iBook and Kindle Questions

[iPadCharlie]

I have noticed those types of errors, but I really can't say that one provider has more of them than the other. In order to really verify this, it would mean buying the same book from (at least) two different places and comparing them and I am not $7.99 worth of curious!

What I don't know is if they re-sellers do their own conversions, or if they buy the rights from the publisher and then add their own DRM to it? My thinking is that if you were to compare a Kindle book to an iBook to a Nook book to a Kobo book, they would all be identical; flaws and all.

 

[Bremen]

Agree with 1991... I don't even buy iBooks but see tons of errors from everywhere. Some books are almost error free, and others are just awful. I bought a New Testament from Amazon and I bet there is a spelling error on average every 5 pages. I bought a book from B&N and it was so bad I went to the torrents and got a better copy.....

 

[iVan]

It sometimes feels like they took them from pirate scanners.

Soon that will change because they have to have older books retyped. But those that come out now are already in electronic form for printing purpose. It's been that way for a while now but maybe they didn't keep all the disquettes.

 

[Finnedog]

I would still like to able to go to an internet library and download a free book for 2 weeks and have it automatically erase itself after that time frame. Or have a 99 cent charge for the download, there are lots of books I would like to read but the choice is to get a hard copy at the library for free or pay $8-14 for one.

Financially what would earn the authors more money?

A hard copy that they get paid $15 for or a 1000 99 cents downloads.

It is just like the apps, 99 cents and we buy lots of them some are good and some are not so good but we buy lots of them.

 

[iPadCharlie]

I would still like to able to go to an internet library and download a free book for 2 weeks and have it automatically erase itself after that time frame.

Boy, this really touches a nerve for me!

The two major library systems I have access to both use an ePub distribution network called OverDrive and that is exactly what they do! The only problem, and I think it is a huge problem is:

Their books work fine on the Sony readers, Nook and Kobo readers and on a PC, but given the fact that there are probably more iPads than all of those other eReaders combined, you just gotta wonder why OverDrive is ignoring this huge segment of the population? I mean it won't even work with the B&N or Kobo reader app on an iPad.

My wife is a library branch manager and it gripes her cookies to no end that I spend money on buying books. Funny thing is that she bought me the iPad for my birthday!

EDIT: I just sent OverDrive a message regarding this. I will post their response.

 

[Always Write]

I just wanted to clarify one thing with e-books: the format (ePub vs. Mobi) really doesn't matter as much as whether or not the book has DRM (copy protection) attached.

Books without DRM can be easily converted to any format by free software such as Calibre. On the other hand, books with DRM might only be readable on one particular device and not another -- even if the file is ePub.

If converting files is important to you, you can find DRM-free e-books through places like Project Gutenberg (public domain), Smashwords (independent author e-books, some free and some paid), and even some of Amazon's books are DRM-free. Many indie authors (like myself) opt not to put DRM on our Amazon titles, so they can be freely converted to various formats (and read on a Nook or iPad or whatever). An Amazon e-book is DRM-free if it says "Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited." (DRM'ed titles are usually limited to 4-6 devices at a time.) Virtually all e-books by large publishers will have DRM attached.

 

[drwinston001]

I read yesterday that Amazon US sold more eBooks than hard books last month for the first time in it's history.

I knew it was coming but that news, so soon has amazed me. While it's not all Apple it shows what a big effect the iPad has had already.

Now when will Apply start work on a hover-board.

 

[arshield]

I read yesterday that Amazon US sold more eBooks than hard books last month for the first time in it's history.

I knew it was coming but that news, so soon has amazed me. While it's not all Apple it shows what a big effect the iPad has had already.

Now when will Apply start work on a hover-board.

Amazon has sold more ebooks than hardbacks before, but it was the first quarter that it sold more ebooks than hardbacks in the whole quarter. And while I think the ipad had some influence, I would suggest that the fact that the price of the kindle dropped had a bigger influence. Amazon said that in the last month since it dropped the price of the kindle its sales of kindles tripled (although they did not disclose a number).

 

[iPadCharlie]

And while I think the ipad had some influence, I would suggest that the fact that the price of the kindle dropped had a bigger influence.

But this is an iPad forum. You're not allowed to say things like that. Deep down in our heart of hearts, we all want to believe that the bump in sales was due entirely to the iPad.

 

[arshield]

And while I think the ipad had some influence, I would suggest that the fact that the price of the kindle dropped had a bigger influence.

But this is an iPad forum. You're not allowed to say things like that. Deep down in our heart of hearts, we all want to believe that the bump in sales was due entirely to the iPad.

I am sorry. Of course the increase in sales was entirely due to the ipad. In fact it is unlikely that any ebook sales really occurred before the ipad was released. The sales before ipad were most likely made up by ebook companies trying to create interest in ebooks so that the ipad would be released.

 

[Bremen]

I would still like to able to go to an internet library and download a free book for 2 weeks and have it automatically erase itself after that time frame.

Boy, this really touches a nerve for me!

The two major library systems I have access to both use an ePub distribution network called OverDrive and that is exactly what they do! The only problem, and I think it is a huge problem is:

Their books work fine on the Sony readers, Nook and Kobo readers and on a PC, but given the fact that there are probably more iPads than all of those other eReaders combined, you just gotta wonder why OverDrive is ignoring this huge segment of the population? I mean it won't even work with the B&N or Kobo reader app on an iPad.

My wife is a library branch manager and it gripes her cookies to no end that I spend money on buying books. Funny thing is that she bought me the iPad for my birthday!

EDIT: I just sent OverDrive a message regarding this. I will post their response.

Has anyone tried the "Txtr" app for this? It is an iPhone app, but other than being a bit ugly, works fine on the iPad. It reads Adobe Digital Editions DRM protected ePubs...... I live in a small town, and the library here I think just discovered cassette tape audio books, so we for sure don't have eBooks.....

 

[iPadCharlie]

I haven't tried that app (but I will definitely look at it), but for checked out ePubs from the library, it has to be done within OverDrive. I have yet to get a good answer from OverDrive about why they are not compatible with the iPad. The only answer I got was basically a "cut & paste" from their web site. I think I may have to climb higher up the corporate ladder!

 

[Bremen]

It would be a deal breaker if Overdrive would have to have an iPad app for it to work.....

I do know from others experiences that Txtr will work with Sony store ePubs on the iPad.....