07-24-2010, 11:28 AM | #16 |
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Oh I see what you mean, yes. But if you simply specify the format - ePub, or whatever - then the student will be free to buy whatever device can read that format, whether it be a laptop running Windows, a Mac, an Android tablet, an iPad, or whatever else they fancy. That's what I meant earlier when I said that both Android and the iPad were "open" in respect of being able to install applications on them.
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07-24-2010, 12:55 PM | #17 |
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Yes and it is developments like those Andy mentioned, about forcing students to by ebooks, that makes me feel that the move to digital has some of the character of a scam. It is an end run around the used market. And publishers would love to do away with used text books so that they could more thoroughly exploit the captive student market. The royalty squad would love to do away with used bookstores. I like ebooks, don't get me wrong, but I have the feeling that there is more going on than a simple move to a more efficient distribution system.
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07-24-2010, 04:05 PM | #18 | |
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With regards to the red "Whatever" highlight. I suppose if he said you must buy MOBI formats. At that point the users will have more choice than Apples iBook format Of course if he says you have to have an android device, then he can tell his students to get the book anywhere. ..... Except for two problems. A good amount of the Text books will be in PDF (probably using ADOBE). And the only way to get supported access to the Apps he is refering to requires that Android devices have Access to the Google Market. Not all tablets have access to the Google market. Also I'm seeing his point. While eBook reading technology isn't new, neither is the Android or iPad if you look at their guts. What is new is the prolivication of cheap Android devices, and it will only get more accessible. And the support for applications that read a specific DRM. Before these apps did exist but few people read on them. =X= Last edited by =X=; 07-24-2010 at 04:13 PM. |
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07-24-2010, 04:27 PM | #19 | ||
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If the point is to have open standards for ebooks, why on earth would you want to force a particular hardware platform? What is gained by saying 'you have to buy an Android device' rather than saying 'you have to buy a device capable of reading format X with DRM scheme Y'? Quote:
So what's new isn't the iPad, and the reading apps available for it? |
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07-24-2010, 04:44 PM | #20 | ||
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This train of thought (if I can be said to have thought) started when I went to http://www.SmartQMid.com for updates for my SmartDevices V7. I noticed that Andorid had been updated, and that I could read Amazon's ebooks, Border's ebooks, and B&N's ebooks.
Since my last post, I've looked over the major online book sellers. I see that PC, Mac, iPad, BlackBerry, and Android are all fairly standard. I totally missed this in the last few months. NOW IF ONLY THE BIG TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS WOULD GO THAT WAY! Quote:
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We will keep paper books, and the students can pick which they wish to use. My biggest complaints are: (1) students can not keep DRMed books long-term, (2) students are tracked as they read DRMed books, and (3) we often require them to buy software (e.g., SAM 2010 from Course Technology) and they can agree to the license agreement (which goes beyond "do not pirate") or they can not turn in the work and will fail the class. Ick! Andy |
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07-24-2010, 04:55 PM | #21 | |
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07-24-2010, 04:58 PM | #22 |
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I'm not technical, but best I can understand it is, content should be like water -- bring whatever container you want and we'll fill it with content for you. Practically, I can see that happening, with DRM.
I don't want to get into debate about the evils of DRM. I just see content producers being willing to offer content in unmolded form, which would allow widest distribution (best profit potential), but with DRM, which they see protecting their product. (Maybe it protects nothing, but I don't see them giving it up.) So what would be the most accessible method of delivering unmolded content? Pure text that can go into nearly every container, yet allow DRM to be slapped on? |
07-24-2010, 06:17 PM | #23 | ||
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School recently started for my children. My son came home excited and said they have a new program where kids can enroll through their online library and access their text books through the web. Quote:
=X= |
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07-24-2010, 09:37 PM | #24 |
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07-24-2010, 10:27 PM | #25 |
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oops wrong topic
Last edited by cutterjohn42; 07-25-2010 at 09:45 AM. |
07-26-2010, 05:31 AM | #26 | ||
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07-26-2010, 07:32 AM | #27 |
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Only if it has a mechanism for loading them. The B&N app for the iPad, for example, won't let you load your own content - you can only read books from your B&N bookshelf.
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07-27-2010, 04:30 PM | #28 | |
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Software can be created to do anything the programmer makes it do. There is no gurantee that a word processor will support upper case letters, if a programmer does not want it to. Being a (competent) programmer is a lot like playing God: you can do anything you want. There are not many rules. The thing that drives me crazy is when someone says "If I need a seperate program to ... something ... THEN IT'S USELESS!!! (You did not say this, but that others have said it.) If someone refuses to adopt ebooks because their one hardware reader needs different programs to read different books. I agree that it's annoying, but I disagree that it makes the reader "USELESS!!!" Andy |
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07-28-2010, 03:28 PM | #29 |
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I found a saying on the web many years ago: "We're programmers -- we can do anything."
I'm a programmer, and find that to be true. |
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