http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/ Engadget Comments for Copia intros ereader devices and platform (video) http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/Jan 7th 2010 7:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/Jan 7th 2010 7:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/Jan 7th 2010 7:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/
E-ink screens are still too expensive to allow for a truly low cost device.]]>Jan 7th 2010 7:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/Jan 7th 2010 7:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/
Come on guys...]]>Jan 7th 2010 7:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/Jan 7th 2010 8:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/The problem is that the books I actually read are spread out amongst several different platforms, so I would actually need about 3 of the blasted things to keep up my regular reading habits. What's worse is the fact that I've been buying e-Books for years already, and none of the affordable ones support my existing library of file formats.
What we're seeing here is exactly the wrong trend if they want to encourage more people to switch. Every e-Reader seems to come with its own store, it's own proprietary format, and maybe one or two others that are practically public domain.
Problem is (and I can't believe that these companies haven't realized this yet) that there's only one Amazon. Only one Barnes and Noble. And e-Readers are just too expensive for them to expect to be able to build up the kind of library they'd need to really compete with the existing sellers. Sure, it's to the publisher's benefit to get their books distributed on as many formats as they can, but I can say from experience that a publisher moves at a glacial pace and frankly isn't likely to feel all that rushed to put together "Copia" edition of their latest best seller. What's even worse is the fact that prices of the books vary from platform to platform because each contract is negotiated on an individual basis!
Frankly the only way you'll get me excited about an e-reader at this point is if you find me one that's being developed as a piece of hardware, and that's it. I honestly don't care what kind of "experience" the company is trying to sell me, and I'm fed up with "seamless integration" that tries to dictate to me what I buy and where I get it. Just get me something that runs a custom version of linux or the like, where you can download converters for all the various e-book formats that have ever existed, and I'll buy it. And you know what? I won't be the only one.]]>Jan 7th 2010 8:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/copia-intros-ereader-devices-and-platform-video/
Publishers will not have to do anything special to get their books on TheCopia. TheCopia uses Adobe DRMed EPUB, and most publishers release their books under Adobe DRM EPUB format as their first choice, and that's compatible with a huge slew of ebook selling sites, including the most popular, FictionWise.

The industry is definitely moving to a standard. I can see EPUB being the most common real soon. Sony made it standard for their readers and reader store, the Barnes and Noble Nook supports it, and those are the biggest names in ebooks right now, save for Amazon.

So you needn't worry about a "Copia" edition, just as you needn't worry about a "Sony" edition, or a "B&N" edition, etc.

The only company trying to force you to buy only from them is Amazon. Everyone else has a clue, and supports the standard. As long as you buy an ereader that supports EPUB and PDF files, you have access to almost every single ebook store on the web. Plus, the ebooks on Google books are downloadable in those formats! That pretty much sets those two as the standards right there, since Google practically owns the web now.

I like DMC's Copia. It seems like an innovative idea, the way they're handling it. I expect great things from them. It's also nice to know that their "seamless integration" is totally optional. You don't have to buy from them if you don't want to. You don't even have to use ANY of their services if you don't want to. And according to them, their ebook readers are starting at $199, which is a bit cheaper than Amazon or B&N's options. I've got my eyes set on their 9-inch, 3G, touch model, Ocean9 3G. If it's less than $300 like they say it will be, that's $100 less than Sony's 3G touch model, AND it has a two-inch bigger screen!

Of course, I've also got my eyes on several others as well...I'm waiting to see all there is to see around June. That's when I'll strike. I won't buy a new one until they offer color displays and the screen technologies are cheaper, so ereaders don't cost over $150. Anything more just seems too steep by that time. I'm only justifying it right now since it's relatively new, and because this will be my first ereader. Won't upgrade for a long time, or until someone adds something so incredible that I just gotta have it.

I doubt they'll be anything that incredible in a year or two, and a $600 model that adds nothing but a color screen will NOT entice me to switch. (Though I'm sure LOTS of suckers will...)

Color doesn't even matter, man. It's a freakin' book! 99.99% of books I've read lately don't have color. Only things like medical textbooks and the like would have any need for that.

...Oh, sorry, I went off on my own little rant there. I digress; I know you didn't say anything about color - I just brought it up thorugh my own association with what I was saying! Sorry 'bout that! LOL!]]>Jan 15th 2010 11:29AM