I used to own a Rocket Ebook by Gemstar and just got this email:
Dear Gemstar Device Owner,
As you know, Gemstar eBook Group Limited decided in June 2003 to scale back its eBook operations and ultimately wind them down. We stopped selling new devices at that time and also stopped selling new content as of July 16, 2003. For further information on these decisions, please see our announcements and other materials at > www.gemstar-ebook.com> .
We are writing to you now to let you know about an opportunity for those of you who wish to do so to obtain devices and content through eBook Technologies, Inc. (ETI), and its affiliate electronic book retailer, eBookwise.com. Neither ETI nor eBookwise.com are affiliated with Gemstar eBook Group Limited. ETI has licensed the eBook technology from Gemstar eBook and will use it to offer devices and content to both enterprise and consumer users. The decision whether to take advantage of this opportunity is for you alone to make.
The Gemstar devices were a good idea weakly implemented. There was room for improvement but the company unfortunately didn’t survive long enough to do so. Perhaps this time around it will stick.
Oooh, a friend of mine had a Rocket eBook a few years ago and I was sorely tempted to get one then, and am now. However, there are two issues I struggle with.
The battery isn't user replacable, if they go out of business I can't just drop in a few AA's.
It's a pain to install content. I'd use it to read technical docs (usually PDF files) or books from Project](http://www.gutenberg.org/%22%3EProject) Gutenberg. The makers have decided on a proprietary format (that uses DRM, go figure) and it's a pain to convert your own docs and install them. See my rants on the otherwise great MD recorders.
Yeah, the “add your own content” has gone through a couple of iterations.
The original, original Rocket Ebook came with a program that converted text and html documents into .rb format.
Then the remade Gemstar ebooks took out that feature, and users were lamenting it across the boards. I suspect that’s why they folded - they tried to make it too proprietary and their user base left.
(The more engineering-types among us learned how to use the old software with the new device and forced a work-around, but it was annoying at best.)
The feature set for this model specifically states that you can use your own content, so maybe they’ve reinstated that ability and it will be easier.
Yes, I agree with you about the advantages of real books, and you’d never catch me pitching all my real books. But some people like ebooks too.
I don’t want this thread to become a heated debate about the merits of real books versus ebooks - it’s an informational thread for people with an interest in ebooks. We’re not looking to burn down the libraries.
The subsequent reduction in the destruction of trees to create paper might be seen as a positive side to email and ebooks, as well as the swifter response time.
I have friends around the world I could never have met or kept in touch with in the days of snailmail.
There a few reasons why eBooks are appealing to me:
I literally don't have room for my books any more. Since my marriage a few months ago I had to curtail my stacking of books all around the house. :smiley: I've made about seven trips to the local used book store to make room. I usually ended using the money to buy more books.
I usually have a dozen or so PDF files that I'm reading at any given time, I'd much rather load these on a portable eBook reader than kill a few tress by printing them out and then lugging them around
It's just so darn cool!
I seriously doubt these devices will replace books universally. There are too many emotional attachments to them, they can have my leather bound copy of The Lord of the Rings when they pull it from my cold dead fingers.
