Introduction: eb20 Online Reader by eBooks.com

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Stephen Cole

Steve, Greg's comment is right: at eBooks.com, you do get to download the book to your computer / device and, in that sense at least, you are able to keep it forever. Also, the online version is also there whenever you need it.

But your reservations are fair too. Things are still too ephemeral in the e-world. PCs die, businesses fold. BN.com's sudden exit from ebooks was a case in point.

Stephen

Good point that. Businesses DO fold. Including eb20. There will come a day when eb20 (or it's successor app) folds away the tent and disappears into the sands of time. So, for all those people who're contemplating buying ebooks which they plan to read online with eb20, are you willing to put up, say, at $10,000,000,000 performance bond to guarantee that the funds will be there to maintain the database - how does your p.r. fluff put it, oh yeah, 'in perpetuity'? No. Didn't think so.

And, of course, *WHEN* eb20 disappears into the mists of history, all those users who've been promised the ability to read their ebooks 'online' will lose that, won't they? And, of course, with all that 'strong anti-piracy' effort, there's a good chance these same users will have to shell out even MORE money to get new e-copies of their works. Let's hope they'll be smart enough to buy them in a non-DRM format.

Derek

[bachus26]

i just bought a few books expecting to be able to down load them onto my sony e-reader?? is this not possible?

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by bachus26

i just bought a few books expecting to be able to down load them onto my sony e-reader?? is this not possible?

It depends on what format they are in, see eBooks.com: Which download format should I choose?. The Adobe ebooks (PDF) will work on your PRS-700, since it includes mobile Adobe Digital Edtions. The MobiPocket (MOBI/PRC) and MicroSoft (LIT) ebooks have DRM (encryption) that prevent them from being converted to run on the PRS-700. It is possible to strip the DRM from either format and then shift the DRM-free ebook to LRF or ePub using Calibre. Not everyone agrees, but in my opinion this is legal in the US for personal use of ebooks you bought.