iBooks suffers from Jailhouse Blues

[Road Warrior]

I think the iBooks app is pleasant to use, except it's support of graphic novels (truly terrible; some are unreadable - I use comiXology instead). However, I must remind everyone that iBooks is a very limited DRM sandbox.

I personally hate DRM for books. I cannot think of anything dumber than restricting someone from reading the book they bought on whatever device they wish to use. The whole point of digital books is anything, anytime and anywhere. However, I understand the anxieties of publishers regarding piracy. I don't know the answer to this thorny question but I do know that any attempt to restrict convenience is punished by users.

That said, I think that Amazon's solution - for the moment - is a more 'open' one in the sense that it is less device-dependent than Apple's iBook solution. It just so happens that Apple's devices are the most pleasant and amazing to use... but this might change (remember Apple in the '90s? What happens if Steve Jobs retires?)... you never know.

I find that the Amazon website is a nice way to deploy my books to multiple devices. I can see all the books that I have purchased and then select to send them to my iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, or Desktop. This leverages my library to whichever device I am in front of at that moment in time - and enhances my ability to read it. Management of my library is 'in the cloud'. This is pretty slick.

Amazon isn't really in the hardware business. The Kindle sucks compared to the iPad - but they blazed a trail, forced publishers to start making digital versions of their publications and actually gave publishers a compelling reason to switch to digital by actually monetizing it. For this, I thing we owe them some credit. Furthermore, they have purchased the guys who make Stanza in order to ensure that the Kindle software is as widely compatible for as many devices as possible.

By contrast, the Apple environment is a much more 'closed' system. But closed can be good and in Apple's case it makes a lot of sense. But when it comes to books, I beg to differ. I think we're better off buying books from a service like Amazon that has less long-term interest in the hardware business and every incentive to make the book available to you on any device, anywhere, anytime....

Of course, if Apple puts your library in the Cloud and allows you to read your books on any device you want, then they will render this a moot point. I'd like to see that happen.

However - If you really don't want DRM, then buy the book, split it, and scan it. That's what I do at the moment. I have over 130+ books scanned so far. I prefer Adobe Acrobat 9.0's Clearscan technology, because the books look great on the iPad and the file sizes are very low.

See you guys on the Road...

Road Warrior

 

[Bremen]

Just a quick different point of view. Apple uses ePub format, the standard that is used on all standalone readers except Kindle. Kindle uses a propitiatory format that cannot be used on anything except a Kindle and Kindle apps.

DRM is a whole other issue. DRM can be removed, but it is the hardest to remove from Kindle books. The "Topaz" scheme on some Kindle books is a major PITA to remove.

I have never bought a book from Apple. I buy most from Kobo because they are cheaper and easy to remove the DRM from. I buy a few from Amazon, and of course always remove the DRM.

Bottom line is to buy what you want, but understand Kindle books will only work as long as Amazon supports their propitiatory format. Sony went to ePub last year, and for some it continues to be a mess as their newest readers only support ePub.... Amazon will sooner or later move to another format as well.

No need to scan books.... Just search on the net for "python drm remove". Once it's set up it is an easy process to remove DRM from most all book stores, except Amazon.

 

[Road Warrior]

Bremen,

Thanks for the advice. Believe me, I don't scan books unless I have to but these are books that don't yet have electronic distribution and I don't want to wait forever.

DRM is an issue because it isn't 'invisible' - in other words, people who legitimately purchase a book don't yet have the freedom to use it anytime and anywhere. I don't think people would mind DRM so much if that was not the case. I find Amazon's DRM to be reasonably unobtrusive - as long as they continue to support many devices. It's not perfect but they at least pioneered something that gives money back to publishers and works pretty well in practice.

I work in film and have seen a lot of films that I have sweat blood on pirated for free. This makes me very unhappy. On the flip side, I am very disappointed by film distributors' lack of understanding and refusal to embrace a more benign, cost-appropriate, distribute-everywhere in all formats approach. I don't see the book DRM as fundamentally different. As long as I - as a consumer - can purchase the product at the right price and use it anytime and anywhere (with the least amount of friction), then I am a happy customer.

 

[Bremen]

Good point Road Warrior.....

I will admit that more than once the DRM issue has drove me to torrents. I believe that if i buy something, it is mine. I should not have to ask permission to use what i purchased.

When you have a paper book that is not yet released in ebook. Realize that someone may have already scanned it, and put it in a torrent. In that case you would not be "stealing" , but simply saving yourself a lot of needless work....