February 2003

Our deepest sympathy to the families of the astronauts of the Columbia space shuttle, as to those of the victims of the Waterfall rail disaster in New South Wales, the rail tragedy in Zimbabwe and all accidents and calamities which beset humanity anywhere on our one precious planet.

We earnestly hope that all people will pause to consider how much greater will be the cost in lives and how so many, many more families will likely be led to grieve, perhaps on both sides, if a cold-blooded war of invasion and occupation is launched against the cradle of the world's civilisation (no matter how odious its leader). And by who? By a superpower commanding overwhelming military force, which itself retains vast quantities of nuclear arms, chemical poisons, germs refined for indiscriminate slaughter and other weapons of mass destruction, and who arms those who oppress others nearby, without hint of self-reproach.

The clear majority of people throughout the world are opposed to such a war, yet in some countries including Australia their governments pay them no heed, but instead make feverish war preparations in accordance with secret agreements cynically denied. It seems we are led by the arrogant, the paranoid, the hypocritical and the ignorant rather than by such sober, thoughtful and careful leadership as the times demand. Therefore all those who oppose such a war in good conscience should delay no longer but speak forth now. For when your children and grandchildren ask you how such a thing could have happened, and why you did nothing to prevent it, would it not be better to say "It never happened, because we, the people, stood firm against it."?

We offer this thought also:

"... May all peoples strive towards peace with justice rather than rush headlong to war at any price. For those who are eager for war, come what may, are either fools or beasts. There are no wars that do not include much injustice and the massacre of innocents. War is the maker of widows and orphans, the bringer of destruction, the begetter of hatred, the mother of revenge and the father of further conflict. It cannot be justified unless self-defence or the protection of others is by all other paths impossible."

 

 

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December Update

1. It goes around, it comes around - Australian e-Book Lending Library Launched

On December 2, 2002 Aussie e-book company eInfo Solutions launched the first e-book lending library in the Southern Hemisphere, ozebooks.com.au (currently at http://www.libwise.com/ozebooks). Subscribers may read e-titles on their PC or on handheld devices such as Palms, Pocket PCs & even some mobile phones; or on some dedicated e-reader devices. The site software is the well-featured Mobipocket eBook reader, which can be downloaded from the library website.

How does the library angle work? Well, firstly a membership is required (for individuals the cost is $19.95 Australian, or around $US11.25, for a year). In a paradox of technology the past has overtaken the present again. The old subscription library concept of the nineteenth century - superseded by the rise of the modern public library - is back again in the twenty-first century in a new hi-tech Web equivalent.

Some traditional library features remain. For example each individual borrower may loan three e-books at a time. However each title is limited to one loan to a single patron at a time (clearly a stipulation from skittish publishers). But no overdue books are possible here - borrowed titles automatically "expire" at the end of the loan period, & instantly become available back in the library for the next patron. So borrowers need to be well aware of when their loans are due, or it will be a case of Now you see it, now you don't. On the plus side, if you want an e-book that is already loaned out, the system places you in a waiting list and emails you as soon as the title is available.

Categories available to start with include science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, horror, suspense, crime & humour, plus a range of non-fiction including business, education, religion, science, technology & travel. There are some hundreds of titles available at present, with another 420 titles scheduled for adding in January 2003. The latter will include a range of classic titles suitable for schools & students.

Library membership is available to both individuals and institutions. EInfo are also making special provision for people with reading disabilities as well as those in remote locations. Indeed ten percent of all subscriptions will be used to fund the provision of e-book solutions to these and other disadvantaged groups.

For those with reading disabilities technology used allows font size for all titles to be instantly increased in size as the reader requires. Another advantage is that the books may also be "read" using standard text-to-speech software.

Einfo also reports that dedicated e-reader devices were recently donated to Mintabie Area School in the far north of South Australia, enabling students there to access e-book libraries and bookstores via their telephone lines.

For further information visit http://www.libwise.com/ozebooks/ or call Mike Ottoy on 08 8415 5170

 

2. Random Goes Fuzzy & gets Stoned with Rosetta

Readers may recall the long-running (two year) legal stoush between publishing giant Random House & diminutive Web e-publisher Rosetta Books (http://www.rosettabooks.com) . At stake beneath all the posturing was the question of whether authors could negotiate electronic rights to their titles separately with e-publishers, or whether print publishers could claim that e-book versions were part of existing print rights. Later, other publishers joined the fray on Random's side, & the (U.S.) Author's Guild waded in for Rosetta as the full significance of the case dawned on all.

Rosetta won the first two rounds in court, but observers wondered if they could go the distance against deep-pocketed Random & its major league friends, when the ability to field astronomical legal fees for a prolonged period so often skews the balance of justice in favour of the moneyed in theoretically fair legal systems.

Now* however the case has ended in an out of court settlement. Rosetta wins by being able to go on without hindrance in publishing the particular eight electronic titles forming the basis for the case. The rest is a deal - Random will make other books available for Rosetta to e-publish & promote, in return for a share of royalties. In effect, Rosetta becomes an e-publishing affiliate for Random, to mutual benefit.

But what of the principles involved? Rosetta seems ahead on points here, with a preliminary ruling in their favour and nothing to prevent them continuing to seek e-rights from other authors not tied to Random. Indeed Paul Aiken of the Authors Guild pronounced " We have a real opinion that has the value of precedent that says the old contracts did not grant e-book rights and that those rights were retained by the authors." Random House's Stuart Applebaum was content with the sage if belated declaration "Publishing, not litigating, is our preferred activity."

However the victory was double-edged. Without a final court ruling other e-publishers may prefer to negotiate a royalty split with print publishers rather than risk another future court battle. Moreover print publishers (despite their in court protestations) have been busy for some time writing new binding electronic clauses into their contracts. Such conditions may be difficult for all but well-established authors to refuse. In the end it may be the voluntary agreement between Rosetta & Random that has more influence in the marketplace than the undecided legal issue.
* Announced Dec. 4 2002

 

3. HarperCollins dangles four toes in the Matrix

Meanwhile another sign emerged that the publishing big guns are returning to the e-arena. News Corporation subsidiary HarperCollins has launched four retail e-book websites to sell the e-books published by its e-imprint Perfectbound. The sites are for the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Australia, & titles will be available in Adobe, Microsoft & Palm e-book formats.

Why not just one mega-site for these four English language markets? Ah, big publishing is more complicated than that. Some titles will only be available in certain markets, while others will show "price differentiation" in different nations. Make what you want of that one.

And what is to stop savvy consumers with the Web at their fingertips from maximising their own (as opposed to corporate) interests & comparing possibilities across sites? Good question. However the sites don't offer any links to each other. This is presumably intended to keep buyers fenced in to graze -sorry browse -only their prepared e-pasture. However starting from a given one it took us all of sixty seconds to work out what the other three were. So here they all are together, for you to compare notes yourself.

USA         http://us.perfectbound.com               UK             http://uk.perfectbound.com
Canada    http://ca.perfectbound.com               Australia  http://au.perfectbound.com

 

4. And the Rocketman dips a foot

Longtime readers will recall us waxing enthusiastic in the past about Rocket eBook pioneer Martin Eberhard. When Gemstar acquired the Nuvomedia company which made the fabled Rocket e-reader Martin had to sign an agreement preventing him from participating in any e-book venture until 2005. However now that Gemstar has hit the skids & in any case stopped making e-readers it is believed that this clause may lapse. Especially if Gemstar bows out of e-reader manufacture for good or sells that division of its business.

Now Eberhard has hinted that such a possibility is in the wings. In an interview with Steven Zeitchik of Publisher's Weekly, the feisty Martin allowed that if Gemstar's e-book business was sold or closed down he & Rocket co-founder Mark Tarpenning might, just might, be up for a new e-book venture. If so, e-textbooks & the education arena would be the most likely focus. Gathering together some of the old Nuvomedia gang was also a possibility, but acquiring the existing Gemstar e-division was not. (Not surprising since we know that nearly all the real Nuvomedia talent left or were eased out after the Gemstar takeover. The original lot were lovely people -Ed).

And will we ever see the Rocket itself again? Cross your fingers & hope, folks.

 

5. Some Prices for Xmas (for our Australian readers, quoted in Oz dollars only)

Just in time as you lash out for (not at!) a loved one, including possibly even yourself, here are some local price for handhelds now available in Oz that you can also use as e-readers.

1. If you've ever wanted a Palm but like me have always been put off by the price in our debased currency, the new Palm Zire has now arrived in Oz & makes it possible. Of course at this price it is monochrome not colour, & a bit basic compared with some models, but it is nevertheless a quality Palm handheld. It looks great too (& will also read e-books if you load the free Palm Reader or MobiPocket software onto it).

To buy at the shops, Hardly Normal charge the standard RRP of $239, & Dick Smith have it a dollar cheaper at $238.00. Online it is available for $228.00 at : http://www.deafgames.org.au/auson/cat/3com/zire.shtml
& $228.80 at http://www.winsum.com.au/1501_Palm.htm
And maybe in the January sales you'll find one for $199 somewhere?

Memo to Franklin: If you want to sell any eBookMen, with a Palm at this price you'll need to lower your own prices some.

2. For the likewise new but top of the range Palm Tungsten T running the new Palm OS 5.0, with Bluetooth, super-processor etc etc, the best price I've seen is $1,049.00 (inc GST) at Organiser World http://www.ow.com.au

3. The older Palm m515 can now be had for $669 Inc GST, & the Palm m130 for $479 Inc GST; both at http://www.calculatorking.com.au

3. For those of the Microsoft persuasion, forget $1,500 or more for a Pocket PC. There's now a relatively cheap but still good Pocket PC available, the Toshiba e310. It has provision for voice notes, handwriting recognition, MP3 playback, memory expansion, & a colour screen. It's powered by a 206MHZ processor with 32MB RAM. This one is available most places in the $860- $899 range, but seen at Calculator King http://www.calculatorking.com.au for as little as $699 (inc. GST).

NB: Expect a load of much cheaper Pocket PCs next year, including the ViewSonic, HP's Ipaq & others as the war with Palm hots up in earnest)

4. For the well-heeled or those spending other people's money, there are also now Web Tablets: Most pricey is the Toshiba Portege 3500 Tablet PC - Price incl. GST $4799.00 The PACER TravelMate C102Ti is at a" Special Introductory Price" of $4299, the HP Compaq TC1000 price incl GST is the cheapest so far at $3795.00. At these kind of prices do you care where you shop? Bargains are not your thing.

*

And that's all for the moment folks

Got a story? If you have an e-book story you feel is worth mentioning,
please email it to: brucep@ acon.com.au

 

***Bruce’s AUSTRALIAN E-BOOK NEWSLETTER is published quarterly,
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If you wish to subscribe please email to brucep@acon.com.au,
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This page last updated 2 February 2003