ebooks and pdf?

[lconrad-O0WJhd4tT3hg9hUCZPvPmw at public.gmane.org (Laura Conrad)]

>>>>> "Chris" == Chris O'Connell <omegahalo-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> writes:

    Chris> I'm adamant about buying only ebooks from now on.  The
    Chris> problem is that very few publishers provide their books in a
    Chris> DRM free format.  O'Reilly is one notable exception.  

Baen is another.

    Chris> I won't be pirating my books, but I don't like the idea of
    Chris> being tied to one device or company (The kindle for example,
    Chris> or BN & their crappy nook).  I want PDF portability.

    Chris> Any suggestions?

PDF is good for portability between large devices, but for reading on
small screens, you'd really rather have something that reflows to fit
the screen, like html or epub.

Anyway, I don't know how to read the proprietary struff without breaking
the DRM, but if you want to break the DRM, this
<http://apprenticealf.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/ebooks-formats-drm-and-you-%E2%80%94-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/>
is one place to start.  

If you figure out how to break both Adobe (epub and pdf) and Kindle
formats, you'll be able to buy and read most of what's out there in
electronic form. And the epub and kindle will be portable not only in
the sense of being able to move them to any device you want to use, but
in the sense of being able to read them with decades-old eyes on a
device that fits in your pocket.

I know legally breaking the DRM is considered piracy, but if you do it
on what you've bought, so that you can read it on the device of your
choice with the program of your choice, I think of it as morally a kind
of fair use.  I haven't heard of anyone getting in trouble for reading a
Kindle book on a non-kindle device.

-- 
Laura   (mailto:lconrad-O0WJhd4tT3hg9hUCZPvPmw at public.gmane.org, twitter: @serpentplayer)
(617) 661-8097	233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139   
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Run into your ears.

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