12-23-2007, 06:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Time For Another eBook Poll
It has been over 4 years since my last ebook poll and I thought I'd see if any trends are changing. Portable eBooks really launched on PDAs with Peanut Press in the late 90's (which became Palm Reader and is now eReader.com on PalmOS devices, then later on Windows CE based devices. MS got into it heavy with MS Reader, including it in the ROM of Pocket PCs beginning in 2000 and continuing for several versions. MS has seemingly backed away from it though. Amazon got out of ebooks for various platforms, though they recently launched their own platform called the Kindle. I personally find my enthusiasm for ebooks has waned of late. I still buy several ebooks a year, but honestly, when I want to sit down and read, I prefer paper. I like the way it smells and feels, especially in a good quality book. How about you?
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12-23-2007, 06:28 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 191
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I answered "more than 1/2..........." Two things keep me from being(close to) 100%: I don't always feel like laying out $15+ dollars for a new release when I can get it from the library for no cost. Second, and a distant second, is that the airlines don't make me turn off my book during take off and landing. :wink:
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12-23-2007, 06:31 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 255
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Digital Audio Books
Ed,
You might want to add another response to your poll. I don't read e-books, but I listen to digital audio books from Audible all of the time (using the Audible software on my Pocket PC). I have a long daily commute (two hour round trip every day) and get a lot of reading done this way that otherwise I would never have the time to do.
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12-23-2007, 06:57 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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I was never heavy into eBooks: I dabbled a bit, and I still like the concept, but so far every single hardware and software solution has been screwed up in some way or another. Amazon's Kindle is close - give it another 2-4 years to evolve and I think they may have the magic eBook solution. Although I should add that as someone who has different books/magazines around the house, the real solution for the Kindle is that it needs to get cheap enough to have a few laying around the house.
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12-23-2007, 07:25 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 171
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Mixed feelings
Since I upgraded my 4700 to WM6, I've started reading eReader books again when I can't use travel time for study. It's still a decent platform, though the navigation pad on the 4700 is a bit painful to use, but the real problem with eBooks is still DRM lock in.
It's OK when you chose a device that has a port of the reader for your books but if it doesn't, well your pretty much stuck either not being able to read your books or not using your device of choice. eReader don't support Linux at all so the N770 and any variants are out in the cold.
Hence my lack of interest in any of the current ebook devices which won't read eReader DRM locked books. Until that's sorted out, I'm not keen on the whole idea. If I invest in one, I want to be able to read pretty much every format available and that's not the case.
But I do like being able to carry a book collection with me so that I have something to read in the odd moments I find during my day.
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12-23-2007, 08:01 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 235
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I recently tried re-installing MS Reader on my Axim x50v and tried activating it, however, I was told that I have exceeded my 6 device limit. So, I was able to activate it using a different live.com account. But, since I forgot and loaded it onto an SD card instead of into main memory, I still can't open my ebooks. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling in memory, but still can't open my ebooks. So, I gave up. I am just sorry I spend any money on all these ebooks that I can no longer read.
I really like the concept of ebooks and if there were a good solution that worked well, I would use it. I prefer to have my library with me rather than at home on a shelf.
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12-23-2007, 09:10 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 333
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I'm with schmenge, most of my paper reading is while I'm traveling. I voted more than half, but my ebook reading is probably more like 80%. Almost all of my ebook reading is eReader. The software is nice (especially the latest version with OTA purchasing and downloading) and their DRM is sensible. I can still read books I purchased 5 years ago, just by unlocking it again with my credit card, or even having the system re-encrypt with my new credit card number.
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12-23-2007, 09:39 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1
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I read ebooks on my HTC Touch all the time. Thinking back I don't think I have read a paper book in the last 2-3 years, and I read alot! The biggest aspect for me is that it is right there in my pocket when I have the spare time to read.
Only problems come with technical books with images and diagrams. Bring on phones with buitin projectors I say :wink:
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12-23-2007, 10:47 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 25
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I'm sure I can count on my one hand how many "real" books I have read since 1999. That is the time I started reading books on my Palm and quickly moved to a PPC.
This year I've read about 20 actual books and countless articles save of the web/email for reading on my 2 hour commute each work day.
Now I've had a VGA PPC ever since they first came out and the print on there is crisp and clear and very easy to read.
I've bypassed the whole DRM issue and only read books in txt or html format, and use uBook reader to do this.
For the books I can't find online I buy the book and convert it to html for reading on my PPC. I don't do this very often anymore, so I wrote a quick guide to remind myself how it is done: http://www.jaml.com/eBook
I don't understand why all the readers coming out are so large. An ebook reader needs to be the size of a PPC so that it can be light and easy to hold and you can take it with you. Sure the size limitations are that it is best for reading text only books, but I read technical books on my PPC all the time with only minor issues.
So I'm pretty much 100% digital and will probably stay that way.
Cheers
Mark
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12-23-2007, 11:18 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 429
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I recently wrote an entry for my blog about this topic. I have nothing against ebooks, but DRM, lack of a dependable, universal platform, content, and pricing keep me from ebooks. Some books are best to be held, but I could just as easily adapt to an electronic format.
Lately I've been downloading public domain books from Manybooks.net and republishing them in Repligo to read on my 6945. I currently have War and Peace loaded. That ought to keep me busy for a while.
I would gladly adopt ebooks, but I have to know that the reader will be supported, and my content will move from device to device and WM release to WM release. The thought occured to me, what if, in 2003, I bought into an ebook platform for my iPaq 3765 with WM2002? Would my content have moved through my other devices, or would it have been locked to that Pocket PC?
I'll happily adopt ebooks when my personal concerns are addressed.
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Current devices: iPhone 3G. Previous devices: Samsung Epix and 1st gen 32GB iPod Touch BlackJack II, iPaq 6945, iPaq hx4705, Dell Axim x30 high, iPaq 3765.
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Linear Mode
