Tech From an E-booker’s Viewpoint

I have been reading a lot lately about how manufacturers seem to think that when we buy something from them, we don’t really own our purchases.  In other words we are simply licensed to use the product, and can only use it how they see fit; for example, the iPhone update that would brick your hacked device.  So could DRM not really be about preventing piracy, but rather to keep us tied to one source of software?  That restriction would also keep the consumer tied to the seller.  Isn’t this just an updated version of the main drawback of the original Rocket e-book?  Then, all books were tied to the device.  So instead of my books dieing with my reader, my reader dies if I decide not to buy books from the seller.  I don’t get the thought process behind this.  Isn’t it enough that an e-book reader is $300? Why would the average person pay that much for a device that has only one source of material?  Would the iPod be as popular if the only way you could get songs were to buy them from iTunes? 

Yes, you can add pdf, doc, and other files to the reader, however that takes work.  I have yet to format a file that looks professional on my reader.  I don’t have the time to sit and learn and I doubt new comers would even consider it.  The Sony pdf how-to guide is 43 pages. The box doesn’t say you have to.  It should work without tweaking your documents.  After all, didn’t you just shell out $300?  It just seems that the people who make these decisions want the reader to fail.  The Sony reader would be so much better if there were another choice of format.  The current selection of BBeb formatted books is inadequate.  The prices of their books are not always competitively priced.  Why would I choose to buy a book from them that costs much less somewhere else? 

Also I have noticed that Sony still has not expanded their selection of RSS feeds. I am beginning to suspect that they don’t want us to have free material to read.  So instead of augmenting and improving the Connect store, they restrict outside material capabilities.  Does this work?  For us old timers no it doesn’t.  We find a way.  For the average consumer, it may work for awhile, but as they become frustrated and reject e-books, no. The real question is, why do we the consumers allow manufacturers treat us this way?  The e-book readers I have bought belong to me.  I paid for them.  I should be able to buy from wherever and read whatever I want on them.