[Klug-general] eBooks purchase/formats/readers

[Kevin Groves]

Mike Evans wrote:
> 1) What are the eBook formats available, what are the pros/cons of each. 
>   I suspect that pdf would be preferred format as there are many and 
> varied readers, but that as a result nothing worth getting is available 
> in it.
>
>   
Most readers support text, html and pdf. Then you get the to specific 
standards. There are sort of two in the running. Mobi and ePub. Mobi is 
the non DRM version, PRC is DRM, these are common to my Cybook and I 
think the Kindle. ePub is growing quickly and may become the main 
standard and is (non)DRM version and is supported by the Sony. Adobe do 
have an eBook standard and that's been around many years, before most of 
them, but I don't think that standard will move too much as it's too 
heavy on the processing.

My Cybook can support both Mobi and ePub but not at the same time due to 
licensing. :-)

> 2) Which of the formats have readers which work under Linux
>
>   
Both ePub and Mobi are supported under Calibre but I don't think they 
handle DRM titles. This is not a problem for me as I would rather use an 
eBook reader than my laptop to read. That's the point.

> 3) Which are the good sources of eBooks for those formats which are 
> readable on Linux?
>
>   
Guttenberg is good for non-DRM.

> 4) What's the deal on ownership/copyright here?  As a complete novice to 
> eBooks I would have thought that the reason a publisher/vendor wanting a 
> proprietary format would be so that they can sell you a book which only 
> you have the key to read - so you can't copy it to all your friends at 
>
>   
The DRM stuff I have bought will support multiple readers as you put in 
the serial numbers of the devices you want to use them on. I think there 
is a limit of five devices.

Like I say, I've not tried DRM on Linux readers. There is a PC based 
version of Mobipocket which might handle DRM titles and perhaps it will 
read them. I'm not really going to try as it's not what I'm after.

Kev,

> All this is of course motivated by the fact that I've just taken 
> delivery of a Touchbook and that I'm about to spend some time away and 
> I'd like to get some books to read on my new toy.
>
> Mike
>
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>   

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