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legotech
July 20, 2009 2:19 PM
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Baen also has Kindle format on their free website: [www.baen.com]

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figaro1010
July 20, 2009 3:42 PM
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@legotech:


God I love those guys...DRM free...great books...free library. I wish more publishers \"got it\" like they do.

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Quill2006
July 20, 2009 7:36 PM
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@the_wiggle: I was just about to say the same thing! And their idea that promoting the first (few) books in a series for free will encourage people to buy the rest really does work.

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chrisdag
July 20, 2009 3:01 PM
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@legotech: Thanks for reminding me of this. Just loaded my Kindle2 with a bunch of Baen titles.

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cristiana
July 20, 2009 2:22 PM
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I bought a Kindle last year in full knowledge that the downloaded books had DRM, and I was fine with all of the restrictions. Now that download limits, and remote removal have come to light, I am pissed that my $300 device is hobbled by hidden limitations.

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Mike Amory
July 20, 2009 5:12 PM
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@cristiana: I hear you man, if I had known all this I probably would have held off of my purchase.

I do like reading newspapers on the Kindle though, I've always hated newspaper paper-didn't like the \"feel\" and found it a pain to put into order- so that part is perfect for me.

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shepd
July 20, 2009 3:21 PM
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@cristiana:

Why put DRM in something unless you plan to use it? We're not talking stalemate nuclear warheads here, we're talking spending time and money on a \"feature\" and expecting the company won't take advantage of it.

I absolutely refuse to participate in any DRM schemes whatsoever.

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dragonfire81
July 20, 2009 3:28 PM
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@shepd: Sooner or later I don't think you'll have a choice. More and more content is going to the download model (music, movies, software, books, etc) and if you choose to download these legally, you'll have to deal with DRM.

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MostlyHarmless
July 20, 2009 8:26 PM
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@dragonfire81: At least for music, Amazon downloads are DRM free. I bet this will spread to other digital content as well.

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FrugalFreak
July 20, 2009 8:24 PM
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@dragonfire81:

And more and more alternative download/watch/listen sources will present themselves.

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chrylis
July 20, 2009 3:39 PM
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@dragonfire81: Which is exactly the reason to start pushing back now. (In particular, I have no interest in running the exact software of the publisher's choice just so they can come back and disable my music because they don't feel like keeping a server up anymore.)

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Chris Walters
July 20, 2009 3:05 PM
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@cristiana: Agreed. It's hard to be an informed consumer if the company doesn't tell you everything it should up front.

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tangent4
July 20, 2009 2:23 PM
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My Solution - DON'T BUY A KINDLE - I have a Sony eBook Reader.

I can load it with whatever I want and no one is looking over my shoulder. I can buy books from the Sony store, or with open-source Calibre I can convert any file to epub (it's an open format - unlike the kindle format) - or read pdfs and other files directly on the reader.
Plus, Google Books allows you to download any of its public domain books in epub format directly to your reader.

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hewhoroams
July 20, 2009 3:14 PM
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@tangent4:

I've been perfectly happy thus far with my sone Ebook reader too, the $200 deal at borders was a great excuse to give this technology a try.

I don't miss the sprint enabled wifi connectivity at all, but I also haven't had the guts to stop in at Sony's ebook store with its awful awful prices.

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FigNinja
July 20, 2009 5:06 PM
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@hewhoroams:

The Sony is lovely but I can't believe it still doesn't have dictionary support. At least the 700 lets you search and annotate your stuff but I don't like the look of the screen.

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John Henschen
July 20, 2009 2:31 PM
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I can't remember the last time I read a paper book. I've used PDAs to read books up until I got a smart phone and now read them on there. I love the ability to store as many books as I want on it and it fits into my pocket. I can read over lunch by just holding it in one hand and eating with the other. Its brilliant in bed because I don't need to have a light on and my wife isn't irritated by the light being on. The Kindle seems too bulky and with the restrictions on it... I can't ever see buying one. Its kinda like the AOL version of an ebook reader. Why would you use it when there are so many better more convenient options out there?

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EllenRose
July 20, 2009 2:45 PM
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I use my PDA to read. It accepts what I give it, and does as I tell it. Why should I buy a Kindle and lose all of that?

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I Love New Jersey
July 20, 2009 2:47 PM
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Or you could save hundreds of dollars by going to your local used book store.

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4 replies
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katstermonster
July 20, 2009 2:54 PM
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@I Love New Jersey: How right you are. :)


I can't read off a screen for the time it takes to finish a novel, it drives me insane. I'll be that cranky old lady 50 years from now holding onto my paperbacks as my grandkids mock me mercilessly. Bastards.

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HogwartsAlum
July 20, 2009 9:37 PM
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@katstermonster:

LOL! I'm the same way. That's why I have so many books at home and lug them all over the place whenever and wherever I move.

Besides, if I had a Kindle or other reader, what if I drop it in the bathtub?!

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FigNinja
July 20, 2009 5:07 PM
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@katstermonster:

I can't read off a regular LCD for that long but eInk is just as comfortable as reading paper.

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starshard0
July 21, 2009 5:15 PM
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@FigNinja: What if you drop a book in the bathtub?

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starshard0
July 21, 2009 5:16 PM
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@starshard0: Whoops, that was directed at HogwartsAlum

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chrisdag
July 20, 2009 3:03 PM
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@katstermonster: I was in the same boat until I bought a Kindle2 right before a huge series of business trips. The non-backlit e-paper display on the Kindle is fantastic and does not drive me crazy like reading on a laptop, phone or PDA would.

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aka_bigred
July 20, 2009 3:02 PM
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I refuse to support any device that is crippled/controlled by a specific company (iPhone/Kindle) for exactly this reason. I just don't trust them and think it's just plain stupid that people let them have nearly unlimited control over something the end-user owns.

Think of how pissed people would be if Microsoft just started deleting your apps if it decided they were no longer acceptable for you to have on your PC/Laptop. People would raise holly hell over that, but they tolerate it, most likely out of ignorance, when they buy devices where one company controls any/all content you can place on the device.

Consumers can change things if they are smart/responsible with the devices they support with their money!

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takes_so_little
July 20, 2009 3:13 PM
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@I Love New Jersey: ...not to mention, if you really liked a book you could loan or give it to a friend, and if you didn't like it you could use it as credit at the same bookstore you bought it at. And, of course, you can OWN it.

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Smashville
July 20, 2009 3:15 PM
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The e-reader is never going to replace books...I don't think anyone - even Amazon - believes that. It's more of a travel/going to the gym/taking to work kind of thing.

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FigNinja
July 20, 2009 5:14 PM
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@Smashville:

I think stand-alone reading devices are just a stop on the road. When screen and battery technologies get better allowing for lightweight, highly readable screens that can go for days on a charge (like eInk) and have the fast refresh we need for other applications (like LCD) people will be reading a lot more on tablets, netbooks and smartphones. Most people don't read a lot of books but they do read magazines and such. That's the kind of ephemera that is a no-brainer to replace with digital copies.

Personally, now that I have a reader, I never want to go back to paper books. It's way more comfortable and convenient to read on a device. It's lighter. I can increase the font size when my eyes are tired. It automatically remembers my place. I can search through my books on it and look up words in the dictionary. Yes, it's also great for travel since I can have a whole library with me, but I don't see why I would only use it for that or when I'm out.

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morlo
July 20, 2009 4:53 PM
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@Smashville: Soon you could build an ereader that looks the same as a book, if the book layout wasn't too inefficient to bother with.

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tinky XIII
July 20, 2009 3:18 PM
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I'll just keep using my DS Lite to read books on the go. It's not ideal, but I know I have full control over the media.

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rbb
July 20, 2009 3:20 PM
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There was also a reported case of a high school student who lost all of his notes that he had made in his copy of 1984 when it was revoked. So, Kindle users should also back up their notes as a precaution.

And, of course if you want copies of George Orwell's writings - [ebooks.adelaide.edu.au]

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FigNinja
July 20, 2009 5:15 PM
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@rbb:

Though if you're in the US, they aren't public domain here. That's why they got yanked from Amazon in the first place. They were posted by a 3rd party in violation of US copyright.

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SteveZim1017
July 20, 2009 3:26 PM
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Imagine if Microsoft suddenly was sued because Internet Explorer was infringing on a copyright, but instead of going through a legal process and then no longer supporting IE, microsoft suddenly hit a magic button and everyone in the world lost IE on their computers.


There would be hell to pay, Class action suits against MS and the media coverage would turn them into periahs


sure this is just a book but its the same concept. Unfortunetly it will take Amazon removing a book that a senator or judge was currently reading before Justice is served.

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madog
July 22, 2009 6:04 PM
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@SteveZim1017: Microsoft couldn't remove IE from their own system even if they wanted to.

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HogwartsAlum
July 20, 2009 9:39 PM
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@SteveZim1017:

I'd love to get rid of IE. I never use it.

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FrugalFreak
July 20, 2009 8:28 PM
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@SteveZim1017:

I would be happy, been trying to find a way for years.

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sqlrob
July 20, 2009 5:16 PM
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@SteveZim1017:

uhh, that's already happened, no suits.

See: Java

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bullwhip6
July 20, 2009 3:36 PM
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Maybe someone finally heard the masses

[lifehacker.com]

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Anonymous
July 20, 2009 3:49 PM
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I have read well over 1500 books in the last 9 years using a variety of PDAs, first a PALM i705, then a HP iPaq, and currently my BlackBerry 8830. I've read maybe ten paperbacks in the same span of time. It works for me, it doesn't work for others. Don't take our word for it. It is up to you to try it and see if you like it.

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P_Smith
July 21, 2009 4:08 AM
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@PieroLobster: PDAs also have the advantage of being useful for other things, like wifi web browsing, games, movies, MP3s, etc. Can the Kindling (or Swindle, as Red_Eye called it below) actually do anything besides handle ebooks?


And whether it's my own scans, free ebooks (Gutenburg, et al) or purchased no-DRM books, I like the fact that I never have to worry about being screwed. Single vendors and monopolists will always try to rip off their customers. Absolute markets corrupt absolutely.

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captadam
July 20, 2009 4:10 PM
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I'm an old fogey who likes print books. All right, I'm 28. But I'm an old 28, you know?

But, anyway, thanks for this--it's spot-on. I have lots of reasons for preferring print books, but those reasons are much more related to matters of preference than to larger issues of efficiency and usability. My main objections to the Kindle, however, are just what you mentioned--the close ties to Amazon, the in-the-cloud storage, the ridiculous licensing terms. Ebooks as an overall concept can overcome these limitations.

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Osi
July 20, 2009 4:12 PM
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I have to dispel a few myths in this article ...

1. It is not illegal to hack the DRM. If you do this with your own eBooks and not other people. This is is legal with the DMCA, despite Amazon's TOS. Remember, TOS can try to take your rights (under law) away, but it is not legally enforceable.

2. There is a \"bomb\" for lack of a better word, in your Kindle. This allows the wireless to be turned back on at any time. The only real way to turn off wireless is to remove that portion of the hardware and/or firmware.

Other then the above, the article is pretty accurate :)

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jackbishop
July 20, 2009 5:55 PM
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I got a Kindle DX, and I haven't bought a single e-book. Feedbooks and the DX's ability to be used as a mass-storage device are my friends. I'd forgotten about the Baen library, but now I'll have to pick up some sci-fi.

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Red_Eye
July 20, 2009 6:33 PM
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Ahhh finally a well assembled answer to the Amazon Swindle.....errr I mean Kindle yeah thats what I meant.

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1 replies
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P_Smith
July 21, 2009 4:02 AM
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@Red_Eye: And I thought Kindling was a good name for it, because people are getting burnt....

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chapoec
July 20, 2009 7:59 PM
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Solution get them off bittorent or some other sort of piracy. No DRM and they wont secretly erase your ebook

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ras_d
July 20, 2009 9:22 PM
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Kindle is for losers and hipsters. Fuck you hipster. and fuck your little machine. I will take a well worn paperback please.

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Anonymous
July 20, 2009 9:45 PM
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Libraries. The system in our county allows us to reserve books online and have them sent to our nearest branch, then notify us via email when they are ready for pickup. I use Amazon to help me find interesting books for my kids, reserve 'em online at the library, and they read like crazy while I don't have hundreds of books to store after they've outgrown them. I've saved thousands.

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Matt Sommer
July 20, 2009 9:51 PM
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You don't want to buy a Kindle, don't buy one. You're not \"cool\" for buying it, and your not \"cool\" for NOT buying it. It's a piece of technology.

Funny how the author of this article seems to neglect to mention the fact that Amazon deleted the books BECAUSE THEY WERE ILLEGALLY PRODUCED AND SOLD. Whether or not you bought the product in \"good faith,\" why do you have a right to keep a piece of essentially stolen property?

I'm not going to get into a big debate about the definition of \"theft\" or how digital files aren't the same as physical objects-- I know the difference. I just don't see where all this tinfoil hat nonsense is coming from.

Amazon has also shut down people selling bootleg Harry Potter books, etc., yet THIS seems a different story. Why is it different? Why should Amazon allow you to keep something you don't have the right to own?

The only option seems to be to totally close down the marketplace for small sellers.

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Chris Walters
July 20, 2009 11:18 PM
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@Matt Sommer: It's not funny that I neglected to mention that. It's deliberate. This post is about how to stock your Kindle with DRM-free, public-domain ebooks that Amazon can't touch--or that if they *do* touch, that you can replace from your own back-up copy.

Bonus: you can also transfer them to another device that's not Amazon branded or approved.

With the Orwell deletion, Amazon now has made three large anti-consumer gaffes on the Kindle just since December 2008:

1. secret limits to the number of device activations per title;
2. secret limits to the number of highlights per title;
3. failure to honor the licensing agreement as written.

It's irresponsible to continue assuming that Amazon can be counted on to uphold its end of the Kindle bargain.

And if I'd known about the Ayn Rand or Harry Potter incidents before the Orwell incident hit the media, I'd have felt the same way--so to answer your question, it's not different.

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Blair Slavin
July 20, 2009 11:18 PM
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Wow, all this over 2 books removed. And Amazon gave full refunds on the two books. Plus they have about 1/2 a million books still online. It was the publisher that changed their mind, not Amazon. I have a lot of Kindle books on my Kindle, and if Amazon removed those books I would hunt down a digital copy of it and reload it onto my Kindle. I wouldn't really bother to get upset about it and up in arms. I would put it in perspective.

I own all the Harry Potter books. But until JK Rowling allows the Electronic Editions of her books to be sold I have found free versions of the books on my Kindle. I have sent a letter to JK Rowling herself explaining this to her. Its kind of like owning the CD or DVD and making a backup copy of it.

The Kindle is the most popular E-Book reader in the USA, soon to be released in Europe. I can get a book in 60 seconds or less. I just find it ironic it was Orwell Books that got this done to them. For all you guys know it is the publisher trying to do some free advertising for themselves or trying to play hardball with Amazon.

So just chill and relax in the meantime. You have been given alternatives to find books. Put your energies into enjoying them and not so much into being angry at something you have no control over.

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David Roche
July 20, 2009 11:19 PM
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For god's sake, all you whiners who \"won't use DRM\", just make me a little sick.

I bought my Kindle in February, I love my Kindle, and my wife loves hers - If I bought a book that wasn't supposed to be legally available on the Kindle, I would expect them to remove it, and as long as I got MY MONEY BACK, it'd be fine!

I've read more books, and more often since I bought my Kindle than I had in years, and I love the device. If you don't want a Kindle, stay the heck out of forums whining about why you'd never have one - it makes NO SENSE, people!

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bravo369
July 21, 2009 5:51 AM
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I must say, the idea of having a kindle has grown on me but it's just way too much. For what it offers, i fail to see why it's any more than $200. isn't it not even in color?

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Lynn Russell
July 21, 2009 7:48 PM
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I totally agree with you, Blair! Amazon has done a great job of promoting the e-book and providing more books in this format than I'll be able to read in the rest of my life.

Are there a few glitches? Sure. Is it worth getting steamed up over? No way!

I already follow all the precautions listed in the article above - I think they're only common sense.

So let's all chill and read a book, in whatever format floats your boat!

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Amy Alkon000
July 22, 2009 12:46 AM
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On Kindle book purchases, Amazon screws over bloggers whose commenters support them by buying through their links.

If you buy something through an Amazon link on my site, I get 6.5 or 7 percent in a kickback -- that is, for anything but a Kindle book. If I send Amazon a Kindle book customer, and they buy $40 worth of books, as somebody did this week, I get ZERO.

So, while I had planned a Kindle store filled with all the books I like, I totally scrapped it. Had a paper with all the links pasted in -- crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.

Why Amazon has made the decision, on what's supposed to be the future of books, to screw over all the Amazon Associates, I have no idea. I talked to the Kindle Team, who talked to the Associates, who have no plans right now on changing this -- that I know of.

I even snail-mailed a letter to Jeff Bezos.

Still ZERO for bloggers who send Amazon Kindle books customers. Nice.

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wireddeals
July 22, 2009 6:26 AM
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I wonder if books will eventually go the same way music is going - from DRM locked to DRM free MP3's. Incidents like this reinforce my believe they will

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memphis9
July 23, 2009 3:54 AM
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\"You have been given alternatives to find books. Put your energies into enjoying them and not so much into being angry at something you have no control over.\"

Societally, we should certainly have control over the rules that pertain to software and digital content. We've somehow ceded that to business lobbyists and lawyers, so yes, they make the rules. I consider public citizen pushback against that to be a good thing, even if it's \"just\" grousing on a forum. You change laws and culture by first challenging attitudes. Watcha doin' on Consumerist if you aren't of a similar \"speak up\" mindset?

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ShojoBakunyu
December 24, 2011 6:23 PM
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I have a Nook and I've never been more happy that I'm so paranoid. I've only purchased a handful of eBooks so re-downloading isn't an option... When my Nook died, all I had to do was pop out my 8gb microSD Card and put it in the new Nook and off I went. I only had to find the page I left off on.

I would NEVER store my data on a device that might fail.

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