Anybody here ever look at EBooks?

Troubleshooter · 03-10-2004, 04:52 PM

And I mean the book itself, not the file format.

And what have you found?

SteveDallas · 03-10-2004, 05:12 PM

As somebody who has a shitload of books taking up physical space, and who usually requires 3 or 4 books to get through a business trip (depending on how long the plane ride is), I'm all set with the concept of a file I can take around that will not take up space at my house or add weight to my bag and be instantly searchable.

However, I've also found today's reading technologies suffer due to display quality, so, ehh, forget it, mostly. I have bought a couple for my Palm just to see how I liked it, and again, the display--just not good enough. When we have 300dpi electronic paper I have no doubt it will be a killer app!!

Having said that, for an interesting ebook business model, check out the Webscriptions at Baen Books (www.baen.com). There is a free section, and even in the paid section, most of the books have at least one chapter up for free so you can see if you feel like paying for it.

wolf · 03-10-2004, 10:06 PM

I was one of the half-dozen people who purchased an ebook reader from RCA (later sold to gemstar/tv guide.)

I loved mine. Then they killed it.

Never gave the poor format a decent chance.

richlevy · 03-10-2004, 10:25 PM

I still prefer my Handspring Visor and reading software from mobipocket.com. They also have a freeware (for personal use) publisher to create e-books out of any text file, which opens up the entire Project Gutenburg library.

Between the free books from Baen, the free downloads from Mobipocket, and the generated texts from Gutenberg, I can build myself a nice library.

Elspode · 03-10-2004, 10:44 PM

I've read a couple of books on my Handspring Prism, and I like it very much. Lots of good stuff out there for free in .txt format, and a large array of good reader programs. Mobipocket is indeed a very fine reader, but you do have to perform a simple conversion to be able to read .txt file stuff, but hey...it is still free.

Slartibartfast · 03-11-2004, 10:47 AM

I had looked into getting an Ebook (I think it was called the Rocket Ebook, but its name has changed). They used to be great. On the first versions, you were able to not just buy and download ebooks, but also import texts of your own into it Ebook's memory.

But then they crippled it by making new versions ONLY display books that you have bought from the company. The current versions have no capability for you to import any text of your own. So there goes reading the thousands of free gutenburg copyright free texts.

When it first came out, I was considering getting one. Now I absolutely will not.

russotto · 03-11-2004, 02:44 PM

I have four -- three REB-1100s (one of which has a busted screen), one REB-1200. The REB-1100 is great. I've read most of the Baen catalog on it, plus the occasional entry from Fictionwise. If you don't like what's available from those sources, though, you're out of luck unless you go to the pirate groups.

03-10-2004, 04:52 PM	#1
Troubleshooter The urban Jane Goodall Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 3,012	Anybody here ever look at EBooks? And I mean the book itself, not the file format. And what have you found? __________________ I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. - Aristotle

03-10-2004, 10:06 PM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I was one of the half-dozen people who purchased an ebook reader from RCA (later sold to gemstar/tv guide.) I loved mine. Then they killed it. Never gave the poor format a decent chance. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-10-2004, 10:25 PM	#4
richlevy King Of Wishful Thinking Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Philadelphia Suburbs Posts: 6,669	I still prefer my Handspring Visor and reading software from mobipocket.com. They also have a freeware (for personal use) publisher to create e-books out of any text file, which opens up the entire Project Gutenburg library. Between the free books from Baen, the free downloads from Mobipocket, and the generated texts from Gutenberg, I can build myself a nice library. __________________ Exercise your rights and remember your obligations - VOTE! I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. -- Barack Hussein Obama

03-10-2004, 10:44 PM	#5
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I've read a couple of books on my Handspring Prism, and I like it very much. Lots of good stuff out there for free in .txt format, and a large array of good reader programs. Mobipocket is indeed a very fine reader, but you do have to perform a simple conversion to be able to read .txt file stuff, but hey...it is still free. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

03-10-2004, 05:12 PM	#2
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	As somebody who has a shitload of books taking up physical space, and who usually requires 3 or 4 books to get through a business trip (depending on how long the plane ride is), I'm all set with the concept of a file I can take around that will not take up space at my house or add weight to my bag and be instantly searchable. However, I've also found today's reading technologies suffer due to display quality, so, ehh, forget it, mostly. I have bought a couple for my Palm just to see how I liked it, and again, the display--just not good enough. When we have 300dpi electronic paper I have no doubt it will be a killer app!! Having said that, for an interesting ebook business model, check out the Webscriptions at Baen Books (www.baen.com). There is a free section, and even in the paid section, most of the books have at least one chapter up for free so you can see if you feel like paying for it.

03-11-2004, 10:47 AM	#6
Slartibartfast \|-0-\| <-0-> \|-0-\| Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 516	I had looked into getting an Ebook (I think it was called the Rocket Ebook, but its name has changed). They used to be great. On the first versions, you were able to not just buy and download ebooks, but also import texts of your own into it Ebook's memory. But then they crippled it by making new versions ONLY display books that you have bought from the company. The current versions have no capability for you to import any text of your own. So there goes reading the thousands of free gutenburg copyright free texts. When it first came out, I was considering getting one. Now I absolutely will not.

03-11-2004, 02:44 PM	#7
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	I have four -- three REB-1100s (one of which has a busted screen), one REB-1200. The REB-1100 is great. I've read most of the Baen catalog on it, plus the occasional entry from Fictionwise. If you don't like what's available from those sources, though, you're out of luck unless you go to the pirate groups.

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