Comments on: Why librarians need to care about DRM and e-book standards—and affordable hardware http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:28:10 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Michael Harris http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/comment-page-1/#comment-1091174 Michael Harris Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:37:13 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/#comment-1091174 Two things to consider. 1) The Sony Reader can be purchased for $150. Visit this link: http://www.sonyrewards.com/en/gateway/?offerlink=snreader300 . As I read it, the way that it works is that when you buy the reader with your new Sony Visa card you get 'card credits'. 2) Another choice is to look into the EZReader Pocket Pro from Astak. I understand it will be available in about four weeks from, say by the end of July if not sooner. It is expected to run Adobe Digital Editions and to cost between $199 to $210 from http://www.goezebook.com/ . The pocket pro is a 5" next generation reader. Alternatively, there will be a few last generation 6" EZReaders on sale from Fry's next weekend (July 4th) -- perhaps as low as $219. Two things to consider.
1) The Sony Reader can be purchased for $150. Visit this link: http://www.sonyrewards.com/en/gateway/?offerlink=snreader300 . As I read it, the way that it works is that when you buy the reader with your new Sony Visa card you get ‘card credits’.

2) Another choice is to look into the EZReader Pocket Pro from Astak. I understand it will be available in about four weeks from, say by the end of July if not sooner. It is expected to run Adobe Digital Editions and to cost between $199 to $210 from http://www.goezebook.com/ . The pocket pro is a 5″ next generation reader. Alternatively, there will be a few last generation 6″ EZReaders on sale from Fry’s next weekend (July 4th) — perhaps as low as $219.

]]> By: Jeff Scott http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/comment-page-1/#comment-1091155 Jeff Scott Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:43:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/#comment-1091155 Try downgrading your adobe acrobat to 6.0. It should work with most devices. Before my Sony Reader, I could get them on my Dell Axim. (Still no way on the touch though.) Try downgrading your adobe acrobat to 6.0. It should work with most devices. Before my Sony Reader, I could get them on my Dell Axim. (Still no way on the touch though.)

]]> By: Alan Wallcraft http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/comment-page-1/#comment-1091135 Alan Wallcraft Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:29:40 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/#comment-1091135 The problem is that Adobe Digital Editions is not currently available on any PDA or smartphone. ADE reads Adobe PDF library ebooks, but, based on this report, these ebooks are no longer readable by Adobe's ebook reader for the Palm. Note that Acrobat Reader isn't necessarily sufficient because these PDF ebooks are encrypted. MobiPocket ebooks are readable on most PDAs/smartphones (but not the iPhone). OverDrive sells MOBI lending library ebooks but a library must separately buy MOBI and Adobe versions. This is like saying a hardback book comes with a red and a blue cover and a library can only lend the red covers to surnames A-M and the blue covers to surnames N-Z. Overdrive should offer multi-DRM licences (perhaps at a price premium) so that a single ebook could either be lent as a PDF (or an ePub) or a MOBI ebook. The problem is that Adobe Digital Editions is not currently available on any PDA or smartphone. ADE reads Adobe PDF library ebooks, but, based on this report, these ebooks are no longer readable by Adobe’s ebook reader for the Palm. Note that Acrobat Reader isn’t necessarily sufficient because these PDF ebooks are encrypted.

MobiPocket ebooks are readable on most PDAs/smartphones (but not the iPhone). OverDrive sells MOBI lending library ebooks but a library must separately buy MOBI and Adobe versions. This is like saying a hardback book comes with a red and a blue cover and a library can only lend the red covers to surnames A-M and the blue covers to surnames N-Z. Overdrive should offer multi-DRM licences (perhaps at a price premium) so that a single ebook could either be lent as a PDF (or an ePub) or a MOBI ebook.

]]> By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/comment-page-1/#comment-1091106 Steve Jordan Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:50:06 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/29/why-librarians-need-to-care-about-drm-and-e-book-standards-and-affordable-hardware/#comment-1091106 Linda's use of a Palm Pilot suggests a dedicated reader may not suit her as well as a PDA or smartphone, which can do multiple tasks as well as be an e-book reader. For instance, I use a PDA, the HP iPaq (another dying breed), and Adobe makes versions of its Acrobat reader for those. An iPod Touch also provides organizer functions plus allows you to read e-books... and of course, if you get an iPhone, you can read e-books, and sign up for Amazon's Kindle service (though I still understand you have to buy a Kindle itself, so maybe that's not the best deal). And finally, maybe it's time to move up to a netbook or UMPC, many of which are very portable, start at $300 and provide multiple uses, not just reading. Linda’s use of a Palm Pilot suggests a dedicated reader may not suit her as well as a PDA or smartphone, which can do multiple tasks as well as be an e-book reader. For instance, I use a PDA, the HP iPaq (another dying breed), and Adobe makes versions of its Acrobat reader for those.

An iPod Touch also provides organizer functions plus allows you to read e-books… and of course, if you get an iPhone, you can read e-books, and sign up for Amazon’s Kindle service (though I still understand you have to buy a Kindle itself, so maybe that’s not the best deal).

And finally, maybe it’s time to move up to a netbook or UMPC, many of which are very portable, start at $300 and provide multiple uses, not just reading.

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