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Cannot buy ebooks using FireFox

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

That subject heading is only a mild exaggeration: I've just discovered
that I cannot buy ebooks in the popular MS Reader format when using
Mozilla FireFox as my internet browser. (That's been my default for a
week now, after previously using MSIE for many years.)

It's a fairly rare event (on balance I still prefer paper), but this
morning I went to http://www.fictionwise.com and bought an ebook,
eventually destined for my Pocket PC. It was offered in several
formats, but I chose MS Reader (.LIT extension). After credit card
payment, on attempting download I was dismayed to get a Fictionwise
message to the effect that I couldn't do so because MS Reader and/or
Activation (that darned DRM, copyright protection thing) was not
installed.

I knew that both *were*. I am able to read encrypted MS Reader books
on both PC and PPC. To cut to the quick, after a LOT of wasted time, I
eventually discovered the root cause. Nowhere did I find any advance
warning of this at Fictionwise, but it seems users must be using MSIE
to download books in MS Reader format.
"We're sorry, but the Activation process requires you to use one of
the following browsers:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and higher
Netscape Navigator 4.08
Netscape Communicator 4.5x
Netscape Communicator 4.6x
Netscape Communicator 4.7x

I'm an end user, not a programmer. But I gather that this major
restriction is due to the need for ActiveX, which FireFox does not
support.

I finally downloaded my purchase using MSIE6.

Have any other ebook readers had similar problems?

I've emailed Fictionwise, suggesting they make this restriction clear
*before* payment is made.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.

Add a reply

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

When you send a request to a website, your browser sends information
identifying itself and version number. MS does check for this and will
kick back messages indicating that the website will not function
properly because you are using an incompatible browser. Quite frankly
its a ploy to keep people on IE. Opera came up with a nice little gig
where you can tell Opera to identify itself as a different browser
because of this...heee...heee....heeee.

David H
Come on baby lite by fire: www.spreadFireFox.com

Terry Pinnell wrote:
> That subject heading is only a mild exaggeration: I've just discovered
> that I cannot buy ebooks in the popular MS Reader format when using
> Mozilla FireFox as my internet browser. (That's been my default for a
> week now, after previously using MSIE for many years.)
>
> It's a fairly rare event (on balance I still prefer paper), but this
> morning I went to http://www.fictionwise.com and bought an ebook,
> eventually destined for my Pocket PC. It was offered in several
> formats, but I chose MS Reader (.LIT extension). After credit card
> payment, on attempting download I was dismayed to get a Fictionwise
> message to the effect that I couldn't do so because MS Reader and/or
> Activation (that darned DRM, copyright protection thing) was not
> installed.
>
> I knew that both *were*. I am able to read encrypted MS Reader books
> on both PC and PPC. To cut to the quick, after a LOT of wasted time, I
> eventually discovered the root cause. Nowhere did I find any advance
> warning of this at Fictionwise, but it seems users must be using MSIE
> to download books in MS Reader format.
> "We're sorry, but the Activation process requires you to use one of
> the following browsers:
>
> Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and higher
> Netscape Navigator 4.08
> Netscape Communicator 4.5x
> Netscape Communicator 4.6x
> Netscape Communicator 4.7x
>
> I'm an end user, not a programmer. But I gather that this major
> restriction is due to the need for ActiveX, which FireFox does not
> support.
>
> I finally downloaded my purchase using MSIE6.
>
> Have any other ebook readers had similar problems?
>
> I've emailed Fictionwise, suggesting they make this restriction clear
> *before* payment is made.
>

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

>> user agent browser id <<

It actually goes a bit deeper than this...

IE has the ability to allow sites to run software directly on your
computer (ActiveX) which is the foundation of so many of ie's security
problems.

Mozilla (the engine within Firefox) elected not to allow this capability
within it's browser engine to increase it's design for security.

While many sites will allow you to continue to access them if the user
agent string "spoofs" IE, many of those sites will not function properly
if they have implimented these types of controls... and I am assuming
that DRM activation is one of these... having not purchased DRM
protected content in the past five years based on principal, don't know
the details.

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

Mozilla/firefox user agent switcher

http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/mo [...] ntswitcher

Mozilla/firefox "open current page in ie"

http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/more-info/firefoxview
http://downloads.mozdev.org/ieview/ieview.xpi

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

I buy ebooks all the time from ereader.com. That's just my personal
preference. I use them because there is no "site borwser preference" when it
comes to buying. It works on all the desktop platforms, and handheld
platforms that I use, and I can move them about platforms once I get them.

I use Firefox on all the platforms as well.

Walt

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:3q1kv0d6a5us40blmk4rkcgqrl3cja6epl@4ax.com...
> That subject heading is only a mild exaggeration: I've just discovered
> that I cannot buy ebooks in the popular MS Reader format when using
> Mozilla FireFox as my internet browser. (That's been my default for a
> week now, after previously using MSIE for many years.)
>
> It's a fairly rare event (on balance I still prefer paper), but this
> morning I went to http://www.fictionwise.com and bought an ebook,
> eventually destined for my Pocket PC. It was offered in several
> formats, but I chose MS Reader (.LIT extension). After credit card
> payment, on attempting download I was dismayed to get a Fictionwise
> message to the effect that I couldn't do so because MS Reader and/or
> Activation (that darned DRM, copyright protection thing) was not
> installed.
>
> I knew that both *were*. I am able to read encrypted MS Reader books
> on both PC and PPC. To cut to the quick, after a LOT of wasted time, I
> eventually discovered the root cause. Nowhere did I find any advance
> warning of this at Fictionwise, but it seems users must be using MSIE
> to download books in MS Reader format.
> "We're sorry, but the Activation process requires you to use one of
> the following browsers:
>
> Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and higher
> Netscape Navigator 4.08
> Netscape Communicator 4.5x
> Netscape Communicator 4.6x
> Netscape Communicator 4.7x
>
> I'm an end user, not a programmer. But I gather that this major
> restriction is due to the need for ActiveX, which FireFox does not
> support.
>
> I finally downloaded my purchase using MSIE6.
>
> Have any other ebook readers had similar problems?
>
> I've emailed Fictionwise, suggesting they make this restriction clear
> *before* payment is made.
>
> --
> Terry, West Sussex, UK
> Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.
>
>

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

Terry,
I had the same problem this afternoon with Fictionwise and I use IE. I just
restarted my computer and everything worked fine.
Terry

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:3q1kv0d6a5us40blmk4rkcgqrl3cja6epl@4ax.com...
> That subject heading is only a mild exaggeration: I've just discovered
> that I cannot buy ebooks in the popular MS Reader format when using
> Mozilla FireFox as my internet browser. (That's been my default for a
> week now, after previously using MSIE for many years.)
>
> It's a fairly rare event (on balance I still prefer paper), but this
> morning I went to http://www.fictionwise.com and bought an ebook,
> eventually destined for my Pocket PC. It was offered in several
> formats, but I chose MS Reader (.LIT extension). After credit card
> payment, on attempting download I was dismayed to get a Fictionwise
> message to the effect that I couldn't do so because MS Reader and/or
> Activation (that darned DRM, copyright protection thing) was not
> installed.
>
> I knew that both *were*. I am able to read encrypted MS Reader books
> on both PC and PPC. To cut to the quick, after a LOT of wasted time, I
> eventually discovered the root cause. Nowhere did I find any advance
> warning of this at Fictionwise, but it seems users must be using MSIE
> to download books in MS Reader format.
> "We're sorry, but the Activation process requires you to use one of
> the following browsers:
>
> Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and higher
> Netscape Navigator 4.08
> Netscape Communicator 4.5x
> Netscape Communicator 4.6x
> Netscape Communicator 4.7x
>
> I'm an end user, not a programmer. But I gather that this major
> restriction is due to the need for ActiveX, which FireFox does not
> support.
>
> I finally downloaded my purchase using MSIE6.
>
> Have any other ebook readers had similar problems?
>
> I've emailed Fictionwise, suggesting they make this restriction clear
> *before* payment is made.
>
> --
> Terry, West Sussex, UK
> Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.
>
>
>

Reply to TC

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

"tc" <terrycassidy@msn.com> wrote:

>Terry,
>I had the same problem this afternoon with Fictionwise and I use IE. I just
>restarted my computer and everything worked fine.
Thanks for all the helpful replies. I had an apologetic reply from
Fictionwise today. Extract: "We're sorry this restriction was not made
more clear to you. We have asked Microsoft to allow other browsers to
work."

I'm going to follow up those links from Beverly. I also had the
Prefbar FF extension suggested, http://prefbar.mozdev.org
and have just installed it. Can't justify another trip to Fictionwise
yet (and I have 4 paper-based and several ebooks in the queue for
reading anyway!). But a quick 'acid test' using the 'IE6 WinXP' agent
from its drop-down box failed at Accuradio, http://www.accuradio.com/#
In my impatience maybe I wasn't using it correctly. Or expecting too
much - perhaps Accuradio is an especially reluctant site?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks (More info?)

So notice just how cynical & skeptical we are of MicroSoft that we
automatically jumped on the bandwagon that MS has set up their site to
disallow the use of any browser other than IE? Not that we weren't correct.

David H

tc wrote:
> Terry,
> I had the same problem this afternoon with Fictionwise and I use IE. I just
> restarted my computer and everything worked fine.
> Terry
>
> "Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
> news:3q1kv0d6a5us40blmk4rkcgqrl3cja6epl@4ax.com...
>
>>That subject heading is only a mild exaggeration: I've just discovered
>>that I cannot buy ebooks in the popular MS Reader format when using
>>Mozilla FireFox as my internet browser. (That's been my default for a
>>week now, after previously using MSIE for many years.)
>>
>>It's a fairly rare event (on balance I still prefer paper), but this
>>morning I went to http://www.fictionwise.com and bought an ebook,
>>eventually destined for my Pocket PC. It was offered in several
>>formats, but I chose MS Reader (.LIT extension). After credit card
>>payment, on attempting download I was dismayed to get a Fictionwise
>>message to the effect that I couldn't do so because MS Reader and/or
>>Activation (that darned DRM, copyright protection thing) was not
>>installed.
>>
>>I knew that both *were*. I am able to read encrypted MS Reader books
>>on both PC and PPC. To cut to the quick, after a LOT of wasted time, I
>>eventually discovered the root cause. Nowhere did I find any advance
>>warning of this at Fictionwise, but it seems users must be using MSIE
>>to download books in MS Reader format.
>>"We're sorry, but the Activation process requires you to use one of
>>the following browsers:
>>
>>Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and higher
>>Netscape Navigator 4.08
>>Netscape Communicator 4.5x
>>Netscape Communicator 4.6x
>>Netscape Communicator 4.7x
>>
>>I'm an end user, not a programmer. But I gather that this major
>>restriction is due to the need for ActiveX, which FireFox does not
>>support.
>>
>>I finally downloaded my purchase using MSIE6.
>>
>>Have any other ebook readers had similar problems?
>>
>>I've emailed Fictionwise, suggesting they make this restriction clear
>>*before* payment is made.
>>
>>--
>>Terry, West Sussex, UK
>>Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

Reply to Anonymous

Hi,

Can you tell me which site you use to buy ebooks? I personally use www.fun-guide.org

If you know any better site, please let me know.
I have surfed through Kindle & Fictionwise but dont like it much. Hence, I prefer Fun-guide. Please review this site also & let me know how is it.

Also tell me any better sites for buying ebooks if you know.

Thank you..

Message edited by annashams on 03-18-2009 at 04:34:58 PM

Reply to annashams

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