07-05-2003, 02:00 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 739
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Are You Able to Read Microsoft's Free eBooks on Your Pocket PC?
Yesterday I wrote a post about a summer promotion by Microsoft Reader where they're giving away three eBooks a week for the next twenty weeks both to publicize eBooks and to entice Pocket PC users to upgrade to the newest version of Reader (which has enhanced DRM protections). However, judging by responses to the thread, it looks like people are having difficulty getting the books onto their Pocket PC and opening them.
For eBooks to be successful, they have to be perceived as simple and enjoyable to use. It looks like Microsoft is doing its darndest to bollix that up. Additionally, it appears that users of PPC 2K devices may have a hard time installing the newest version of Reader; it requires a full installation, which takes up 2 MB of precious RAM. And what if you can't delete the previous version of Reader because it's in your machine's ROM? It would seem you have no recourse. This promotion seems to have been created only with users of Windows Mobile 2003 in mind; it may serve to bring new Pocket PC users to eBooks, but what about those of us with older devices (some of which aren't so old)?
After installing the latest version of Reader on my Pocket PC, I was able to open the free eBooks. I did, however, have to activate it again. As a 1910 owner, the ROM/RAM issue was moot; I already had Reader in my device's RAM, so I just had to uninstall it and uninstall the new version. I'm curious to know how many Pocket PC Thoughts readers were able to take advantage of Microsoft's offer.
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07-05-2003, 02:08 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 155
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I was able to install it, after a little effort on my iPAQ 3630 that was previously upgraded to PPC 2002.
However, I was surprised that all of the books that I've made for myself are now messed up. None of the text shows up. Instead I have a large blue line that runs down the left side of the page. Not good.
I tried opening the same books in my desktop version (also updated) and everything worked fine. I don't know what's different, but I'm going to have to play around and find out.
Anyone else have trouble like this?
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07-05-2003, 02:16 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,305
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If it's so wonderful, let them put it in the ROM in an upgrade.
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07-05-2003, 02:20 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 137
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Frankly, I wouldn't go near this update with a ten foot pole. The only reason they're doing this is to get people to upgrade to the new DRM, and I like at least having the option to decompile books into HTML for long-term archival. If I've paid for something, I don't want to be at the mercy of Microsoft a year from now to make use of it.
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07-05-2003, 02:42 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,305
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Reading something should be simple. This DRM nonsense is going to put lots of people off I think
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07-05-2003, 02:47 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 360
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I wish I could activate Reader on my 3850. After I updated the ROM to 2002 last year I couldn't re-activate Reader and so the books I BOUGHT can't be used. 
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07-05-2003, 03:09 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 57
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Palm Digital Media seems to have gotten it right. When you purchase the eBook it is coded with your name and credit card number and you use this to unlock the book. Of course with this scheme you won't "lend" your eBooks to friends but they can get their own!
It's very convenient for family sharing though and you don't have to worry about running into a 6 device limit as with MS Reader. I guess they assumed you'll never go through more than 6 devices in your lifetime - I remember somebody from that company saying 640KB out to be enough for everybody :wink:
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07-05-2003, 03:13 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 118
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You need one more question - "Yes, I have installed the new Reader on my PPC 2002 and it does NOT work."
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07-05-2003, 03:19 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 34
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I'll jsut wait until some brilliant person post another updated "converter" thanks.
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07-05-2003, 03:23 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 355
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I'd just like to know what the MS Reader folks were thinking - did they honestly expect that they weren't going to confuse people by telling them to uninstall an app that is in ROM, and therefore doesn't show up in the "remove programs" applet, or that people wouldn't mind giving up RAM (when the app is already in ROM) to install the "new and improved" version.
I am also still amazed that with the PPC2003 devices out for only two weeks, that these devices are also stuck doing an "upgrade" to their version of MS Reader that also (I suspect) installs in RAM - gee, they couldn't have gotten this into the PPC2003 upgrade BEFORE it launched?
Needless to say, I am not planning on doing this upgrade anytime soon, since I don't use Reader frequently enough to justify the loss of RAM - I'll stick with alternative readers, like Palm's, as a result - is this the result that MS expected to get?
This 'free e-book' thing just seems to me as being a poor cover for the inefficient handling of a reader upgrade..........
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Linear Mode
