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Bookworm ePub Reader Gets Boost From O'Reilly

Posted by kdawson on from the open-book dept.

stoolpigeon writes in with news that ought to kindle Amazon's attention: "O'Reilly announced recently that they are now hosting Bookworm, an online ePub reader. ePub is composed of three open standards (OPS, OPF, and OCF) that allow users a great amount of flexibility without any lock-in. Bookworm lets users upload ePub files, read them online from a PC or mobile device, and also export them to mobile devices that support ePub. Bookworm can also export directly to Stanza. Once a user has uploaded their ePub books to Bookworm, they can track progress through them even across multiple devices."

10 of 59 comments (clear)

  1. I don't understand the allure of eBooks... by quangdog · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I used to work in the college textbook industry, and there was a constant background drum from the book publishers talking about switching everything to eBooks. However, all the students that I ever asked about it were very much in favor of being able to fold down corners, draw in the margins, use highlighers, etc. Personally, when I read, I *like* the tactile interaction with the book. I'm not all that familiar with the current eBook readers - are they very popular?

    1. Re:I don't understand the allure of eBooks... by Bigjeff5 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Frankly, it's much, much, much easier to find information you are looking for in an eBook. Being digital, they a generally searcheable, which is fantastic. Also, depending on exactly what you are doing, it can be much easier to have the book on a monitor and your work right in front of you. None of that is as easy with a textbook. Trust me, I've used textbooks with a PDF option. I don't even like PDF's and I think it's really nice to have the option.

      Also, if you just need to -read- the material, an eBook in an eBook reader is infinately more convenient than a large textbook (you know, standard 700+ page books ;)). While the tactile feel is nice in a book, the awkwardness of a large textbook completely negates it and then some, in my opinion.

      Plus, have you read on an eInk device? It's like reading paper, only it's small and compact and has a massive geek factor, they rock. Mine doesn't let me search, only flip to certain sections, so searchability is about the same as a textbook, but others like the new Kindle let you search. I'm personally waiting for the Plastic Logic device that has a massive 8x11 screen, perfect for technical documents.

      Cheers!

      --
      Security is mostly a superstition... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. - Helen Keller
    2. Re:I don't understand the allure of eBooks... by Your+Pal+Dave · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I used to work in the college textbook industry, and there was a constant background drum from the book publishers talking about switching everything to eBooks.

      They're probably hoping to dry up the used textbook market.

      However, all the students that I ever asked about it were very much in favor of being able to fold down corners, draw in the margins, use highlighers, etc.

      It seems to me that this would be where eBooks would shine. Add a stylus to the reader and now all of your annotations, bookmarks, etc can be indexed and easily searchable. Add to this the obvious weight advantage and eBook texts start looking pretty good.

    3. Re:I don't understand the allure of eBooks... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Nope, not very. There is an interesting story on Ars about the rise and fall and rise again of eBooks.

      Interestingly, Safari OnLine (an O'Reiley site) doesn't mention this new initiative at all.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    4. Re:I don't understand the allure of eBooks... by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      If you just quickly browse ebay for various types of tablet computers (try things like "ebook", "tablet pc", and so on) you will quickly discover that the old axioms about good, cheap, and fast apply best to "new" technologies like ebook readers/tablet PCs. If it's fanless it's dog-slow, has a tiny screen, costs a zillion dollars, or has some combination of these particular flaws (and possibly many others, typically including limited I/O.) If it's got a super-low-power display, e.g. e-ink or OLED, the cost flies through the roof. Even a transflective TFT tends to come at a substantial premium. Sometimes you can get units pretty cheap used, but usually they're missing some innocuous yet expensive item like the stylus that fits into the corner of the unit. Typically the battery is missing or about to die.

      If you want an older, smaller-screen unit you can get a Nokia V770 pretty cheap these days. But the only cheap units with big screens are Stylistics, and the screen is big but lousy (or so say the reviews.) Most used units have battery and/or accessory problems. Maybe someone else knows of some nifty counterexamples but I've just been looking, and I bought a DT Research DT360 for $275 shipped. It gets about 1 hour of battery time.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re:I don't understand the allure of eBooks... by InlawBiker · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Personally I've been drooling for an eBook reader for a couple of years. The price-point and DRM is keeping me out though.

      I would LOVE to have so many books at my disposal with me at all times. I'd read a lot more, especially since the books are much cheaper and easier to get.

      But at around $400 the local library is a still a lot more attractive.

      The publishing industry needs to wake up innovate before Amazon and Sony become the new iTunes of print publishing and come steal their lunch money.

  2. Colleges can have it both ways by Ed+Avis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A large university can install a mini printing press (or in other words, a big printer that does bookbinding) in the library. Publishers (or authors) can distribute their books electronically, and for those students who want to pay for it, a print-on-demand copy will be fairly cheap. Other students might prefer to buy an ebook reader like the Kindle (or just use their mobile phone, in a couple of years' time when screens are good enough) or just spend as little money as possible by reading the book on a college PC.

    --
    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  3. Good news for Sony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Thats good news for the Sony Ebook Readers like the PRS-505 and what not. Currently the Kindle doesn't support ePub so it really is interesting to see how the ebook format war will shake out.

  4. Currently done that way here. by DrYak · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Geneva university here.
    Lots of university made material (professor's slides and notes, other documents written by the faculty staff, chapters from books that professors have authored and have the right to publish themselves, chapters of recommended books [the university libraries pay a tax that gives them the right to make books available to their students] etc.) are distributed in PDF format on a specialised website.

    The students can either read it on screen or print it with the university's or their home printers.
    Just throw in a low-power device able to read PDFs and it's exactly the situation you describe.
    At least with university-produced documents.

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  5. Re:Interface! by abdelazer · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yeah, we (O'Reilly) are so committed to the ePub format winning the war that we threw up 262 more ePub-available titles on Tuesday and now have more than 400 available. See http://www.epubbooks.com/ for other publishers (there are starting to be a _lot_).