Comments on: Disaster has struck: My Sony Reader bites the dust http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:37:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Marcus Sundman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-873754 Marcus Sundman Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:17:11 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-873754 I wish people would stop calling DRMed stuff "protected", and instead would use the more appropriate term "restricted", which is what it is. I wish people would stop calling DRMed stuff “protected”, and instead would use the more appropriate term “restricted”, which is what it is.

]]> By: Chris Meadows http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-873717 Chris Meadows Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:26:53 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-873717 Well, anyway, I found one solution in the form of the Garnet emulator that I have since reviewed—and another, slightly shadier solution which a comment to that review informed me existed and I then sought out and found. So I'm going to have at least two ways to read that protected content on my Nokia 770. The irony is, after going to all that trouble, I went back and looked at my eReader bookshelf and realized there realy wasn't an awful lot there that I actually <i>wanted</i> to read right now. Heh. But at least I'll have that option for the future. Well, anyway, I found one solution in the form of the Garnet emulator that I have since reviewed—and another, slightly shadier solution which a comment to that review informed me existed and I then sought out and found. So I’m going to have at least two ways to read that protected content on my Nokia 770.

The irony is, after going to all that trouble, I went back and looked at my eReader bookshelf and realized there realy wasn’t an awful lot there that I actually wanted to read right now. Heh. But at least I’ll have that option for the future.

]]> By: Todd Jonz http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-872776 Todd Jonz Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:13:49 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-872776 Binko writes: > Under American style capitalism every business has an > obligation to maximize profits for shareholders. No argument there. FWIW I'm a card-carrying capitalist myself. What I *do* object to is corporations that perpetuate the myth that their fondness for DRM is all about protecting content, which I don't believe for one minute. > The only valid question is how to strike the proper > balance between short term and long term profits. Again, I agree, but as I have argued in the past I consider DRM to be a crutch that's used to prop up an outdated business model in an effort to maintain short term profits at the expense of long term market growth. Binko writes:

> Under American style capitalism every business has an
> obligation to maximize profits for shareholders.

No argument there. FWIW I’m a card-carrying capitalist myself. What I *do* object to is corporations that perpetuate the myth that their fondness for DRM is all about protecting content, which I don’t believe for one minute.

> The only valid question is how to strike the proper
> balance between short term and long term profits.

Again, I agree, but as I have argued in the past I consider DRM to be a crutch that’s used to prop up an outdated business model in an effort to maintain short term profits at the expense of long term market growth.

]]> By: Binko http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-871772 Binko Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:38:31 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-871772 "This supports my argument that publishers love DRM not because it protects content, but rather because it allows them to further monetize that content and manipulate the market." Under American style capitalism every business has an obligation to maximize profits for shareholders. The only valid question is how to strike the proper balance between short term and long term profits. So yes, publishers are absolutely concerned with maximizing the profit to be made from ebooks. They don't care about your convenience, about the good to society, about fair use or about anything else except making money. Capitalism is a wonderful system for providing efficient flows of money and goods. But it breaks down when it impacts anything that is concerned with the greater public good, things like health care, education or culture. “This supports my argument that publishers love DRM not because it protects content, but rather because it allows them to further monetize that content and manipulate the market.”

Under American style capitalism every business has an obligation to maximize profits for shareholders. The only valid question is how to strike the proper balance between short term and long term profits.

So yes, publishers are absolutely concerned with maximizing the profit to be made from ebooks. They don’t care about your convenience, about the good to society, about fair use or about anything else except making money.

Capitalism is a wonderful system for providing efficient flows of money and goods. But it breaks down when it impacts anything that is concerned with the greater public good, things like health care, education or culture.

]]> By: Todd Jonz http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-871674 Todd Jonz Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:14:55 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-871674 Fred writes: > the rights were sold by that publisher to publish > that book in that format. In order to get it in > another format, e.g., Mobipocket, you’ll have to > buy that book from that publisher again This supports my argument that publishers love DRM not because it protects content, but rather because it allows them to further monetize that content and manipulate the market. Fred writes:

> the rights were sold by that publisher to publish
> that book in that format. In order to get it in
> another format, e.g., Mobipocket, you’ll have to
> buy that book from that publisher again

This supports my argument that publishers love DRM not because it protects content, but rather because it allows them to further monetize that content and manipulate the market.

]]> By: Fred Kiesche http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-871659 Fred Kiesche Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:45:50 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-871659 The Robotech Master (love it) asks: "I wonder if they’ll let me re-download eReader books I bought from Palm in other formats? Probably not, but I guess I might as well ask." Nope. I asked. The answer was essentially that the rights were sold by that publisher to publish that book in that format. In order to get it in another format, e.g., Mobipocket, you'll have to buy that book from that publisher again in the new format. So, have I, since the expansion of the Fictionwise line, re-bought any books? Nope. The Robotech Master (love it) asks:

“I wonder if they’ll let me re-download eReader books I bought from Palm in other formats? Probably not, but I guess I might as well ask.”

Nope. I asked. The answer was essentially that the rights were sold by that publisher to publish that book in that format. In order to get it in another format, e.g., Mobipocket, you’ll have to buy that book from that publisher again in the new format.

So, have I, since the expansion of the Fictionwise line, re-bought any books?

Nope.

]]> By: Marcus Sundman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-871245 Marcus Sundman Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:52:52 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-871245 How do you synchronize the position in the book if you're switching between your phone and a dedicated ebook-device? If both would show a percentage and had a "go to percentage"-function then you could do it manually. Hmm.. readers really should have some way of sending and receiving bookmarks (including the implicit "current position" one). How do you synchronize the position in the book if you’re switching between your phone and a dedicated ebook-device? If both would show a percentage and had a “go to percentage”-function then you could do it manually. Hmm.. readers really should have some way of sending and receiving bookmarks (including the implicit “current position” one).

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-871047 Mike Cane Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:31:43 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-871047 OMG! It was a *505* that died? Honestly, I don't see how you can downgrade to the accursed K. I know the hassle of the Sony (I've linked to your post here!), but having the public library access is just killer, even if bothersome. OMG! It was a *505* that died? Honestly, I don’t see how you can downgrade to the accursed K. I know the hassle of the Sony (I’ve linked to your post here!), but having the public library access is just killer, even if bothersome.

]]> By: Paul Biba http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-871001 Paul Biba Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:31:24 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-871001 Nate: it's a 505, so no go. Nate: it’s a 505, so no go.

]]> By: Nate the great http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-870982 Nate the great Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:07:20 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-870982 Paul, have you thought about taking advantage of the trade in offer announced today? Paul, have you thought about taking advantage of the trade in offer announced today?

]]> By: Jim Lester http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-870906 Jim Lester Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:24:20 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-870906 Thanks for the change, and sorry to hear about your Reader mishap. My wife slammed her 500 in the car door last year. She is so used to having a eInk reader that she just went out and bought a new 505 before I even heard about it. I'll post the gruesome pictures if anybody wants. Thanks for the change, and sorry to hear about your Reader mishap. My wife slammed her 500 in the car door last year. She is so used to having a eInk reader that she just went out and bought a new 505 before I even heard about it. I’ll post the gruesome pictures if anybody wants.

]]> By: Paul Biba http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-870871 Paul Biba Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:40:30 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-870871 Jim: good idea! Done. Jim: good idea! Done.

]]> By: Jim Lester http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-870858 Jim Lester Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:23:10 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-870858 Please add a "My" in the title, or small heart-attacks may occur when people read the title as generic instead of specific :) Please add a “My” in the title, or small heart-attacks may occur when people read the title as generic instead of specific :)

]]> By: Chris Meadows http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-870854 Chris Meadows Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:18:44 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-870854 Oh? Huh. They must have done it when I wasn't looking. I wonder if they'll let me re-download eReader books I bought from Palm in other formats? Probably not, but I guess I might as well ask. Oh? Huh. They must have done it when I wasn’t looking.

I wonder if they’ll let me re-download eReader books I bought from Palm in other formats? Probably not, but I guess I might as well ask.

]]> By: Rich Adin http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/07/disaster-has-struck-sony-reader-bites-the-dust/#comment-870851 Rich Adin Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:12:11 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11749#comment-870851 Sorry about your disaster but it is a good reason why it would have paid to have purchased Sony's extended warranty. I paid $70 for a 3-year warranty that includes accidental damage coverage. A lot cheaper, should I need it, than buying a new ebook device. Sorry about your disaster but it is a good reason why it would have paid to have purchased Sony’s extended warranty. I paid $70 for a 3-year warranty that includes accidental damage coverage. A lot cheaper, should I need it, than buying a new ebook device.

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