Good Bye MOBI

[keng2000]

As testing from New LBOOK beta firmware 090629

New Adobe PDF viewer is introduced but not DRM supported yet. (No connection with ADE) ... Old PDF Vieweer is still in lib but taken over by Viewer.

MOBI/PRC is removed both DRM and non-DRM.

I also check at Mobipocket website, all about supported devices as Bebook and Hanlin are gone.

[netseeker]

That doesn't makes sense as long as they don't support drmed PDF or ePub. And even though, they could at least retain support for non-drmed Mobi/PRC.

[Kris777]

It looks strange why they stop supporting non-drmed Mobi/PRC

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Kris777

It looks strange why they stop supporting non-drmed Mobi/PRC

Since this is a beta, they might just be part way though a transition from MOBI to Adobe PDF/ePub. On the other hand, CoolReader does not supports MOBI or at least it isn't listed as a format for CoolReader Engine. So there may be no readily available 3rd party MOBI viewer. Adding FBReader would certainly allow MOBI though.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

On the other hand, CoolReader does not supports MOBI or at least it isn't listed as a format for CoolReader Engine.

It doesn't support it on OpenInkpot.
FBReader is the only option for Mobi, there.

Essentially, the new firmware seems to turn the Hanlin readers into Sony clones, give or take an extra document format or three.
Good thing OpenInkpot is maturing nicely at the same time.

Doesn't look like I'll be buying/recommending Hanlin-based readers any time soon.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Since this is a beta, they might just be part way though a transition from MOBI to Adobe PDF/ePub. On the other hand, CoolReader does not supports MOBI or at least it isn't listed as a format for CoolReader Engine. So there may be no readily available 3rd party MOBI viewer. Adding FBReader would certainly allow MOBI though.

Mobi/PRC still pretty popular especially because Amazon ebooks can be converted to Mobi format.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Essentially, the new firmware seems to turn the Hanlin readers into Sony clones, give or take an extra document format or three.

Yes, although there are not a lot of choices for DRM.

Amazon has banned MOBI DRM from any EInk ebook reader sold in volume in the US, and won't allow a 2nd DRMed format on the same EInk device even outside the US. They are also preventing MOBI from appearing on new device types. MOBI also appears to be dead in Europe, which is why most new reading device designs are running Adobe Digital Editions.

Sony was the first to support Adobe Digital Editions but it isn't Sony-specific and it is going to be interesting to see how far behind the curve Sony's year-old version is. The new versions of mobile ADE should support Mac's for example, because the lack of Mac support was a Sony issue (not an Adobe issue). I don't like the "publisher is always right about layout" philosophy behind ADE, but it is a serious ebook reader.

The dark horse is eReader. This isn't the best format for 5" and above screens, but Barnes and Noble (eReader) is competing directly with Amazon (Kindle) on price. It isn't yet clear how different B&N's strategy will be from FictionWise's original strategy of trying to get eReader on many more device types. At a minimum, in the US Astak will apparently be able to support both eReader and Adobe DRM on all their devices.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Kris777

Mobi/PRC still pretty popular especially because Amazon ebooks can be converted to Mobi format.

Once you strip DRM, e.g. from Kindle ebooks, it is very easy to format convert as well. Calibre does a good job of MOBI (Kindle) to ePub for example. On a Hanlin you will typically have 2-3 underlying viewers to choose from (based on ebook format), so Calibre (particularly 0.6.0, still be beta) can be used to get your ebooks in the format you prefer (i.e. a format supported by the viewer you prefer).

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The dark horse is eReader. This isn't the best format for 5" and above screens, but Barnes and Noble (eReader) is competing directly with Amazon (Kindle) on price. It isn't yet clear how different B&N's strategy will be from FictionWise's original strategy of trying to get eReader on many more device types. At a minimum, in the US Astak will apparently be able to support both eReader and Adobe DRM on all their devices.

B&N may produce eBook reader with DRMed eReader support. They didn't announced it but it seems logical in order to win the Battle with Amazon

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Yes, although there are not a lot of choices for DRM.
.

I don't care beans about DRM.
I prefer non-drm'ed; if I can't avoid it, I'll buy Lit, for obvious reasons.

(And Adobe lock-in offends me as much as Amazon lock-in, maybe more; at least Amazon isn't hypocritical about their business model and try to sell proprietary for open.)

I care about stability, flexibility, performance, convenience. Its *my* device, my eyeballs, and I want final say in presentation.

I've played with Kindle, Sony, and pretty much all the firmware variants for the Hanlins. Sony comes dead last in all the features that matter with me.

OpenInkpot currently ranks at the top; if it had a "busy" cursor and LIT support it would be as close to perfect as any reader system this side of my tablet PC.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Kris777

It looks strange why they stop supporting non-drmed Mobi/PRC

They can't support any Mobi since they used a Mobipocket program to support Mobi so once they drop the program they lose everything. They could find another 3rd party program but clearly that does not seem to be a priority right now.

Dale

[Lbooker]

They can use FBReader now!
And they could help FBReader support links between several mobi files, which would let us use those large Wikipedia files available in several languages:
http://pinguinburg.de/wpmp

[JSWolf]

So basically, Amazon is helping ePub become the format for eBooks.

[Lbooker]

I believe it is a more complex strategy.
First they kill mobipocket.
Then they let epub replace it for a while.
Then they offer their own azw format to all the hardware manufacturers.
Azw being the strongest offering in front of two weaker offerings: the dying mobipocket and the new-born epub.

[keng2000]

Originally Posted by Lbooker

I believe it is a more complex strategy.
First they kill mobipocket.
Then they let epub replace it for a while.
Then they offer their own azw format to all the hardware manufacturers.
Azw being the strongest offering in front of two weaker offerings: the dying mobipocket and the new-born epub.

AZW is really MOBI with hiddenID for Kindle, This was revealed 2 years ago, and there is a small tools to crack your MobiID from Kindle to purchase DRM-Mobibook from other stores than Amazon.