delving into ebook readers

[Anthony de Boer]

Neil Watson wrote:
> It occurs to me that an ebook reader might be a good choice for me to
> read PDF technical manuals while commuting.  I've avoided these devices
> completely in the past due to the DRM issues.
> 
> What kind of reader can I get that can read PDF's and ebooks from my
> local library?

Unfortunately, a number of municipal libraries have gotten into DRM
schemes (publisher-imposed) whereby the e-book "expires" from your
reader at the end of the borrowing period and then they can lend that
"copy" of that title to another reader.  There are even schemes
where they're only allowed to lend it out about the number of times
that a physical book does before it wears out, and then they have to
budget to buy another copy.

Yes, some publishers are quite intent on virtualizing things the way
they worked back in the horse-and-buggy era.

Likely your best first step is to ask at your local library, whichever
one is local to where you live, and find out what their policies are,
what manner of e-lending scheme they're on, and which reader(s) work
with their platform.  There won't be one answer that's the same across
the whole GTA.

I also note that I can buy DRM-free ebooks from O'Reilly, download free
ones from Project Gutenberg and others, and could probably even zip
across the Internet to my alma mater's library a lot faster than I could
physically visit the local library.  The municipal library model makes
a lot of sense for physical borrowing, but isn't as compelling for
ebooks.

-- 
Anthony de Boer
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