You're right; major surgery will be required on any device to support the
new DRM. All I can say is that any device which supports it will continue
to be successful; any which does not will immediately begin to move into
antiquity by virtue of the fact of how popular this new reading medium
will
be. I know that people believe it's still a couple of years away; that's
just not so and Larry knows it. It's six to nine months away for
downloadable books, and I want to see the BookPort stay on top as it has
for
so long. It's one of the best devices we have ever had and we all want it
to stay that way.
I had the privilege of seeing briefly the final NLS player which is
already
in prototype form and the cartridges it will be using. It's nothing short
of phenomenal, and I was just blown away. For a description of it, go to
http://www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan/playerdescription.html
But, as wonderful and fantastic as it is, it's not portable like the
BookPort, and if given the choice, the BookPort will stay as my preferred
device for reading everything. I just want it to stay that way, not just
for me, but for everyone who is going to go nuts when they see what's
available from NLS when the site goes live. The players won't be
distributed with books until 2008, but the download site for getting
digital
books from NLS will go live sometime in 2007.
This will blow away Audible, OverDrive, Net Library, and anything else you
can think of and I want the BookPort to be there ready for it.
Don
"-----Original Message-----
"From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Walt Smith
"Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 5:59 PM
"To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Subject: [bookport] Re: NLS Beta Program
"
"Okay, if they're using true DRM technology, that means that
"neither the Book Port nor the PAC Mate will ever be able to
"play them without major surgery.
"PAC Mate not until Windows Pocket PC 5 is supported, since
"Windows 2003 doesn't support DRM at all and I feel safe in
"saying that FS isn't going to bring out a major firmware
"update just to cope with this, assuming that it's even
"possible. What's still not clear is whether the devices that
"NLS is willing to help support must _already_ be fundamentally
"DRM-capable. If that's the case, that means that the device
"must run Windows; if they're able to provide their own
"customized DRM support that applies only to their format and
"to nothing else, then it might be possible, given a host of
"other issues.
"
"In any case, I still don't buy that anybody owes us anything,
"especially when it comes to a technology that's still in the
"beta test stage and that, given NLS's past record of
"technology roll-outs, could be as far away as a couple of
"years. The fact that NLS wants other equipment to be capable
"of supporting their technology decisions doesn't obligate
"anyone else to anything at all, in my opinion, and I refuse to
"get my knickers in a wad over something that's not even real yet.
"
"----- Original Message -----
"From: "Don Barrett" <donter@xxxxxxxxxxx>
"To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
"Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 5:30 PM
"Subject: [bookport] Re: NLS Beta Program
"
"
"Sorry Walt, but this is completely different; NLS is ready
"willing and able
"to provide the digital keys to its DRM system to any vendor who sells
"products to the blind so players can be modified to include
"the NLS schema.
"If NLS felt as you imply, then they would only distribute players and
"cartridges and would not be taking such pains to establish a
"download site
"where patrons can readily and easily get digital books.
"
"I am not picking on NLS nor APH, but I am saying that APH has some
"obligation to ensure us that the Bookport will in a timely
"fashion, support
"this new medium, which NLS also wants to be supported by as
"many vendors as
"possible.
"
"Don
"
"
"
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