Re: Microsoft Reader... argh!

2001-07-09 Thread Jaye Inabnit ke6sls 


Greets,

I bit my tongue with this original post.. I just registered for school and 
sat down with my wonderful councillor to finger out my schedule for the next 
four+ years of courses. I don't plan to do computers for profit, just kicks 
(needed for financial aid). As she started quoting off the courses, I nearly 
passed out when well over half of them depended on M$ products! If my bride 
hadn't been there, I might have gone over the edge.

This is a damn sad state when a university is forcing evil products on kids 
without even considering pure products like debian!

I didn't pull out, but I insisted we would have to have some talks campus 
wide about this evilness since at least one new student won't play with, nor 
install M$ products on his machines.

Now with the trend of commercial linux distros charging by the license (one 
license for one box), debian is needed now more then ever.
REF:  http://lwn.net/2001/0628/

I want to applaud your efforts, and kind consideration of your students.

Three cheers for the good guy - -  hip hip hip hurry!

tatah

On Sunday 08 July 2001 10:03, Mark Wagnon wrote:
> On 07/08/01 10:26:34 -0500, Andrew Perrin wrote:
> > I'd like to assign a book for a class this fall that is published only in
> > hardcover and in something called "Microsoft Reader" format. The MS
> > Reader format is about 1/2 the price, which matters (I don't like to make
> > students pay more than necessary, particularly at a public
> > school.).  According to Amazon, the MS Reader is available only for
> > Windows. Does anyone else know about this gizmo, what the format is,
> > etc? I'm not willing to let Microsoft have a monopoly on my class, so if
> > in fact it's Windows-only I'll either not assign the book (and let the
> > publisher know!) or make them go with the expensive hardback.
>
> As a continuing student, I'm glad to hear that professors like
> yourself think about students' bank accounts. Thanks!
>
> Personally, I like to have access to a nice text with actual pages. I
> can take it anywhere and not worry about hosing my PDA/eBook reader or
> whatever, and I'm not be chained to my computer (although some in my
> family believe that's happened ;-) ). If the eBook was in HTML or some
> other format easily decipherable by other party's technologies, I'd
> say go for it, but since it looks like it's MS' attempt to secure the
> eBook market for itself, I would avoid purchasing/recommending it in
> that format.  Can you imagine a world where trees are no longer cut
> down to produce paper for books (yay!), yet the only format available
> is MS' (boo!)?  If MS disagreed with a publisher's views, they could
> yank their licensing.  Scary stuff.
>
> I would write the publisher and let them know how you feel whichever
> way I went though.
>
> Just my two pennies.

-- 

Jaye Inabnit\ARS ke6sls\/A GNU-Debian linux user \/ http://www.qsl.net/ke6sls
If it's stupid, but works, it ain't stupid. SHOUT JUST FOR FUN.
Free software, in a free world, for a free spirit. Please Support freedom!

Re: Microsoft Reader... argh!

2001-07-09 Thread Andrew Perrin 
Well, as far as I can tell from the web, the MS Reader format is a
*compiled* binary form of the OEB
(www.openebook.org) specification. Specifically, MS Reader reads
".lit" files, which can be generated, according to the web site, only by a
couple of proprietary products, all predicably enough running only under
Windows.

I'm not happy about the idea of running under wine, since it really
doesn't solve the fundamental problem of distribution in a proprietary
format.  It also doesn't seem to work:

[EMAIL PROTECTED]:~$ wine msreadersetup.exe 
Building font metrics. This may take some time...
fixme:keyboard:X11DRV_KEYBOARD_DetectLayout Your keyboard layout was not
found!
Instead using closest match (0409) for scancode mapping.
Please define your layout in windows/x11drv/keyboard.c and submit them
to us for inclusion into future Wine releases.
See documentation/keyboard for more information.
fixme:win32:PE_CreateModule Security directory ignored
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:module:CreateProcessA
(E:\pftc351~tmp\Disk1\Setup.exe,...): lpCurrentDirectory E:pftc351~tmp
ignored
fixme:win32:PE_LoadImage FATAL: Need to relocate
E:\pftc351~tmp\Disk1\Setup.exe, but no relocation records present
(stripped during link). Try to run that file directly !
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented
fixme:gdi:GetObjectA Magic  not implemented

Best,
Andy

--
Andrew J Perrin - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.unc.edu/~aperrin
 Assistant Professor of Sociology, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  269 Hamilton Hall, CB#3210, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 USA


On Mon, 9 Jul 2001, Joris Lambrecht wrote:

> On Sun, Jul 08, 2001 at 10:26:34AM -0500, Andrew Perrin wrote:
> > Greetings folks-
> > 
> 
> Hello Andy,
> 
> Just read your mail below. IMHO the Microsoft Reader format has been licensed 
> from Adobe and is thus very likely to be read-able by Acrobat Reader or any 
> of it's clones. Since they're talking about Reader this format is probably an 
> 'embraced' version of Adobe's electronic-book format. I suppose there is such 
> a reader for Linux as well by now.
> 
> Also, IF it's in some proprietary format you might simply convert it on A 
> windows-box into PDF wich will allow you to use it no matter what.
> 
> Anyway, keep us posted of any developments.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Joris
> 
> > I'd like to assign a book for a class this fall that is published only in
> > hardcover and in something called "Microsoft Reader" format. The MS
> > Reader format is about 1/2 the price, which matters (I don't like to make
> > students pay more than necessary, particularly at a public
> > school.).  According to Amazon, the MS Reader is available only for
> > Windows. Does anyone else know about this gizmo, what the format is,
> > etc? I'm not willing to let Microsoft have a monopoly on my class, so if
> > in fact it's Windows-only I'll either not assign the book (and let the
> > publisher know!) or make them go with the expensive hardback.
> > 
> > Thanks for any advice-
> > Andy Perrin
> > 
> > --
> > Andrew J Perrin - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.unc.edu/~aperrin
> >  Assistant Professor of Sociology, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
> >   269 Hamilton Hall, CB#3210, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 USA
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > -- 
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> -- 
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
>

Re: Microsoft Reader... argh!

2001-07-09 Thread Joris Lambrecht 
On Sun, Jul 08, 2001 at 10:26:34AM -0500, Andrew Perrin wrote:
> Greetings folks-
> 

Hello Andy,

Just read your mail below. IMHO the Microsoft Reader format has been licensed 
from Adobe and is thus very likely to be read-able by Acrobat Reader or any of 
it's clones. Since they're talking about Reader this format is probably an 
'embraced' version of Adobe's electronic-book format. I suppose there is such a 
reader for Linux as well by now.

Also, IF it's in some proprietary format you might simply convert it on A 
windows-box into PDF wich will allow you to use it no matter what.

Anyway, keep us posted of any developments.

Regards,

Joris

> I'd like to assign a book for a class this fall that is published only in
> hardcover and in something called "Microsoft Reader" format. The MS
> Reader format is about 1/2 the price, which matters (I don't like to make
> students pay more than necessary, particularly at a public
> school.).  According to Amazon, the MS Reader is available only for
> Windows. Does anyone else know about this gizmo, what the format is,
> etc? I'm not willing to let Microsoft have a monopoly on my class, so if
> in fact it's Windows-only I'll either not assign the book (and let the
> publisher know!) or make them go with the expensive hardback.
> 
> Thanks for any advice-
> Andy Perrin
> 
> --
> Andrew J Perrin - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.unc.edu/~aperrin
>  Assistant Professor of Sociology, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
>   269 Hamilton Hall, CB#3210, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 USA
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
>

Re: Microsoft Reader... argh!

2001-07-08 Thread Mark Wagnon 
On 07/08/01 10:26:34 -0500, Andrew Perrin wrote:
> I'd like to assign a book for a class this fall that is published only in
> hardcover and in something called "Microsoft Reader" format. The MS
> Reader format is about 1/2 the price, which matters (I don't like to make
> students pay more than necessary, particularly at a public
> school.).  According to Amazon, the MS Reader is available only for
> Windows. Does anyone else know about this gizmo, what the format is,
> etc? I'm not willing to let Microsoft have a monopoly on my class, so if
> in fact it's Windows-only I'll either not assign the book (and let the
> publisher know!) or make them go with the expensive hardback.
> 

As a continuing student, I'm glad to hear that professors like
yourself think about students' bank accounts. Thanks! 

Personally, I like to have access to a nice text with actual pages. I
can take it anywhere and not worry about hosing my PDA/eBook reader or
whatever, and I'm not be chained to my computer (although some in my
family believe that's happened ;-) ). If the eBook was in HTML or some
other format easily decipherable by other party's technologies, I'd
say go for it, but since it looks like it's MS' attempt to secure the
eBook market for itself, I would avoid purchasing/recommending it in
that format.  Can you imagine a world where trees are no longer cut
down to produce paper for books (yay!), yet the only format available
is MS' (boo!)?  If MS disagreed with a publisher's views, they could
yank their licensing.  Scary stuff. 

I would write the publisher and let them know how you feel whichever
way I went though. 

Just my two pennies.
-- 
Mark Wagnon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Re: Microsoft Reader... argh!

2001-07-08 Thread Carl Fink 
On Sun, Jul 08, 2001 at 10:26:34AM -0500, Andrew Perrin wrote:

> According to Amazon, the MS Reader is available only for Windows.

Have you tested it under WINE?  That would let Linux and certain other
Unix-derivative users run it, although MacPeople would presumably still be
out of luck.  There appears to be no way to convert anything back from
Microsoft's .LIT format to something less proprietary.

Amazon (partly owned by Redmond) is selling exclusively in Reader format.
-- 
Carl Fink   [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Manager, Dueling Modems Computer Forum

Microsoft Reader... argh!

2001-07-08 Thread Andrew Perrin 
Greetings folks-

I'd like to assign a book for a class this fall that is published only in
hardcover and in something called "Microsoft Reader" format. The MS
Reader format is about 1/2 the price, which matters (I don't like to make
students pay more than necessary, particularly at a public
school.).  According to Amazon, the MS Reader is available only for
Windows. Does anyone else know about this gizmo, what the format is,
etc? I'm not willing to let Microsoft have a monopoly on my class, so if
in fact it's Windows-only I'll either not assign the book (and let the
publisher know!) or make them go with the expensive hardback.

Thanks for any advice-
Andy Perrin

--
Andrew J Perrin - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.unc.edu/~aperrin
 Assistant Professor of Sociology, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  269 Hamilton Hall, CB#3210, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 USA