eBooks...

This is a fairly broad topic, but that's fine. Mainly what I would like to talk about is the success or failure of eBooks. I have been reading ebooks for years starting on my first Palm Pilot. I have watched with interest as various companies have tried and failed (and succeeded) in this market.

Several companies have been around for a while as they sold eBooks. eReader (one of my favorites) has been around for a long time in the market. They have been bought and sold several times. Another site that I consistently buy through is Fictionwise. They have tons of books, and they sell for my favorite eBook software MobiPocket. Now would be the time (I guess) to point out that both are now owned by Barnes & Noble. Which brings me to my point(s)...

Why in the world would you make eBooks sales any different than a regular physical book's sale? I would think you certainly wouldn't want to make it more difficult for a consumer! Recently, I read that a person that was given a Barnes & Noble gift-card from family members, couldn't use the card on their eBooks! REALLY?!? And how is this a good business decision?

I recently needed to buy a textbook for a class that I had for my MBA. Because of the timing, I ended up buying an eTextbook rather than buying a physical copy. It was so heavily DRM'ed and then I lost the rights to the book after 180 days!!! What? The other textbooks I buy don't mysterious disappear after the class is over! I'm not sure why the eTextbook version should... Needless to say, that was the LAST eTextbook I will buy!

Finally, one of the Readers that I had on my early Pocket PC was Microsoft's Reader. I bought several books for the Reader, and enjoyed the software. Unfortunately, the DRM was linked to a passport. At some point this seemed to go south... An update to the software, or something caused the DRM to block my ability to read all the books I previously bought. Guess what. I don't buy books for Microsoft Reader any more! I recently saw they updated the program (after several years) and the problem still exists.

The moral of the story is:

1. DRM is fine if it is simple and doesn't get in the consumer's way.
2. Don't cause the DRM to timeout and make a book unreadable. I have books that are VERY old. None of them have disappeared.
3. Physical books are loanable... Barnes & Noble may have something with the Nook. If I have a good book that I like and loan it to a friend, they may later BUY said book.

I hate to say this, but one thing that may help will be to agree on a common format for eBooks (like the MP3). I have multiple readers for all the different versions of books that I have purchased over the years. I don't want to loose them now, but if I could convert them to a "common" format, it would be nice.

With all the hardware options coming out for eBooks it is certainly an interesting time. Look for readers that give you the option to read several formats... AND, is fair-handed with the DRM!

Happy reading!

Test

Just curious if this will work and what it will look like...

Posted from moBlog – mobile blogging tool for Windows Mobile

Book Review: I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse by Michael Franzese

I just finished the book I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips From A Former Mob Boss by Michael Franzese last night. I have to admit, it was a very good book. Now if you happen to be a Harvard Business School grad, this may not be for you. And, if you are looking for some in-depth business concepts discussed, then you should probably move along. If you are looking for an interesting read about someone who has lived on both sides of the law, was successful on both, and genuinely wants you to succeed within the boundaries of the law, this book is for you.

What you will get with this book: A comprehensive compare-and-contrast of the Machiavellian (mobster) way of conducting business vs. the wisdom of Solomon (fm the book of Proverbs). The author, Michael Franzese, discusses how he got ahead as a made man by following the way Machiavelli proposed in his works The Prince and other books. He contrasts this with the teachings of Solomon from the book of Proverbs, and shows how a legitimate business person can succeed. At the end of each chapter, the author summarizes his main points in tidy packages he called “Get the Message” which I appreciated.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Franzese’s book. It was entertaining, and I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of their interest in the world of business. It also made me curious to read his previous book about his life and how he was able to extricate himself from the mob…

Free Bibles fm Laridian

All of my friends and family know that I have carried Pocket PCs since the days of the iPaq. Today I carry an integrated Pocket PC/Cell phone from Verizon Wireless called the Samsung Omnia (i910). What they may not know is that for just as long I have carried the Bible and many biblical study books from a company called Laridian Electronic Publishing...

Today I found out that the great folks over at Laridian have added several free books to their extensive list of study books and bibles. If you have not already looked at what they have to offer, I suggest you go to their site quickly and download the books for your Windows Mobile device. I am confident you will enjoy their products!

Thank you to the generous folks at Laridian Electronic Publishing!!! I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the ESV Study Bible next...

Blog Spring Cleaning

Hello All,

I have been doing a little Spring cleaning on my day off. I deleted a lot of the last few posts here. Mainly because we lost the baby and I didn't want to get into all that here. I am going to be doing a lot of different stuff here. Going to look at what I am doing (blog-wise) and focus more on this space.

Kevin