What a mess this ebook scene is!

[terrypin]

When I first got my PPC a couple of years ago I recall looking forward keenly to using it for reading ebooks. And griping when I encountered so many obstacles to doing so in a simple fashion. Most of my considerable reading in the interim period has been from paper books. But on re-entering the ebook scene now, I'm sadly disappointed to see that if anything there are even more options, and even greater complexity. Is this perception shared by others?

If it's true, and not just down to me being in a ranting frame of mind, then I find it strange that no developer has taken the lead and tried to consolidate the options and make the whole process more straightforward and open. Just imagine if reading paper books had involved similar hurdles.

Is there any sign of a consensus emerging as to which of the 'main' PPC readers has the strongest following? And/or the most likely chance of taking a marketing lead?

I currently have, in alphabetic order:
Adobe Reader, eReader, Haali Reader, iSilo, Microsoft Reader, MobiPocket, Repligo, TomeRaider, uBook, and Word (which I include after brief hesitation, but I think it's justified.)

Should I be looking at any others please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

[allenalb]

i used to prefer ms reader until i got a vga ppc, now i prefer ubook. ubook rules, once you get it configured exactly how you want it. i do miss being to draw all over the pages sometimes though.


ubook has the ability to automatically generate a table of contents from certain word/capitalizations/numbers, it's not 100% but it is very good. i have been converting all of my .lit files to .zip(html) with ConvertLIT (link not permitted here)

*** Post edited by moderator KC, text in italics added

[terrypin]

I recognise and respect the versatility of uBook, but my big problem with it is its alien interface. Opening a file takes me forever. I don't understand why the author decided to fly in the face of the familiar Windows-based, Office-type dialogs and file structure. But, one of these days I'm going to master it...

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.

[allenalb]

i was irked by it as well. when i was using ms reader, i had all of my ebooks on a tab in claunch with the icon size set to 8 and a single line of text all the way across.

since claunch doesn't work in VGA, and no other tabbed today launchers offer text labels, i had to give this up.

i don't think files can be associated with ubook anyway, so it might not have worked even if claunch did work in VGA.

as much as i love pocket pc's, i have to admit they are never going to be ready for the everyday user at this rate :)

[Ward]

I think you're right about ebooks.

I used to buy loads of copyright protected books all the time. Now, I buy paperback and use Emule to get a txt/html version. Combined into a zip with the front cover image from Amazon, uBook displays the ebook I wanted in the first place but couldn't get without jumping through a dozen hoops only to be limited to using a program I dislike (MSReader is terrible).

Highly unethical, I know, but I use Emule extensively for downloading TV series which are simply unavailable subtitled (I'm deaf) in the UK. I'm getting used to the better service offered by the anonymous pirate who simply gives me a link, rather than the legit reseller that expects me to suffer the Spanish Inquisition and over-charge me for the pleasure.

[Jorgen]

The big problem is really that you cannot buy ebooks in, say, MS Word, HTML or text format and then make a book for the reader you like. Seen in the longer context: today we read on Pocket-PCs or Palms. The day you move to a Linux-based machine, you have lost those of your ebooks you cannot (or may not) convert to text. Within some years, a number of thin and light eInk readers will arrive and heaven knows if eReader / MSReader / Mobi will be ported to the one we end up with.

The DRM discussion raged with MS-DOS programs in the late 80ies. In the end it were impossible to sell a copyprotected program and 99% of all programs were sold unprotected. I hope this will also happen with ebooks. But I am not holding my breath.

Jorgen

[pinkivy98]

i used to prefer ms reader until i got a vga ppc, now i prefer ubook. ubook rules, once you get it configured exactly how you want it. i do miss being to draw all over the pages sometimes though.


ubook has the ability to automatically generate a table of contents from certain word/capitalizations/numbers, it's not 100% but it is very good. i have been converting all of my .lit files to .zip(html) with ConvertLIT (link not permitted here)

*** Post edited by moderator KC, text in italics added

How do you convert your .lit files to use with ubook?

[Ommadawn]

i used to prefer ms reader until i got a vga ppc, now i prefer ubook. ubook rules, once you get it configured exactly how you want it. i do miss being to draw all over the pages sometimes though.


ubook has the ability to automatically generate a table of contents from certain word/capitalizations/numbers, it's not 100% but it is very good. i have been converting all of my .lit files to .zip(html) with ConvertLIT (link not permitted here)

*** Post edited by moderator KC, text in italics added

How do you convert your .lit files to use with ubook?

Try googling the above name.

[Kar98]

The big problem is really that you cannot buy ebooks in, say, MS Word, HTML or text format and then make a book for the reader you like.

Well, some are offering that, most notably www.baen, but you'd have to be hardcore fan of sci-fi and fantasy, with a tinge of military fiction to become a regular customer there.

Other than that, well.....there are "sources" for e-books :devilboy:

[Ommadawn]

The big problem is really that you cannot buy ebooks in, say, MS Word, HTML or text format and then make a book for the reader you like.

Well, some are offering that, most notably www.baen, but you'd have to be hardcore fan of sci-fi and fantasy, with a tinge of military fiction to become a regular customer there.

Other than that, well.....there are "sources" for e-books :devilboy:

I challenge anyone to read David Weber's On Basilisk Station and not be converted to a mil/sf fan 8)

[volwrath]

The biggest ebook problem apart from DRM is the pricing. My goodness. I can buy Donaldson's Last Runes of Earth from Fictionwise for $21.50 USD, or I can buy the actual hardbound from amazon for $17.50. Anyone see a problem with this?!?

[Jorgen]

Yes, taking into account the restrictions (no lending to friends, can't sell secondhand...) and the low manufacturing/distribution costs, I find the prices generally too high. The example you gave is just ridiculous!

Talking about weird prices: David Nevin's Treason cost

Fictionwise $27.95
Diesel $ 25.22 (minus rebates 1.26 on next purchase)
eReader $5.39
Amazon as paperbook $7.19 (secondhand from 1.87)
Amazon as ebook $18.45 (down from 27.95)

Since the paperbook is 7.19, eReaders price must be right (and just about reasonable due to the DRM). If not, this book is even more ridiculously priced than the example volwrath gave and I will start asking myself: "why do they hate us so?"

(Yes, I have contacted Diesel and Fictionwise by email but have yet to get an answer).

Jorgen

[sub_tex]

eReader to me is the only way to read ebooks.

Their prices are always a buck or two under the current available edition. So I tend to wait for paperback editions, then pick up the ebooks for $5 or so.

Don't forget, you get an extra % off the books just by receiving the stupid newsletter, so you're final price is even less than what you see by default.

eReader's DRM is the most user friendly as well. No activation garbage, comuter limits, etc.

In a perfect world, I"d be able to get everything as html, but for now, eReader is tops.

[Jorgen]

eReader is tops.

Thinking 5-10 years forward: What are you going to do with your eReader books when you can't get a reader program for the PDA you want to use? Seen from that viewpoint and due to the uncertainty, even $5 is a bit high.

Jorgen

[bmurphy]

I challenge anyone to read David Weber's On Basilisk Station and not be converted to a mil/sf fan Cool
Yeah!!! David Weber RULES!!
It's nice to see another hard-core Mil-Sci-Fi fan. On the e-books... I'm an avid reader, and have been converted to ebooks since 2001. I just buy 'em and read them, endlessly, and have huge bookshelfs left on the various websites, that I can download repeatedly (especially Baen which gives me 4 choices to choose from and I'm not stuck with my first choice.) Ereader also saves the books for me, if I can't find an older book (hard-drive crash) or clean-out.
Since I collect paper copies as well, I get to read the new releases without shelling out for the hard-cover (well- except for David Weber and friends!)
I happily use ereader, mobi-pocket, and msreader... in that order. With my x50v, the VGA screen is the best ever reading experience.

[Algus]

Hmm, my experiences with eBooks are totally different. Of course I don't purchase very many copy-protected books. But I'm a lit major and it's so much more convenient to carry around a portable library of classics then to have huge volumes of anthologies that I would have to carry around otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, I love my complete works of Shakespeare hardcover but it's much easier reading Hamlet on my handheld. Definately agree though that it would be nicer to see things cleaned up a bit better.

[Ommadawn]

It's also a bonus that all the classics are freely available from places like Gutenberg, so DRM is never an issue.

Craig.

[vidovnan]

Clearly, Adobe .pdf is the best format, and the market leader. Indeed, it is the market leader despite the relatively large size of .pdf files. This in itself will prove to be of decreasing significance as people have pocketpcs and phones with ever larger capacities. As a second choice, I prefer mobipocket. I know what you mean about word, though...

Tony

[Kurt Alden]

I've pretty well tried them all and finally settled on MS Reader - it's clean and simple and you can buy most ebooks in .lit format and convert to .lit with Readerworks.

One thing that annoys me about MS Reader are the large margins around the edge of the screen - it is a total waste of small screen real estate with no apparent benefit.

I've not tried ubook though - I'll have to give it a go.

Buying ebooks is a complete joke though - you often pay near to actual book prices which is insane. What do you get? A little file that you can't lend to friends or sell at the end of it. Ebooks should be much less than actual books. The author normally gets around 15% to 20% of the book value and publishing and distributing ebooks costs next to nothing so if a normal book is around £7 (for example) I would expect the ebook to be no more than £3. Picking a random example, Angels and Demons from Amazon costs around $7 - the ebook costs about the same. Madness.

Anyway, tedious rant over.

Edit: Blimey, Ubooks hard work - totally unintuitive

[vidovnan]

I couldn't agree more with the last post. Fortunately there are plenty of good free classics available (try Blackmask online, for example), and I am in the process of setting up a website (www.subjectivebooks.com)which will offer quality literary fiction by 'new' writers for free download and sharing. You can download my own novel there now, for free. The market is saturated with talented writers who simply cannot get published. Its in their interests to give away their rejected work for free, to try to build an audience. Often the work is rejected because the writer is not writing 'to a market'. Thats the tyranny of the masses, folks! Or rather, its the tyranny of a few editors who believe they are the market. The site won't be properly up and running for another couple of months though, I'm afraid folks. I hope you're not too disappointed.

Tony

[Scarpad]

I read alot of Sci Fi and Trek Books and the only reason I buy alot of E books is that I'm simply out of room to store the books. I have most of my Novels stored away in a large Tupperware tub for lack of a better place. Also it's easier to read at work that way <g>

[Ommadawn]

Yeah, I love carrying the equivalent of 50kg+ of paperbacks on a postage stamp sized card, and which I can read anywhere on my ipaq. µbook really gets a work out, let me tell you - my top three used applications are µbook, codewallet pro and betaplayer, in that order (and that's including built in apps like the calender and contacts :) )

Cost is still such an issue for ebooks, but I'm hopeful the industry will sort itself out in time.

[pivaska]

I am trying to use the much touted Haali Reader but I don't understand how to work the book marks. I read a lot from Blackmask and Guttenburg and so I just download the TXT files and I am ready to go. I have a Dell Axim 50v with the latest A03 update. Haali has left someting to be desired in the instructions for the use of bookmarks. I would like to be able to go back to where I left off without scrolling through it all. OR is there another TXT reader out there that will fill the bill.

[Ommadawn]

Try µbook at http://www.gowerpoint.com/uBook_down_nf.html

[Jorgen]

You keep recommending the uBook reader here and in MobileRead.com.

1) It used to have an awful userinterface.
2) The text was not sharp on any of my three PDAs.

Has that changed within the last year or so?

Jorgen

[Ommadawn]

I must admit I'm a bit of a µbook evangelist 8)

It's my favourite reader and probably the most used app on my pda. I find the interface to be fine, with a choice/option of simple or detailed interface. I like having that control.

I also find the text to be absolutely readable. I use Tahoma, Times and Courier for font choices, size 11, RGB method with an RGB orientation of left/landscape, and it's great.

[LightMan]

Is is possible to purchase uBook without using PayPal?
I'm fed up with PayPal since I've had serious problems with them in the past.

[Ommadawn]

Is is possible to purchase uBook without using PayPal?
I'm fed up with PayPal since I've had serious problems with them in the past.

I'm not sure. You could try emailing David at [email protected] and see if alternate payment options are available.

[Riled]

Personally, I really like eReader, especially the "Pro" (paid) version. It supports VGA, landscape orientation, cleartype, smooth scrolling, word-lookup with a built-in dictionary, bookmarking, highlighting, comments/notes, and much more. Also, the eReader websites version of DRM is to me perfect and their selection is top-notch. Their "DRM" is just that you have to unlock the book with the name and CC number that you bought the book with. You can put it on any device you want as many times as you want, and you can share it with anyone that you would trust with a CC # (like family, but YMMV). It's almost just like having a real book--what a concept!

I have tried Mobireader a few years ago and didn't like it; can't remember exactly why, but it had to do with it's bookshelf/storage system. I never tried microreader, but looked closely at it and didn't see any features that eReader didn't already have.

One of eReader's best features is a sister program that you can buy for your desktop called eReader Studio or something like that. You can use it to create your own eReader books out of any .doc, .rtf, or .txt file. The studio program has a cost, but it's well worth it if you have books in those formats that you want to read on your PPC.

[Steve Jordan]

I've always preferred Adobe Reader, for its cross-platform availability and free reader.

I've recently been experimenting with producing my novels in tagged PDF format, and selling them over the internet. I've found Acrobat Reader works great on my PPC 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 minimize the desire to take free copies from friends, newsgroups, etc. Or a DRM similar to the above post might do it.

Any thoughts out there?

[Jorgen]

Steve, how does the DRM work? Adobes DRM was as far as I remember the worst around (meaning that you could lose all your books).

Can you set a bookmark in Adobe now? If not: forget that reader.

Re. DRM in general the usual question: will it prevent me from moving to another platform (Sharp, e-ink readers ...) and still read my ebooks? If so: no, thank you. I think there suddenly will be a number of hardware readers on the market and I don't want to be forced to buy a specific, high-priced one.

Re. price: The restriction of not being able to lend out ebooks to friends and family is bad and should call for low prices on ebooks with DRM.

Jorgen

[Steve Jordan]

The only extent to which I planned to use Adobe's DRM was to embed the name and CC# of the purchaser in the document properties, to prevent anyone offering the copies to the public (and face risking their personal credit). I might have set a "no copying" restriction in the security settings, as well, but left printing open.

This means the purchaser does not need a code or password to open their e-book at all. They could even create dupes of the file. But the e-book has the equivalent of their name and ID indelibly added to the inside leaf.

You can create chapter links in Adobe, but not set a bookmark, to my knowledge. On the other hand, every time I close Reader, then open it back up, it opens the book at the spot at which I closed it. So bookmarks aren't absolutely necessary IMO.

I agree with your price comment, too. My books could still be lent out, but with the name and CC# burned into it, they would most likely be limited to trusted friends/family.

[Jorgen]

I read ebooks extensively in iSilo and MS Reader (and in eReader in a former life) without having had problems with bookmarks. The only time I have lost a bookmark is after soft resetting with MS Reader open.

I usually keep three to four books open at any given time so bookmarks is a must to me.

Jorgen

[Steve Jordan]

It's a shame there isn't a third-party app to add bookmarks to PDF files. (Developers: HINT!)

[Steve Jordan]

Steve, how does the DRM work? Adobes DRM was as far as I remember the worst around (meaning that you could lose all your books).

I looked back, and realized I didn't really answer this.

To set DRM, you open Adobe Acrobat Pro and create a digital signature for yourself... basically a name and password. Once that is created, you can set up attributes to impose on a PDF file with this signature attached to it, like no copying, no printing, no accessibility, no viewing without a (preset by author) user password, or any combination of the above.

Then you open the PDF doc and attach the digital signature to it, which locks in the attributes you selected. If the purchaser does not have the author's password, they can't change the attributes.

It's a fairly flexible system, capable of a little or a lot of doc protection. You can read your pdfs on any platform that has Adobe Reader, and if the pdf is password-protected, and you keep your user password safe, you can transfer the pdf to a new machine at any time.

Sure, if it's password-protected, and you lose your password, you're s*****d. But isn't that true of every other eBook's DRM?

[PetiteFlower]

My reader of choice is Palm Reader (now known as eReader I think?), that just uses the credit card number you used to purchase the book. It's not likely that you'll lose that, and I think there's a workaround if you do. Nice and simple. Much better then the stupid MS Reader method.

[Jorgen]

Creditcard numbers are a nuissance. I have eReader books bought with four different credit cards and if I were to buy more, I would have a fifth. To browse books, I have to look up the number and type it in and w-a-i-t a long time while it converts it.

Jorgen

[dMores]

Sure, if it's password-protected, and you lose your password, you're s*****d. But isn't that true of every other eBook's DRM? not with mobipocket.
you can't "lose" your password to an ebook.
only problem you might have is if you switch to a new device, or install mobipocket again after a hard reset.
in that case you go to mobipocket.com, change your device ID, and download the book again.
and if you lose or forget your login info, just use the "i forgot my password" feature.

i would consider that pretty safe AND easy, since you're not dependant on human support when something goes wrong ...
for example, you're on vacation, not checking your emails, and i lost my password to your books.

but i'd still prefer that system to a credit-card-number based one.

[Jorgen]

in that case you go to mobipocket.com, change your device ID, and download the book again.

Yes, that is fine as long as mobipocket exists and as long as you only own a small number of books. What if you own books in the hundreds? I say: no thank you! Even maintaining a file of books / credit card numbers is better.

Jorgen

[disconnected]

I've bought lots of books from ereader (previously PeanutPress), and I don't find the DRM too cumbersome currently, but I do worry about what I'll do if they go out of business. At some point, the reader app would become obsolete because of new hardware/OS. I've been following the blog at Teleread for a while, where there are articles about the need for standardized formats, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon.

[Jorgen]

what I'll do if they go out of business

or you decide to buy a Sharp or - perhaps more likely - one of the soon-to-come eInk readers - not all will probably be supported by eReader.

A standardised format will not help if it has DRM. Say for example that eReader for some reason became THE standard: you would still be in the same situation.

Jorgen

[disconnected]

They are trying to design an OpenReader format, that is device-independent, and still allows for DRM. I don't pretend to know how this would work, but it sounds good. It might be too late for ebooks I've already bought, but at least going forward it could be a good thing.

[dMores]

i wanted to ask, who "they" were, but then i tried google :)

www.openreader.org

sounds good!
when "they" finally get going, what they definately need are readers for ALL platforms available at the same time.
only that way will people start downloading and installing the reader, and maybe convert their previous books to orca format.
once "they"'re spread out on a lot of mobile devices, ebook retailers might start noticing and providing ebooks in that format as well.

[Jorgen]

If they bring forward a new reader, some of us will like it and some of us will hate it. Just look at the old posts.

It must be the underlying format, they want to define, if the buyer can create any format from this and use the reader of her/his choice.

Jorgen

[dMores]

you will definately not see msreader, ereader or mobipocket supporting that format.

it'll be alternatives like uBook, or handybook (symbian platform) that will or will not decide to integrate the format into their readers.
but the majority of readers use one of the bigshot readers, so they won't get their favorite program with openreader support.

:(

[disconnected]

Given the microscopic bit of the book business that ebooks currently represent, I guess publishers aren't devoting too much thought to this, but I'd think that a standard format would be better for them (as long as they can still have their DRM); right now they're making most of the new ebooks available in at least two or three formats. It would also make life simpler for libraries that want to provide ebooks.

Actually, I'm surprised that the record labels haven't yet demanded a common format for music downloads. That's a much bigger business, and while the current mess might be working for the tech companies in the middle, I'm sure more music would be sold if you could play it on whatever device you wanted.

[Jorgen]

you will definately not see msreader, ereader or mobipocket supporting that format.

Neither do I which is why I have not even bothered read the specs on the openreader.

With regards to DRM, I hope it ends up like the copyprotection under DOS in the late 80ies: suddenly very few bought copyprotected software because of the hazzles and in a very short time all DRM disappeared.

Jorgen

[Steve Jordan]

Actually, I'm surprised that the record labels haven't yet demanded a common format for music downloads. That's a much bigger business, and while the current mess might be working for the tech companies in the middle, I'm sure more music would be sold if you could play it on whatever device you wanted.

I think we can say, since the music industry wouldn't get off their butts to do that, iTunes did it for them. And considering the success of the iTunes system, I'd say it did the trick.

Maybe that's what we have to look forward to: A single company that will work out the "perfect" eBook selling method, the best price, the easiest download and use, and by doing so, make one format and reader (whichever one they support or create) rise to the top.

But who will come up with such a perfect eBook system? One of the current players? Like the recording industry, I doubt it. The impression I get from most of the publishers is that they are merely paying lip service to eBooks (this, I think, explains the ridiculously high eBook prices), while continuing to sink their real efforts into their established but ageing print publishing model.

So we'll have to wait for someone out of left field to step in and light the way, another Apple as it were, to straighten out the eBook "standards war."

[Jorgen]

Steve, make your books in the Palm Doc format as I wrote earlier. Can be read on nearly any hardware and in most readers. If you want, you could charge $1-2 more for eReader, MS Reader and Mobi ebooks (or what ever you have to pay), explain why you do so and see if anyone bites.

You can add an iSilo and Plucker version if you want nicely looking ebooks.

Jorgen

[jlp]

The best DRM is NO DRM!!

BTW do you know what DRM really stands for?

Dramatic Restrictions Madness :twisted:.

I just went to ebooks.com and found out I could NOT buy some ebooks from them including the Da Vinci Code. It's available to people from the US, Kenya, Pakistan, Lesotho, Swaziland, the UK and a lot more. But not to people from France, Switzerland, Sweden, etc. (I didn't try to figure out the whole list of missing countries too).

That's insane!!!

I bet most people don't know where Lesotho and Swaziland are located, I bet quite a few would confuse Switzerland and Swaziland (heck many people in North America that I personally met confuse Switzerland and Sweden 8O).

I bet even many people never ever heard of Lesotho or Swaziland!!

(Warning: I have nothing particular against North Americans you know!! Just personal experience)

[jlp]

Wanna have a terrible headache?

Then read this!! (http://www.mobiledb.com/?screen=help_format)

Just reading the first column in the table is enough to do it :evil:.

[Steve Jordan]

I actually started to read the material... then I scrolled down, just to see how long it was.

8O

Yeah, that's pretty messed up. I'm still surprised that when I tried to pick the minimum number of e-book formats for my books, I came up with five! And I still have people ask me about other formats!

Well, sooner or later, the morass will settle, and we'll end up with far fewer formats. Until then, hunker down, and stop reading those furshlugginer tables!!

[Jorgen]

It is worse than that - there are more: dedicated ebook readers like Sony's PRS-500, iRex iLiad and a number of older readers that are no longer supported. Now, eInk is slow so soon we will be seeing other readers with faster screens - and, you guessed it, their own incompatible format.

But choice is good for the consumer! I like my formats. Others like other formats.

Jorgen

[jlp]

...

But choice is good for the consumer! I like my formats. Others like other formats.

Jorgen

Choice MUST NOT be on formats!!

Consumers ALWAYS loose with competing formats.

Remember VHS vs. BetaMax vs. B2000 (Philips' own)?
Remember the old PC connectors? About a dozen types and sizes!

Now thankfully we have USB. Not only it's much easier (tho not without its share of hickups). But one standard fits all.

Not only do we find the same peripherals with USB plugs (keyboards, mice, printers, etc.) BUT whole new arrays of peripherals that simply were not possible or practical using older connectors:
notebook lights and fans, cup heaters, more importantly thumb keys and portable card readers, external HDDs and optical drives.

All these were made possible or much facilitated with a truly universal, polyvalent, easy to attach connector (no more screws to drive in, to bend, jam, get in the way, etc.)

It's even the ONLY standard that's 2 way compatible: old PCs with USB 1.x can take USB 2.0 peripherals; transfer is slower but everything gets across. USB 2.0 adapters can take older peripherals. Slower too but again everything gets across.

Even CDs and DVDs are not that good: if both share the very same size, you can only put a CD in a DVD drive, not the other way around.

Now we have the same incompatibility nightmares, but multipied by 10 with minicards: over 25 formats of mini memory cards are on the market. Most cross compatibility is inexistent. You can only put smaller cards into larger slots IF the adapter exists.

Worst: ALL involved parties: card manufacturers, device manufacturers, service operators (e.g. telcos) loose BIG (millions of dollars each year). Read here to find more details. (http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10533&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=)

It's the same mess with music formats: different and incompatible formats, different and incompatible DRMs (WMA, iTMS, ATRAC, etc.)

And it's the very same mess with ebook formats: dozens of incompatible formats stained with different and incompatible DRM scams & ripoffs.

Now imagine you had to buy 10 pairs of reading glasses, each one to read printed books from a specific publisher!?

Imagine you had to buy half a dozen CD players to read specific CDs from different editors!?

The video tape market was slow to settle, BUT there were only 3 competing formats, and none other in the making.

Now imagine with close to 30 incompatible memory card formats!? It's gonna take decades to settle down if at all.

It's exactly the same with different and incompatible ebook formats & DRM scams.

There is a little known -or little remembered fact: if I recall right the year was 2000 and a deal was signed between Microsoft and Barnes & Nobles (I think). Rumors at the time was that one could soon buy cheap, sponsorized Pocket PCs with monthly ebook subscriptions.

Obviously it failed for a few different reasons. Many have to do with formats and DRM.

Anyway, to come back to consumers and choice, my conclusion is: Competition must be on the content NOT container (formats).

[Steve Jordan]

JLP Johnson is right!

...err...

But I agree, we're better off with a single, universal format, and a choice of readers to give us the experience we want on that universal format. Like running WM on any brand of PPC you prefer, watching cable on whatever TV has your favorite features, and driving the PCH on whatever vehicle you want to drive.

Who's with me?!?

[Jorgen]

You guys are absolutely right but it is not going to happen. A more realistic solution is that you all use the same readers as I do: iSilo and MS Reader. :)

Jorgen

[Steve Jordan]

Okay, why iSilo?

[Jorgen]

The main reason today is that I have tons of ebooks in this format today so I am not going to change until I see something really, really good (q cheap eInk reader?). :)

1. Can do HTML files
2. Can do illustrations
3. Best compression around
4. fastest reader
5. Good userinterface (screen in four quadrants: top and bottom: PgUp / PgDn, middle: lineUp / lineDown)
6. DOS converter program (not supported any more)
7. Exists for both Palm, PPC and PC
8. I have tons of these books (I bought it the same day I tried it, back in the days when it was called ToGo).

Speed and compression were very important issues back in the days when Palm III ruled.

Unfortunately you have to buy it to get all the advantages.

Why not eReader? eReader started with a very simplistic Java conversion utility which only recognized some obscure formatting codes (no HTML at least at that time). I convert a lot of books every year and decided I could not live with that conversion program. Its userinterface is OK. It is free. The compression rate is OK. All in all: good too (if it can convert HTML easily today).

Jorgen :D

[Steve Jordan]

I think our answer is in number 1 of your list:

HTML.

ASCII-based. Simple. Fast. Handles images (though as discrete files). Readable by multiple readers. Readable on multiple platforms (including many dedicated e-book readers). Even translatable! Heck, most of my e-book conversions have to go through HTML as an interim step! Sure, it's not as compressible as most other formats (it is smaller than PDF), but it's still pretty small.

Why, oh, why do we need any other formats?

[Jorgen]

Yup, HTML is all we need. No DRM and easy to make into whatever format your favourite ebook reader needs. HTML can't do everything but it is good enough to make nice books of a reasonable quality.

Jorgen