Comments on: The Zune for e-book reading—plus a few words on Microsoft Reader as the wrong fashion statement http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:23:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1039979 Steve Jordan Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:37:22 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/18/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/#comment-1039979 I actually wouldn't care if MS revived LIT in the Zune... as long as users can convert to LIT from other common formats, like ePub. I think having a universal format, and devices that convert that format to their proprietary format on-demand, is a perfectly workable market. (Personally I don't have a problem starting with ePub, though I accept that it is not yet perfect... and it needs more tools devoted to it.) I actually wouldn’t care if MS revived LIT in the Zune… as long as users can convert to LIT from other common formats, like ePub. I think having a universal format, and devices that convert that format to their proprietary format on-demand, is a perfectly workable market. (Personally I don’t have a problem starting with ePub, though I accept that it is not yet perfect… and it needs more tools devoted to it.)

]]> By: Moriah Jovan http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1039904 Moriah Jovan Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:57:26 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/18/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/#comment-1039904 Feels more like whining to me. *grin* My impatience manifests in workaround solutions. ;) Feels more like whining to me. *grin* My impatience manifests in workaround solutions. ;)

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1039899 David Rothman Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:39:17 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/18/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/#comment-1039899 Hey, MoJo, I'm the one with the quad bypass and I'm patient---except that I want you to keep bashing the IDPF to help encourage 'em to shape up. David Hey, MoJo, I’m the one with the quad bypass and I’m patient—except that I want you to keep bashing the IDPF to help encourage ‘em to shape up.

David

]]> By: Moriah Jovan http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1039882 Moriah Jovan Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:45:10 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/18/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/#comment-1039882 Well, apparently, the IDPF doesn't care what I think, so... ::gallic shrug:: Thing is, I don't have 20 (or 15 or 10 or 5) years to wait for a standard and a device so I can be techno-ecologically efficient. I have a reader. I have e-books. I'm a micropress. I need the solution NOW. Since I don't have an mp3 one-format-fits-all (and can't easily create the one that comes closes), I have to work around it. No worries, though. I'm the queen of the workaround solution. Well, apparently, the IDPF doesn’t care what I think, so…

::gallic shrug::

Thing is, I don’t have 20 (or 15 or 10 or 5) years to wait for a standard and a device so I can be techno-ecologically efficient. I have a reader. I have e-books. I’m a micropress. I need the solution NOW. Since I don’t have an mp3 one-format-fits-all (and can’t easily create the one that comes closes), I have to work around it. No worries, though. I’m the queen of the workaround solution.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1039881 David Rothman Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:41:30 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/18/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/#comment-1039881 Jack and Moriah: Figured someone would mention the strippable DRM, lol. Just please don't mention products or URLs, since we're a high profile site and I don't want DMCA zealots to get us in trouble. Yep, LIT is beautiful, but so are some rattlesnakes. What's more, standards are beautiful, too. Meanwhile please keep bashing ePub. It's a natural part of the Darwinian process. I WANT the IDPF to know it can't be smug. David the "Tough Love" guy Jack and Moriah:

Figured someone would mention the strippable DRM, lol. Just please don’t mention products or URLs, since we’re a high profile site and I don’t want DMCA zealots to get us in trouble.

Yep, LIT is beautiful, but so are some rattlesnakes. What’s more, standards are beautiful, too.

Meanwhile please keep bashing ePub. It’s a natural part of the Darwinian process. I WANT the IDPF to know it can’t be smug.

David the “Tough Love” guy

]]> By: Moriah Jovan http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1039879 Moriah Jovan Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:32:09 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/18/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/#comment-1039879 David I'm taking this as a personal attack since it was my rhapsodizing over M$Reader that got Mike looking deeper. ;) On strict principal, I'd agree with you except M$Reader is beautiful and easy on the eyes. Honestly, I'm beginning to think the only real solution to the eBabel problem is a multi-format e-reading device. Besides, as you know, I've been gnashing my teeth over EPUB creation for the last month, so I'm not exactly in EPUB'S camp right now. Jack says: <blockquote>One of the dirty little secrets about it is that it’s dead easy to strip out the DRM, so it’s a popular format for those who like to buy, mod, and read.</blockquote> Or not so little secrets. It's a beautiful thing, LIT. However, the Zune itself? Not so enamored of it. <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5205782/survey-100-of-teens-want-an-ipod-0-of-teens-want-any-other-player" rel="nofollow">If 100% of teens would rather have an iPod than a Zune, it's already dead</a>. David I’m taking this as a personal attack since it was my rhapsodizing over M$Reader that got Mike looking deeper. ;) On strict principal, I’d agree with you except M$Reader is beautiful and easy on the eyes.

Honestly, I’m beginning to think the only real solution to the eBabel problem is a multi-format e-reading device.

Besides, as you know, I’ve been gnashing my teeth over EPUB creation for the last month, so I’m not exactly in EPUB’S camp right now.

Jack says:

One of the dirty little secrets about it is that it’s dead easy to strip out the DRM, so it’s a popular format for those who like to buy, mod, and read.

Or not so little secrets.

It’s a beautiful thing, LIT.

However, the Zune itself? Not so enamored of it. If 100% of teens would rather have an iPod than a Zune, it’s already dead.

]]> By: Jack Tingle http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1039871 Jack Tingle Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:20:04 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/18/the-zune-for-e-book-reading-and-microsoft-reader-as-the-wrong-fashion-statement/#comment-1039871 Whoa, horse! I enjoy MS bashing as much as the next guy, but Reader is one of their better products. It was well-though-out, well-designed, and well-executed. The only problem with it was the "MS does not play well with others" meme. IIRC, they only licensed it to one other reader maker. Reviving it is not a bad thing. One of the dirty little secrets about it is that it's dead easy to strip out the DRM, so it's a popular format for those who like to buy, mod, and read. Regards, Jack Tingle Whoa, horse!

I enjoy MS bashing as much as the next guy, but Reader is one of their better products. It was well-though-out, well-designed, and well-executed. The only problem with it was the “MS does not play well with others” meme. IIRC, they only licensed it to one other reader maker.

Reviving it is not a bad thing. One of the dirty little secrets about it is that it’s dead easy to strip out the DRM, so it’s a popular format for those who like to buy, mod, and read.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

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