Diary of an eBook pirate #1

[samvara]

1. Decide to buy The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan
2. Unable to locate from iPad via Stanza built in catalogues: fictionwise, booksonboard – switch to desktop computer for ease of multiple tabbing
3. Check piracy options: available in epub, lit and pdf from multiple sources
4. Amazon.com selling eBook for $11.09
   • This title is not available for customers from: Australia
5. Simon and Schuster selling eBook for $8.99
   • check player: only available for Microsoft Reader, Adobe PDF, and eReader formats
   • check DRM status: according to http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_stores it has DRM
   • check DRM removal possibilities: unable to determine, reject as source until more information available
6. Waterstones selling eBook for £5.59
   • check player: only available for Adobe Digital Editions
   • check DRM status: Waterstones site very kindly said “EPUB DRM” which I appreciate
   • check DRM removal possibilities: can rip to PDF (as image only) or download Python and hack it (looks complex for non-programmer=me)
7. Final solution: buy from Waterstones as I resent the British less and value being warned in advance about DRM. Delete downloaded DRM file and download pirated copy from interwebs: quality high, transportability high, author gets my $, or in this case £
8. Email to self (backup on web), open in Stanza, read first few pages to confirm process successful
9. Review of process
   • Time invested: 2 hours - exploratory foray into ebook buying somewhat complicated, will no doubt get better at it
   • Dislike having to switch from iPad to desktop
   • Dislike not knowing what reader/DRM combinations existed for EPUB files – feel decision making slow and possibly flawed
   • Unable to find a legal eBook for Stanza - dislike DRM intensely