Comments on: eBooks.com’s read-online service: Read your purchases instantly and without eBabel hassles http://www.teleread.org/2007/10/19/ebookscoms-read-online-service-read-your-purchases-instantly-and-without-ebabel-hassles/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:01:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/2007/10/19/ebookscoms-read-online-service-read-your-purchases-instantly-and-without-ebabel-hassles/comment-page-1/#comment-590657 David Rothman Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:11:50 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7306#comment-590657 Alan and Xendula and Therese... A: If people are determined to pirated books, they'll be able to do so with or without DRM, such as by scanning. X: Hey, but aren't there plenty of other locations where you can read. ebooks.com is increasing the options. T: Shouldn't people be able to enjoy e-books, too---and do so any way they want? The eBook.com approach will make it easier to shop for just the right book and read it from most any Web-enabled computer hooked up with the Net. To me, it's the WORDS that count. By the way, if you want to write an anti-e-book essay, I'll be pleased to give you space in the main part of the blog for some civil dialogue between you and us E-lovers. Thanks. David Alan and Xendula and Therese…

A: If people are determined to pirated books, they’ll be able to do so with or without DRM, such as by scanning.

X: Hey, but aren’t there plenty of other locations where you can read. ebooks.com is increasing the options.

T: Shouldn’t people be able to enjoy e-books, too—and do so any way they want? The eBook.com approach will make it easier to shop for just the right book and read it from most any Web-enabled computer hooked up with the Net. To me, it’s the WORDS that count. By the way, if you want to write an anti-e-book essay, I’ll be pleased to give you space in the main part of the blog for some civil dialogue between you and us E-lovers. Thanks. David

]]> By: Therese Stegman http://www.teleread.org/2007/10/19/ebookscoms-read-online-service-read-your-purchases-instantly-and-without-ebabel-hassles/comment-page-1/#comment-590114 Therese Stegman Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:03:08 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7306#comment-590114 This is about computers, not books. Please leave my books alone. This is about computers, not books. Please leave my books alone.

]]> By: xendula http://www.teleread.org/2007/10/19/ebookscoms-read-online-service-read-your-purchases-instantly-and-without-ebabel-hassles/comment-page-1/#comment-582833 xendula Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:15:44 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7306#comment-582833 The only problem is that you can't take your books with you to the beach, the park, the doctor's office or the supermarket line. The only reason why my non-techie sister could be motivated into reading ebooks was that she could carry tons of books on her Pocket PC. If she had to look for a wifi connection whenever she wants to read, she would definitely not even bother. Besides, free wifi connections are not as ubiquous in Europe as they are in the US. It’s a nice service for techies and people who do not read ebooks outside of their own home - not for anyone I know, though. The only problem is that you can’t take your books with you to the beach, the park, the doctor’s office or the supermarket line.

The only reason why my non-techie sister could be motivated into reading ebooks was that she could carry tons of books on her Pocket PC. If she had to look for a wifi connection whenever she wants to read, she would definitely not even bother. Besides, free wifi connections are not as ubiquous in Europe as they are in the US.

It’s a nice service for techies and people who do not read ebooks outside of their own home – not for anyone I know, though.

]]> By: Bill Janssen http://www.teleread.org/2007/10/19/ebookscoms-read-online-service-read-your-purchases-instantly-and-without-ebabel-hassles/comment-page-1/#comment-580795 Bill Janssen Fri, 19 Oct 2007 23:43:25 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7306#comment-580795 Good to see <i>someone's</i> paying attention! Good to see someone’s paying attention!

]]> By: Alan Wallcraft http://www.teleread.org/2007/10/19/ebookscoms-read-online-service-read-your-purchases-instantly-and-without-ebabel-hassles/comment-page-1/#comment-580633 Alan Wallcraft Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:23:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7306#comment-580633 If eBooks.com really means "any computer that’s connected to the internet", i.e. any web browser, then it should not take too long for someone to produce an application to remove the DRM from eb20 e-books. The basic problem for web-based e-book applications is that either the encryption is removed on the server (DRM-free data steam entering your computer, and easy to redirect) or by the browser (browser-specific software on your computer: can't be used on just "any computer" and may still not be secure). However, perhaps eBooks has worked out a third way - delivering screen-sized images to the browser for example. If eBooks.com really means “any computer that’s connected to the internet”, i.e. any web browser, then it should not take too long for someone to produce an application to remove the DRM from eb20 e-books. The basic problem for web-based e-book applications is that either the encryption is removed on the server (DRM-free data steam entering your computer, and easy to redirect) or by the browser (browser-specific software on your computer: can’t be used on just “any computer” and may still not be secure). However, perhaps eBooks has worked out a third way – delivering screen-sized images to the browser for example.

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