Comments on: The F word: What’s the best way to get Amazon to stop its eBabeling and do the IDPF format on the Kindle? http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:38:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: A Flame re-Kindle(d)! « .stuff http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-634211 A Flame re-Kindle(d)! « .stuff Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:01:58 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-634211 [...] hasn’t really waded into the debate yet, except for some grumblings about the clear snub to .epub (and, accept it guys, you are obsessed over the Tower of eBabel). And, while we get an onslaught of [...] [...] hasn’t really waded into the debate yet, except for some grumblings about the clear snub to .epub (and, accept it guys, you are obsessed over the Tower of eBabel). And, while we get an onslaught of [...]

]]> By: The Kindle Gets Launched! « .stuff http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-634204 The Kindle Gets Launched! « .stuff Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:48:42 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-634204 [...] hasn’t really waded into the debate yet, except for some grumblings about the clear snub to .epub (and, accept it guys, you are obsessed over the Tower of eBabel). And, while we get an onslaught of [...] [...] hasn’t really waded into the debate yet, except for some grumblings about the clear snub to .epub (and, accept it guys, you are obsessed over the Tower of eBabel). And, while we get an onslaught of [...]

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633596 Mike Cane Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:00:34 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633596 >>>The Sony Reader is still expected to do .epub in the future (though you never know). DE can already do .epub, and the PRS-505 will be upgradeable to DE. Let’s just hope it includes .epub.

Oy vey. Nests within nests, like one of those Russian dolls!!

Well, you saw my emails today about borrowing ebooks from the NYPL. The NYPL said I needed Adobe Reader. Which I had. But I also wound up downloading Adobe DE and sampled them in that. Here, how do I bloody know what actual format those ebooks were in? Is DE a format different than PDF? Can DE just read PDF?

My head hurts…

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633577 David Rothman Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:18:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633577 Mike, slip at the keyboard. I meant: The Sony Reader is still expected to do .epub in the future (though you never know). DE can already do .epub, and the PRS-505 will be upgradeable to DE. Let's just hope it includes .epub. Thanks. David Mike, slip at the keyboard. I meant: The Sony Reader is still expected to do .epub in the future (though you never know). DE can already do .epub, and the PRS-505 will be upgradeable to DE. Let’s just hope it includes .epub. Thanks. David

]]> By: Brian Carnell http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633557 Brian Carnell Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:32:09 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633557 “I looked through the Kindle manual (available at Amazon). It sounds as if, in ‘experimental’ mode, the Kindle can act as a web browser. I didn’t see anything about paying for this. If so, that’s a really interesting capability–and one that just might make this device a bargain (if it doesn’t go away).”

Yes, it can. Right now I’m on my Kindle browsing Washington Post site on Amazon’s dime instead of subscribing to the Washington Post Kindle edition…wonder just how “experimental” this is going to be.

From there I surf on over to Project Gutenberg and in a few minutes I’m reading Beowulf. No charge, no DRM, no problems.

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633555 Mike Cane Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:27:54 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633555 >>>Last I knew, Adobe DE was still expected to do .epub. Heard anything different? Geez, you know I can't keep these "Babelonian" terms straight. This is the first time I've realized there's any connection between Adobe DE and .epub. I need to catch up... >>>Last I knew, Adobe DE was still expected to do .epub. Heard anything different?

Geez, you know I can’t keep these “Babelonian” terms straight. This is the first time I’ve realized there’s any connection between Adobe DE and .epub. I need to catch up…

]]> By: Brian Carnell http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633554 Brian Carnell Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:24:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633554 “I looked through the Kindle manual (available at Amazon). It sounds as if, in ‘experimental’ mode, the Kindle can act as a web browser. I didn’t see anything about paying for this. If so, that’s a really interesting capability–and one that just might make this device a bargain (if it doesn’t go away).”

Yeah, there’s the rub. Yes, the experimental mode acts as a basic web browser…even does a decent job of showing images in greyscale.

Again, what I don’t get is this…I’m curretnly reading the Washington Post on Amazon.com’s dime over wireless on the Kindle instead of spending the $12/month or whatever to subscribe to the Post Kindle edition.

How long will Amazon allow that to go on?

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633484 David Rothman Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:37:15 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633484 Hi, Mike. If I go ahead with plans to sell the Sony, it'll be to help finance the OLPC Laptop. Last I knew, Adobe DE was still expected to do .epub. Heard anything different? As for the Kindle--hey, you never know. I've got my mob contacts at various shipping terminals waiting for the right moment. David Hi, Mike. If I go ahead with plans to sell the Sony, it’ll be to help finance the OLPC Laptop.

Last I knew, Adobe DE was still expected to do .epub. Heard anything different?

As for the Kindle–hey, you never know. I’ve got my mob contacts at various shipping terminals waiting for the right moment.

David

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633465 Mike Cane Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:11:52 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633465 So, David, will you be selling your Sony Reader to get this? And has the campaign to get Sony to do IDPF ended? What about Adobe Digital Editions? If the Sony Reader gets that, how would that make the Kindle look? The wireless feature of the Kindle is exciting, but I really want to read end-user reports over the coming weeks. I still favor the bookish design of the Reader. The Kindle could simply wind up as a Nerd Toy. So, David, will you be selling your Sony Reader to get this? And has the campaign to get Sony to do IDPF ended? What about Adobe Digital Editions? If the Sony Reader gets that, how would that make the Kindle look?

The wireless feature of the Kindle is exciting, but I really want to read end-user reports over the coming weeks. I still favor the bookish design of the Reader. The Kindle could simply wind up as a Nerd Toy.

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633453 Rob Preece Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:57:04 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633453 I looked through the Kindle manual (available at Amazon). It sounds as if, in 'experimental' mode, the Kindle can act as a web browser. I didn't see anything about paying for this. If so, that's a really interesting capability--and one that just might make this device a bargain (if it doesn't go away). The manual specifically says the Kindle does support unencrypted Mobipocket but that you won't be able to read your encrypted Mobipocket books bought from other vendors (not sure what this means for encrypted Mobipocket books bought from Mobipocket). I think Amazon is doing a good thing offering books at a discount of their choice--and paying publishers based on our price rather than their random discounts. Mobipocket is more welcoming to small publishers than is Sony, which means more of our books are already available for Kindle, and will become available for Kindle. I wish Amazon the best of luck with this--and have added it to my Amazon wish list in case anyone in blog-land is planning on giving me a gift any time soon. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com I looked through the Kindle manual (available at Amazon). It sounds as if, in ‘experimental’ mode, the Kindle can act as a web browser. I didn’t see anything about paying for this. If so, that’s a really interesting capability–and one that just might make this device a bargain (if it doesn’t go away).

The manual specifically says the Kindle does support unencrypted Mobipocket but that you won’t be able to read your encrypted Mobipocket books bought from other vendors (not sure what this means for encrypted Mobipocket books bought from Mobipocket).

I think Amazon is doing a good thing offering books at a discount of their choice–and paying publishers based on our price rather than their random discounts.

Mobipocket is more welcoming to small publishers than is Sony, which means more of our books are already available for Kindle, and will become available for Kindle.

I wish Amazon the best of luck with this–and have added it to my Amazon wish list in case anyone in blog-land is planning on giving me a gift any time soon.

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

]]> By: Brian Carnell http://www.teleread.org/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-633435 Brian Carnell Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:28:04 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11/20/the-f-word-whats-the-best-way-to-get-amazon-to-stop-its-e-babeling-and-do-the-idpf-format-on-the-kindle/#comment-633435 I should have mine in hand shortly, but I think the claim that it will read HTML nativly on an SD card is just plain wrong. The manual is pretty clear that the only non-AZW formats supported directly are text files and non-DRMed Mobipocket.

“When I get my hands on one, I might actually have some kind words to say in my Publishers Weekly blog—assuming that the Kindle can in fact seamlessly load in books via wireless”

The interesting thing is that it will download wirelessly regardless of site. So, for example, if Project Gutenberg started offering every book in Mobipocket format, you could simply navigate there, click on a link, and it will download the file directly and you’re good to go.

So, theoretically, you could bypass the Amazon.com store entirely for all public domain/Creative Commons/ etc. content. I’m amazed they didn’t try to plug that hole since they’re picking up the costs of the wireless connection.

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