• La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!

    From Arelor@21:2/138 to All on Sun Feb 7 19:55:00 2021
    Hello!

    I have just uploaded a preview of the official release candidate of the Spanish version of The Flaming Wrath of Árelor

    Those of you who have filled a preorder at the site will have the file available for download [in the store](https://store.richardfalken.com)

    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is fine for you. If you miss any feature, just ask and I will see it is implemented.

    The English release candidate is coming soon!

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  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Sun Feb 7 21:39:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 11:55, Arelor wrote to All:

    I have just uploaded a preview of the official release candidate of the Spanish version of The Flaming Wrath of relor

    How large is your Spanish audience?


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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Mon Feb 8 00:24:28 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Sun Feb 07 2021 01:39 pm

    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 11:55, Arelor wrote to All:

    I have just uploaded a preview of the official release candidate of the Spanish version of The Flaming Wrath of àrelor

    How large is your Spanish audience?

    First printed edition sold out.

    Second printed edition is still gathering dust.

    All in all that would be 100+ readers.

    But Spain sucks so that is ok. I prefer to deal with English speakers these days.

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  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Mon Feb 8 02:29:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 16:24, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    How large is your Spanish audience?

    First printed edition sold out.

    Second printed edition is still gathering dust.

    All in all that would be 100+ readers.


    So, you only printed about 100 copies of the 1st edition? That
    was a pretty good option considering that I hear that the
    minimum for self-published works is often twice that or 500.

    But Spain sucks so that is ok. I prefer to deal with English
    speakers these days.

    I ususally tell self-published authors to also seriously
    consider parking their books with libraries including school
    libraries. Here in Canada, every library that holds a copy pays
    an "access" royalty. One lady who published a simple cookbook
    (I helped her with the ePub version for Amazon) says, she gets a
    regular cheque from the copyright group (forget the official
    name) for her book - it far exceeds what she ever got from
    Amazon sales. Sometimes Amazon would include her book as "a
    free read" for Amazon members. She wouldn't get any payout when
    that happened!

    Another person self-published some poetry. She too is pretty
    happy with the library results.
    --

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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Mon Feb 8 04:01:54 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Sun Feb 07 2021 06:29 pm

    So, you only printed about 100 copies of the 1st edition? That
    was a pretty good option considering that I hear that the
    minimum for self-published works is often twice that or 500.

    No, I printed 50 of the first edition. Then I sold 50 of the second.

    I got a small press to do the job for the first edition. Margins were not great but it was doable.

    I have my books up in some hospital libraries, actually. For obvious reasons :-) I never got much success with school libraries. Not even in my old school or high-school.


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  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Mon Feb 8 15:14:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 20:01, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    I have my books up in some hospital libraries, actually. For
    obvious reasons :-) I never got much success with school
    libraries. Not even in my old school or high-school.

    Spain is a big place. ;) Maybe you can revisit the
    possibilities of re-vitalizing interest and planting the book in
    other provinces. Does Spain have copyright laws that reward
    authors with royalties?


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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Mon Feb 8 15:43:30 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Mon Feb 08 2021 07:14 am

    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 20:01, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    I have my books up in some hospital libraries, actually. For
    obvious reasons :-) I never got much success with school
    libraries. Not even in my old school or high-school.

    Spain is a big place. ;) Maybe you can revisit the
    possibilities of re-vitalizing interest and planting the book in
    other provinces. Does Spain have copyright laws that reward
    authors with royalties?

    Spain has tax laws that demand you pay 400 bucks per month regardless of how much money you are making as soon as you earn 3 bucks in royalties :-)

    ie if you expect the author to be protected by The System you are going to be sorely disappointed.

    (There is copyright protection, but in practice you have to sign up with a government mandated monopoly if you ever want it enforced at a meaningful scale. The whole thing is a protection racket.)

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  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Mon Feb 8 17:04:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Monday 08.02.21 - 07:43, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    Spain has tax laws that demand you pay 400 bucks per month
    regardless of how much money you are making as soon as you
    earn 3 bucks in royalties :-)

    That's incredible. Are you absolutely sure there are no
    exceptions? Couldn't you combine that cost with the business
    you are already operating with? Are you paying similar demands
    when operating your existing biz?

    (There is copyright protection, but in practice you have to
    sign up with a government mandated monopoly if you ever want
    it enforced at a meaningful scale. The whole thing is a
    protection racket.)

    One way might be to operate under a pseudonym, publish/
    distribute your book outside the country with independent
    arragements, and get sales funneled back to you in a foreign
    bank account, or PayPal?

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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Mon Feb 8 17:45:26 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Mon Feb 08 2021 09:04 am

    Spain has tax laws that demand you pay 400 bucks per month
    regardless of how much money you are making as soon as you
    earn 3 bucks in royalties :-)

    That's incredible. Are you absolutely sure there are no
    exceptions? Couldn't you combine that cost with the business
    you are already operating with? Are you paying similar demands
    when operating your existing biz?

    Taxes donñ't combine, they add up.

    My sysadmin job actually pays MORE in "right-to-work" rtax.

    Then I pay an extra tax for the right to operate the parapharma.

    Those are just for the rights of being a registered worker on that field. Revenue, property taxes etc are taxed separately.

    There are no exceptions here. Last time I asked the accounting dude he told me standard practice for small artists is to lay low and hope they are not caught :-)

    Then you get plunged into unemployment due to the CODID crisis and all the money you pumped into The System has already been vanquished and there is none for you.

    \o/ \o/ W E L C O M E - T O - S P A I N \o/ \o/

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  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Wed Feb 10 05:45:34 2021
    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is

    I haven't checked it extensively, but it seems to look correct on my Tolino.

    Cool that you've moved things along enough to be releasing things!

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Adept on Wed Feb 10 02:00:44 2021
    Re: Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Adept to Arelor on Tue Feb 09 2021 09:45 pm

    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is

    I haven't checked it extensively, but it seems to look correct on my Tolino.

    Cool that you've moved things along enough to be releasing things!

    That is great to hear!

    I am not an e-reader user myself, so I had to borrow my father's and it hung. But I think it was due to the fact the ereader is old and buggy rather than because there was any problem with the file. An e-reader should not hang if fed a defective file.

    Have fun, and don't let The Lord of Revenge get you :-P

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  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Adept on Wed Feb 10 04:15:00 2021
    Hello Adept!

    ** On Tuesday 09.02.21 - 21:45, Adept wrote to Arelor:

    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the
    novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is

    I haven't checked it extensively, but it seems to look correct on my Tolino.

    From a post I was reading:

    8th October 2014
    https://mytolino.com/news/tolino-for-all-book-retailers/

    How is that working out in Germany?

    Kobo tried that in Canada, but it failed - in other words, Kobo
    eventually decided to go it alone and not offer Kobo devices for
    any other retailers anymore but their own flagship bookshop:
    Indigo.


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  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 02:52:08 2021
    I am not an e-reader user myself, so I had to borrow my father's and it

    I got an eReader after using an old PDA for reading for _years_ (mostly a Tapwave Zodiac, from what I recall). It's still not great for my purposes, because I want an eReader that you can see at night, but has only the barest
    of lights. Whereas most eReaders seem to want to simulate daylight, even at
    the darkest of settings.

    Night time aside, it's really nice to have something that's not a phone
    screen, has limited distractions, yet is easy to carry around a variety of content with.

    rather than because there was any problem with the file. An e-reader should not hang if fed a defective file.

    Indeed. Though there are probably some edge cases, regardless. Especially
    when the files start getting big.

    But I went a little further into the book, and everything looks appropriate, and my Tolino had no problems with anything.

    Have fun, and don't let The Lord of Revenge get you :-P

    You're just trying to make me scared every time I see "Arelor". :)

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Ogg on Thu Feb 11 03:03:38 2021
    https://mytolino.com/news/tolino-for-all-book-retailers/
    How is that working out in Germany?

    eventually decided to go it alone and not offer Kobo devices for
    any other retailers anymore but their own flagship bookshop:
    Indigo.

    I'm not sure if much of anything has changed (especially after being
    purchased by Kobo at some point, and moving the address in the "about" to somewhere in Canada rather than down the street from where I went to college
    in Germany), but the primary bookstore on my device is Thalia. I _think_ I've previously gotten something through Hugendubel on the device, but I wouldn't swear to anything.

    That said, Hugendubel _is_ linked through the Link Library, and it has
    options for Thalia.at, orell fuessli, Weltbild.de/.at/.ch, buecher.de, meine Buchhandlung, eBook.de, LIBRIS, osiander.de, Mayersche, ibs.it, and libraccio.it.

    So it seems like various things still exist, or at the very least haven't
    been wiped from my device through various updates.

    I'm running a tolino vision 4 HD, software version 14.1.0.

    So it _seems_ like it's basically working, but I imagine someone with better German skills and/or who has bought more eBooks from those sellers (I mostly just get ePubs and put them on the device using Calibre) would have a better idea.

    I know there are other people in Germany who are on here, so hopefully they
    can chime in.

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    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Adept on Wed Feb 10 21:39:06 2021
    Re: Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Adept to Arelor on Wed Feb 10 2021 06:52 pm

    I am not an e-reader user myself, so I had to borrow my father's and it

    I got an eReader after using an old PDA for reading for _years_ (mostly a Tapwave Zodiac, from what I recall). It's still not great for my purposes, because I want an eReader that you can see at night, but has only the barest of lights. Whereas most eReaders seem to want to simulate daylight, even at the darkest of settings.

    Night time aside, it's really nice to have something that's not a phone screen, has limited distractions, yet is easy to carry around a variety of content with.

    Reading on a PDA sounds an exercise in masochism.

    I used a tablet for my RPG sessions. A tablet I got as a gift, since there is no way on earth I would buy one myself. It was a convenient way of carrying RPG books for game systems that you are sure are not going to stick for long in the gaming table.

    However, the tablet was not great. It was only better than purchasing or printing 150 USD in books just to discover that your gaming group wanted to play some other game three weeks after.

    When I bring a keeper game to the table, I bring it in paper.

    Finally, don't mock Árelor's name, or he will send the Avenging Arm for you and you will learn the meaning of the word "Pain".

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  • From Oli@21:3/102 to Adept on Thu Feb 11 05:24:40 2021
    Adept wrote (2021-02-10):

    So it _seems_ like it's basically working, but I imagine someone with better German skills and/or who has bought more eBooks from those sellers (I mostly just get ePubs and put them on the device using Calibre) would have a better idea.

    I know there are other people in Germany who are on here, so hopefully
    they can chime in.

    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times because of dust between the e-ink and the protective screen (like between the LCD and the glass). As far as I remember you can read any Adobe DRM epub on the Tolinos.

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never buy a Kindle reader).

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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Oli on Thu Feb 11 11:03:06 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Oli to Adept on Wed Feb 10 2021 09:24 pm

    Adept wrote (2021-02-10):

    So it _seems_ like it's basically working, but I imagine someone with better German skills and/or who has bought more
    eBooks from those sellers (I mostly just get ePubs and put them on the device using Calibre) would have a better idea.

    I know there are other people in Germany who are on here, so hopefully they can chime in.

    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times because of dust between the e-ink and the protective
    screen (like between the LCD and the glass). As far as I remember you can read any Adobe DRM epub on the Tolinos.

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never b
    a Kindle reader).

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files directly, using standard tools?

    When I was considering Amazon as a sales platform (many years ago), the vibe I got was that they wanted you to access the
    ebooks only through their aproved channels. And by that I mean that they wanted to link your mobi purchases to your account and
    not let you take them out of their devices.

    I don't know what the state of things is right now though.

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  • From Oli@21:3/102 to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 19:06:10 2021
    Arelor wrote (2021-02-11):

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which
    I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never b a Kindle
    reader).

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files
    directly, using standard tools?

    When I was considering Amazon as a sales platform (many years ago), the vibe I got was that they wanted you to access the ebooks only through
    their aproved channels. And by that I mean that they wanted to link your mobi purchases to your account and not let you take them out of their devices.

    I don't know what the state of things is right now though.


    I guess you are right and I mixed things up. I once downloaded a mobi file from Amazon and converted it to epub, but this was the not-yet-published version from the author's account. The other one was in fact an Adobe DRM epub (Amazon, Adobe, both start with an A). I think it involved Windows in a VM, an older version of Adobe Digital Editions and some Calibre plugin. Unfortunately that was the only way to read it on Linux (without running Windows binaries). Since then I stay away from DRM protected content.

    * Origin: . (21:3/102)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Oli on Thu Feb 11 14:36:36 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Oli to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 2021 11:06 am

    Arelor wrote (2021-02-11):

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which
    I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never b a Kindle
    reader).

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files directly, using standard tools?

    When I was considering Amazon as a sales platform (many years ago), the vibe I got was that they wanted you to access the ebooks only through their aproved channels. And by that I mean that they wanted to link your mobi purchases to your account and not let you take them out of their devices.

    I don't know what the state of things is right now though.


    I guess you are right and I mixed things up. I once downloaded a mobi file f Amazon and converted it to epub, but this was the not-yet-published version from the author's account. The other one was in fact an Adobe DRM epub (Amaz Adobe, both start with an A). I think it involved Windows in a VM, an older version of Adobe Digital Editions and some Calibre plugin. Unfortunately tha was the only way to read it on Linux (without running Windows binaries). Sin then I stay away from DRM protected content.

    Yeah, DRM content sucks hard.

    They can also pull the plug at any time. Amazon has some known cases of removing your access to things you have purchased.

    These platforms look convenient and cost effective but there is a level of suck at which you have to draw the line.

    I don't remember purchasing anything DRM-ridden in my life. Some copy-protected DVDs which had easy to break protections - and here it is prety legal to copy stuff you own so that is not a big deal. I stopped purchasing Disney and Marvel DVDs long ago because their copy protection consisted on mangling the order of scenes in order to make it hard for you to put together the extracted movie after you had dumped it.

    Seriously. All that work for a 60 years old movie?

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  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 04:25:16 2021
    Reading on a PDA sounds an exercise in masochism.

    Yeah, somehow it was odd, but the screen got _very_ dim, so it worked pretty well.

    It doesn't work at all when the screens have various bright bits that pop up (something I detest about using my phones, at times), but PDAs, especially
    when off of interenet access, seemed to behave pretty well.

    When I bring a keeper game to the table, I bring it in paper.

    I was reading Terry Pratchett novels, which worked pretty well in that
    format. Books where you need an expanse of page are just hard with devices.

    Though I also am unlikely to read large-format items when heading to sleep.

    Finally, don't mock Árelor's name, or he will send the Avenging Arm for you and you will learn the meaning of the word "Pain".

    ...yeah, definitely keeping my opinion on what you're trying to associate "Arelor" with. :)

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
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  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Oli on Fri Feb 12 04:28:30 2021
    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times because of dust between the e-ink and the protective screen (like
    between the LCD and the glass).

    That does sound pretty rough.

    Mine has continued looking pretty good, which has been a pleasant surprise.

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never buy a Kindle reader).

    I have a distaste for DRM, so will only get them if I know I can immediately remove the DRM.

    Even then, I feel kind of bad about paying for it.

    And I'm with you on the Kindle. I got a Tolino in large part because I
    wouldn't consider a Kindle unless there were no other options.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Adept on Thu Feb 11 23:25:14 2021
    Re: Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Adept to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 2021 08:25 pm

    I was reading Terry Pratchett novels, which worked pretty well in that format. Books where you need an expanse of page are just hard with devices.


    I used to like Pratchett's books. I think the latter ones were not as good, but it is hard to keep the level up for long.

    I think fiction is precisely the sort of thing you can manage better in a small device. BY that, I don't mean I think you can manage it _well_, just that you can manage it better than, say manuals or non-fiction.

    With manuals or non fiction, you have to go back and forward all the time, which is cumbersome in an ereader or portable device. You don t need to go up and down every 3 minutes with a novel, though, which is the reason why I find leisure ebooks more tolerable.

    I am a paper diehard, though.

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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Oli on Thu Feb 11 23:28:20 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Oli to Adept on Wed Feb 10 2021 09:24 pm

    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times becau of dust between the e-ink and the protective screen (like between the LCD an the glass). As far as I remember you can read any Adobe DRM epub on the Tolinos.

    You have just reminded me of an occasion in which I disassembled an old, candybar Nokia phone. It was full of straw pieces inside, and even had a roll of horse mane hair trapped in the inside of the screen. It still works perfectly. Despite the horsebite marks.

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  • From Tiny@21:1/130 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 17:01:28 2021
    Arelor wrote to Oli <=-

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files
    directly, using standard tools?

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues. When I purchase a
    ebook (either from amazon or anywhere else) I import it into calibre, strip
    the DRM and convert to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM because if I
    purchase the book I may want to read it again in 10 years.

    Shawn

    ... Back up my hard disk? I can't find the reverse switch!

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
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  • From Oli@21:3/102 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 18:56:32 2021
    Arelor wrote (2021-02-11):

    I think fiction is precisely the sort of thing you can manage better in a small device. BY that, I don't mean I think you can manage it _well_,
    just that you can manage it better than, say manuals or non-fiction.

    I'm reading fiction books on my very old Samsung phone. Glossy LCD/OLED screens don't work well outside, but it's perfect at night. Orange letters on black background (black = OLED switched off), I don't miss the paper books that need a bedside lamp for reading and I also don't need it bigger device for text-only books.

    But yes, there are books that don't work well on smaller devices, especially if they were originally lay outed for paper.

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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Tiny on Fri Feb 12 14:15:12 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Tiny to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 2021 09:01 am

    Arelor wrote to Oli <=-

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files directly, using standard tools?

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues. When I purchase a
    ebook (either from amazon or anywhere else) I import it into calibre, strip
    the DRM and convert to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM because if I
    purchase the book I may want to read it again in 10 years.

    Shawn

    ... Back up my hard disk? I can't find the reverse switch!
    Good to know.

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it sound trivial to break it :-P

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  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 17:46:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Friday 12.02.21 - 06:15, Arelor wrote to Tiny:

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues.
    When I purchase a ebook (either from amazon or anywhere
    else) I import it into calibre, strip the DRM and convert
    to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM
    because if I purchase the book I may want to read it again
    in 10 years.

    Shawn

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it sound trivial to break it :-P

    There is no user configurable setting for that in Calibre. I
    couldn't find anything in my version and it's a bit older than
    the latest. All the user has to do is drag-n-drop the ebook into
    Calibre and the stripping is done behind the scenes. It must be
    a guarded secret. :|



    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointFace (21:4/106.21)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Sat Feb 13 01:08:58 2021
    I am a paper diehard, though.

    I do tend to be that way with newspapers and whatnot, but I think I have the additional issue that I've moved around so much that keeping books is just harder in general.

    But computer stuff... Just wait a bit longer, get bigger drives, etc.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Tiny on Sun Feb 14 02:27:00 2021
    On 02-12-21 09:01, Tiny wrote to Arelor <=-

    Arelor wrote to Oli <=-

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files
    directly, using standard tools?

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues. When I
    purchase a
    ebook (either from amazon or anywhere else) I import it into calibre, strip
    the DRM and convert to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM because if
    I
    purchase the book I may want to read it again in 10 years.

    Urk, your formatting is nasty... But yeah I do the same as well. Calibre is awesome for managing ebooks, and I also like to remover DRM, so I can read my ebooks where, when and how I want. I also don't distribute what I buy, this is my personal collection.


    ... Question of the day: x + x - x = 16 [solve for x]
    === MultiMail/Win v0.52
    --- SBBSecho 3.10-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Arelor on Sun Feb 14 02:29:00 2021
    On 02-12-21 06:15, Arelor wrote to Tiny <=-

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it
    sound trivial to break it :-P

    It needs access to your keys, easiest way last time I did it was to interface with my Kindle. Earlier, it was easiest if you had Kindle for PC installed in the same PC.


    ... I made a pencil with two erasers. It was pointless
    === MultiMail/Win v0.52
    --- SBBSecho 3.10-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)
  • From Tiny@21:1/130 to Arelor on Sat Feb 13 19:59:30 2021
    Arelor wrote to Tiny <=-

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it
    sound trivial to break it :-P

    It's so simple. :) Install the "DeDRM" plugin from Apprentice Alf. Justgoogle
    for it. Takes about 10 seconds to install adn then when you import a book itstrips
    the DRM automatically.

    Shawn

    ... My other vehicle is a Galaxy Class Starship ...

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
    * Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (21:1/130)
  • From Tiny@21:1/130 to Vk3jed on Sat Feb 13 20:12:00 2021
    Vk3jed wrote to Tiny <=-

    Urk, your formatting is nasty... But yeah I do the same as well.

    Sorry I will hit
    enter more often
    for you. Is this
    looking ok? There
    are a lot of diff-
    erent screen sizes
    so it's sometimes
    tough to remember
    to hit enter on
    short lines so deal
    with software that
    won't correctly
    display wraps. ;)

    Calibre is awesome for managing ebooks, and I also like to remover DRM,
    so I can read my ebooks where, when and how I want. I also don't distribute what I buy, this is my personal collection.

    Exactly the reason I
    use it as well. Plus
    to be honest the built
    in reader is pretty
    good if you want to
    read a book on the PC.

    Shawn
    P.S. I hope you take the new margins as the joke it was intended.
    ... Useless Invention: Cat flap for the fridge.

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
    * Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (21:1/130)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Tiny on Mon Feb 15 04:49:00 2021
    On 02-13-21 12:12, Tiny wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    Sorry I will hit
    enter more often
    for you. Is this
    looking ok? There
    are a lot of diff-
    erent screen sizes
    so it's sometimes
    tough to remember
    to hit enter on
    short lines so deal
    with software that
    won't correctly
    display wraps. ;)

    LOL, maybe fix your software? ;P

    Exactly the reason I
    use it as well. Plus
    to be honest the built
    in reader is pretty
    good if you want to
    read a book on the PC.

    I haven't really used Calibre's inbuilt reader, but I have certainly used its format conversion, so I can read different ebooks on different devices.

    Shawn
    P.S. I hope you take the new margins as the joke it was intended.

    LOL I had a good giggle. :D



    ... Political Season: Does that mean we can shoot them??
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    --- SBBSecho 3.10-Linux
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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to All on Sun Feb 7 11:55:00 2021
    Hello!

    I have just uploaded a preview of the official release candidate of the Spanish version of The Flaming Wrath of Árelor

    Those of you who have filled a preorder at the site will have the file available for download [in the store](https://store.richardfalken.com)

    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is fine for you. If you miss any feature, just ask and I will see it is implemented.

    The English release candidate is coming soon!

    --
    gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Sun Feb 7 13:39:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 11:55, Arelor wrote to All:

    I have just uploaded a preview of the official release candidate of the Spanish version of The Flaming Wrath of relor

    How large is your Spanish audience?


    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointFace (21:4/106.21)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Sun Feb 7 16:24:28 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Sun Feb 07 2021 01:39 pm

    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 11:55, Arelor wrote to All:

    I have just uploaded a preview of the official release candidate of the Spanish version of The Flaming Wrath of àrelor

    How large is your Spanish audience?

    First printed edition sold out.

    Second printed edition is still gathering dust.

    All in all that would be 100+ readers.

    But Spain sucks so that is ok. I prefer to deal with English speakers these days.

    --
    gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Sun Feb 7 18:29:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 16:24, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    How large is your Spanish audience?

    First printed edition sold out.

    Second printed edition is still gathering dust.

    All in all that would be 100+ readers.


    So, you only printed about 100 copies of the 1st edition? That
    was a pretty good option considering that I hear that the
    minimum for self-published works is often twice that or 500.

    But Spain sucks so that is ok. I prefer to deal with English
    speakers these days.

    I ususally tell self-published authors to also seriously
    consider parking their books with libraries including school
    libraries. Here in Canada, every library that holds a copy pays
    an "access" royalty. One lady who published a simple cookbook
    (I helped her with the ePub version for Amazon) says, she gets a
    regular cheque from the copyright group (forget the official
    name) for her book - it far exceeds what she ever got from
    Amazon sales. Sometimes Amazon would include her book as "a
    free read" for Amazon members. She wouldn't get any payout when
    that happened!

    Another person self-published some poetry. She too is pretty
    happy with the library results.
    --

    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointFace (21:4/106.21)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Sun Feb 7 20:01:54 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Sun Feb 07 2021 06:29 pm

    So, you only printed about 100 copies of the 1st edition? That
    was a pretty good option considering that I hear that the
    minimum for self-published works is often twice that or 500.

    No, I printed 50 of the first edition. Then I sold 50 of the second.

    I got a small press to do the job for the first edition. Margins were not great but it was doable.

    I have my books up in some hospital libraries, actually. For obvious reasons :-) I never got much success with school libraries. Not even in my old school or high-school.


    --
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    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Mon Feb 8 07:14:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 20:01, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    I have my books up in some hospital libraries, actually. For
    obvious reasons :-) I never got much success with school
    libraries. Not even in my old school or high-school.

    Spain is a big place. ;) Maybe you can revisit the
    possibilities of re-vitalizing interest and planting the book in
    other provinces. Does Spain have copyright laws that reward
    authors with royalties?


    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointFace (21:4/106.21)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Mon Feb 8 07:43:30 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Mon Feb 08 2021 07:14 am

    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 07.02.21 - 20:01, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    I have my books up in some hospital libraries, actually. For
    obvious reasons :-) I never got much success with school
    libraries. Not even in my old school or high-school.

    Spain is a big place. ;) Maybe you can revisit the
    possibilities of re-vitalizing interest and planting the book in
    other provinces. Does Spain have copyright laws that reward
    authors with royalties?

    Spain has tax laws that demand you pay 400 bucks per month regardless of how much money you are making as soon as you earn 3 bucks in royalties :-)

    ie if you expect the author to be protected by The System you are going to be sorely disappointed.

    (There is copyright protection, but in practice you have to sign up with a government mandated monopoly if you ever want it enforced at a meaningful scale. The whole thing is a protection racket.)

    --
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    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Mon Feb 8 09:04:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Monday 08.02.21 - 07:43, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

    Spain has tax laws that demand you pay 400 bucks per month
    regardless of how much money you are making as soon as you
    earn 3 bucks in royalties :-)

    That's incredible. Are you absolutely sure there are no
    exceptions? Couldn't you combine that cost with the business
    you are already operating with? Are you paying similar demands
    when operating your existing biz?

    (There is copyright protection, but in practice you have to
    sign up with a government mandated monopoly if you ever want
    it enforced at a meaningful scale. The whole thing is a
    protection racket.)

    One way might be to operate under a pseudonym, publish/
    distribute your book outside the country with independent
    arragements, and get sales funneled back to you in a foreign
    bank account, or PayPal?

    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointFace (21:4/106.21)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Ogg on Mon Feb 8 09:45:26 2021
    Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Mon Feb 08 2021 09:04 am

    Spain has tax laws that demand you pay 400 bucks per month
    regardless of how much money you are making as soon as you
    earn 3 bucks in royalties :-)

    That's incredible. Are you absolutely sure there are no
    exceptions? Couldn't you combine that cost with the business
    you are already operating with? Are you paying similar demands
    when operating your existing biz?

    Taxes donñ't combine, they add up.

    My sysadmin job actually pays MORE in "right-to-work" rtax.

    Then I pay an extra tax for the right to operate the parapharma.

    Those are just for the rights of being a registered worker on that field. Revenue, property taxes etc are taxed separately.

    There are no exceptions here. Last time I asked the accounting dude he told me standard practice for small artists is to lay low and hope they are not caught :-)

    Then you get plunged into unemployment due to the CODID crisis and all the money you pumped into The System has already been vanquished and there is none for you.

    \o/ \o/ W E L C O M E - T O - S P A I N \o/ \o/

    --
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    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Tue Feb 9 21:45:34 2021
    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is

    I haven't checked it extensively, but it seems to look correct on my Tolino.

    Cool that you've moved things along enough to be releasing things!

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Adept on Tue Feb 9 18:00:44 2021
    Re: Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Adept to Arelor on Tue Feb 09 2021 09:45 pm

    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is

    I haven't checked it extensively, but it seems to look correct on my Tolino.

    Cool that you've moved things along enough to be releasing things!

    That is great to hear!

    I am not an e-reader user myself, so I had to borrow my father's and it hung. But I think it was due to the fact the ereader is old and buggy rather than because there was any problem with the file. An e-reader should not hang if fed a defective file.

    Have fun, and don't let The Lord of Revenge get you :-P

    --
    gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Adept on Tue Feb 9 20:15:00 2021
    Hello Adept!

    ** On Tuesday 09.02.21 - 21:45, Adept wrote to Arelor:

    Since I intend to pander to early supporters I want to ensue that the
    novel will be readable on their devices. Please, check if the format is

    I haven't checked it extensively, but it seems to look correct on my Tolino.

    From a post I was reading:

    8th October 2014
    https://mytolino.com/news/tolino-for-all-book-retailers/

    How is that working out in Germany?

    Kobo tried that in Canada, but it failed - in other words, Kobo
    eventually decided to go it alone and not offer Kobo devices for
    any other retailers anymore but their own flagship bookshop:
    Indigo.


    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointFace (21:4/106.21)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Wed Feb 10 18:52:08 2021
    I am not an e-reader user myself, so I had to borrow my father's and it

    I got an eReader after using an old PDA for reading for _years_ (mostly a Tapwave Zodiac, from what I recall). It's still not great for my purposes, because I want an eReader that you can see at night, but has only the barest
    of lights. Whereas most eReaders seem to want to simulate daylight, even at
    the darkest of settings.

    Night time aside, it's really nice to have something that's not a phone
    screen, has limited distractions, yet is easy to carry around a variety of content with.

    rather than because there was any problem with the file. An e-reader should not hang if fed a defective file.

    Indeed. Though there are probably some edge cases, regardless. Especially
    when the files start getting big.

    But I went a little further into the book, and everything looks appropriate, and my Tolino had no problems with anything.

    Have fun, and don't let The Lord of Revenge get you :-P

    You're just trying to make me scared every time I see "Arelor". :)

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Ogg on Wed Feb 10 19:03:38 2021
    https://mytolino.com/news/tolino-for-all-book-retailers/
    How is that working out in Germany?

    eventually decided to go it alone and not offer Kobo devices for
    any other retailers anymore but their own flagship bookshop:
    Indigo.

    I'm not sure if much of anything has changed (especially after being
    purchased by Kobo at some point, and moving the address in the "about" to somewhere in Canada rather than down the street from where I went to college
    in Germany), but the primary bookstore on my device is Thalia. I _think_ I've previously gotten something through Hugendubel on the device, but I wouldn't swear to anything.

    That said, Hugendubel _is_ linked through the Link Library, and it has
    options for Thalia.at, orell fuessli, Weltbild.de/.at/.ch, buecher.de, meine Buchhandlung, eBook.de, LIBRIS, osiander.de, Mayersche, ibs.it, and libraccio.it.

    So it seems like various things still exist, or at the very least haven't
    been wiped from my device through various updates.

    I'm running a tolino vision 4 HD, software version 14.1.0.

    So it _seems_ like it's basically working, but I imagine someone with better German skills and/or who has bought more eBooks from those sellers (I mostly just get ePubs and put them on the device using Calibre) would have a better idea.

    I know there are other people in Germany who are on here, so hopefully they
    can chime in.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Adept on Wed Feb 10 13:39:06 2021
    Re: Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Adept to Arelor on Wed Feb 10 2021 06:52 pm

    I am not an e-reader user myself, so I had to borrow my father's and it

    I got an eReader after using an old PDA for reading for _years_ (mostly a Tapwave Zodiac, from what I recall). It's still not great for my purposes, because I want an eReader that you can see at night, but has only the barest of lights. Whereas most eReaders seem to want to simulate daylight, even at the darkest of settings.

    Night time aside, it's really nice to have something that's not a phone screen, has limited distractions, yet is easy to carry around a variety of content with.

    Reading on a PDA sounds an exercise in masochism.

    I used a tablet for my RPG sessions. A tablet I got as a gift, since there is no way on earth I would buy one myself. It was a convenient way of carrying RPG books for game systems that you are sure are not going to stick for long in the gaming table.

    However, the tablet was not great. It was only better than purchasing or printing 150 USD in books just to discover that your gaming group wanted to play some other game three weeks after.

    When I bring a keeper game to the table, I bring it in paper.

    Finally, don't mock Árelor's name, or he will send the Avenging Arm for you and you will learn the meaning of the word "Pain".

    --
    gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Oli@21:3/102 to Adept on Wed Feb 10 21:24:40 2021
    Adept wrote (2021-02-10):

    So it _seems_ like it's basically working, but I imagine someone with better German skills and/or who has bought more eBooks from those sellers (I mostly just get ePubs and put them on the device using Calibre) would have a better idea.

    I know there are other people in Germany who are on here, so hopefully
    they can chime in.

    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times because of dust between the e-ink and the protective screen (like between the LCD and the glass). As far as I remember you can read any Adobe DRM epub on the Tolinos.

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never buy a Kindle reader).

    ---
    * Origin: . (21:3/102)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Oli on Thu Feb 11 03:03:06 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Oli to Adept on Wed Feb 10 2021 09:24 pm

    Adept wrote (2021-02-10):

    So it _seems_ like it's basically working, but I imagine someone with better German skills and/or who has bought more
    eBooks from those sellers (I mostly just get ePubs and put them on the device using Calibre) would have a better idea.

    I know there are other people in Germany who are on here, so hopefully they can chime in.

    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times because of dust between the e-ink and the protective
    screen (like between the LCD and the glass). As far as I remember you can read any Adobe DRM epub on the Tolinos.

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never b
    a Kindle reader).

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files directly, using standard tools?

    When I was considering Amazon as a sales platform (many years ago), the vibe I got was that they wanted you to access the
    ebooks only through their aproved channels. And by that I mean that they wanted to link your mobi purchases to your account and
    not let you take them out of their devices.

    I don't know what the state of things is right now though.

    --
    gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Oli@21:3/102 to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 11:06:10 2021
    Arelor wrote (2021-02-11):

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which
    I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never b a Kindle
    reader).

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files
    directly, using standard tools?

    When I was considering Amazon as a sales platform (many years ago), the vibe I got was that they wanted you to access the ebooks only through
    their aproved channels. And by that I mean that they wanted to link your mobi purchases to your account and not let you take them out of their devices.

    I don't know what the state of things is right now though.


    I guess you are right and I mixed things up. I once downloaded a mobi file from Amazon and converted it to epub, but this was the not-yet-published version from the author's account. The other one was in fact an Adobe DRM epub (Amazon, Adobe, both start with an A). I think it involved Windows in a VM, an older version of Adobe Digital Editions and some Calibre plugin. Unfortunately that was the only way to read it on Linux (without running Windows binaries). Since then I stay away from DRM protected content.

    * Origin: . (21:3/102)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Oli on Thu Feb 11 06:36:36 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Oli to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 2021 11:06 am

    Arelor wrote (2021-02-11):

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which
    I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never b a Kindle
    reader).

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files directly, using standard tools?

    When I was considering Amazon as a sales platform (many years ago), the vibe I got was that they wanted you to access the ebooks only through their aproved channels. And by that I mean that they wanted to link your mobi purchases to your account and not let you take them out of their devices.

    I don't know what the state of things is right now though.


    I guess you are right and I mixed things up. I once downloaded a mobi file f Amazon and converted it to epub, but this was the not-yet-published version from the author's account. The other one was in fact an Adobe DRM epub (Amaz Adobe, both start with an A). I think it involved Windows in a VM, an older version of Adobe Digital Editions and some Calibre plugin. Unfortunately tha was the only way to read it on Linux (without running Windows binaries). Sin then I stay away from DRM protected content.

    Yeah, DRM content sucks hard.

    They can also pull the plug at any time. Amazon has some known cases of removing your access to things you have purchased.

    These platforms look convenient and cost effective but there is a level of suck at which you have to draw the line.

    I don't remember purchasing anything DRM-ridden in my life. Some copy-protected DVDs which had easy to break protections - and here it is prety legal to copy stuff you own so that is not a big deal. I stopped purchasing Disney and Marvel DVDs long ago because their copy protection consisted on mangling the order of scenes in order to make it hard for you to put together the extracted movie after you had dumped it.

    Seriously. All that work for a 60 years old movie?

    --
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    --- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
    * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 20:25:16 2021
    Reading on a PDA sounds an exercise in masochism.

    Yeah, somehow it was odd, but the screen got _very_ dim, so it worked pretty well.

    It doesn't work at all when the screens have various bright bits that pop up (something I detest about using my phones, at times), but PDAs, especially
    when off of interenet access, seemed to behave pretty well.

    When I bring a keeper game to the table, I bring it in paper.

    I was reading Terry Pratchett novels, which worked pretty well in that
    format. Books where you need an expanse of page are just hard with devices.

    Though I also am unlikely to read large-format items when heading to sleep.

    Finally, don't mock Árelor's name, or he will send the Avenging Arm for you and you will learn the meaning of the word "Pain".

    ...yeah, definitely keeping my opinion on what you're trying to associate "Arelor" with. :)

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Oli on Thu Feb 11 20:28:30 2021
    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times because of dust between the e-ink and the protective screen (like
    between the LCD and the glass).

    That does sound pretty rough.

    Mine has continued looking pretty good, which has been a pleasant surprise.

    The only DRM protected book I bought was from the kindle store, which I had to un-DRM for conversion to epub (I will never buy a Kindle reader).

    I have a distaste for DRM, so will only get them if I know I can immediately remove the DRM.

    Even then, I feel kind of bad about paying for it.

    And I'm with you on the Kindle. I got a Tolino in large part because I
    wouldn't consider a Kindle unless there were no other options.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Adept on Thu Feb 11 15:25:14 2021
    Re: Re: La Espada Vengadora - Release Candidate file is for the grab!
    By: Adept to Arelor on Thu Feb 11 2021 08:25 pm

    I was reading Terry Pratchett novels, which worked pretty well in that format. Books where you need an expanse of page are just hard with devices.


    I used to like Pratchett's books. I think the latter ones were not as good, but it is hard to keep the level up for long.

    I think fiction is precisely the sort of thing you can manage better in a small device. BY that, I don't mean I think you can manage it _well_, just that you can manage it better than, say manuals or non-fiction.

    With manuals or non fiction, you have to go back and forward all the time, which is cumbersome in an ereader or portable device. You don t need to go up and down every 3 minutes with a novel, though, which is the reason why I find leisure ebooks more tolerable.

    I am a paper diehard, though.

    --
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  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Oli on Thu Feb 11 15:28:20 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Oli to Adept on Wed Feb 10 2021 09:24 pm

    I haven't followed the development after I returned a Tolino two times becau of dust between the e-ink and the protective screen (like between the LCD an the glass). As far as I remember you can read any Adobe DRM epub on the Tolinos.

    You have just reminded me of an occasion in which I disassembled an old, candybar Nokia phone. It was full of straw pieces inside, and even had a roll of horse mane hair trapped in the inside of the screen. It still works perfectly. Despite the horsebite marks.

    --
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  • From Tiny@21:1/130 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 09:01:28 2021
    Arelor wrote to Oli <=-

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files
    directly, using standard tools?

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues. When I purchase a
    ebook (either from amazon or anywhere else) I import it into calibre, strip
    the DRM and convert to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM because if I
    purchase the book I may want to read it again in 10 years.

    Shawn

    ... Back up my hard disk? I can't find the reverse switch!

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
    * Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (21:1/130)
  • From Oli@21:3/102 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 10:56:32 2021
    Arelor wrote (2021-02-11):

    I think fiction is precisely the sort of thing you can manage better in a small device. BY that, I don't mean I think you can manage it _well_,
    just that you can manage it better than, say manuals or non-fiction.

    I'm reading fiction books on my very old Samsung phone. Glossy LCD/OLED screens don't work well outside, but it's perfect at night. Orange letters on black background (black = OLED switched off), I don't miss the paper books that need a bedside lamp for reading and I also don't need it bigger device for text-only books.

    But yes, there are books that don't work well on smaller devices, especially if they were originally lay outed for paper.

    ---
    * Origin: . (21:3/102)
  • From Arelor@21:2/138 to Tiny on Fri Feb 12 06:15:12 2021
    Re: tolino and other eReaders
    By: Tiny to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 2021 09:01 am

    Arelor wrote to Oli <=-

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files directly, using standard tools?

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues. When I purchase a
    ebook (either from amazon or anywhere else) I import it into calibre, strip
    the DRM and convert to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM because if I
    purchase the book I may want to read it again in 10 years.

    Shawn

    ... Back up my hard disk? I can't find the reverse switch!
    Good to know.

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it sound trivial to break it :-P

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  • From Ogg@21:4/106.21 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 09:46:00 2021
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Friday 12.02.21 - 06:15, Arelor wrote to Tiny:

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues.
    When I purchase a ebook (either from amazon or anywhere
    else) I import it into calibre, strip the DRM and convert
    to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM
    because if I purchase the book I may want to read it again
    in 10 years.

    Shawn

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it sound trivial to break it :-P

    There is no user configurable setting for that in Calibre. I
    couldn't find anything in my version and it's a bit older than
    the latest. All the user has to do is drag-n-drop the ebook into
    Calibre and the stripping is done behind the scenes. It must be
    a guarded secret. :|



    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointFace (21:4/106.21)
  • From Adept@21:2/108 to Arelor on Fri Feb 12 17:08:58 2021
    I am a paper diehard, though.

    I do tend to be that way with newspapers and whatnot, but I think I have the additional issue that I've moved around so much that keeping books is just harder in general.

    But computer stuff... Just wait a bit longer, get bigger drives, etc.

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    * Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Tiny on Sat Feb 13 18:27:00 2021
    On 02-12-21 09:01, Tiny wrote to Arelor <=-

    Arelor wrote to Oli <=-

    Does Amazon actually allow you to download and access mobi files
    directly, using standard tools?

    I use calibre here with my kindle and have no issues. When I
    purchase a
    ebook (either from amazon or anywhere else) I import it into calibre, strip
    the DRM and convert to mobi and install that on the kindle. It's basically
    all automatic. I don't share the files, I only strip DRM because if
    I
    purchase the book I may want to read it again in 10 years.

    Urk, your formatting is nasty... But yeah I do the same as well. Calibre is awesome for managing ebooks, and I also like to remover DRM, so I can read my ebooks where, when and how I want. I also don't distribute what I buy, this is my personal collection.


    ... Question of the day: x + x - x = 16 [solve for x]
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  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Arelor on Sat Feb 13 18:29:00 2021
    On 02-12-21 06:15, Arelor wrote to Tiny <=-

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it
    sound trivial to break it :-P

    It needs access to your keys, easiest way last time I did it was to interface with my Kindle. Earlier, it was easiest if you had Kindle for PC installed in the same PC.


    ... I made a pencil with two erasers. It was pointless
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  • From Tiny@21:1/130 to Arelor on Sat Feb 13 11:59:30 2021
    Arelor wrote to Tiny <=-

    May I ask hopw does Calibre strim the DRM away? Because you make it
    sound trivial to break it :-P

    It's so simple. :) Install the "DeDRM" plugin from Apprentice Alf. Justgoogle
    for it. Takes about 10 seconds to install adn then when you import a book itstrips
    the DRM automatically.

    Shawn

    ... My other vehicle is a Galaxy Class Starship ...

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
    * Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (21:1/130)
  • From Tiny@21:1/130 to Vk3jed on Sat Feb 13 12:12:00 2021
    Vk3jed wrote to Tiny <=-

    Urk, your formatting is nasty... But yeah I do the same as well.

    Sorry I will hit
    enter more often
    for you. Is this
    looking ok? There
    are a lot of diff-
    erent screen sizes
    so it's sometimes
    tough to remember
    to hit enter on
    short lines so deal
    with software that
    won't correctly
    display wraps. ;)

    Calibre is awesome for managing ebooks, and I also like to remover DRM,
    so I can read my ebooks where, when and how I want. I also don't distribute what I buy, this is my personal collection.

    Exactly the reason I
    use it as well. Plus
    to be honest the built
    in reader is pretty
    good if you want to
    read a book on the PC.

    Shawn
    P.S. I hope you take the new margins as the joke it was intended.
    ... Useless Invention: Cat flap for the fridge.

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
    * Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (21:1/130)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Tiny on Sun Feb 14 20:49:00 2021
    On 02-13-21 12:12, Tiny wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    Sorry I will hit
    enter more often
    for you. Is this
    looking ok? There
    are a lot of diff-
    erent screen sizes
    so it's sometimes
    tough to remember
    to hit enter on
    short lines so deal
    with software that
    won't correctly
    display wraps. ;)

    LOL, maybe fix your software? ;P

    Exactly the reason I
    use it as well. Plus
    to be honest the built
    in reader is pretty
    good if you want to
    read a book on the PC.

    I haven't really used Calibre's inbuilt reader, but I have certainly used its format conversion, so I can read different ebooks on different devices.

    Shawn
    P.S. I hope you take the new margins as the joke it was intended.

    LOL I had a good giggle. :D



    ... Political Season: Does that mean we can shoot them??
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