Comments on: The $399 OLPC laptop deal: Who should go ahead? http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-399-olpc-laptop-deal-who-should-take-advantage-of-it/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:05:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-399-olpc-laptop-deal-who-should-take-advantage-of-it/comment-page-1/#comment-549127 David Rothman Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:31:34 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7162#comment-549127 Douglas K Beagley re OLPC/forms: I'd urge you to write publishers and keep speaking up here. We're read by some good people at major publishers. Ideally they'll get the message and at least experiment with nonDRMed .epub---even before the DRMed version is ready. As for DRM, my preference is none. But if they're gonna do it, they'd better work out standards via the IDPF or it's just the Tower of eBabel all over again. Thanks. David Douglas K Beagley re OLPC/forms: I’d urge you to write publishers and keep speaking up here. We’re read by some good people at major publishers. Ideally they’ll get the message and at least experiment with nonDRMed .epub—even before the DRMed version is ready. As for DRM, my preference is none. But if they’re gonna do it, they’d better work out standards via the IDPF or it’s just the Tower of eBabel all over again. Thanks. David

]]> By: pond http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-399-olpc-laptop-deal-who-should-take-advantage-of-it/comment-page-1/#comment-549065 pond Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:00:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7162#comment-549065 I'm in too, if I can swing the $$ come early November. As an anti-DRM bigot, I've no problem with lack of support for same. And the XO performs as a MID or UMPC or PDA as well. I do have concerns about how 'finished' the software/hardware is. And the 'limited-time availability' also troubles me. Usually I let a 'hot new gadget' I'm interested in hit the streets, and see what the first-users say about it. Then I might wait for an update to the software to come along. Not 100% as you can see...maybe 85-90%. I’m in too, if I can swing the $$ come early November.

As an anti-DRM bigot, I’ve no problem with lack of support for same. And the XO performs as a MID or UMPC or PDA as well.

I do have concerns about how ‘finished’ the software/hardware is. And the ‘limited-time availability’ also troubles me. Usually I let a ‘hot new gadget’ I’m interested in hit the streets, and see what the first-users say about it. Then I might wait for an update to the software to come along.

Not 100% as you can see…maybe 85-90%.

]]> By: Douglas K Beagley http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-399-olpc-laptop-deal-who-should-take-advantage-of-it/comment-page-1/#comment-548987 Douglas K Beagley Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:00:13 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7162#comment-548987 I will be among those pounding the servers as soon as these go on sale. This is a dream machine for me, basically. I want a laptop I can toss around. I love everything about the OLPC... the swivel-E-Reading solution is dreamy, the battery life is dreamy, and the fact that I can write on it clinches the deal. It is like the Sony Reader + awesomness. So, I'm an acknowledged fan-boy. The inability to run a closed, commercial format (Mobipocket) is par for the course. I love this blog, but I really don't understand anyone's support for commercial formats. Realistically, where will Mobipocket be twenty years from now? Pfah! I store my permanent eBooks in txt... and only convert them to RTF or whatever my display device can handle later. -d I will be among those pounding the servers as soon as these go on sale. This is a dream machine for me, basically. I want a laptop I can toss around. I love everything about the OLPC… the swivel-E-Reading solution is dreamy, the battery life is dreamy, and the fact that I can write on it clinches the deal. It is like the Sony Reader + awesomness.

So, I’m an acknowledged fan-boy.

The inability to run a closed, commercial format (Mobipocket) is par for the course. I love this blog, but I really don’t understand anyone’s support for commercial formats. Realistically, where will Mobipocket be twenty years from now? Pfah! I store my permanent eBooks in txt… and only convert them to RTF or whatever my display device can handle later.

-d

]]> By: Joanna http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-399-olpc-laptop-deal-who-should-take-advantage-of-it/comment-page-1/#comment-548246 Joanna Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:59:01 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7162#comment-548246 I'm out. The machine really intrigues me, but I just bought a Macbook that isn't much heavier to tote around, and it continues to baffle me why these guys are SO reluctant to sell it in the developed world. They could make a TON of money off these if they put them in Walmarts or something, and tat money could be used to fund the project. Why the commercial bias? I don't know. But the attitude of it all bugs me and leads me to believe the support for these will be sketchy. I may keep me eye on developments with the ASUS EEE though. It is is reasonably light weight (say, under 2 pounds) and battery-efficient, I may get one as a spare to take to work with me. I’m out. The machine really intrigues me, but I just bought a Macbook that isn’t much heavier to tote around, and it continues to baffle me why these guys are SO reluctant to sell it in the developed world. They could make a TON of money off these if they put them in Walmarts or something, and tat money could be used to fund the project. Why the commercial bias? I don’t know. But the attitude of it all bugs me and leads me to believe the support for these will be sketchy. I may keep me eye on developments with the ASUS EEE though. It is is reasonably light weight (say, under 2 pounds) and battery-efficient, I may get one as a spare to take to work with me.

]]> By: Cerebus http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-399-olpc-laptop-deal-who-should-take-advantage-of-it/comment-page-1/#comment-547780 Cerebus Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:38:17 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7162#comment-547780 Definitely going to try, assuming I can get an order in. $400 is chump change--I spent as much on my N800 and use it daily. FBreader should port nicely, and with Squeak I can do so many other things. It's as close to a Kay's Dynabook as we've ever gotten (understandable, since he's been so involved in the project). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynabook Definitely going to try, assuming I can get an order in. $400 is chump change–I spent as much on my N800 and use it daily. FBreader should port nicely, and with Squeak I can do so many other things. It’s as close to a Kay’s Dynabook as we’ve ever gotten (understandable, since he’s been so involved in the project).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynabook

]]> By: John Novak http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-399-olpc-laptop-deal-who-should-take-advantage-of-it/comment-page-1/#comment-547682 John Novak Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:41:59 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7162#comment-547682 I'm still waffling a bit on this, but odds are I will go for it. As an e-book device, I'm not sure it really works; three pounds is on the hefty side. And as a general-purpose computer, it's kinda underpowered. However, I'm interested in the screen technology, and actually getting my hands on a device to see how it feels and behaves. If you add in the philanthropic aspect, $400 is (barely) worth it for me. Re Mobi, I can't add any definitive information; but isn't the reader on the iRex Java-based? If so, I would think it possible in principle to port it to this device... depends on how easily extendible the system is. The OLPC pages say "We will also provide some support Java and Flash" [sic], for whatever that is worth. --John N. I’m still waffling a bit on this, but odds are I will go for it. As an e-book device, I’m not sure it really works; three pounds is on the hefty side. And as a general-purpose computer, it’s kinda underpowered. However, I’m interested in the screen technology, and actually getting my hands on a device to see how it feels and behaves. If you add in the philanthropic aspect, $400 is (barely) worth it for me.

Re Mobi, I can’t add any definitive information; but isn’t the reader on the iRex Java-based? If so, I would think it possible in principle to port it to this device… depends on how easily extendible the system is. The OLPC pages say “We will also provide some support Java and Flash” [sic], for whatever that is worth.

–John N.

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