Microsoft Reader Offers Best-Sellers for Free

[Crystal Eitle]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/jul03/07-02ebooksummerpromopr.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...mmerpromopr.asp</a><br /><br /></div>As part of a promotion to entice people to update to the newest version of Reader, Microsoft is giving away 60 commercial eBook titles for free this summer.<br /><br />"These books represent a wide cross-section of authors and books from a variety of publishers, such as 'A Short History of Nearly Everything,' by Bill Bryson; 'The Joy Luck Club,' by Amy Tan; 'Fear Itself,' by Walter Mosley; and 'Beach Music,' by Pat Conroy. The 20-week promotion will feature three new titles each week, available at <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/reader/default.asp">http://www.microsoft.com/reader/</a>."<br /><br />This is pretty exciting news. <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2003/jul03/07-02ebooks.asp">Says Microsoft's Cliff Guren</a>, "These are not public domain books or titles you could download for free anywhere else." I think this is an excellent way to publicize eBooks; for eBook publishing to take off, there has to be a critical mass of potential eBook customers. Hopefully this promotion will catch on and demonstrate to publishers that there is widespread interest in eBooks.<br /><br />Microsoft's free eBook promotion begins tomorrow, July 4th.

[Jimmy Dodd]

However, I wonder what Microsoft's definition of "beginning this week" is. I have been unable to find the actual free titles.

Hoping to encourage more avid readers to try eBooks, Microsoft this summer will offer a series of compelling best-sellers in the Microsoft Reader eBook format for download at no charge. Some 60 premier fiction, non-fiction and reference titles -- from authors such as Amy Tan, Bill Bryson, Margaret Atwood, Elmore Leonard, Walter Mosley, Douglas Adams and John Updike -- will be available from the Microsoft Reader Web site, starting July 4.



I guess that makes it tomorrow. :wink:

[Crystal Eitle]

Hoping to encourage more avid readers to try eBooks, Microsoft this summer will offer a series of compelling best-sellers in the Microsoft Reader eBook format for download at no charge. Some 60 premier fiction, non-fiction and reference titles -- from authors such as Amy Tan, Bill Bryson, Margaret Atwood, Elmore Leonard, Walter Mosley, Douglas Adams and John Updike -- will be available from the Microsoft Reader Web site, starting July 4.



I guess that makes it tomorrow. :wink:

Thanks! :oops:

[jd4science]

I was just about to buy A Short History of Nearly Everything in hardback, but I can't resist it for free!

Thanks,
Justin.

[dean_shan]

Yahoo, free books!

[Crystal Eitle]

Yahoo, free books!
And not just any free books - current titles by established authors. This seems almost too good to be true. Here's another quote, from the second article I linked, that explains Microsoft's strategy:

Microsoft is making the investment in these first-class eBook titles to show more people that the eBook is fully capable of delivering a satisfying reading experience. The caliber of these titles and authors is such that people who have never used an eBook will try it because they can't pass up a chance at getting these books for free. Then they'll see how easy and convenient the eBook format is and use it for more of their reading.

I hope this pays off; I really want eBooks to take off. I'm hoping that publishing books in electronic format becomes a matter of course. I'm terribly disappointed that I can't get Harry Potter in eBook format. I've read the first four, but haven't picked up the fifth one yet, mostly because I don't want to haul that 10-pound behemoth around.

[Cliffbrooks]

I just read about this plan yesterday ... and it's one of the most fantastic giveaways I've ever seen. Do the math -- that's a virtual library of books for free!

Hopefully, this will spur eBook sales and Pocket PC sales and Tablet PC sales (I've got my eye on those babies!). But most importantly, I hope it will spur more publishers to enter the fray. The selection of eBooks is getting better and better, but I don't think the industry will really take off until nearly everything is available.

Of course, I'm also one of the few people on this board who isn't damning Microsoft for the DRM in Reader. Sure, it's not optimal, but it is a step in the right direction -- support for the proliferation of eBooks. I'm sure that when Microsoft went to the publishers with their eBook plans, fear of the big bad Microsoft led the publishers to demand exteme drm measures -- measures they didn't impose on Peanut Press, which was likely seen as a benevolent new concern going after a very small niche market (PDA users). Peanut Press' system is slightly less annoying...but only slightly so. I'm not much for pulling out the credit card and entering the info before opening a book for the first time.

[Thomas Foolery]

IIRC, Reader supports expiration of content. Anybody know how long these books will "last"?

[Crystal Eitle]

IIRC, Reader supports expiration of content. Anybody know how long these books will "last"?
I don't think it does. My understanding was that these books will last as long as you have Reader installed; one of the quotes in the articles said something about "building a personal library"; that doesn't sound like something that will expire.

[bblock]

Am I missing something? I can't find the free books on the site. Perhaps I'm too early...

[Crystal Eitle]

Am I missing something? I can't find the free books on the site. Perhaps I'm too early...
The promotion starts tomorrow, July 4th.

[bblock]

Ahh - right. I thought yesterday was the third, so....


...I'll be okay later.

[dh]

This is a great promotion from Microsoft. Maybe this is going to be the thing that finally gets the ebook business going.

I wonder how they are going to promote the idea? I would have thought it was important to get the word out to the general user base, rather than just to enthusiast sites like this one.

[BugDude10]

This will be pretty cool. I'll probably download them all, whether I plan to read them all or not.

IMO, the things holding back e-books are (1) stupid DRM measures, and (2) lack of publicity of the portability benefits. After spending the day working on your PC, do you really want to park yourself in front of it at home to read a book? But reading on a PDA is very, very handy.

I hope this gives the e-book industry a huge boost.

[JoshB]

This is awesome! :D You can never have too many free eBooks. Looks like my reading queue just got longer...

I'm reading "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson right now, and I'm loving it. Fascinating, and well worth the $8 I paid for it at PalmDigitalMedia. It's a very readable history of scientific discovery - how did we figure out things like how old the earth is, etc. Funny and informative - if you have any interest at all in science, I highly recommend you snag this when it becomes available.

Way to go Microsoft! Now, if they'd just fix Reader so it wasn't a slow, clunky memory hog. You know, make it something like Palm Reader. :lol:

[ppc4me]

Based on a post I read yesterday (probably here but I forget) I thought MS will be forcing an upgrade to reader when you try to download new content. This will fix the crack in the DRM armor, while at the same time fixing the memory leak that makes Reader crash on the PPC when you have a lot of graphics (i.e. PocketPC Magazine issues). So the free books just let MS get the new DRM installed faster and to more users. But I'll take it... need some new summer beach reading. Now if I can just keep the sand off my ipaq!

[Crystal Eitle]

But I'll take it... need some new summer beach reading. Now if I can just keep the sand off my ipaq!
Heh heh. I actually took my iPaq to the beach a couple weeks ago! Finished reading "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" by Cory Doctorow. It was a little annoying trying to read in the bright sunlight, but not too bad. I was nervous about getting sand in my iPaq, but it was fine. I figure, I should be able to use my iPaq anywhere and everywhere. I've even been known to take it into the tub, sealed in a ziploc baggie.

[Crystal Eitle]

I'm reading "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson right now, and I'm loving it. Fascinating, and well worth the $8 I paid for it at PalmDigitalMedia. It's a very readable history of scientific discovery - how did we figure out things like how old the earth is, etc. Funny and informative - if you have any interest at all in science, I highly recommend you snag this when it becomes available.
Awesome! I'm looking forward to reading this.

[sprawlgeek]

A gentle shrug. (this is not intended to provoke debate).

The last few months I have spent several hundred dollars on ebooks. (close to $500). I am an avid reader, AN AVID reader, Having over 2000 hard copy books at home and at the office. Ebooks have given me the option of not carrying an entire briefcase full of books with me on business trips.

I had resisted buying ebooks due to the DRM issue. I truly believe the intent of the law AND the rightful marketplace allows for a personal copy of said item. I have never used P2P networks and have never uploaded any copies of ebooks for ANY distribution.

I however, would not/will not purchase a book knowing that it has a lifespan of X. Books are meant to be read over and over, digesting, nourishing thoughts, and ideas. They are not meant to expire with a sofware license or a crashed hard-drive. (not withstanding assurances from microsoft that I would be able to extend this with valid circumstances). (I have owned 10 PDA's in 4 years, plus 3 PCs' at home....hmmm.)

With the resources available on the Internet recently (see articles with http://cebooks.blogspot.com/), I readily opened my wallet knowing that I would be able to effectively manage the lifespan of my purchases.

They are many resources available today, in obtaining ebook texts created via scanning methodologies, take the new Harry Potter release for example. I would much rather support this new marketplace with my wallet.

If you are a dedicated and passionate reader, you still buy hardcopy books, you still frequent and spent hours in your local mom & pop bookstore browsing those books, your stomach churning as you realize that you must limit you purchases to 2,5, 10 or whatever is in your wallet. Ebooks WILL NOT every take the book store out of my soul and every year I will still patriotize my favorite authors. AND every year I still will read some of my own favorites like Neuromancer and dream and imagine. I am 42. I am not a hack, I am not a gen-x. I am a man growing old who still sneaks around reading books during those mythical moments of leasure as I did as a child reading books after dark with a flashlight. I have two sons who are 18 months old who adore books and reading.....hard copies of books. Ebooks are not a threat. Why can't our society open the doors and embrace the larger intellect. Somedays DRM feels like book-burning.

The era has now ended. It is sad and disheartening to not see big business listen to market demand. Microsoft Readership will never reach its potential. Bill Gates are you listening? didn't you read books by flashlight as a child?

60 ebooks as a trade for my soul and passion...

no thank you.

[notesguy88]

I have MS Reader, Palm Reader, and Mobipocket Reader on my PPC hahaha. I'm an ebook junkie!

I already have a collection of ebooks purchased from Palm Digital Media and now I can't wait to get these ebooks from Microsoft!

BTW, I have Mobipocket Reader installed because that is what is required to read ebooks borrowed from the ebook Lending Library. Check it out if you haven't heard about it yet.

http://www.libwise.com/knowbetter/

:)

[Kaber]

I still haven't activated my Pocket Reader yet. It reads books just fine. I don't think I need to take advantage of this. I mostly use uBook anyway.

[Kathy_Harris]

When microsoft gave away Timeline, I was hooked on ebooks. I hate hardbound anything if it is just text and fiction. Reference books with pictures, etc. on the other hand are a must have for me.

I fully agree with the poster who doesn't like DRM. It is a sellout. If you pay for an ebook, you should have the same rights as a paper book. The industry needs to put in place whatever it takes to make this happen.

[surur]

I'm sure MS are not getting these books for free. I think they are swallowing the cost, in an attempt to eradicate their DRM-vulnerable old reader and replace it with the more secure new reader. So yes, the price of these free books is less free access to your current collection...

Surur

BTW- ive got 11 peanut press books so far (probably about $90 worth) since about 3 months ago. I never heard about them before until people here praised their effective and sensible DRM. Much as I dont like to support Palm, I think they should win this format battle.

[Crystal Eitle]

I'm sure MS are not getting these books for free. I think they are swallowing the cost, in an attempt to eradicate their DRM-vulnerable old reader and replace it with the more secure new reader. So yes, the price of these free books is less free access to your current collection...
Reports from people who have installed the new Reader indicate they still have access to their current collection.

[dMores]

okay, i am new to ebooks.

it was actually pocketpcthoughts that reminded me of the installed reader, and i downloaded a bunch of free books from various sources.

:) i'm still reading my first (due to lack of time, and at night i fall asleep while reading)

so i guess i haven't yet contracted DRM yet.
what exactly does it mean? not sharing files is ok, but i read about limiting books to ONE certain pda. is this true? i mean my computer goes nuts when i update my pda with the latest ROM version, thinks i'm installing yet another new gadget. so how does this all work?

[Crystal Eitle]

so i guess i haven't yet contracted DRM yet.
what exactly does it mean? not sharing files is ok, but i read about limiting books to ONE certain pda. is this true? i mean my computer goes nuts when i update my pda with the latest ROM version, thinks i'm installing yet another new gadget. so how does this all work?
When you buy commercial titles for Microsoft Reader, they can only be opened if your device is "activated." Activation requires a Passport (e.g., your Hotmail address) and is limited to eight devices. So for example, you could buy an ebook and read it on your home PC, your laptop, your work PC, your Pocket PC and four other devices.

The eight-device limit does worry me, though. I've had to reformat the hard drive on my home PC a couple of times due to crashes, and each time I've had to re-activate Reader. What happens when I bump up against my limit? What about when it comes time for me to by a new computer or a new Pocket PC? :confused totally:

[dMores]

oh, i see.

it won't be microsoft who'll re-enable your locked books. you might have to get back to your "bookstore" and have them re-enable it, or let you download another one.

are all commercial .lit ebooks DRM encrypted?

[Janak Parekh]

The eight-device limit does worry me, though. I've had to reformat the hard drive on my home PC a couple of times due to crashes, and each time I've had to re-activate Reader. What happens when I bump up against my limit? What about when it comes time for me to by a new computer or a new Pocket PC? :confused totally:
You can wait until the activations expire, or you can contact Microsoft, and they'll expire them immediately.

--janak

[rlobrecht]

I however, would not/will not purchase a book knowing that it has a lifespan of X.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy ebooks without having a library that will expire. Palm Digital Media has a great method of encrytping your books. You use your credit card to unlock the books. If you change credit card, just change it in your account, and all your books in their online library just became encrypted with your new card number.

There's also places like Baen books that are less restrictive that MS.

[JoshB]

It's actually pretty easy to backup the activation files for MS Reader on the Pocket PC. I keep a backup of mine, so that if I have to hard reset for some reason, or I get a new Pocket PC, I don't have to worry about bumping up against the device count limit - I can just keep using the same "activation."

Here's how you do it:

Make a backup copy of the following files from your activated Pocket PC (look in the \Windows folder):

"Microsoft Activation.Unload" (may not be required)
secrep.dat
secrep.dll
secrep.xml
secrepid.dat

That's it - your activation is backed up. When you need to restore your activation to your Pocket PC (after a hard reset, or a new device), just close all programs on your device, then copy these files back to their original locations (overwrite if prompted). I have read in some descriptions of this process that you have to find and double-tap secrep.xml to open it in Pocket IE, but I have never had to do this.

Once all that is done, MS Reader will show up as activated for your original Passport, and since you didn't perform a new activation, your device count is not incremented.

I suppose that this process could theoretically be used to read DRM eBooks that have been activated for someone else, assuming you can get access to these files on their Pocket PC, but this seems like a heck of a lot of trouble to read someone else's eBook. You're not cracking the DRM, you're stealing someone else's activation, and impersonating them to read their book.

By way of disclaimer, this post is not intended to bypass DRM or provide help to anyone trying to illegally read books that they have not purchased. By reading this post, you agree to release the poster (JoshB) and PocketPCThoughts.com from all consequences of your actions in following this process.

:)

[Jonathan1]

60 free books + DRM + Product Activation (Limited) = No chance in **** of me touching this. Funny I'd rather spend money on Palm e-books and support my favorite e-book reader then get free books from Microsoft. *shrugs* But that's me. :P

[dlauri]

Why are e-books often more expensive than hardcover books? For example, Prey by Michael Crichton is $18.87 on amazon.com for the hardcover edition (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0066214122) but it is $19.95 on amazon.com for the Microsoft Reader edition (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007K3ZP).

It can't be that it costs more to produce an e-book because printed books still originate in electronic form and then have to be printed, bound and distributed, all of which cost money.

It can't be that the retailer wants to make up missed shipping costs because Amazon.com gives free shipping on the physical books (if you spend more than $25). I'd have thought they'd be happy for me to download an e-book since they wouldn't have to pay shipping then.

For me, it's not worth paying a premium to get a book in electronic form. I like reading e-books of public domain stuff I wouldn't buy otherwise, but if I'm going to pay for a book, I want one to put on my bookshelf, especially if I can save money by doing so.

[dMores]

Why are e-books often more expensive than hardcover books? could it be that the price for the printed version has been reduced due to specials or something like that, and people simply forget to do the same with the ebook version ?

[BugDude10]

Sprawl: Dude, relax a bit! Appreciate the fact that technology now allows us voracious readers to take with us more books than we can carry with both hands, and to get them immediately without the need to trek to the (admittedly wonderful) brick & mortar bookstores, and to read them without the flashlights of our youth, and to preserve them for all eternity against fire, water damage, and the like... I agree wholeheartedly that e-books will never replace p-books, and I, too, will forever encourage my 5-year-old daughter to read real books as well. But I'm also going to enjoy the ability to get 60 free e-books, of various genres, and to take them with me everywhere and anywhere.

Josh: Thanks for the tip! I understand that MS Reader may not be the best, but I'm used to it; my only concern has been the activation limit. Now that I've backed up my activation files, I'll worry less about the inevitable PDA-upgrade or hard-reset or wipe-and-start-fresh... (FWIW, I think Palm's DRM is a better idea than MS's, but I guess it doesn't make much difference as long as, somehow, I can protect my library indefinitely.)

[karen]

I however, would not/will not purchase a book knowing that it has a lifespan of X. Books are meant to be read over and over, digesting, nourishing thoughts, and ideas. They are not meant to expire with a sofware license or a crashed hard-drive. (not withstanding assurances from microsoft that I would be able to extend this with valid circumstances). (I have owned 10 PDA's in 4 years, plus 3 PCs' at home....hmmm.)

I have a different take on this. There are some books I read that I know going in I'm reading it for a specific reason and I have no intent on reading it again. For instance, the [paper] book I pick up at the airport that is some best seller trash that I won't ever read again. For me, this might be a Patricia Cromwell? type thing. I read them when I don't want to think to hard, but I generally don't want to read again. Other examples are time-based travel books (2003 UnOfficial DisneyWorld guide) or books that I review but have to buy (which get done after my review copy reviews, definitely) :lol:

On the other hand, what Borders calls "Literature" I read and want to keep forever, even if I never get the chance or inkling to do that. Rohinton Mistry, Margaret Atwood, etc.

For the former, I want to pay a signifcantly reduced price for these expired books. I'm willikng to live with expiring books, but not at any where near the same price as non-expiring books. Those are two different products as far as I'm concerned, just like when you pay 3$.79 for a DVD rental but $15 to buy it. This is the part that I believe publishers don't understand/won't except.

K

[Sean Murphy]

Is it just me or is the MSLIT site the slowest thing on the net?

[sprawlgeek]

Sprawl: Dude, relax a bit!

Agreed...I got a little too expressive!!!

I just have been spoiled over the last few months, checking Barnes/Noble, etc on a daily basis to see what new ebook had been released. All in all, everyone has made some very valid points on the state of technology today...enjoy what we have, because it can only get better.

Thanks!

[sprawlgeek]

For instance, the [paper] book I pick up at the airport that is some best seller trash that I won't ever read again. For me, this might be a Patricia Cromwell? type thing. I read them when I don't want to think to hard, but I generally don't want to read again. Other examples are time-based travel books (2003 UnOfficial DisneyWorld guide) or books that I review but have to buy (which get done after my review copy reviews, definitely) :lol:

On the other hand, what Borders calls "Literature" I read and want to keep forever, even if I never get the chance or inkling to do that. Rohinton Mistry, Margaret Atwood, etc.

For the former, I want to pay a signifcantly reduced price for these expired books. I'm willikng to live with expiring books, but not at any where near the same price as non-expiring books. Those are two different products as far as I'm concerned, just like when you pay 3$.79 for a DVD rental but $15 to buy it. This is the part that I believe publishers don't understand/won't except.

K

You raise a great point! I even will leave paperbacks on chairs at the airport when I am finished. I never looked at ebooks in those terms.
Now lets get the price point right!

[Cliffbrooks]

Did I miss something? Why do so many people believe that these books are going to expire?

I have read about eBooks that expire, but have never encountered one. I know that there is a system devised for libraries so that once an ebook is checked out, it's no longer available for other patrons to check out. Then, after thirty days, the checked out copy expires and the library's copy is available to check out again. I think that's a very slick solution to a thorny problem. As for purchasing limited life copies, if that were an option and the price was significantly cheaper than purchasing a copy to own, I could see that happening in some situations, but I suspect it would be an option rather than a requirement.

Limited life copies are likely to be used only in lending situations. Correct me if I'm wrong, because I really hate being wrong.

:wink:

[beq]

Kinda surprised about the MS/Fictionwise collaboration. Much as they're great, elsewhere on the net they seem to be small potato never mentioned, compared to exposure for the likes of Amazon, B&N, etc...

P.S. Is FW still giving away free hugo (nebula?) award nominees?

[Crystal Eitle]

P.S. Is FW still giving away free hugo (nebula?) award nominees?
Yep. Mostly short stories, excerpts of longer books. Go and look.

[sprawlgeek]

Did I miss something? Why do so many people believe that these books are going to expire?

I have read about eBooks that expire, but have never encountered one. I know that there is a system devised for libraries so that once an ebook is checked out, it's no longer available for other patrons to check out. Then, after thirty days, the checked out copy expires and the library's copy is available to check out again. I think that's a very slick solution to a thorny problem. As for purchasing limited life copies, if that were an option and the price was significantly cheaper than purchasing a copy to own, I could see that happening in some situations, but I suspect it would be an option rather than a requirement.

Limited life copies are likely to be used only in lending situations. Correct me if I'm wrong, because I really hate being wrong.

:wink:


I will try to explain, but I will over simplfy. In order to read the "free books" offered, you will more than likely have to activate your reader. This requires a microsoft passport and creates a "key" tied to your pc. You have 8 activations (read pcs or pdas) to use. If you activate your reader using your hotmail account on your pda, home pc, work pc and your kid's workstation, you have used up half your quota. If you change your jobs and activate a reader at your new job you are now up to 5. You get the idea. You change pdas etc and you will hit the ceiling quicker than you expect (the newsgroups have several first hand accounts). There have been reports that Microsoft will extend your activations when you run out. Another work around is to create two passport accounts, but you will not be able to read DRM5 books from one passport to the other. But the actual number is missing the point.

You are purchasing a book that is tied to a particular software package where the policies and rules may change with Microsoft's strategic direction. Many in the community advocate an open source ebook standard so that not one company can determine the fate of your ebooks. With that conversation in the early days, your only true way of ensuring that the ebook has an unlimited life is that you are able to convert the ebook to standard ASCII or HTML text which could be argued or construed to be illegal. There are many books that are in the public domain are are in ASCII/HTML. This can been found in many places and include such childhood favorites and Mark Twain and A. Conan Doyle.

I hope this helped.

[DaleReeck]

I'm not so sure if Microsoft enforces that 8 (or whatever the number is) activation policy. You would think they would, but I've been using Reader on the same hotmail account since it was available (3 years ago?) and I've activated more than 8 PPC's during that span (about 10). I've never had a problem activating.

[ctmagnus]

On the other hand, what Borders calls "Literature" I read and want to keep forever, even if I never get the chance or inkling to do that. Rohinton Mistry, Margaret Atwood, etc.

There are Borders in TO?

[Mark K]

Does anyone else have problems using Audible books with the new MS Reader 2.2.2?

I get an error message "The audible book you are trying to listen to was activated for another user"

It works with no problems using the Audible player or MS Reader 2.0..

I would just use MS Reader 2.0 but I no longer have a copy of it. :(

Thanks,

Mark

[karen]

On the other hand, what Borders calls "Literature" I read and want to keep forever, even if I never get the chance or inkling to do that. Rohinton Mistry, Margaret Atwood, etc.

There are Borders in TO?

No, we have Chapters/Indigo (just like Borders). But I'm working in beautiful Portland, OR. I have a real book fetish..er...passion, so I can't seem to keep myself outta Borders or B&N.

Also, here in Portland there's Powell's books (www.powells.com) which has to be a bibliophile's nirvana. I just don't have time to get downtown.

Karen

[Crystal Eitle]

It's midnight on the west coast and this weeks free eBooks are UP!

This week:
"Candy & Me" by Hillary Liftin
"Last to Die" by James Grippando
"A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

yippee!!! :new-bday:

[beq]

Oh it's your b-day? Happy birthday and best wishes Crystal!! May you continue to have many happy ones :mrgreen:

And free e-books, wow, even feels like MY birthday hee...

P.S. Oh how could I forget, happy 4th of July too! Wait, so it's on the same day for you?

[Crystal Eitle]

Oh it's your b-day? Happy birthday and best wishes Crystal!! May you continue to have many happy ones :mrgreen:

And free e-books, wow, even feels like MY birthday hee...

P.S. Oh how could I forget, happy 4th of July too! Wait, so it's on the same day for you?

psst: It's not actually my birthday. :worried:

[beq]

Ohh, but uh... wait, umm... huh? :oops:

Sorry, sleep deprivation and fireworks fumes are a bad combo...

[Marc Zimmermann]

There have been reports that Microsoft will extend your activations when you run out.
You get one additional activation granted automatically after 180 days.

You are purchasing a book that is tied to a particular software package where the policies and rules may change with Microsoft's strategic direction.
Now that is in deed worrisome. The future of the format and its long-term support is the major point that I don't like. I've witnessed Microsoft drop technologies and products too often in order not to be worried.

[bobmay]

I upgraded, and activated the latest version of reader. I downloaded all three best sellers, and I can't find them! After the download completes reader opens, and the new titles are not listed. I rechecked my version, and activation at microsoft, and they say I am all set. I have six books already in there that are listed, but not the new titles. The download says it is downloading to "temporary". I went in explore, and did a search for the titles but found nothing. Can someone please enlighten me?

[Crystal Eitle]

I upgraded, and activated the latest version of reader. I downloaded all three best sellers, and I can't find them! After the download completes reader opens, and the new titles are not listed. I rechecked my version, and activation at microsoft, and they say I am all set. I have six books already in there that are listed, but not the new titles. The download says it is downloading to "temporary". I went in explore, and did a search for the titles but found nothing. Can someone please enlighten me?
They're in your PC, right? Usually they go to Documents and Settings -> My Documents -> My Library. See if you can find them there and drag them to your PPC.

[Birdman]

I "upgraded" and re-activated but I keep getting an error message on my PPC that Reader cannot open that title anymore.

[mcsouth]

Okay, so I have a Jornada 567 with MS Reader 2.0 in ROM. When I go to this wonderful MS Reader site with the free e-books, it tells me that I have to upgrade my version of Reader first, and then further indicates that since I have a PPC2002 unit, I have to do a FULL installation.......to RAM?!?!?! And when I DO start the installation process, it tells me that I need to uninstall prior versions of Reader!?!?!?!

......I just remembered the hassle that I went through to try and get Reader 'Activated' the first time. Methinks the hassle of loading of RAM with the "latest" version of Reader, to say nothing of b**sh*t instructions telling me to uninstall an app in ROM are maybe a BIG clue that I should pass this great deal up. As much as I would like to take advantage of 'free' e-books to expand my library, this experience reminds me that, sadly, nothing if for free...........

(By the way, does anyone here find it ironic that MS just launched PPC2003 2 weeks ago, and you need to do an upgrade to MS Reader in PPC2003 to take advantage of this offer?????)

[bobmay]

I upgraded, and activated the latest version of reader. I downloaded all three best sellers, and I can't find them! After the download completes reader opens, and the new titles are not listed. I rechecked my version, and activation at microsoft, and they say I am all set. I have six books already in there that are listed, but not the new titles. The download says it is downloading to "temporary". I went in explore, and did a search for the titles but found nothing. Can someone please enlighten me?
They're in your PC, right? Usually they go to Documents and Settings -> My Documents -> My Library. See if you can find them there and drag them to your PPC.

No they are not in my PC. I have not yet attempted to synch my IPAQ. Should I? The desktop reader opens when I download them, but the titles are not listed. They are not in the documents/my library, or anywhere else. I have downloaded them multiple times.

[bugsy1]

I'm having similar problems. I downloaded them and they are showing up under the library in reader on my desktop, however I can't find the files anywhere on the pc. i want to copy them to my pocket pc, but I can't find them anywhere. I've tried searching by ".lit" and various versions of the book name but can't seem to find them. Does anyone know where these files are located once you download them? I tried downloading them to my ipaq 2215 via pocket ie thru an activesync connection, but I get an error indicating i need to upgrade the reader even though it has the latest patch already applied. This is incredibly frustrating.

[Birdman]

On my desktop, I can find the .lit files in the following folder:

C:> Documents and Settings - DBegun - Personal - MyLibrary.

This is on my work computer where we run Windows 2K.

Hope that helps.

[bcaray]

Bugsy, the files are downloaded to the My Library folder inside your My Documents folder on your desktop machine. You can drag them to the PocketPC and read them. I had the same problem that you are having. I had to install the desktop version of Reader before I could download the new books. Apparently MS does not think that downloading the PocketPC version counts as updating.

[disconnected]

I haven't upgraded yet, and I guess until I do I'll need to be more careful of what I buy. I just bought some new books from Fictionwise. Most were in Palm reader format, but one just came in Microsoft reader format. It had the usual warning that it only came in that format, but I didn't see anything that mentioned that it was the new updated format. The order processed normally, but when I tried to download the book it wouldn't even let me download it, never mind read it! It just gave me an error message that said I'd need to update.

[bugsy1]

The first place I looked was in the My Library folder and they are not showing there. The settings file that is created when the book is opened is showing up under the annotations folder within my library, but the new books are not showing up in my library. I think I'll try a re-boot and see it they are listed. I've done searches against *.lit and they don't show either.

[MoelBrain]

The only file the showed up in My Library was Candy and Me. All the others opened Reader without adding themselves.

[bugsy1]

I can open the books within reader, I just can't find the file on my pc to copy over to the pocket pc. They are obviously on my machine somewhere, but are not showing up in searches. Does anybody have any idea how to find these files. I know this sounds rather stupid, but I've tried searching every way I can think of with no luck. Hoping somebody else had this problem and figured it out.

[kchristian]

I have a Dell Axim. I had to download and install MS Reader from the site this morning to get it to recognize that I had the latest version. I already had MS Reader (activated) before I started. Now when I try to activate it gets to here and stops:

"Activation is in progress. Please stay on this page until you see a confirmation message.
Note: Depending on connection speed, Activation could take several minutes. You must run the Activation process once for each device you use. You can activate up to 6 devices with the same Passport ID. Microsoft works with the companies who own the content to help devise a quota that balances the companies' need to protect copyrights with consumers needs for convenience. Reactivating the same device does not count towards this limit."

I have a broadband connection. When I open MSReader on my Axim it shows as activated. It was originally too. Grrrrrr. I've done a soft reset and deleted old files from my browser and rerun the process several times now. Without "official" activation, I can't download the eBooks there. I select reinstall on the Axim each and every time. It appears that some piece of the process isn't working correctly here. I guess I'll try it again later. Any other suggestions?

Karen from Axim YG

[mcsouth]

:roll: ....based on some of what I'm seeing here, I'm glad that I didn't follow through with the install.....another wonderful example of fine MS programming.... :roll:

[Crystal Eitle]

I can open the books within reader, I just can't find the file on my pc to copy over to the pocket pc. They are obviously on my machine somewhere, but are not showing up in searches. Does anybody have any idea how to find these files. I know this sounds rather stupid, but I've tried searching every way I can think of with no luck. Hoping somebody else had this problem and figured it out.
Try this: On your computer, right-click on "Start". Select "Search" For the drop-down menu that says "Look in," make sure you choose "My Computer." Do a date-based search for files modified in the last 1 day. Sort the results by type so the .lit files will be easy to find. This should show you the path for where they are.

[Christian]

I can open the books within reader, I just can't find the file on my pc to copy over to the pocket pc. They are obviously on my machine somewhere, but are not showing up in searches. Does anybody have any idea how to find these files. I know this sounds rather stupid, but I've tried searching every way I can think of with no luck. Hoping somebody else had this problem and figured it out.
Try this: On your computer, right-click on "Start". Select "Search" For the drop-down menu that says "Look in," make sure you choose "My Computer." Do a date-based search for files modified in the last 1 day. Sort the results by type so the .lit files will be easy to find. This should show you the path for where they are.

On my computer, downloading any of the free eBooks results only in Reader opening (but without the new books being listed). I've already tried looking for any .lit files or files modified within the past day, and they are not anywhere on my computer. I do have the current (and activated) version of Reader installed... any ideas?

[Don Tolson]

Well, here's what happened for me...

I downloaded the latest version of Reader for PC and activated it. No real problems.

Then I downloaded 2 books -- the Encarta Dictionary and 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'. Both went neatly into My Library under My Documents on the Desktop (as expected).

I then copied the My Library folder to the PocketPC Documents folder and did a re-sync. The files copied over appropriately to my J568. When I opened Reader on my j568, it found all the books. The dictionary opened fine. The Short History, however, came up with 'MS Reader can no longer access this book'.

So, maybe I thought there was a limit to opening the book on different platforms. Nope, a new downloaded copy, not opened on the PC still produced the same error.

Maybe I need a new version of Reader on my PPC? Well, the update program for PPCs on MS's site, won't touch the version of Reader in ROM on my j568, and there's no way for me to download and install the 'full' version.

I'm not really interested in the other book, but I might give it a try, just to see what happens. Too bad, I was hoping to try reading this on my PPC.

[Don Tolson]

Tried the other 2 books -- no go. Oh well, something about the value of things that are provided 'free'.... :(

[ctmagnus]

psst: It's not actually my birthday. :worried:

But you could pretend it was, and at least get a free meal somewhere. :wink:

[Janak Parekh]

Maybe I need a new version of Reader on my PPC? Well, the update program for PPCs on MS's site, won't touch the version of Reader in ROM on my j568, and there's no way for me to download and install the 'full' version.
Hmm? You absolutely must install the latest Reader for Pocket PC. You can't use the update because it's for Pocket PC 2003 -- you need to install the full new version into RAM. (It should install even if the old version is in ROM... I just did it.)

--janak

[MoelBrain]

I just tried again the they worked for me. It might have helped that I already had reader open when I downloaded them.

[Brize]

Yes. You need to install the new version of reader and the new books should open fine as long as you're activated. I ran into the same problem and after installing the new reader, the downloads worked for me.

[bugsy1]

For those of you that can't find the books on your system here is what ultimately solved it for me. I downloaded the books for the third time from the ms site, but only one at a time. When the book finished downloading it opened reader and gave me a dialog box indicating it was a duplicate file and did I wish to overwrite. I said yes and the file then showed up in the my library folder. I have no idea why the earlier files did not show within the folder. I tried searching by name, extension and date on my entire system and the files were not listed. I now have them copied over to my pocket pc as well and everything seems fine. I love the quality of microsoft code!

[JimDantin]

If you can't find the books after they appear to download (to a "Temporary Folder"), check this Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308090
This fix worked for me:
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click Folder Options.
Click the File Types tab.
Scroll down to and click the .lit extension.
Click Advanced.
Verify that Confirm open after download is selected.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I downloaded "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and it went into 'My Documents, My Library'. Hmmm, never noticed that folder before. I moved all my other ebooks there as well - it seemed logical. I will hold off doing anything with the downloaded ebooks until I get the PPC2003 upgrade I ordered from Dell for my Axim.

I have set a repeating alarm to check the site each Saturday until November for the new books each week. :mrgreen:

[BugDude10]

Worked for me...

I downloaded and installed the full Reader for PPC 2002, and installed the full version for desktop PC as well. (I couldn't download the books directly to my PPC, or to the desktop without Reader installed.) On the PPC, I installed the app to my SD card; I couldn't uninstall the previous version, since it is in ROM, and the installation didn't tell me to.

I downloaded the books to my desktop PC, and they each opened in Reader. I then navigated Explorer to My Documents/My Library, found the files, and copied them to my PPC My Documents folder.

When I clicked on my Spb Pocket Plus Today plugin Reader icon, it ran the old (ROM) version, which wouldn't open the new books. However, when I manually went to the Reader folder on the SD card and ran Reader from there, the new books opened.

Overall, more of a pain in the a** than it should have been, but eventually it worked. And I, too, have set a weekly reminder to check back for more free books each week.

My $0.02.

B.D.

[ebookfan2002]

The www.mslit.com site has a 'back door' for PPC users that is formatted properly. Go to http://www.mslit.com/ppc and you'll get a 'clean' display.

At this point, click 'free eBooks', and you'll get over 1500 free eBooks, which are 'direct download' - i.e., click on the location and it loads right into the PPC. Also, these don't have any protection!

There are over 20,000 other books on the site now. They've upgraded things so that it is really pretty current with what's available at amazon, bn.com, powells, fictionwise, etc.

[Crystal Eitle]

The www.mslit.com site has a 'back door' for PPC users that is formatted properly. Go to http://www.mslit.com/ppc and you'll get a 'clean' display.

At this point, click 'free eBooks', and you'll get over 1500 free eBooks, which are 'direct download' - i.e., click on the location and it loads right into the PPC. Also, these don't have any protection!

There are over 20,000 other books on the site now. They've upgraded things so that it is really pretty current with what's available at amazon, bn.com, powells, fictionwise, etc.
Wow, this site is great, not only for the free eBooks, but for the commercial ones as well, which can be hard to find all in one place.

[Programmer]

I didn't manage to get A Short History of Everything before it was gone. Anyway of getting it now?

[TJMurphy]

Well, here's what happened for me...

I then copied the My Library folder to the PocketPC Documents folder and did a re-sync. The files copied over appropriately to my J568. When I opened Reader on my j568, it found all the books. The dictionary opened fine. The Short History, however, came up with 'MS Reader can no longer access this book'.



First post - be nice!
I have just had the same error message on my new PocketPC. Downloaded files last week to my PPC 2002 device and they were fine. Just got a new PPC 2003 device and was getting this message after activation.
The automatic checker on the MS website said I had the most up to date version but, if you looked in Settings the PPC version was 2.2.1 while the version on the website was 2.2.2. I downloaded and installed 2.2.2 and all seems to be working again. So, maybe the reinstall is the answer ...