Another round of MSReader ReActivation?

[sjo]

In attempting to download a new ebook purchase I get:
You cannot yet download. Due to a new Microsoft Reader security update, you will need to perform a one-time re-activation of your reading device(s) in order to read your newly purchased Microsoft Reader eBook title(s). To ensure that you will be able to use previously purchased eBooks, please be sure to re-activate all devices to the same Passport account as before. The re-activation(s) will not count against your activation quota.

Any insights or comments about this?

[Janak Parekh]

Comments? In what sense? It does sound like you need to go through it again. :(

--janak

[sjo]

Is the purpose of this just to defeat the CLIT converter from working, or is there more to it than that?

[Janak Parekh]

Is the purpose of this just to defeat the CLIT converter from working, or is there more to it than that?
I'd assume it's either that, or a version upgrade. DRM is often a cat-and-mouse operation.

--janak

[Jorgen]

sjo wrote:
Is the purpose of this just to defeat the CLIT converter from working, or is there more to it than that?

I'd assume it's either that, or a version upgrade. DRM is often a cat-and-mouse operation.

--janak

Janak, since you are an MVP: if you talk to them, please tell them that we are "customers", not sheep that can be pushed around. As software developers, they should know that they can't win the DRM war.

You may also want to add that their upgrades often go wrong so many of us simply do not do upgrade Microsoft-stuff that works. :devilboy:
Their software is very good, but their upgrades often stink!

Jorgen

[cyclist]

Janak, since you are an MVP: if you talk to them, please tell them that we are "customers", not sheep that can be pushed around. As software developers, they should know that they can't win the DRM war.

You may also want to add that their upgrades often go wrong so many of us simply do not do upgrade Microsoft-stuff that works. :devilboy:
Their software is very good, but their upgrades often stink!

Jorgen
Also can you convey to them that Reader updates are unpopular because they eat precious RAM space for an application that already exists in ROM. I'm getting by on 16Mb of RAM. My device is out of date at 18 months old, but I'm not ready to pay to replace it with a newer one yet. If I thought that a PPC would need to be replaced more than every 3 years to just use the basic functions I would not buy one in the first place.

I have more important apps than a second copy of Microsoft Reader to squeeze into my limited RAM. I can understand why Microsoft can't offer a ROM update for all devices, so what's needed is a version that can be installed to and run from a storage card. Until there's a card version, I won't update Microsoft Reader. I'd rather use the RAM space for one of the competing programs that reads a different file format.

[Kacey Green]

How about bringing the windows update model to PPCs and haveing the OEMs follow the desktop model where they just make sure the drivers, bios, and such are up to date, so we wouldn't have to deal with this mess every time a new ROM program is released, or OS version comes out.

[Janak Parekh]

Janak, since you are an MVP: if you talk to them, please tell them that we are "customers", not sheep that can be pushed around. As software developers, they should know that they can't win the DRM war.
To the best of my knowledge, the Reader DRM updates is something that the Mobile Devices team is not responsible for. The Mobile Devices team may be responsible for the fact that Reader updates are going into RAM, and we've definitely passed on the many requests here to be more aggressive about ROM updates (not just Reader, but also Messenger, .NET CF, etc.). However, there are complications beyond my control in that regard. :( And I don't even know if I'm allowed to explain what those complications are, anyway. :|

You may also want to add that their upgrades often go wrong so many of us simply do not do upgrade Microsoft-stuff that works. :devilboy:
Their software is very good, but their upgrades often stink!
Which ones are you talking about? Remember that MVPs are assigned to an area, so if you're complaining about, say, XP updates, there's not really my area. I might be able to pass some feedback, but the best channel for that is through the Windows Desktop Client MVPs. That said, I've not had too much trouble with MS updates recently -- their QC seems have to gone up substantially. :)

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

I have more important apps than a second copy of Microsoft Reader to squeeze into my limited RAM. I can understand why Microsoft can't offer a ROM update for all devices, so what's needed is a version that can be installed to and run from a storage card. Until there's a card version, I won't update Microsoft Reader. I'd rather use the RAM space for one of the competing programs that reads a different file format.
Are you sure Reader doesn't install on a Storage Card? I could have sworn I've done it once or twice...

How about bringing the windows update model to PPCs and haveing the OEMs follow the desktop model where they just make sure the drivers, bios, and such are up to date, so we wouldn't have to deal with this mess every time a new ROM program is released, or OS version comes out.
It's not going to happen, at least not in the short-term. Pocket PC hardware is so drastically different from one unit to another, and implementing hardware layer abstractions also have a performance penalty. There are also business concerns that I can't talk about. (Darn NDAs...)

--janak

[Jorgen]

>Which ones are you talking about?

Windows updates. I don't think I have never tried any Microsoft Pocket-PC updates.

>Remember that MVPs are assigned to an area,

Really? MVP = "Mobile VIP"? :) (Just kidding!)

Anyway, I was just showing my irritation over 1) yet another update - I have still not done the previous MS Reader update and - whilw I am at it - 2) the thousands of Windows updates MS wants us to download and install for the operating systems.

Jorgen

[Kacey Green]

not quite Thousands

[dh]

Well, I just hope the ConvertLit guy is on the ball with an update if it's needed. I haven't bought a book for a couple of weeks, but still converted fine then.

I always buy eBooks in MS Reader format and change them to unsecure Mobipocket. Since my plan is to use my PPC much less in future, getting away from MS Reader and DRM in general, is going to be more important.

[Janak Parekh]

Anyway, I was just showing my irritation over 1) yet another update - I have still not done the previous MS Reader update and - whilw I am at it - 2) the thousands of Windows updates MS wants us to download and install for the operating systems.
Well, the two are in different MS markets, so approaches are naturally going to be different.

I generally agree with you on both of them. Re #2, I think the easiest solution would be for MS to release Service Packs a little more regularly. It's been a long time since MS has released a pack for either XP or 2000.

not quite Thousands
Try updating a network of computers, each of which need ~ 25 critical updates, and then come back and say that.

--janak

[Kacey Green]

I have and is so *bleep* annoying :!: :evil:
But SUS server mitigates this annoyance, but getting people to pay for a server they don't see the need for, thats a different story, they don't understand if you've been doing it manually why you shouldn't keep doing it manually. Maybe if I dropped the ball once and said, "Should have bought a server for SUS" but it's not my style.

[Janak Parekh]

But SUS server mitigates this annoyance, but getting people to pay for a server they don't see the need for
Point taken. Nevertheless, Microsoft could still make it easier on users instead of releasing large numbers of hotfixes which one must track. As it is, hotfixes don't install on certain machines sometimes, so even with SUS, you must still keep track of what's being deployed.

--janak

[cawinters]

Is the purpose of this just to defeat the CLIT converter from working, or is there more to it than that?

Really...that acronym has GOT to go. :oops:
Beign in the military, I'm used to making acronyms about everything, but you have to look at what it spells first!

[ironguy]

I worked as a contractor at an Air Force Base. It used to be Sunnyvale Air Force Base (ages ago) - SAFB. After the first shuttle accident, they changed the name to Onizuka Air Force Base - OAFB. Then, some brain child decided they needed less support so they turned it into an Air Station instead of a base. SO it became OAFS. Didn't take them too long to figure that one out. Now it's OAS - Onizuka Air Station.

[Steven Cedrone]

Is the purpose of this just to defeat the CLIT converter from working, or is there more to it than that?

Really...that acronym has GOT to go. :oops:
Beign in the military, I'm used to making acronyms about everything, but you have to look at what it spells first!

Actually, there is no mention of the acronym on the web site. This is a user created acronym, not author created. If it bothers you, you could always just refer to it as c-LIT, or better yet: Convert LIT... :wink:

Anyway, using the full name does make a Google search a lot easier! :wink:

Steve

[dMores]

SO it became OAFS. Didn't take them too long to figure that one out. Now it's OAS - Onizuka Air Station.
erm, i had to look it up.
in case anyone wants to chuckle along:

noun {C} OLD-FASHIONED
a stupid, rude or awkward person, especially a man:
- a drunken/insensitive/stupid oaf
- You clumsy oaf! You've broken it!

:)