The eReader Megathread: Yes, all publishers hate Canada

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > The eReader Megathread: Yes, all publishers hate Canada

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Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

the_reading_rainbow posted:

What's the best reader under $150 for PDF books? Not all-text either, some of these files contain scanned pages... Kindle DX looks nice but drat, kind of expensive. Any recommendations?

None?

Most small screen readers are complete poo poo when it comes to PDFs (especially scanned page ones)

# ¿ Nov 21, 2010 02:41

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 22:28

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

pienipple posted:

I didn't say there aren't people who do it. It's too much effort for the average user to do it. That and there's no "Bookster" you can just hop on and have access to practically all the books in the western world.

No, there really is. Can't talk about them here but there are a ton of places with a ton of ebooks (both available and unavailable in the ebook stores).

Also the number of people just breaking the DRM and distributing the book they bought is going way up compared to people actually scanning/OCRing/proofreading books (that has fallen off to books that aren't available through legal means digitally and the quality on them are usually extremely high for a fan project, almost as good as titles you can buy in the Kindle store)

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 09:29 on Nov 24, 2010

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 09:24

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Residency Evil posted:

If anyone happens to see a 3 week old Kindle 3 in a light brown cover on a Southwest 737, let me know.

Did you put your contact information in the options section?

If so, there could be a chance that somebody could return it. :unsmith:

# ¿ Nov 26, 2010 18:16

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Captain Frigate posted:

So could I convert my PDFs to something more kindle friendly and then annotate them?

Yes, although normal PDF to mobi is rough (expect to lose most of the formatting). If it is an image based PDF, you'll have to use a OCR on it like ABBYY PDF Transformer and manually fix any gently caress ups before converting .DOC to .MOBI (mostly spacing, deleting page numbers/headers, etc)

https://wi.somethingawful.com/7d/7d447ad54bec7586cde0fd5cf1d58e0a8d9e0b34.jpg

# ¿ Nov 27, 2010 04:37

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

fordan posted:

Unless, of course, you're just trolling. Which is seeming more and more likely.

He's not trolling, he's just insanely pro Apple/anti Amazon.

When Nook was announced, he said it would overtake the market. When iPad was announced, he sold his Nook and said that iPad would sweep the market. He also argues against e-ink saying that LCD eye strain is overblown.

Bottom Liner posted:

Quoting this for hope of a solution.

I think that alt-f makes the screen fullscreen.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Dec 9, 2010

# ¿ Dec 9, 2010 20:00

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

FidgetyRat posted:

Would that color nook be an LCD?

Yes, color e-ink is still a ways away

# ¿ Dec 15, 2010 18:49

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

I was kicking around the idea of buying a new Kindle. Does anybody know of a good sleeve case for it? I'm looking for something cheap that can protect the screen and easily be removed when I'm using the Kindle. I saw a few on Amazon but they want $30 for them.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2011 05:15

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Amazon just added a new, free game. Video Poker

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004C6S25I

# ¿ Feb 4, 2011 06:29

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

doctorfrog posted:

It's probably been said, but using Mobipocket Creator to convert PDFs to texty PRCs isn't perfect, but it's a darn sight better than reading the PDF on the Kindle directly.

I was actually pretty surprised about how well I can read PDF files when I turn the screen sideways.

doctorfrog posted:

e: What I'd like to know, though, is what all do you need from the mobibook output to make the document read properly, with images and such? So far I think it's ok to just use the PRC, I'll update if I find out more.

This is an extremely long, complicated way but...

Get a OCR program like ABBYY PDF Transformer. In it, you have to go through page by page and mark text as text and pictures as a picture to get the best result. It will export as a .DOC file. Open it up in MS Word, fix the formatting (usually spaces in between pages), any major OCR errors and remove the header/page number. Save and feed that file into Mobipocket Creator.

Centipeed posted:

I suspect that if you have the screensaver up then that's using more battery than if you hold the power slider for four seconds to turn the screen off.

I know the screen doesn't draw power, but it turns on so much faster when you have the screensaver up versus when you turn it off that I suspect something is still on.

If it is like the Kindle, nothing should be on unless he just put new books on it (in that case, it will index the books while in sleep mode)

# ¿ Feb 5, 2011 21:01

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Oh poo poo, looks like new Kindle firmware is on the horizon. You can download the early preview release now.

quote:

Kindle Software Update Version 3.1 -- Early Preview Release

We're excited to announce that a new, free software update is available for Kindle (Latest Generation). It's free and easy to download. Some of the features included in this update are:

Public Notes -- This feature lets Kindle users choose to make their book notes and highlights available for others to see. Any Kindle user -- including authors, their fans, book reviewers, professors and passionate readers everywhere -- can opt-in to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues, and the greater Kindle community of people who love to read. This is a new way for readers to share their excitement and knowledge about books and get more from the books they read. To review and turn on Public Notes in your own books, view the Public Notes of people you follow, track your reading activities, see Popular Highlights and your annotations, and view your full library of books, go to https://kindle.amazon.com.

Real Page Numbers -- Our customers have told us they want real page numbers that match the page numbers in print books so they can easily reference and cite passages, and read alongside others in a book club or class. We've already added real page numbers to tens of thousands of Kindle books, including the top 100 bestselling books in the Kindle Store that have matching print editions and thousands more of the most popular books. Page numbers will also be available on our free "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" Kindle apps in the coming months. If a Kindle book includes page numbers, press the Menu key in an open Kindle book to display page numbers.

Before You Go ... -- When you reach the end of the book, you can immediately rate the book, share a message about the book with your social network, get personalized recommendations for what to read next, and see more books by the same author.

New Newspaper and Magazine Layout -- We're introducing a new and improved layout for newspapers and magazines. This new layout gives you a quick snapshot of the news and helps you decide what you want to read first.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_rel_topic?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200529700

# ¿ Feb 8, 2011 00:20

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

El Hefe posted:

how do you return Kindle books? does it only works if you buy them but never read them? because I just bought a couple and I went to my Manage Your Kindle page but there isn't a "return" option next to any of the books.

You have to call them to get the refund but I don't know if you can return multiple books at one time.

I would think that would raise a red flag for them.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2011 19:05

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

I'm posting from my Kindle and I have to say, I am pretty amazed at how useable/readable the forums are when you tilt the screen over and set it to 150%. A little slow and the text is a tad bit on the small side but still the same forum experience as on my PC.

- edit But it is slightly annoying that you have to set it to 150% every time you go to a new page.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Feb 11, 2011

# ¿ Feb 10, 2011 23:55

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Ha, I thought my new Kindle lighted case was broken because it didn't turn on every time I pulled out the light but it turns out I wasn't pulling it out far enough :downs:

So far, I think it is worth the money. Nice leather, the light more than covers the whole screen and it doesn't add that much weight to the whole thing. Feels about the same as my Kindle 1 in the lovely default case.

# ¿ Feb 12, 2011 19:13

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Hughlander posted:

Anyone use the nook or kindle's built in browser with the forums here? If so how is it?

Sporadic posted:

I'm posting from my Kindle and I have to say, I am pretty amazed at how useable/readable the forums are when you tilt the screen over and set it to 150%. A little slow and the text is a tad bit on the small side but still the same forum experience as on my PC.

- edit But it is slightly annoying that you have to set it to 150% every time you go to a new page.

Now with screenshot.

Click here for the full 800x600 image.

- edit And you can scroll by hitting the next page button. You don't actually have to get the cursor down to the bottom of the screen.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 20:35 on Feb 13, 2011

# ¿ Feb 13, 2011 19:32

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Sporadic posted:

Now with screenshot.

Click here for the full 800x600 image.

- edit And you can scroll by hitting the next page button. You don't actually have to get the cursor down to the bottom of the screen.

And here the page actually on my Kindle (which is in the lighted case). There is a slight shadow from the screen on my porch but it's good enough to get an idea of how it looks.

Click here for the full 1857x1177 image.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Feb 13, 2011

# ¿ Feb 13, 2011 20:36

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

doctorfrog posted:

Sideshot complaint: Kindle needs a waay better method of categorizing titles on the device. ~3GB of storage, and only three ways to sort titles, with a maximum of 10 titles on the screen at any time. I'd really like to be able to type out a title/author/etc. and have the list sort accordingly. Am I missing a way to search metadata only, or is the only way to search on the Kindle a full-text bazooka search?

Protip: Hit the page number you want (example alt+e = 3) and it will jump to that page.

Also make use of the "collections" (aka folders) feature. That way if you are actually using all 3GB, you don't have 300 pages to deal with. I go with genre unless I have alot of a specific author, in that case, they get their own folder.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 02:20 on Feb 15, 2011

# ¿ Feb 15, 2011 02:10

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Masonity posted:

But seriously? No idea. Maybe they want to ensure that "slide to release" bar is always there.

Only thing I can think of is that they don't want people using non-optimized images. Alot of the Kindle market is older folks that would be like "why is my picture of my grandchild bad looking :confused:

" or heaven forbid they go to show it off and their weird, lovely picture is the first thing the other person sees. "Yeah, the text is great looking but images look horrible on it"

# ¿ Feb 16, 2011 02:30

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

CygnusTM posted:

Interesting? Maybe. Novel? No.

I wouldn't even go with interesting since you are limited to lending out a book once for a 14 day period.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2011 19:58

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Well, that's disappointing. I was all excited that Peter Guralnick's two-part biography on Elvis was in the Kindle store. I didn't really look at the page and sent the samples to my Kindle. Turns out it is the German edition :psyduck:

Why would that be up in the US store?

# ¿ Feb 19, 2011 01:37

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

El Hefe posted:

I once left my SNES next to an open window and it rained and it got all soaked, I let it dry for a day or two and it was fine after that hahah.

There is a big difference between that and a device getting wet while turned on.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2011 19:24

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Looks like it is finally starting between the publishers and the library/Overdrive. HarperCollins is putting a 26 loan cap on each book they sell.

quote:

In the first significant revision to lending terms for ebook circulation, HarperCollins has announced that new titles licensed from library ebook vendors will be able to circulate only 26 times before the license expires.

Mention of the new terms was first made in a letter from OverDrive CEO Steve Potash to customers yesterday. He wrote [emphasis in original]:

quote:
[W]e have been required to accept and accommodate new terms for eBook lending as established by certain publishers. Next week, OverDrive will communicate a licensing change from a publisher that, while still operating under the one-copy/one-user model, will include a checkout limit for each eBook licensed. Under this publisher's requirement, for every new eBook licensed, the library (and the OverDrive platform) will make the eBook available to one customer at a time until the total number of permitted checkouts is reached.

Though the letter leaves the publisher unnamed, HarperCollins confirmed today to LJ that it is the publisher referred to.

The publisher also issued a short statement: "HarperCollins is committed to the library channel. We believe this change balances the value libraries get from our titles with the need to protect our authors and ensure a presence in public libraries and the communities they serve for years to come."

Josh Marwell, President, Sales for HarperCollins, told LJ that the 26 circulation limit was arrived at after considering a number of factors, including the average lifespan of a print book, and wear and tear on circulating copies.

As noted in the letter, the terms will not be specific to OverDrive, and will likewise apply to "all eBook vendors or distributors offering this publisher's titles for library lending." The new terms will not be retroactive, and will apply only to new titles. More details on the new terms are set to be announced next week.

If a lending period is two weeks, the 26 circulation limit is likely to equal roughly one year of use for a popular title. For a three-week lending period, that stretches to a year and a half.

For librarians�many of whom are already frustrated with ebooks lending policies and user interface issues�further license restrictions seem to come at a particularly bad time, given strained budgets nationwide. It may also disproportionately affect libraries that set shorter loan periods for ebook circulation.

While HarperCollins is the first major publisher to amend the terms of loan for its titles, two other members of the publishing "big six"�Macmillan and Simon & Schuster�still do not allow ebooks to be circulated in libraries, much to the consternation of librarians.

Likewise, many in the profession have pointed out publishers are overlooking the value added by librarians in promoting books and fostering book culture, a role detailed by librarian Katie Dunneback at the recent Tools of Change for Publishing conference.

Sarah Houghton-Jan, Assistant Director for the San Rafael Public Library, CA, and a blogger who has long voiced dissatisfaction with the ebook status quo, responded to the news:

quote:
Consumer market eBook vendors like Barnes & Noble and Amazon don't let publishers get away with the amount of nonsense that we get stuck with through library eBook vendors. I fault the publishers for not realizing what a huge mistake they are making by not realizing that new formats are opportunities--not threats to be quashed. I fault the library eBook vendors for not standing firm and saying "no" to asinine demands. And I fault the library profession for, to date, not standing up for the rights of our users. Our job is to fight for the user, and we have done a poor job of doing that during the digital content surge.

By contrast, Christopher Platt, Acting Director, Collections and Circulating Operations, The New York Public Library, said that he could see the move as "a great first step and an interesting development." Nevertheless, he said he would prefer an industry-wide solution rather than deals unique to a specific publisher. "We naturally gravitate to publishers that are easy to work with."

Additional publisher anxieties
The OverDrive letter also spells out concerns from publishers over geographic and territorial rights, and lending practices tied to card issuance, seemingly a sign of companies new to dealing with libraries in terms of electronic content (database publishers have long dealt in FTE or residents served).

OverDrive likewise says publishers are concerned about the size of consortia and shared collections, and "seek to ensure that sufficient copies of their content are being licensed to service demand of the library's service area, while at the same time balance the interests of publisher's retail partners who are focused on unit sales."

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/889452-264/harpercollins_caps_loans_on_ebook.html.csp

# ¿ Feb 25, 2011 21:03

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

bull3964 posted:

I think we can probably thank the iPad for the Random House pricing. Since they have to give the house of Steve 30% of the purchase price and they aren't allowed to sell them for any cheaper on any other store per the App Store rules, the price goes up and everyone gets hosed.

Thanks Apple!

No, remember Apple are the good guys. Maybe you are thinking of Micro$oft???

# ¿ Mar 4, 2011 21:18

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

GigaPeon posted:

Isn't Amazon also a 70-30 split?

Yeah, but before the agency model, Amazon was able to price it at whatever they wanted (usually $9.99) after paying for it.

quote:

On January 27, Apple unveiled the iPad, a tablet-like computing device that will come bundled with the iBookstore, the company's response to the increasing popularity of e-books.

Unlike Amazon, which buys e-books from publishers at around $15 and subsidizes them to sell copies for $9.99, Apple said that it will adopt the agency model, which allows the publisher to set the prices for e-books while Apple keeps 30 percent of the sales (as with its App Store).

http://www.pcworld.com/article/188627/third_major_publisher_dumps_amazons_999_ebooks_model.html

# ¿ Mar 4, 2011 21:43

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

ChetReckless posted:

I bought my Kindle a few weeks ago, and the lighted case was all I could find at the time. (Visiting the States from Canada.) I decided 'what the hell' and picked it up anyhow, and I'm really happy that I did. There are a few comfy spots in my house for reading that aren't as well lit as I thought, and the light works great for them. Also, you never notice its there when you're not using it. My $0.02.

I'm with you. It is so nice to be able to decide "I need some more light" and just slide out the tiny light that is built in, instead of having to turn on a lamp or grab an external book light that runs on its own batteries.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2011 23:36

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

hope and vaseline posted:

If anyone here is a Jose Saramago fan or have seen/read Blindness and want to dip into his other works, I just found out that there's a collection of all his novels going around for just under $20 in the Sony store and Amazon. It's a pretty drat amazing deal from one of the best contemporary authors. RIP Saramago

Wow, that is a great deal.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2011 07:51

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Vertigus posted:

No, the only difference is that the books won't get stored on Amazon's servers. It'd be a huge clusterfuck if Amazon decided to take action against people putting their own books on the Kindle.

They have no way of detecting :filez:

on the Kindle anyways. The 1984 thing (which was blown way out of proportion) was them using the refund system. They weren't actually searching Kindles.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2011 21:32

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Internaut! posted:

Pretty sure Amazon was taking a 30% cut before Apple hit the scene.

Try reading the thread buddy.

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3366619&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=44#post388856187

And the prices on all of Random House's books went up on Amazon when they moved to the agency model (which they moved to so they could get on iBookstore)

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Mar 8, 2011

# ¿ Mar 8, 2011 05:21

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Amazon put a whole bunch of Kindle Games on sale for $0.99

Mahjong Solitaire
Scrabble
Chess
Texas Hold Em Poker
The New York Times 30 Challenging Crosswords
Hangman 4 Kids
Triple Town
Sudoku Unbound #1
Solitaire
The New York Times 30 Easy Crosswords
Slingo

# ¿ Mar 15, 2011 01:42

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

I know some people were asking for this. It looks like somebody finally created a Notepad app for the Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LSLN0I/?tag=kindleboards-20

http://kappreview.com/2011/03/17/kindle-notepad-video/

# ¿ Mar 18, 2011 02:28

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Trig Discipline posted:

Yeah I never read on my Nook Color.

Let's be honest, most of the people in this thread aren't talking about what an awesome ereader the Nook Color is but how they can root it and turn it into a decent/cheap tablet that they can read comic books/surf the internet/watch videos/etc.

It is a valid thing to ask yourself when you are looking at which one you want to get. Do you want a device designed solely for reading that will mimic the experience of reading on paper or do you want a jack of all trades device you can also read on?

If it is the first, go with the Kindle/Nook/Sony. If it is the second, get the Nook Color or iPad.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2011 05:10

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Devi posted:

I don't like e-ink. I love that I can control the brightness, color schemes, font, and font size. I love that it has a built in dictionary that I can jump on to Wikipedia from and it looks just like Wikipedia on my computer.

Minus the color schemes/brightness, Kindle also has all of those.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2011 05:52

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Devi posted:

Yes, it does. But you quoted the part where I said I don't like e-ink and took out all the other things I like that the Kindle doesn't have. What's your point?

That you were partially wrong. That's all. Wasn't trying to start an argument or convert you or anything of that nature.

I thought it was strange how you went "I don't like eink" and then list things the Kindle can do as if it can't. The stuff I took out was stuff you were right about (and things I didn't need to comment on/weren't relevant to my post)

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Mar 25, 2011

# ¿ Mar 25, 2011 20:04

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Guess I'll ask here before calling Amazon.

I was downloading books via wifi from a dropbox account I set up. I picked a fairly large one (10.xx MB) and my Kindle froze after a little bit.

I tried restarting it and now, nothing is showing up on my screen. The screen is completely blank. The light is still working on the power button. If I hold the power button to reset, the screen will flash black before going back to nothing. I tried plugging it into my computer and nothing, except for the light on the bottom turning orange.

Is there something I'm missing or do I have to call Amazon?

-edit And I dont think it is the battery. It was at half charge when this happened and my lighted cover still works (yes I also tried removing it to see if that would help)

The screen doesnt seem to be working anymore

-edit And of course as soon as I make the edit, I check it and it is back to the main menu. Strange.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Apr 1, 2011

# ¿ Apr 1, 2011 22:08

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Centipeed posted:

Do you think there'd be enough interest / knowledge for a thread specifically devoted to cheap and decent books available on the Amazon and B&N book stores?

There are a lot of cheap books on Amazon, and most of them are probably crap, but there might be some real gems in there, and the Kindle store is terrible for finding that stuff.

I did this a long time ago but it was a massive pain in the rear end without people actively helping out and all the self-publishers trying to push their wares - "hey Sporadic I lowered the price of my book for some weird amount of time, plz add it to your list thx" and I still get private messages like that at the forum I use to have it at, even though I haven't done it for a year.

But yeah, people liked it when it was around. Go for it.

These threads would be a good jumping off point

http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,60213.0.html
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,60210.0.html

# ¿ Apr 6, 2011 02:25

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

The new Kindle is loving stupid.

Kindle with Wi-Fi includes Special Offers - $114.00

quote:

New, Lower Price
When you buy Kindle with Special Offers, you are getting the same bestselling Kindle for $25 less�only $114. Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen�they don't interrupt reading.

Special Offers
You'll receive special offers directly on your Kindle. Examples include:
- $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
- $6 for 6 Audible Books (normally $68)
- $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store (choose from over 1 million albums)
- $10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop

Sponsored Screensavers
Our goal is to display sponsored screensavers that you want to see. That's why we've created a free Kindle app and website (coming soon) called AdMash. Anyone who's interested can download AdMash and help pick future screensavers. Two prospective screensavers show up side-by-side, and you pick the one you find most attractive. The ones preferred most by customers qualify to become sponsored screensavers.

You can also set your personal Kindle Screensaver Preferences to give us hints on the style and types of sponsored screensavers you'd like to see on your Kindle. For example, you can indicate that you'd like to see more or fewer screensavers that include elements such as landscapes and scenery, architecture, travel images, photography, and illustrations. Together, AdMash voting and Kindle Screensaver Preferences help us select the most attractive and engaging sponsored screensavers to display on your Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HFS6Z0/ie=UTF8&tag=evdaisafi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004HFS6Z0

Maybe it is just me but I don't think getting $25 off is worth having ads all over the place.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2011 23:20

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

withak posted:

I bet it is to some people.

I don't get it.

Are people really that hard up for money that they will accept ads, for as long as they own the device, so they get $25 off the top?

# ¿ Apr 12, 2011 00:14

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Good news although none of my local libraries have ebooks (as far as I know)

quote:

Customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 local libraries to read on Kindle and free Kindle reading apps
Whispersyncing of notes, highlights and last page read to work for Kindle library books

(NASDAQ: AMZN)-- Amazon today announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Kindle Library Lending will be available for all generations of Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps.

"We're excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Customers tell us they love Kindle for its Pearl e-ink display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight, up to a month of battery life, and Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps."

Customers will be able to check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle device or free Kindle app for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone. If a Kindle book is checked out again or that book is purchased from Amazon, all of a customer's annotations and bookmarks will be preserved.

"We're doing a little something extra here," Marine continued. "Normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we're extending our Whispersync technology so that you can highlight and add margin notes to Kindle books you check out from your local library. Your notes will not show up when the next patron checks out the book. But if you check out the book again, or subsequently buy it, your notes will be there just as you left them, perfectly Whispersynced."

(...)

Amazon is working with OverDrive, the leading provider of digital content solutions for over 11,000 public and educational libraries in the United States, to bring a seamless library borrowing experience to Kindle customers. "We are excited to be working with Amazon to offer Kindle Library Lending to the millions of customers who read on Kindle and Kindle apps," said Steve Potash, CEO, OverDrive. "We hear librarians and patrons rave about Kindle, so we are thrilled that we can be part of bringing library books to the unparalleled experience of reading on Kindle."

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1552678&highlight=

# ¿ Apr 20, 2011 14:29

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

fishmech posted:

Mobi has been around for ages longer than EPUB has, and they both offer almost exactly the same features, and are both essentially HTML, XML, and attachments like images, contained in a optionally compressed archive container.

The only "war" here is the mutually incompatible DRM schemes from each provider. If you remove that it's perfectly convertible.

Agreed. It reminds me of AAC/MP3. Amazon is in the same position as Apple. They never have to change because they are the top of the pile.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2011 19:34

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

Devi posted:

Don't get too excited yet. I'm worried about the wording of the announcement. It almost sounds like libraries will have to buy Kindle format books instead of Kindles being able to open the formats already offered by Overdrive.

Good news.

quote:

Today Amazon and OverDrive announced the Kindle Library Lending program, which will enable Kindle customers to borrow and enjoy eBooks from our library, school, and college partners in the United States. The program is scheduled for launch later this year, and will significantly increase the value of the investments that libraries have made in OverDrive-powered eBook catalogs.

Many of our partners will immediately receive inquiries about this new program, so here is a brief introduction into what can be expected when the program launches:

The Kindle Library Lending program will integrate into your existing OverDrive-powered �Virtual Branch� website.

Your existing collection of downloadable eBooks will be available to Kindle customers. As you add new eBooks to your collection, those titles will also be available in Kindle format for lending to Kindle and Kindle reading apps. Your library will not need to purchase any additional units to have Kindle compatibility. This will work for your existing copies and units.

A user will be able to browse for titles on any desktop or mobile operating system, check out a title with a library card, and then select Kindle as the delivery destination. The borrowed title will then be able to be enjoyed using any Kindle device and all of Amazon�s free Kindle Reading Apps.

The Kindle eBook titles borrowed from a library will carry the same rules and policies as all our other eBooks.

The Kindle Library Lending program will support publishers� existing lending models.

Your users� confidential information will be protected.

The Kindle Library Lending program is only available for libraries, schools, and colleges in the United States.

We�re thrilled that our library, school, and college partners will be able to provide Kindle customers with access to eBooks from their digital collections. And we look forward to providing you with more information on the launch of the Kindle Library Lending program as it becomes available.

http://overdriveblogs.com/library/2011/04/20/kindle-library-lending-and-overdrive-what-it-means-for-libraries-and-schools/

# ¿ Apr 20, 2011 21:52

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 22:28

Call Me Charlie: Dec 3, 2005; by Smythe

BobTheCow posted:

How wonky is Kindle's web interface? I'm going to pick one up next week, just need to decide between wifi or 3G. I figure if it's not an enormous pain in the rear end to do simple things like check e-mail and Facebook, I'll spring for the 3G, otherwise the wifi would be fine.

It's not as bad as people say when you turn the screen sideways. You can do simple things like check email, facebook/twitter, read news sites on it.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2011 18:01

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > The eReader Megathread: Yes, all publishers hate Canada

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