eBook Activation Limit

[_RobinH_]

FYI, this was posted in the Adobe Reader Forum:

The eBook activation system in Adobe Reader 6 was designed to enable users to move content among multiple computers using either a .NET Passport or Adobe ID. Currently this system allows the activation of one PC or Macintosh and one Palm PDA. This limit was based on the requirements of some publishers to limit content to one computer. Adobe intends to increase the number of activations over time and is working with publishers to enable users to easily view content on multiple computers.

In the mean time there is a method to access eBooks on multiple machines using Adobe Reader 6. eBook retailers are permitted to download eBooks up to 4 times for each user. This would allow you to download an eBook on up to 4 computers even though each has a different activation account. We recommend that you contact the provider of your eBooks to determine if they provide this capability. We understand that for eBooks to be successful they must be as easy to use as physical books and provide additional benefits such as lower cost and an enhanced reading experience.

Louise Soeder
Acrobat Product Support Manager

[_Norbert_H__]

Tell your publishers in the US that this is so far from reality and makes eBooks extremely unattractive for a normale user.

Practically eevery user has two PCs - one at work, one at home; a desktop and a laptop - and the he cannot move his file on his PCs, although this was supposed to be implemented and make it more user-friendly.

The fact that four downloads are possible for an eBook retailer does not make it any more user-friendly. The whole stupid activation process twice: it is unnecessarily complicated confusing the user with different sites and forms that theiy are supposed to fill in, before they can finally activate the Reader.

And then the user has the same book twice, but let's assume he wants do add notes, do some highlighting etc. All that needs to be done twice, too, ´Does that make sense.

Tell your publishers that they either állow the Reader to become more user-friendly or they can stop selling eBooks right away, because the feedback on the new Reader, the activation problems and the lack of mobility is horrible.

[_Shane_E_Prestegar_]

Yes, this is all great BUT WHAT ABOUT when the Vendor decides they want to just quit their business and forget about all the customers like me who rely upon being able to redownload the ebooks i paid for!
what do I do then , please read my post "My paid eBook wanted" how do I get my ebooks on any computer I own , or upgrade to for what ever reason. i am just a single user, all i want to do is read my purchased eBooks on my computers, I would like an easy method to get themm off my old hard disk on to a new hard disk but i cant get any ebooks from the vendor because they dont exist any more.

[_William_K_Fox_Sr_]

I purchased an e-book but don't understand how I "activate the Adobe Reader Standard 6.0 enabling me to click on links in the e-book and connect with the internet (via A.O.L.)?

[_matt_cockburn_]

Hi Mr Fox,

To activate your Adobe Reader you must first have a Microsoft .NET passport account, or an Adobe ID. Then, start Adobe Reader and go to the Advanced menu and select eBook Web Services then select the Adobe DRM Activator. Sign into your account and follow the instructions.

matt

[_Im_Rex_Dart_]

"Then, start Adobe Reader and go to the Advanced menu and select "eBook Web Services " then select the "Adobe DRM Activator". Sign into your account and follow the instructions. "

Then pray.

[_Mary_]

Praying is no longer required, RD. All you have to do is update to Reader 6.0.1. In the updated version, activation occurs "in the background" when you download your eBook. You will have to redownload and reinstall Reader, but it's well worth it, believe me.

[_Charles_Chernicky_]

I couldn't agree more with your comments about how ridiculous this whole activation issue is!! I just had to reformat my hard drive and lost my library. I'm now in the process of trying to restore it and I find it very confusing and complicated. Compare this to just going out to the local bookstore and buying a paper version and it's easy to see that the whole ebook concept is a complete waste of time. I understand what the publishers are trying to do but unless they make this as easy as buying a paper version, I see no reason to subscibe to it.

[_Arthur_Smith_]

Charles,

Don't think it's really a valid comparison. In order for your comparison to run on we have to liken your re-format of your hard drive to your existing books being lost ion a house fire.

At least with your hard drive you have the option, recommended time and time again, of backing the contents up so you coudl get your bookshelf back. If your house and ordinary books were destroyed by fire you would have to go out and buy the books again. So what's the difference. With real books you would have to buy them again and with eBooks, because YOU destroyed them you are going to have to buy them again.

Please note I am not necessarily defending Adobe on the DRM procedure (even though I understand that it was forced upon them by the publishers although I may be wrong) but do think that the comparison needs to be valid.

In lots of ways eBooks are much better than paper books. It's just the distribution process that's a mess at the moment.

I think we need to liken it to the distribution of books that have been censored in order to have a valid comparison. It's the publishers we should be angry with, not Adobe. How many people would be happy to buy ordinary books if they were told that they could only read them in one room in the house, and no other, and would have to "register" that room before reading in it and, furthermore, nobody else could read that book when they had finished with it.

Sorry, just letting off a little steam...

Arthur

[_Susan_Dwyer_]

My problem is that an ebook that was downloaded and worked fine on 10/15/03,was inaccessible after I (for unrelated reasons) uninstalled, then reinstalled 6.01 last week. Now, if I try to directly open the book directly, I'm in an endless loop that leads to the DRM site, even though it supposedly has already been re-activated successfully. Attempting to add my ebook to my "bookshelf" results in an error message: $$$IDS_NOT_ AVAILABLE_ERR (something like that) The old test download files from the publisher behave the same way;however, I can successfully download and open new test-downloads. Same computer, same publisher---it seems like this problem has occurred due to uninstalling and then reinstalling 6.01. All other pdf files, including an ebook from a different source (self-published) continue to work fine. Customer service at the publishing co. doesn't seem to get it...
ADOBE, are you listening!!??

[_Brian_Lee_]

Thanks for the advice Matt (earlier reply). I have to agree with all the other comments here. I don't think I'll be purchasing another e-book for years.

Brian

[_Mike_Singleton_]

Thank heavens I'm not alone in this,

I recently "lost" my home computer due to a motherboard failure. I have just built a new machine and used my back up CD's to restore 99.9999%of my files. My one problem file is an e-book I purchased in early December last year. I cannot access it nor can I use the recovery "Gobeldygook" Adobe states so glibly.

As much as I would like to have supernatural powers I do not and the old computer just sits there and looks at me, my words apparently falling on "dead ram" so to speak. I cannot resurrect a computer from electron heaven to log on in a different manner.

Finding this site and the related phone numbers was of itself a "chore", not that the phone numbers have been any use so far. Well hidden Adobe, was this a legal recommendation or were the phone calls becoming too much of a nuisance?

Why couldn't Adobe use the tried and tested methodolgy of those in the business of selling software on line and simply send a unique license key file with each book purchase? A key that the purchaser also owns and can move from one machine to another, just as I did for the other 99.9999% of my backed up software!!!

I'd be very surprised if the "abuse" of books exceeds that of software, are we still in the pre-gothenburg bible days!!!

Likely there was a "pop up message" somewhere as part of my purchase that warned me of this situation, if so I don't recall it and the very existence of this thread in the forum would suggest that I'm not alone in this assertation.

I note an earlier responder stating that we should be challenging the publishers and not Adobe on this issue, I can only assume that this was a posting by an Adobe employee. Adobe are the company that offers this "publishing" technology and as such they can and should set the terms and conditions for its use.

This is one individual who will not be buying anymore e-books. this one experience has left a bad taste in my mouth and memory, I will in fact go out of my way to suggest to my friends, collegues, peers etc and in fact anybody who will listen that if considering a book purchase there is no substitue for the real thing. Come to think of it I will be in London England shortly on business and I've always wanted to set up a soap-box at speakers corner on a Sunday, just to deliver an almost evangelical and fervent message with the kind of passion I remember from my youth, maybe this is the topic.

Can you imagine opening a recently purchased and cherished hard cover only to find the pages had gone blank ??? What would your reaction be Hmmm? Upset? angry? feeling cheated? and to make matters worse it's almost impossible to find the individual that had sold you the book, and when you do find them they are hiding behind a garbage can, down a back alley. I think I've made my point, time to shuttle of this mortal web page.

[_Mike_Singleton_]

This is in follow up to my earlier posting on a problem experienced in trying to re-authorize an e-book. A back up CD was used to place the e-book file onto the hard disk of a brand new computer, the previous machine having died.

I will give your telephone support staff 1000% for effort. Once I got past the "first attempt" to place the blame for the problem onto the supplier of the book I received an extended continuos 3 hours of well intentioned and good humoured telephone support. The call gradually excalated in the resources committed to try and solve the problem. We all learned as we progressed but the bottom line was that all attempts to re-validate the e-book failed. The book had been purchased in early December last year from Amazon, it was originally validated in Reader 6. I was using the same sign in as I had originally used and so the book should given in and opened up but it stubbornly re-fused to do so. We will never know if re-validating from the old machine would have worked as that was impossible.

Fortunately I was able to re-downlaod the book even thought it was way past the 60 day deadline to do so.

The point of this message is that re-validation on a new computer for e-books seems to be hit and miss, I'd respectfully suggest that anybody buying a new computer tread carefully.

Perhaps the whole Adobe "digital security" activation methodolgy for e-books needs to be re-considered.

Hope this helps somebody and again thank you to the support staff that responded, a great try.

MIke Singleton

[_Laura_Senn_Villoria_]

Tengo dos graves problemas:
1. Las páginas en español no tienen soporte técnico en el mismo idioma.
2. Registre mi adobe reader con un email de hotmail. Tuve que reinstalarlo y no pude volver a activarlo con esa direccion, asi que lo registre con otra. Ahora no puedo leer los ebooks que baje con la anterior, y algunos de esos libros son unicos: no puedo volver a bajarlos de la web. ¿Cómo hago para poder leelos si el programa no me autoriza a reactivarlo con la direccion anterior? ¿debo darlos por perdidos nomas? Es una total descortesía.

[_wrangler_]

The key to reactivating Reader is to use the same email address as you did the first time.
- If you used your hotmail address with a Microsoft Passport the first time, you have to activate that way again.
- If you used your hotmail address with an Adobe ID the first time, you have to activate that way again.

Activating one time with a Passport and the second time with an Adobe ID are NOT the same thing.

It doesn't matter if your original email account is still active--you have to reactivate with your original email account address.

Have you contacted the bookstore where you bought the books for support? They should be familiar with activation issues.

[_Joe_Florida_]

What is the limit for DRM?

The Adobe site references 6 computers and 6 PDA's. A message in this forum makes reference to 5. My activation profile limits me to 4.

How can I get my profile to activate at 6?

[_queX_]

The limit is 6 total of combined computers and PDAs.

There's an activation hotline number in the first topic of this forum. The customer service rep can look up your activations and delete any you are no longer using or any duplicates.

[_john_slavin_]

I've had nothing but trouble with this. I just bought a book on my computer. The first one I tried. Adobe Reader says that I downloaded this on another computer and I have to go to that computer and activate it with the same adobe id as on the computer where the file is located. Problem is, it's the same computer. There is no "Other Computer". It's like I'm chasing my tail. Reactivting it does absolutely no good. I just threw my money away. I spent 3 hours messing with this last night. What a piece of garbage software. And of course Adobe won't answer the phone on Reader questions, online only, and then only during regular office hours........

[_John_Schessler_]

need your help. I recently downloaded Adobe Digital Editions. It was a mistake, as I want to use the Connect Reader to download my e-books. I wasn't sure what the Adobe Digital Editions did but it sounded interesting so I downloaded it.

I also downloaded from the e-books.com site, the following book, " English Grammar Workbook For Dummies®." I mistakenly chose to read it online, but I wanted to download it to my Sony reader. How do I get this onto my Sony Reader? How do I do this?

I am a quadriplegic suffering from the disease called Mycenia Gravis. As a result of these two. I spend much of my time in bed. I bought the Sony Reader because it is light weight, and I can read it in bed. The Mycenia Gravis has stolen my muscle strength, and I can't hold a normal book for any length of time; hence, the attractiveness of the Sony Reader because of its light weight and dimensions.

I can not spend much time in front of the computer and therefore using the Adobe Digital Edition will not benefit me. I want to delete the Adobe Digital Editions from my computer and just download to my Connect Reader Library. Also, how do I download the "English Grammar Workbook for Dummies" to my Connect Reader Library.

New subject:

I am having some trouble with my computer and may have to reformat. Can you tell me how I can save all my books that I have downloaded that are in my Library, or do I load them onto my SD card and my Sony reader? Thanks for your help

[_John_Schessler_]

Thanks for your response. I think this Adobe Reader is a piece of junk also. I spent more than three hours try to figure this out, but I must be some kind of an idiot for two reasons: first, for not having the ability to figure this out; second, for signing up for this in the first place. I was happy with my Sony reader and connect reader program. It's easy use and works well. I got suckered in by Adobe's advertisement for their Adobe Digital editions. Once loaded, I can only download into Adobe Digital editions, not what I wanted. I mistakenly selected read online. Then, like you, I found their customer support for Adobe Digital editions to not exist. This is pitiful, as I spent money on one of their books, and I think they've done this purposely to make money pretty said. I will just suck it up and delete it from my computer. I'll call my credit card company and challenge that Bill and ask them not to pay. You should do the same.

[_Kevin_Myles_]

I believe someone also posted this same problem. I downloaded digital editions and Adobe Reader 7 for read out loud. When I access the textbooks I downloaded I get this error....This document cannot be opened because its ownership has not been established on this computer...NOT TRUE...then advises to obtain ownership...then advises to reactivate...then states I need to get permission because this is a different computer....NOT TRUE....How do I fix this? My son needed to do a homework assignment. I have spent upwards of 6 hours trying to fix this. It is now 2am. It should not be this difficult.

Thank you in advance for any help.

[_John_Schessler_]

I don't know what to tell you other than welcome to the club. I continued to tried after my above post but failed to get any satisfaction out of Adobe, so I have walked away from them. I recently decided on upgrading my photo editing software; although, I like the Adobe Premiere/photo shop elements that came with my computer, the treatment I received from their customer service, made me chose Roxie 10 Creator. There is no customer service at Adobe.

[_Jake_M__]

One more disappointment here also. Cannot regain access without a huge hassle.

[_Micheal_G_Mason_]

reader is working great for me (see my blog @ mikemason.us)
I thank adobe so much!!

[_Chris_Esty_]

I have to agree that this isn't fair. If you paid for your ebook you should be allowed to download it as many times as you need to.
Placing a limit on it just doesn't seem to be right.

I realize that people want to protect their interests. However, there has to be some kind of trust factor here. And the consumer should be the one to get the fair shake as most people wouldn't try to do something unethical with these ebooks anyway.

This system should be changed, and something better ought to be put in its place to incur a win/win situation for both the consumer and the merchant.