Archive for the ‘E-books’ Category

I really like the cases offered at Fabrix Cases, but I just can’t see paying $40 for about $4 in materials and limited design choices.  Earlier this year, I had mentioned that I would try to make my own case.  I looked at lots of different patterns from McCalls, Simplicity, and Kwik Sew; however each one would have to be modified for size.  Also I wanted a bag based on Fabrix’s design. At that point I decided to just make my own pattern.   The red case pictured here represents my first attempt.  For the outside I used a 17″ x 17″ napkin I bought at Target.  It was in a pack of two for $2. For the lining I used 1/2 yd of novelty fabric from Walmart.  The fabric was $2 a yd.  I didn’t draw out a pattern, but guestimated the needed size using a ruler and the Eee Pc’s dimensions.  I like the fit, but it just seems a bit bulky since I used ½ inch foam padding.  I originally wanted ¼ inch in thickness, but I don’t know if that would have given me the amount of protection I want.  I placed the Velcro a bit too high and later I just added another strip.   My second bag pictured below was made based on my first attempt and I added an extra inch in width.  Another change I made was to round the corners on both the flap and the sleeve.  This time I did make a paper pattern. This bag lies flatter, but the fit is a bit loose (but not too much).  I do think that it is a great size for my various e-book devices although I’ll never know (my daughter has taken possession).  So now I am creating a third pattern, this time I am subtracting some of the ease previously added.  Hopefully, the third time is the charm.  It’s been a lot of fun and the best part is that I know no one will have the same case.  The case is quick and easy to make and I doubt if it cost me more than $5. If anyone is interested, I will post directions, pattern, and materials.

Here we go again.  In the past week we got news about Amazon’s Kindle, Cybook is due anytime now, and a brief peak at the new Sony reader.  Everyone is excited; hopes are high that the e-book is finally coming into its own.  In my opinion we could have ten devices coming out and it still doesn’t change the things that need to be changed.  That’s the prolific proprietary formats, along with availability and price of content.  There are just too many formats and I believe that it is a barrier to new adopters.   The average person picking up a Sony reader doesn’t know this.  Most people don’t know about Project Gutenberg. That’s why Sony can act like they are giving customers a gift buy offering 100 classics for free. It’s not until they get it home and set up that they realize that they are locked into Sony for content and locked out of other sites that sell e-books.  Then they question, “Which format works with what device and why isn’t content available for all devices?”   Format confusion and the fact that you can’t get your books from where you please, are a turn off.  Unless they happen to stumble across user forums to overcome this, the device just may sit on a shelf or find its way to EBay.  Another barrier is pricing.  If a person buys a book for $20, after reading it, he or she could choose to sell it, share it with a friend.  E-books can’t do that, so why must we pay the same price as a hardback?  This must change.  In order for technology acceptance to take place, there has to be perceived usefulness.  There has to be some incentive for the customer to move to digital reading.  After all they just paid the average of $300 for the device and now pay the same price for an e-book as a paper book. Lastly, availability of e-books needs to increase.  I would love to buy older books that are no longer in print as well as new books on release date in e-book format.  When I think back to my first device, it got little use simply because I couldn’t find anything that I wanted to read.  If I didn’t know better, I would think that e-book device makers are setting up their wares for failure. 

Yesterday was not good. I have never taken a course at a community college before and it is a definite culture shock.  The instructors talk to students like they’re in kindergarten. The class is 90 minutes and 75 of those minutes were spent on rules and expectations.  These same topics were covered in the syllabus that was handed out.  My experience has been that after five minutes of administrative stuff, you jump right into the subject. Then there were the complaints of having to write a ten page paper due at the end of the course. Should have known better since many of the students were dreading the two page written assignments. I am bored to tears already.  At any rate, I can see my small experiment already hitting a snag.  The material for the first half of the course isn’t available as digital text.  My first reading assignment is excerpts from The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca.  I did find information about the narrative and even a read online version, but it is a different translation.  So I will have to buy the book.  So, I paid $130 for the course and the book costs $76.00 plus tax (8.25%).  Although it is paperback it weighs a ton (It’s an anthology).  What I really don’t get is that the book comes with a CD, an interactive CD (oooh).  The CD is supposedly filled with study aids, quizzes, and more information on the authors and stories, but it doesn’t have the one file that it needs.  You guess it.  The book itself. When I got to the school bookstore, they were out of the book. So now what?  I went to EBay and got 2 day delivery (total cost $68).  In the meantime, I’ll use an older edition I have at the house.  So why am I buying the book when it is only one edition newer than the one I have at home?  Because the instructor said it was mandatory.

Blish:  This site is for selling and buying digital content. They sell e-books, but from what I can tell they are downloadable for a limited time.  That I don’t like.  They also offer photos, how-to guides, clipart, music, sound loops, video, design templates.  I have never bought from this site. If anyone has any info (good or bad) let me know.  Prices seem reasonable on the few e-books I looked at.

Ebook Mall:  This retailer has been around for quite a while.  They have a info page describing the various e-book formats and devices and another page that compares formats and devices. Ebook Mall used to be rather expensive back in the Gemstar days, but now their prices are more in sync with other sites.

eScholarship Editions:   Site has close to 2000 books from academic presses and covers a range of topics, including art, science, history, music, religion, and fiction.  Select books are available to the public.

Bartleby:  Site offers contemporary and classic reference works. Good for students and researchers. Also they have 20 volumes of the Harvard Classics in Adobe, Microsoft, and Aportis formats.  

Well, it’s another Sunday.  I hurt my shoulder the other day and so I haven’t been able to post as I would have liked.  I am still working on “Where to get e-books” section.  I have had to recheck the sites I have bookmarked.  Some of the places have disappeared or have changed addresses.  I will get those up as soon as I can if my shoulder will cooperate.  Also I will add those sites recommended via your comments.  One site that I often take for granted is Project Gutenberg (PG).  While first e-book adopters are well aware of the many titles available through PG , many new comers may not be.  Project Gutenberg was founded by Michael Hart in 1971.  Today it is the largest single collection of totally free e-books.   Its online catalog lists over 20,000 e-books.  You can sign up for RSS feeds of newly added material in addition to their weekly newsletter and while you’re at it, consider a small donation.  The project also needs volunteers for a variety of things.  You can read more on the site.  I use to volunteer to send CD/DVDs to people who could not download the files.  If you chose you can be reimbursed for expenses such as postage. I enjoyed it, but school work got in the way.  I have decided to get back into it.  There was no minimum per month to send out, so I’ll start slower this time.  I would also hand out the discs to my daughter’s friends at school and to anyone else I thought would benefit.  It’s one way to spread the joy of e-books.

I received an email late last night from Books on Board.  In addition to announcing that Mobipocket was back in operation, they are offering 22% off Publishers List Minimum for ONE DAY with Promo Code MOBUP (all caps).  this sale ends tonight at 11:59 PM Central Daylight Time. This discount is good for all ebook formats and audiobooks.  I have never bought anything from this reseller, but I will give it a try at such a good discount.  In fact I have noticed that a lot of their offerings are cheaper than most other sites.  Their selection of books also seems more than adequate.  I don’t understand the term Publishers List Minimum, but I will find out.  So now the vendors are attempting to do damage control in the wake of Mobipocket’s long “down for Maintenance” absence.  I think that sales may help to keep customers, but I am not buying any e-books in Mobi format. I think that Mobipocket owes us an explanation.  So far we haven’t got one, and I seriously doubt that we will.  For that matter,  I doubt if the e-book vendors have gotten an explanation or how about this: an apology.  I hope that places like Books on Board are successful in keeping their customers and with their discounts, maybe they will attract more customers.  Without places to buy e-books at a reasonable price,  the less attractive e-book devices become.

edit:  I added three books to my cart and then the promo code, but it didn’t make a difference in the price.  I tried to find info on the term Publishers List Minimum, but I couldn’t.  So I went to Fictionwise to see if I was saving any money.  Granted, I belong to Fictionwise’s Buywise club, so your experience may be different.  Books on Board endedn up being slighter cheaper at $18.91 compared to Fictionwise at $$19.52.  But because of my micro rebates, Fictionwise is cheaper since I will save an additional $1.27, so my final price is $18.25.  So I will pass on Books on Board and use my Fictionwise gift certificated my daughter gave me for my birthday.  Oh, in case you’re interested the books I chose are:

• Into the Storm – By Suzanne Brockmann $5.94
• The Face – By Dean Koontz $6.79
• The 13th Apostle – By Richard Heller $6.79