Why eBook?

I've noticed some chat about using an app called txtr for the iphone which has the adobe id in its reader and enables you to email your M&B books to a server download them onto the phone and read them. Is there any reason why I can't do this?

Hi J Margaret and everyones else who has posted a format related query here,

Thanks for your queries regarding different queries and their associated virtues and vices. 

Currently we make the ePub format available from millsandboon.co.uk. However, we also make Mobipocket formats available (from whsmith.com/ebooks) and titles are now available on the Kindle store (amazon.com/kindlestore) as well as to mobile devices including Blackberry at gospoken.com.

Please let me know if you have any questions devleoping out of this...

Thanks

Nick

I e-mailed you on May 15th. Like other readers, I have been reading e-books for years, first on my Palm tungsten T3 and now on my Cybook. You haven't replied to any of the posts complaining about the format. I don't want to be forced to buy the Sony reader when the Cvbook will read multiformat and Mobipocket books as well as PDF books. You won't get my custom until you provide a universal format..

is anybody else having horrendous trouble downloading books to sony e reader?

Hi, I wondered if anyone of you can help me? I just bought 3 ebooks from eharlequin online. Paid and got to the page where it said download which I did, it showed a box to download digital edition so I did, clicked download on the books again and nothing!

Have I done something wrong? How difficult is it to download the ebooks after you've paid for them? Have I just flushed my €15 down the toilet.LOL.

It can't be that hard surely? I also have a sony ereader which I was hoping to transfer them onto. Fat chance now. I find the reader great for traveling but it's a bummer it can't be used during take-off and landing, don't know why, but I was asked to turn it off on my last flight. No match for a real book, though, when curled up at home, I must admit. Thanks in advance for any help with my downloading.

I love the fact I can get my hands on a new book at the touch of a few buttons; no waiting around for the post or dragging my kids off to the bookshop (again).

I would really like to be able to get hold of more backlist titles from favourite authors as it can be difficult to find these by other means. 

More, more, more please! 

I like ebooks, but the technology has a way to go yet before it replaces the physical book. Besides the satisfaction of the feel of a real book, having a author sign it, seeing the pages turn and knowing the delicious inevitability of the end from how many pages are left (the reason I find books with a first chapter from another release at the back soooooo disappointing!), I can read in the bath!

I do like the immediacy of buying an ebook. Midnight on Sunday and I absolutely must read a particular authors new book right this minute? I can with an ebook!

The main irritation for me is the lack of transferrability between devices. I don't have a dedicated book reader, I read ebooks at home on my laptop, or on my PDA.  I hate carrying loads of devices, and I use a PDA running Windows Mobile that I take everywhere with me, so I'm not about to go out and buy a bookreader. 

My frustration is that I can read pdf ebooks on my PDA, so I assumed I'd also be able to download the Digital Editions epub format used by M&B and share my ebooks with my PDA.  Not so. There's no Mobile edition of the software.

I can buy M&B books in Mobipocket format that will work on my PDA and PC, but I have to go buy separate copies of the books I've already bought in epub format!

I know M&B needs to protect its copyright in the books, but I think the ebook checkout needs to be set up to allow the copy of the book to be downloaded in more than one format.

This is the main issue putting me off ebooks right now. it's my own fault for not being more aware of this transferrability issue, but I'm really p-eed off that to read them on my PDA I will have to go buy new copies of those three M&B ebooks I bought last week.

I've been using the ebook format for a few months with the Adobe Reader and definitely prefer it. I wish though that all the book types were available as some of the books in Special Releases are not in ebook format which is a huge disappointment to me.

I've been thinking about getting a Sony Reader but not sure I could manage to transfer the books I have.

I also hope that the Advance Subscription/Club Offer which would allow you to read the books 2 months in advance is made available as soon as possible in e-format as I would definitely sign up for that

I have had my sony reader for a couple of weeks now and haven't experienced problems with either verifying or transferring my ebook purchases to my device. I was rather surprised at how easy it was to do.

Like all formats ebooks have the pros and cons, but for someone with very limited space the reader has been a major life saver.

Even my Mother who has been an avid reader for almost sixty years enjoys reading on my sony. I will be seeing about buying her own one for Christmas. Ever since using mine she has mentioned buying one of her own but knowing her as I do, what she deems we need will come first and the sony reader will be at the back of the line which will be forever increasing in length.

While DRM is a headache, it is what I refer to as an necessary evil, to make certain that books aren't illegally distributed.

Like all new technology there are pros and cons, also the cost isn't cheap but all new technology is expensive, give it time and the cost of devices and by extension ebooks will eventually begin to fall.

As someone who remembered the inception of both vcr and dvd machines it only makes sense that ebooks/devices will take the same route.

I was given a sony book reader for my burthday and have downloaded numerous books from mills and boon and waterstones.  The trickiest part was then moving them from the adobe book reader into the sony book library and then into the reader.  I was also able to download all the free ebooks from the american harlequin website with no problems - I had thought american websites were incompatible with the reader but appratently not!! Maybe Mills and Boon should also offer some free ebooks downloads like their sister company??!!

My husband bought me a sony reader for Christmas and I love it. I have had no problem downloading books and being able to change the font size is a big plus for me. I love being able to browse, buy and read a new book in a matter of minutes. I download from Mills and Boon and another site I use is BooksOnBoard  its very easy and has a huge collection of books to choose from.

Karen 

just a warning to those with an ereader or ebook device.

 I've just bought 10 ebooks online and have tried to download them, and none of them will verify the document so it makes them un-readable, un-usable and worthless as you cannot access them without them being verified as they are drm (copyright) protected.

 I have sent emails to M & B via the website and via replying to email order and waiting for their response, however I am not happy as as far as I am concerned they have taken money and not supplied goods usable.

 I have bought books with them before and had no problems, however this is not good, and I will see their response and speed to my problems as to whether I would buy from them again.

 I think its always good to know and share not only the good things but problems as well. Just be careful when you buy books online, and buy one first to check it works ok.

atb

Jane

Have read romantic fiction for over fifty years. My set book for GCE was Pride and Prejudice, and that led me to read Heyer later on for escapism.  I have a Sony reader and the other advantage that I have found is relative weight especially compared to hardback books.

I agree that DRM management is a drag, but necessary to make sure that the authors' are paid for their labours.

I love ebooks and have been reading them for years. I used to read them on my Treo which ran Palm OS, but I now I use an iPhone. Unfortunately this means I can only buy Harlequin books from the US and not Mills & Boon, since your books have DRM, and none of the DRM formats you supply work on the iPhone. 

Could you add a format that is iPhone-compatible or consider dropping DRM (thereby letting me use ePub)? EReader is the only ebook DRM format supported currently by iPhone, so could you consider adding that? Stanza is supposed to add Adobe DRM support, but I don't know if that's going to go through now that Amazon owns them.

I can get most of your books in the US editions, but some books are UK-only. The iPhone is one of the most popular phones (and Stanza's been downloaded significantly more times than any dedicated device), so I can't imagine that I'm the only person who'd like to be able to buy from you.

I am thinking of getting a sony ereader but I read that it is a bit difficult to convert ebooks bought from other suppliers other than sony to the sony ereader form.

Is there a way of coverting my M&B ebooks on my laptop to a sony ereader format, because if there is way then I am getting myself an ereader.

I think the great thing about it I don't have to hide my cover too what I relief (don't get me wrong I am a proud M&B reader)

Cheers L

I think they are fab!  I am partially sighted so it can take me a while to read a standard book but with the eReader I can change the font size and I am now reading so many books, it is wonderful!

The one down side is when I log on to do some work I can often get lost in a book!

Hi!

I'm a newcomer to ebooks and am currently downloading my Digital editions to the Sony Reader.

I'm looking forward to being able to keep up with my favourite M&B authors, and catching up with titles I've missed. I also love being able to buy without having to pay extra for delivery. A win, win situation!

Natalie, I agree, I'll still enjoy curling up with a paperback. I see ebooks as complimenting my book collection rather than replacing it.

Nick, thanks for starting this thread here.