From the press release:
Diesel eBooks has just rolled out a suite of new mobile products designed to deliver more choice and freedom, and to counteract what it sees as a totalitarian eBook environment which tethers customers to specific devices and eBook Stores.
In addition to the new Diesel Reader software for iPad/iPhone and Android, the launch includes a universal mobile app called the “eFreedom” app
http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/static/educz-devices_freedom/1.html.“Our customers have increasingly shared their frustration with eBook devices being isolated to a specific store,” said L. Scott Redford, Founder and CEO of Diesel eBooks. “In response, we’ve built the eFreedom app which can be reached from anything with an internet browser. It’s essentially an optimized eBook Store for mobile devices built using HTML5 technology – it never needs downloading or updating.” HTML5 is a blanket term used to describe all of the internet technologies used to engineer websites, including CSS and javascript just to name a few.
The new Diesel Reader software can be downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores and lets customers consolidate eBooks from public libraries and other eBook stores onto one reader. http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/static/educz-welcome/1.html
“As eReader agnostics, we feel an eBook Store shouldn’t shackle you to any one reading device and vice versa,” added Redford. “That’s why we’ve purposefully refused to narrow in on a single eBook Reader and instead built our store with freedom
So how is this different from Ibis Reader?
http://ibisreader.com/
The images of the Diesel Reader software in the Apple app store looks just like a repackaged Bluefire app. As I already have several issues with Bluefire I don’t think I’ll bother with the Diesel one!
Why don’t publishers just support Isilo?
Why iSilo exactly, Steve?
Take control of the ebooks that you can access. The website mediabookkiosk.com has an Adobe link that allows you to download different formats of ebooks on your computer and then transfer them onto different ereader devices.
Chris,
The reasons for Isilo support:
* An existing format designed for reading on small screens.
* No need to invest in “new” format that will require publishers to support and develop.
* Isilo already is available for all the most popular operating systems.
* One file that is used for all devices. Publishers would only need to create one Isilo document that customers can read on any device of their choosing.
* Customers won’t be limited to a specific device.
Those are just a few of the reasons. Isilo.com for more details.
p.s. I’m just a long time happy customer of Isilo products.
Steve
Steve,
What what I have seen, I don’t think that the various vendors really want their customers to have that kind of freedom. The major ones all have a customer base that they hope are only buying ebooks from them. If format didn’t matter, then the customers could shop around for the best price, instead of being limited to the vendor and the formats that vendor device can support.
I admit that my android phone has about 6 different ebook readers because of formatting – some accessing the same type of file, but the file looking better on one of the other.
Kisrael,
It does appear that publishers are trying to lock in customers to their own format. But then, for hundreds of years they’ve had just one format – paper.
It just seems too confusing and convoluted.
Steve
What is the problem that people have with someone else launching their own eReader ? I don’t get it. The more competition we as readers, and writers, have the better.
Of course publishers want to lock us in, that is what they do. I haven’t tried this Diesel thing but it sounds like it worth looking at and considering.
“HTML5 is a blanket term used to describe all of the internet technologies used to engineer websites, including CSS and javascript just to name a few.”
Who writes this garbage ?
I found this press release more than a little disingenuous. It’s not the eReaders that effect vendor lock-in, it’s DRM. If an eBook is EPUB 2.1 compliant and DRM free, most eReaders will enable you to read it. For those eReaders that are not EPUB-compliant, there’s Calibre to convert it to something that the eReader will render (e.g. convert ePub to Mobi to read on a Kindle).
Frank – I may just be in argumentative form today 🙂 but I don’t see where they made this claim.
The truth is that the dominant readers are probably the iPad/Kindle, yes ? And both are restrictive, though I agree DRM is the tool they use. But Diesel don’t say no other eReading software is as good as theirs. They are simply adding theirs to the mix.
Remember most ordinary readers are not as clued in on what choice they have beyond the Kindle etc. So I see this as another welcome entry into the mix myself.
Not looking good as a real alternative eReader ……. I downloaded this eReader and I can’t find any way to transfer the eBooks I have already purchased and on my other eReaders or in Calibre on my Mac. I will stay with ShuBook for now.