Charles Ryan
The DRM Format: Sorry to be a little long-winded on the MSRP issue, but it’s a complex issue and there’s a lot to say. This one should be easier (and shorter).
There’s a lot of false information on the net about secure eBooks. Some people will tell you that you can’t use your DRM product unless you’re connected to the internet, or that you can’t print it, or that you can’t use it on more than one computer, or that you can’t make back ups of it, or that Adobe Reader is spyware, and on and on. Frankly, that’s a bunch of baloney, propogated mostly be people who’ve never actually tried a DRM eBook.
Here’s the scoop: If you have a copy of Adobe Reader (and who doesn’t?), you simply register it with Adobe. (Go to Tools-->eBook Web Services-->Adobe DRM Activator in Adobe Reader.) It takes three minutes, tops. Once you do that, you can use any DRM eBook you purchase just as if it were a regular PDF. You can read the eBook on other computers you own, as long as you register Adobe Reader on that machine too. Other people can’t read the eBooks you purchased, and you can’t read theirs, but other than that there’s no difference between a DRM eBook and any other PDF. If you don’t believe me, I invite to you go to DriveThruRPG.com, download one of their free products, and give it a spin. Doesn’t cost you a dime.
Cergorach said:Why would Monte continue to sell books as standard pdf? Well, when he didn't (and used DTRPG exclusively) he got a lot of angry customers that pretty well might have cost him a lot of lost sales. Not only on the pdf front, but also the print front. Monte's ebooks are available, shortly after they are released as an ebook, on 'pirate' channels.
The problem probably is established business practice of the company, customers are generally very hesitant of change. As Monte started as a pdf only business, going to print only might very well result in a lot of alienated customers. But i would bet that his print sales would increase.
WotC books are high profile products, can the same be said for less well known publishers? Let's take another big publisher, AEG with the SpyCraft and SG-1 line. Of the entire line of 20-25 products, there are currently only 3 of those books circulating in the 'pirate' channels.
Why is that? Well, those quick and high quality scans destroy a source book. A source book costs money, and after destroying the binding often looses the utility to the owner. A 'cracked' pdf on the other hand doesn't loose it's initial utility to the owner, and as a result is far more likely to happen.
To be fair, he never said you *don't* need an internet connection. He was simply responding to the claim that "you can’t use your DRM product unless you’re connected to the internet". I.e. some people were claiming you have to be online every time you use the pdf, he countered that you only need to register online once, after that you can use the pdf without internet connection.TheAuldGrump said:Interesting, after saying you don't need an internet connection he tells you to use a feature of Adobe that needs an internet connection.... So much for misinformation.
I'm educated! (Sorry that it took almost a month to get back to this thread)Cergorach said:Educate me: cergorach AT thehelix dot nl
If your able to do what you claim i'm very interested how, from both a technical perspective as wel as a practical perspective.
Conaill said:To be fair, he never said you *don't* need an internet connection. He was simply responding to the claim that "you can’t use your DRM product unless you’re connected to the internet". I.e. some people were claiming you have to be online every time you use the pdf, he countered that you only need to register online once, after that you can use the pdf without internet connection.
It depends.JoeGKushner said:Perhaps you can answer this for me. I have no internet connection at home, but can get to the internet from a few places.
Can I buy this, put it on a USB keychain and take it home and read it?