Tell me more.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Okay, this is the rundown of ebook devices and formats as I understand them. The news changes from day to day (though I try to keep on top of it), and some of what I might pass along is probably no more than hearsay (I\u2019ll mark that part), but I do think the hearsay is important to the overall discussion. All of these readers have down sides (naturally), most of which I don\u2019t know, but I\u2019ll try to include them if I do.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n First, I have an eBookWise-1150<\/a>, which I adore. It uses the native IMP format. This is why I like it:<\/p>\n This is what I wish it could do:<\/p>\n This is how it\u2019s affected my reading\/buying:<\/p>\n This is what makes me hesitate to buy it:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kindle<\/a> runs the AZW format, which is DRM\u2019d Mobipocket, which also goes by the PRC\/MOBI extensions, which I would not touch with a 10-foot pole and this is why:<\/p>\n The only thing that sets this apart from the others is being able to purchase (rent) and download from wherever you are via \u201cwhispernet.\u201d And I\u2019ll tell you, from what I\u2019m reading, that\u2019s the draw, right there. If Sony got that, I think they\u2019d win that skirmish.<\/p>\n Palm<\/a>\/Blackberry, by which I am also tempted. This uses the eReader (PDB) format. I mean, really, all-in-one capability for your life in the palm of your hand? Lists, phone numbers, books, music, phone, internet, email, instant messaging. What\u2019s not to love? Erm, the really really small screen, that\u2019s what.<\/p>\n iPhone\/iPod Touch<\/a>. This one\u2019s tricky, because while I\u2019m attracted to the possibilities here, I\u2019m REPULSED by the fact that Apple isn\u2019t getting into the ebook scene. I\u2019ve referenced it before, but this burns my ass: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don\u2019t read anymore \u2026 The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don\u2019t read anymore.\u201d (Steve Jobs said that. Bastid.) This means, no iBook store. If Apple built a reader, I am convinced it would take over. So why don\u2019t they? No idea.<\/p>\n So with this device, what we see now is that ebooks are being sold, but as applications (like games), not as text. I\u2019m not sure how this works yet, really, but I do know there are a couple of vendors out there converting ebooks to apps for the iPhone, which can be downloaded on the go, a la Kindle.<\/p>\n Choices! Ahhhh!<\/p>\n These are a couple of other ebook devices I hear bandied about once in a while, but am not really interested in learning:<\/p>\n RfP<\/a> referenced the iRex iLiad by iRex Technologies<\/a>. This uses eInk technology that Kindle and Sony do, but this is HEHEHEHEHELLLLAAAAAA expensive. It supports PDF, HTML, and MOBI\/PRC.<\/p>\n Cybook<\/a> (eInk). This supports all the major ebook formats.<\/p>\n And there are more here at the MobileRead Wiki<\/a> (great resource), but I think I\u2019ve covered the major players.<\/p>\n Right now, B10 Mediaworx will for sure offer The Proviso<\/em> in the following formats:<\/p>\n Of course, we\u2019ll put it on Amazon in print and for the Kindle (glorified MOBI\/PRC).<\/p>\n We\u2019re also in the process of researching its conversion to an iPhone application and put in the iTunes application store. AND we plan to get it converted to EPUB format as soon as we can. Can\u2019t promise anything on those front, yet.<\/p>\n I come at writing from genre romance. Its redheaded stepchild, erotic romance, can\u2019t claim to be the leader in the ebook race because Baen (science fiction\/fantasy folks) got there first. But romance is a close second and I would hope that others get on the bandwagon, particularly LDS publishers.<\/p>\n I needed to buy something from Deseret Book<\/a> (that\u2019s yet ANOTHER rant about marking your stupid series on the cover and what\u2019s a sequel to what because you burned me AGAIN) and I really had to think about whether I wanted to purchase those books because they weren\u2019t in digital format.<\/p>\n I was fortunate enough to get an electronic ARC of Angel Falling Softly<\/em><\/a> from Zarahemla<\/a>, but even then, I inferred that Eugene did his own conversion to Kindle (because he posted a primer on his site<\/a>, albeit with regard to Path of Dreams<\/em>). I hope that Zarahemla can see its way to digitizing its backlist and be a leaders amongst LDS publishers.<\/p>\n Let me repeat: I spend a lot more money on books now that I have an ebook reader and can get it instantly<\/em><\/strong> than I ever did with paper books, which require gas and\/or a lot of time and\/or a lot more money and\/or a lot more effort than the electronic version. Publishers, do you get that?<\/p>\n I SPEND A LOT MORE MONEY ON BOOKS NOW.<\/p>\n Say that until you start dreaming it in marquee form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Th. said: Tell me more. Okay, this is the rundown of ebook devices and formats as I understand them. The news changes from day to day (though I try to keep on top of it), and some of what I might pass along is probably no more than hearsay (I\u2019ll mark that part), but I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reading-devices"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20527,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions\/20527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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Second, I would love to have a Sony ebook reader<\/a>, except for one thing: It\u2019s not backlit. They do have a clever little device for it now, a plastic screen that opens and closes like a door and lights it from the top.<\/p>\n\n
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There\u2019s another little device on the market right now that might get a little toehold, but I think it\u2019s too early to tell: The ASUS Eee PC<\/a>, which operates on Linux and a solid-state hard drive. More about this at Dear Author<\/a>, as this is one of the few places I\u2019ve seen with a decent breakdown. This, I am also interested in. The price tag ($299-499) doesn\u2019t bother me on this because it\u2019s a computer that can read ebooks and this price is comparable to the Kindle and Sony readers, which don\u2019t do any more than that.<\/p>\n
\nIMP<\/strong> (eBookWise, \u2019cause \u2026 I got one-a doze)
\nLIT<\/strong> (Microsoft\u2019s reader, which is what I buy when I want to buy a DRM\u2019d book because I have a nifty little program that will break the encryption)
\nLRF<\/strong> (Sony)
\nMOBI\/PRC<\/strong> (Kindle or any PC with the free reader installed)
\nPDB<\/strong> (Palm and Palm-type devices)
\nPDF<\/strong> (because, well\u2026it\u2019s there and we have to do the print version in PDF anyway, so why not?)<\/div>\n
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