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Mar. 27th, 2005 09:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eorOne of my hobbies lately has been around ebooks. I have made a lot of discoveries about ebooks.
Not yet finished, but here is some scattered information...
Intro:
There have been many different pieces of ebook hardware released over the last five or so years. On release, the content of each was in a different, proprietary content. The content was generally only available from one source, whatever content provider the hardware manufacturer was in bed with. The worst of these formats was sony's foray which included books that would become unusable after 60 days.
The publishing industry hasn't helped either. Generally the prices for ebooks are actually greater than what you would pay for the paperback edition of the book.
Major players:
RCA/Gemstar: released the Rocketbook, REB 1100, 1200, 1150, and 1250. The Rocket Ebook is now quite dated in capacity. It has serial connection to the computer and to my knowledge isn't expandable. The REB 1100 and 1150 are both half-vga paperback size readers with USB connection and smartmedia expansion slot (max 128mb), battery life is ?? over 8 hours anyway. The REB 1200 and 1250 are both vga small hardback size readers with ethernet connection and compact flash expansion (max 2gig), battery life is over 8 hours. The company has gone out of the ebook hardware business and is now giving away software that writes it's proprietary format.
Ebookwise/Fictionwise: is selling their rebranded version of the 1150. They also sell the content. $125 for the reader
Palm pilots: screen size is about 1/3 to 1/4 of the 1150.
Franklin: Ebookman, more like a PDA than an ebook reader. Small screen size. Available very cheep.
Bookeen: released Cybook, SVGA 8x10, USB connection, PCMCIA expansion, battery life 3-5hrs, windows CE, $700
EbookAd.com: Hiebook, half vga, smart media expansion (max 128mb), USB, battery life 10 hrs. Includes other software (mp3 player, and PDA type stuff), $289
Sony: released an e-ink based machine that is very proprietary and quite expensive. It runs on linux so once it's hacked it may be better.
File formats:
RB: used by older RCA/Gemstar devices
IMP: used by RCA 1150/1250 devices, can be created with GemStar Ebook Publisher (free)
OEB: open ebook, nice theory, but not really supported by any of the book specific hardware, it can be converted by GemStars or Hiebook's software
LIT: microsoft format
PDB: palm format
PDF: adobe format
PRC: Mobireader format
HI: hiebook format, can be created with HiBuilder (free)
KML: hiebook format
Things I've discovered:
I have been unable to get the 1150 to connect on USB to Win XP service pack 2. From scant information I've found on the net, I'm pretty sure it's not just me. I'm pretty sure the driver for the 1150 doesn't work with SP2. If you want to get files from your computer to the ebook you'll need a smartmedia reader in your PC.
There is a program out there called GutenMark which does a pretty good job of reformatting Gutenberg Project text files to HTML. They will still need some editing, but it does a pretty good job.
There are lots of sites out there that have RB, LIT, or Mobi format ebooks available. Most of them just seem to have taken Gutenberg files, mass reformatted them, and posted them. Some don't even seem to have looked at the files to see what they looked like finished.
The final conclusion: Lack of standard formating and the tendency of hardware makers to attach themselves to proprietary content sales sites have repeatedly killed the fledgling industry.
Not yet finished, but here is some scattered information...
Intro:
There have been many different pieces of ebook hardware released over the last five or so years. On release, the content of each was in a different, proprietary content. The content was generally only available from one source, whatever content provider the hardware manufacturer was in bed with. The worst of these formats was sony's foray which included books that would become unusable after 60 days.
The publishing industry hasn't helped either. Generally the prices for ebooks are actually greater than what you would pay for the paperback edition of the book.
Major players:
RCA/Gemstar: released the Rocketbook, REB 1100, 1200, 1150, and 1250. The Rocket Ebook is now quite dated in capacity. It has serial connection to the computer and to my knowledge isn't expandable. The REB 1100 and 1150 are both half-vga paperback size readers with USB connection and smartmedia expansion slot (max 128mb), battery life is ?? over 8 hours anyway. The REB 1200 and 1250 are both vga small hardback size readers with ethernet connection and compact flash expansion (max 2gig), battery life is over 8 hours. The company has gone out of the ebook hardware business and is now giving away software that writes it's proprietary format.
Ebookwise/Fictionwise: is selling their rebranded version of the 1150. They also sell the content. $125 for the reader
Palm pilots: screen size is about 1/3 to 1/4 of the 1150.
Franklin: Ebookman, more like a PDA than an ebook reader. Small screen size. Available very cheep.
Bookeen: released Cybook, SVGA 8x10, USB connection, PCMCIA expansion, battery life 3-5hrs, windows CE, $700
EbookAd.com: Hiebook, half vga, smart media expansion (max 128mb), USB, battery life 10 hrs. Includes other software (mp3 player, and PDA type stuff), $289
Sony: released an e-ink based machine that is very proprietary and quite expensive. It runs on linux so once it's hacked it may be better.
File formats:
RB: used by older RCA/Gemstar devices
IMP: used by RCA 1150/1250 devices, can be created with GemStar Ebook Publisher (free)
OEB: open ebook, nice theory, but not really supported by any of the book specific hardware, it can be converted by GemStars or Hiebook's software
LIT: microsoft format
PDB: palm format
PDF: adobe format
PRC: Mobireader format
HI: hiebook format, can be created with HiBuilder (free)
KML: hiebook format
Things I've discovered:
I have been unable to get the 1150 to connect on USB to Win XP service pack 2. From scant information I've found on the net, I'm pretty sure it's not just me. I'm pretty sure the driver for the 1150 doesn't work with SP2. If you want to get files from your computer to the ebook you'll need a smartmedia reader in your PC.
There is a program out there called GutenMark which does a pretty good job of reformatting Gutenberg Project text files to HTML. They will still need some editing, but it does a pretty good job.
There are lots of sites out there that have RB, LIT, or Mobi format ebooks available. Most of them just seem to have taken Gutenberg files, mass reformatted them, and posted them. Some don't even seem to have looked at the files to see what they looked like finished.
The final conclusion: Lack of standard formating and the tendency of hardware makers to attach themselves to proprietary content sales sites have repeatedly killed the fledgling industry.
