Diesel Ebooks Offering "Test DRM" Ebook

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=testdownload' target='_blank'>http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bi...ry=testdownload</a><br /><br /></div><i>"To some, downloading an encrypted ebook for the first time can create apprehension. They want to make sure everything "works okay" before they make that first click. The vast majority of purchases are downloaded without a hitch, but in those few instances where there is a "hiccup", 99% are due to a setting or background process on the downloaders computer causing a block...Now you can be confident by downloading one of our three encrypted "test" ebooks before you make a purchase. It's absolutely free. First, pick your favorite format and click on the button below. We have also included some guidance on what you should expect from your test download."</i><br /><br />It's sad that we need something like this, but I'm glad that Diesel Ebooks are doing it. If you've never tried DRMed e-books before, this might be the first stop you want to make. They've got test downloads for Microsoft Reader and eReader (and Adobe, but I believe that's desktop-only).

[hamishmacdonald]

Yeah, and then when you move to your umpteenth mobile device, as I just did, you're not allowed to read the MS Reader books you paid for because you're run out of activations.

So I've cracked the titles I bought, and I won't be buying any more DRM-protected books. I can't really, can I?, because I won't be allowed to read them.

I've used the form to request an additional activation, which immediately came back as a "No" (clearly no human had read or considered it), so I used another form somewhere or another, and haven't heard anything since.

Utter nonsense.

[ctmagnus]

I hit the activation limit as well. Fortunately, I've been cracking all my DRMed lits ever since I started downloading DRMed lits.

[VanHlebar]

Another option is to use eReader. I have been doing so since I purchased my first HP Jornada 525 and I have never had an issue with DRM when moving from one device to another. I have had 7 different devices in the past 3-4 years and never had an issue with it.

I have even changed my credit card used to purchase the eReader books and all I had to do was enter a new card and redownload the books. It was a simple as that.

I think eReader has the best format and most user friendly of the DRM. I stopped using MS Reader, when I purchased two Shannara books and then changed my device and found out I had no more activiations also....

Just my thoughts. I just wish the industry would come to a single method and I wish more Authors or publishers would offer more books in ebook format. It is the only way I will read books now.

-Eric

[Gerard]

Interesting. I tried going to the test download page in Pocket IE and got instead a very minimal 'mobile' page - same URL, just shows me close to nothing. The closest available link there is 'Test Palm Download' which is not relevant for a PPC user.

So I tried going there in NetFront. Same thing. So I powered up my PC, opened Firefox, and went again. Got a nice fat page full of content and links, including the three download format links... only when I clicked on the Microsoft Reader button I was dumped to a page which told me my Reader was not activated.

Feeling a bit concerned, since I was under the impression my Reader was activated on both PC and PPC, I went to a known-DRM LIT file on the PC and opened it. Reader opened in a second, showing first the generic "this copy of Microsoft Reader is activated for ..." page, then opening the title page.

I then checked with a known-DRM ebook on my PPC, a different book, and sure enough it's activated too.

So am I to assume from this that the test page will only work for IE on a PC? Okay, I haven't had to use IE in a while, and haven't wanted to, but what the heck why not try?

So I opened IE6, pasted in the Diesel URL, and went again to the test links page. Clicked on the Reader option. Waited while a temporary re-direction page displayed.... then got this:

"Faulty Customer Credentials
We are sorry. The customer credentials you sent do not match the credentials on the order. Please see our support page for more information."

Ummmmm..... I am not a Diesel customer. Never have been. So is this test stuff strictly for existing Diesel customers? If that's the case, perhaps it'd be a good idea to correct the story here. Hardly a generic DRM test page, is it? Or is everyone else able to use it and I'm just some sort of freak? Don't answer that. But it is curious, that I should not be able to detect a legitimate activation on my PC at least. And as I mostly bought LIT ebooks (when I bought them, which I no longer do as the format is too much bother to hack into HTML for ubook to open. I looked at all the error messages on their ebook downloading troubleshooter FAQ page, but the above message was not listed there.

This is not relevant enough to my life and habits for me to waste more effort on it. I just thought to post this here, in case anyone else is having problems and doesn't know if they're alone in it, and also in case Diesel reads this and is interested. I hope their ebook downloading for actual customers works better than this![/u]

[ChristopherTD]

Yeah, and then when you move to your umpteenth mobile device, as I just did, you're not allowed to read the MS Reader books you paid for because you're run out of activations.

So I've cracked the titles I bought, and I won't be buying any more DRM-protected books. I can't really, can I?, because I won't be allowed to read them.

I've used the form to request an additional activation, which immediately came back as a "No" (clearly no human had read or considered it), so I used another form somewhere or another, and haven't heard anything since.

Utter nonsense.

Exactly the same thing happened to me recently, and I never heard anything backm, but when I tried to activate again a week later it worked.

Sadly I have just ordered a new PPC and will have to dance the DRM dance again. While I wait I have a stack of eReader titles that I know I will be able to read though...

[Steve Jordan]

All of this keeps bringing me back to PDF as the most workable format. I've recently been experimenting with producing my novels in tagged PDF format and and selling them over the internet. I've found Acrobat Reader works great on my PDA with tagged PDFs. Adobe recently fixed some bugs which made scrolling difficult, and now I can read like the blazes with it.

I personally think the other e-book formats overdo when it comes to security, and I don't prefer to use them. I'm still trying to work out the best combination of pricing and securing the Acrobat e-books, to minimize undesired file swapping and maximize profit. My thinking is, a low enough price will allow anyone to purchase the e-books, and a simple DRM like including the buyer's name and CC# in the book properties would minimize the desire to swap them.

[lsredford]

I believe the issue with "maximum downloads" has since been corrected. Thanks for the heads up on this. Also, the test downloads are free and open to anybody. It should give you a true indication of how your client will behave in a DRM environment regardless of whether you're a Diesel customer as the test ebooks are encrypted.

Regards,

L. Scott Redford
President, Diesel eBooks
http://www.diesel-ebooks.com