Thinking of buying a Kindle

[Shurup]

^^^ Sorry you're wrong again, go to the mobileread forum, I provided a link in my previous post, and ask the questions there. People there are more knowledgeable about the copyright laws.

You also forgot to mention that Calibre doesn't come with the option to remove DMR, however this can be achieved with an external 3-rd party plug in, link to which nobody dares to provide on the above mentioned site. Why? Because it's illegal.

[Shurup]

A section 8 in the mobileread guidelines:

8. Links, Uploads, Copyright and DRM

Links to sites that violate copyright are forbidden and will be deleted. URL shortening services may not be used.

MobileRead does not condone or support the use of this web site to break the law. This means that we will not allow posting of instructions showing someone how to break the law, requests for such instructions, nor uploads or links to items that have the sole purpose of breaking the law.

EBooks uploaded to this site must be in the "life+70" public domain. This means that the author (or translator) of the book must have died at least 70 years before the start of the current year. It is up to the individual to determine whether any particular eBook on MobileRead is legal to download in their country.

It is our policy that while DRM removal may be discussed in the abstract, providing detailed how-to instructions, uploading of DRM-removal tools, or linking to sites where these tools or detailed instructions are provided is forbidden at MobileRead.

Further information on our policy on copyright, uploads and DRM can be found here.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_posting_guidelines

Like I said, ask the question over there, it's definitely not illegal to discuss it.

[Ticketmaster]

^^^ Sorry you're wrong again, go to the mobileread forum, I provided a link in my previous post, and ask the questions there. People there are more knowledgeable about the copyright laws.

You also forgot to mention that Calibre doesn't come with the option to remove DMR, however this can be achieved with an external 3-rd party plug in, link to which nobody dares to provide on the above mentioned site. Why? Because it's illegal.

That's nonsense. I just add books to Calibre and have it set to save them in the .mobi format, and voila, there is no DRM. I never added a plug-in to Calibre; I don't even know how.

Moreover, the "rule" you site is a "mobileread rule," whoever the hell they are; it's NOT the law. If mobileread is a website that allows people to upload and share digital books with the world, it would most assuredly be illegal to bust DRM on copyright material and share it to the world free. which would violte copyright law. I it is your intent that determines whether DRM removal is legal. If you remove it with the intent to violate the copyright, then the removel is illegal. If, on the other hand, you remove it for a legal purpose (use on other devices) it is perfectly legal. You have missed the entire point and apparently did not even read my post. It is legal to take DRM off a copyrighted item for personal use. It is not legal if done with the intent to violate the copyright.

Wikipedia has a fairly decent discussion of DRM. Here is an excerpt:

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is an amendment to United States copyright law, passed unanimously on May 14, 1998, which criminalizes the production and dissemination of technology that allows users to circumvent technical copy-restriction methods. Under the Act, circumvention of a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work is illegal if done with the primary intent of violating the rights of copyright holders.^{[verification needed]} (For a more detailed analysis of the statute, see WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act.) [emphasis added.]

Reverse engineering of existing systems is expressly permitted under the Act under specific conditions. Under the reverse engineering safe harbor, circumvention necessary to achieve interoperability with other software is specifically authorized. See 17 U.S.C. Sec. 1201(f). Open-source software to decrypt content scrambled with the Content Scrambling System and other encryption techniques presents an intractable problem with the application of the Act. Much depends on the intent of the actor. If the decryption is done for the purpose of achieving interoperability of open source operating systems with proprietary operating systems, the circumvention would be protected by Section 1201(f) the Act. Cf., Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Corley, 273 F.3d 429 (2d Cir. 2001) at notes 5 and 16. However, dissemination of such software for the purpose of violating or encouraging others to violate copyrights has been held illegal. See Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Reimerdes, 111 F. Supp. 2d 346 (S.D.N.Y. 2000).

See, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management#Laws_regarding_DRM

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in MGE UPS Systems v. General Electric Consumer, 612 F.3d 760, 765 (5th Cir. 2010), superseded by panel review, MGE UPS Systems, Inc. v. GE Consumer and Industrial, Inc., 622 F.3d 361, 366 (5th Cir. 2010), said, in part:

But this court's reading of the DMCA found MGE's appeal to be "too broad," noting Section 1201(a) of the US Code.

"No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a workprotected under this title," the law says (we added the italics). The "under this title" refers to Title 17—the entirety of US copyright law.

In other words, just circumventing the technology isn't enough to get into trouble with the DMCA. The circumvention must lead to some violation of copyright.

"MGE advocates too broad a definition of 'access'," the Fifth Circuit explained. "Their interpretation would permit liability under § 1201(a) for accessing a work simply to view it or to use it within the purview of 'fair use' permitted under the Copyright Act. Merely bypassing a technological protection that restricts a user from viewing or using a work is insufficient to trigger the DMCA's anti-circumvention provision. The DMCA prohibits only forms of access that would violate or impinge on the protections that the Copyright Act otherwise affords copyright owners."

The Circuits, however, are not in complete agreement and the matter will eventually end up before SCOTUS for final resolution.

If you wish to state the law, might I suggest you leave the boards alone and study the statutes and interpreting case law. Did I mention that I am a lawyer (recovering lawyer).

But people can do what they wish. I was following this thread but have lost interest in this petty discussion. I'm outta here. Bye,bye.

[Shurup]

Don't take it seriously, I won't go into all the legal blabbering and I'm definitely not a lawyer, however I repeat, Calibre doesn't come with the option to bust DMR, yes you can load up the books into it and convert it whatever the format you with, however you'd be surprised how many books come with DMR protection - not many and I bet you didn't get one yet. Out of the dozens books that I purchased, only 2 were DMR protected. Yes you will need a plug in to bust DMR, yes you will need to set the plugin up with a serial number of your Kindle device as the DMR protection (if you know how it works) tied to one specific device, when you buy a book from Amazon, they have your Kindle's SN and the book is getting DMRd to that particular device before you download it. Like I said very few books are DMR protected and if it worked for you so far, you didn't get any books with DMR, cheap titles usually don't have it.

I don't suggest you're buying cheap titles, I don't know you, I don't know what you read, I don't have anything against you, you maybe right in some of the legal stuff you've mentioned, but you're wrong about the Calibre and by your definition it would have been the illegal piece of software if it had the option to remove DMR.

[sustento]

The OP asked whether it would be a good idea to buy a Kindle. I don't think he was particularly interested in the nooks and crannies of the DMCA. Maybe he's not even from the US where the DMCA doesn't apply?

Edited August 31, 2013 by sustento

[BKKdreaming]

Does anyone have a kindle keyboard 3G ?

its the kindle with a full keyboard on the bottom ,

it has 3g and has a clunky web browser so you can slowly surf the internet , well at least you can in the USA and its FREE ,

Works OK for checking your email at dial up speeds , or look something up on Google ,

it is supposed to work worldwide on GSM 3G , just wondering if it works in Thailand and what service it uses , in the USA its At+t

[guzzi850m2]

Does anyone have a kindle keyboard 3G ?

its the kindle with a full keyboard on the bottom ,

it has 3g and has a clunky web browser so you can slowly surf the internet , well at least you can in the USA and its FREE ,

Works OK for checking your email at dial up speeds , or look something up on Google ,

it is supposed to work worldwide on GSM 3G , just wondering if it works in Thailand and what service it uses , in the USA its At+t

Yes I got the old version of that model. Yes you can use it in Thailand, no problem but I don't know which provider it uses.

But be aware of that you have very limited amount of mbits free I-net and honestly I never tired but before I fitted Wi-Fi in my house, I got my books from Amazon via 3G.

One thing that's really good on it is the flip page (forward/back) bottoms on each side of the unit so you can read one handed with either hand which you can't on the paperwhite.

All in all I think the paperwhite is better because it's much smaller (same screen size) and the backlit screen is hard to beat for certain reading conditions.

[tingtong]

Thank you everybody that has answered so far. Based on the responses I'm getting the feeling there is more support for the Kindle itself than tablets?

sure not me

i had the same hesitation as you do, settled with a tablet, and happy i did.

whole lot more functions, and as some mentioned those naughty sites...and another mentioned the not that cheap books...

i can be a little naughty, and still sleep well. and more to spend elsewhere. so tablet all the way!

[thaimite]

Thank you everybody that has answered so far. Based on the responses I'm getting the feeling there is more support for the Kindle itself than tablets?

sure not me

i had the same hesitation as you do, settled with a tablet, and happy i did.

whole lot more functions, and as some mentioned those naughty sites...and another mentioned the not that cheap books...

i can be a little naughty, and still sleep well. and more to spend elsewhere. so tablet all the way!

I use a tablet.

One multi- function device to carry around, but it does all I could want. It may be a little heavier, and the battery life may not be as good, but that is only because of all the additional uses I put it too. In addtion I have a choilce of readers, Moon+ is my favourite for ePub formats and Adobe for PDF books. As for Calibre, it is great software as I have posted many times on others threads in this forum. I use it to convert al my books to an open format so as I can select the reader that suits not not the one Amazon wants me to use. It also gives me the peace of mind of knowing that Amazon cannot delete or edit books I have already bought and paid for.

However as I said before it all depends on your wants, needs and preferences If there was 1 single device that was right for everybody, thee would probably be only one device on the market. It is great to have the choice.

I also buy books from many other sources knowing I can read them on one device.

Edited September 1, 2013 by thaimite

[harrry]

Thank you everybody that has answered so far. Based on the responses I'm getting the feeling there is more support for the Kindle itself than tablets?

sure not me

i had the same hesitation as you do, settled with a tablet, and happy i did.

whole lot more functions, and as some mentioned those naughty sites...and another mentioned the not that cheap books...

i can be a little naughty, and still sleep well. and more to spend elsewhere. so tablet all the way!

I use a tablet.

One multi- function device to carry around, but it does all I could want. It may be a little heavier, and the battery life may not be as good, but that is only because of all the additional uses I put it too. In addtion I have a choi\lce of readers, (Moon+ is my favourite for ePub) formats and Adobe for PDF books. As for Calibre, it is great software as I have posted many times on others forums. I use it to convert al my books to an open format so as I can select the reader that suits not not the one Amazon wants me to use.

However as I said before it all depends on your wants, needs and preferences If there was 1 single device that was right for everybody, thee woud probably beonly one device on the market. It is great to have the choice.

I also buy books from many other sources knowing I can read tem on one device.

Bet you cannot read on the beach on a nice sunny day.

[thaimite]

Thank you everybody that has answered so far. Based on the responses I'm getting the feeling there is more support for the Kindle itself than tablets?

sure not me

i had the same hesitation as you do, settled with a tablet, and happy i did.

whole lot more functions, and as some mentioned those naughty sites...and another mentioned the not that cheap books...

i can be a little naughty, and still sleep well. and more to spend elsewhere. so tablet all the way!

I use a tablet.

One multi- function device to carry around, but it does all I could want. It may be a little heavier, and the battery life may not be as good, but that is only because of all the additional uses I put it too. In addtion I have a choi\lce of readers, (Moon+ is my favourite for ePub) formats and Adobe for PDF books. As for Calibre, it is great software as I have posted many times on others forums. I use it to convert al my books to an open format so as I can select the reader that suits not not the one Amazon wants me to use.

However as I said before it all depends on your wants, needs and preferences If there was 1 single device that was right for everybody, thee woud probably beonly one device on the market. It is great to have the choice.

I also buy books from many other sources knowing I can read tem on one device.

Bet you cannot read on the beach on a nice sunny day.

As a working person being able to read on the beach on a sunny day is not of great concern to me. As I said it depends on your wants and needs.

The few sunny days I get to spend on the beach there are much more interesting things to do and see rather than being stuck in a book.

[Ticketmaster]

Here's the deal. Jeff Bezos designed the Kindle to be a book replacement. As a bookseller, he made a deliberate and reasoned decision not to make his reader a "do everything" electronic device. It is designed to be extremely readable in all light situations -- including bright sunlight, which, unlike a tablet, improves readability. I have the 3G keyboard. It is NOT back lit, so you need a light to read at night. I purchased a leather cover with a built in light to go with my Kindle, which makes it look and feel like a book. I guess there is a newer model mentioned by other posters that is back lit. The 3G works in Thailand with either 3G or EDGE. It does not matter who the provider is, because it is free (this is NOT for browsing the Internet; it is for downloading books from Amazon). If you want to use it for browsing, then you should get a tablet.

When I travel, I take my Kindle and usually bring my laptop along for e-mail, etc. Is a Kindle better that a smart phone or a tablet? There is no answer to that. It just depends on what you want. I wouldn't trade the Kindle for anything, and Thaimite probably would not trade his tablet for anything. Is the Kindle a better reading device than the tablet? Absolutely. Is the battery life between charges on the Kindle greater than on a tablet? Considerably. Can you read books on the tablet? Absolutely. Can you do all your computing on the tablet as well? Absolutely. Can you do all your computing on the Kindle? No. There is NO QUESTION that tablet is more versatile. The Kindle is a specialized device, as was intended. It simply boils down to a matter of choice. There is no "right" answer. You consider the options and choose what you thin fits your needs.

[thaimite]

Here's the deal. Jeff Bezos designed the Kindle to be a book replacement. As a bookseller, he made a deliberate and reasoned decision not to make his reader a "do everything" electronic device. It is designed to be extremely readable in all light situations -- including bright sunlight, which, unlike a tablet, improves readability. I have the 3G keyboard. It is NOT back lit, so you need a light to read at night. I purchased a leather cover with a built in light to go with my Kindle, which makes it look and feel like a book. I guess there is a newer model mentioned by other posters that is back lit. The 3G works in Thailand with either 3G or EDGE. It does not matter who the provider is, because it is free (this is NOT for browsing the Internet; it is for downloading books from Amazon). If you want to use it for browsing, then you should get a tablet.

When I travel, I take my Kindle and usually bring my laptop along for e-mail, etc. Is a Kindle better that a smart phone or a tablet? There is no answer to that. It just depends on what you want. I wouldn't trade the Kindle for anything, and Thaimite probably would not trade his tablet for anything. Is the Kindle a better reading device than the tablet? Absolutely. Is the battery life between charges on the Kindle greater than on a tablet? Considerably. Can you read books on the tablet? Absolutely. Can you do all your computing on the tablet as well? Absolutely. Can you do all your computing on the Kindle? No. There is NO QUESTION that tablet is more versatile. The Kindle is a specialized device, as was intended. It simply boils down to a matter of choice. There is no "right" answer. You consider the options and choose what you thin fits your needs.

Absolutely. There is no one size fits all. It depends on your needs.

As Ticketmaster says, I want more than a simple reader, so a Kindle is not for me, but for him it is the perfect solution

[guzzi850m2]

Here's the deal. Jeff Bezos designed the Kindle to be a book replacement. As a bookseller, he made a deliberate and reasoned decision not to make his reader a "do everything" electronic device. It is designed to be extremely readable in all light situations -- including bright sunlight, which, unlike a tablet, improves readability. I have the 3G keyboard. It is NOT back lit, so you need a light to read at night. I purchased a leather cover with a built in light to go with my Kindle, which makes it look and feel like a book. I guess there is a newer model mentioned by other posters that is back lit. The 3G works in Thailand with either 3G or EDGE. It does not matter who the provider is, because it is free (this is NOT for browsing the Internet; it is for downloading books from Amazon). If you want to use it for browsing, then you should get a tablet.

When I travel, I take my Kindle and usually bring my laptop along for e-mail, etc. Is a Kindle better that a smart phone or a tablet? There is no answer to that. It just depends on what you want. I wouldn't trade the Kindle for anything, and Thaimite probably would not trade his tablet for anything. Is the Kindle a better reading device than the tablet? Absolutely. Is the battery life between charges on the Kindle greater than on a tablet? Considerably. Can you read books on the tablet? Absolutely. Can you do all your computing on the tablet as well? Absolutely. Can you do all your computing on the Kindle? No. There is NO QUESTION that tablet is more versatile. The Kindle is a specialized device, as was intended. It simply boils down to a matter of choice. There is no "right" answer. You consider the options and choose what you thin fits your needs.

Absolutely. There is no one size fits all. It depends on your needs.

As Ticketmaster says, I want more than a simple reader, so a Kindle is not for me, but for him it is the perfect solution

Yep that's right, each to each own.

I have 2 Kindles, one for work and one for holidays, I can off-course switch whenever I want or only use 1 of them.

I never took to the tablets, bought a 9.7" Onda with a very good display but no, don't rock my boat. It's now sitting in a drawer in my office in the house and collecting dust but my son uses it sometimes for kids stuff.

What I am trying to say is that a tablet running Android JB is nothing else than an overgrown smart phone, I have a 14" Dell ultra book running Win8, now that is a real little PC and very useful to me when I am overseas working.

If I go downtown Pattaya for a cup of tea somewhere I don't need/want the I-net but rather look at life passing by and if I am stuck in an airport somewhere I can use my smart phone for I-net OR I can read from my Kindle.

The smart phone is pretty smart, he-he, got the currency exchange rates on it (updated when on-line), Thai dictionary with speech and so on, so all in all very cool, the kindle can't do all that.

[BKKdreaming]

. If you want to use it for browsing, then you should get a tablet.

I browse the internet on my Kindle Keyboard 3G , and a larger Kindle DX will do the same,

its SLOW but also FREE .

[astral]

I have the very basic Kindle and love it

Light and easy to use and battery lasts weeks. (My phone is dead in 24 hours )

I only have wi-fi on when I need to download new books

I have looked at friend's tablets Ipads etc and they weigh far to much

Watch the prices. Mine came from the US and was $79, in the UK it is £79

over 50% more.

Where I live books in English are in limited supply so I am out of touch with prices

but can you really buy a paperback for £3

There are plenty of Kindle books for that, or less

to say nothing of the free sources as well.

Buying books from Amazon is so easy and the download is almost instantaneous

though my home wi-fi

I believe there is an app for phones and PC to allow you to continue reading from where you

left off on the Kindle

[kkerry]

New Kindle on the way.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWH595M/ref=amb_link_382772722_img?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0RECD2RRQGJTMRAW09VF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1611850642&pf_rd_i=507846

[SooKee]

I have a kindle and really like it and will soon upgrade to the 'Paper White'. One thing for me though is that I read quite a few books about art and photography where I find they read better on the iPad Kindle app with colour pictures. The layout seems less constrained too, though I would expect it to have been the same on both. On the Kindle some of the pictures end up in black and white and all over the place, on the app they seem to fall more naturally.

[Shurup]

That's true but Kindles' first job is to display books and that what most of the people do. The only pics I see in my books are the book covers.

Hopefully the Paperwite can display pages with pictures better than your model, if not, I'd say if was still worth to do the upgrade, the screen with the built in light is beautiful.

[SooKee]

That's true but Kindles' first job is to display books and that what most of the people do. The only pics I see in my books are the book covers.

Hopefully the Paperwite can display pages with pictures better than your model, if not, I'd say if was still worth to do the upgrade, the screen with the built in light is beautiful.

Errrm, they are BOOKS. But there's books and books. Novels or other books that are straight text and reference books and similar that that are more graphic heavy. For me the Kindle doesn't do the latter well. I will still get the upgrade but it's a point worthy of consideration for those pondering the device, what TYPE of book do you want to read.

[Ticketmaster]

Shurup, some people just like to look at the pictures. Unless, of course,it's a Playboy,in which case they like it for the great stories.