter too.

Google Strikes Deal With J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore for Harry Potter Ebooks
http://mashable.com/2011/07/20/google-pottermore/

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by anonymoose

In the news today. Google eBooks is going to be selling Harry Potter too.

Google Strikes Deal With J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore for Harry Potter Ebooks
http://mashable.com/2011/07/20/google-pottermore/

The article also says that Google Checkout will be the exclusive payment platform.