# Heads up: Microsoft giving away free e-books. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 6, 2003, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553 "2003-07-06T11:21:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/1 "2003-07-06T11:21:28Z")
As seen [here](http://rss.com.com/2100-1046_3-1023134.html?type=pt&part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news&foo=Microsoft%20offers%20free%20e-book%20downloads%2007-06), in an attempt to get more people to use Microsoft Reader they are offering free downloads of e-book bestsellers for the next 20 weeks. You have to do all that activation malarky (and I know some of you are not too keen on that - Hell, I’m not too keen on it), but in return you be able to download 3 e-books a week. The ones available this week are - _Candy & Me_ by Hillary Liftin _Last to Die_ by James Grippando and _A Short History of Nearly Everything_ by Bill Bryson ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/2 "2003-07-06T14:10:47Z")
Thanks! I’ll check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/3 "2003-07-06T15:49:57Z")
I don’t have a PocketPC and I **won’t** be tied to my computer for reading books! Maybe if I had a laptop… but I don’t. Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/4 "2003-07-06T16:26:02Z")
I’m all over it just for the Bryson book! (I’m hoping I’ll be able to convert it to the reader on my Handspring.) ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/5 "2003-07-06T20:12:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > \*\*I’m all over it just for the Bryson book! (I’m hoping I’ll be able to convert it to the reader on my Handspring.) \*\* Let us know if you figure out a conversion… I’m addicted to e-books on my Handspring too… ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/6 "2003-07-07T00:22:18Z")
Is this working for anyone? I see 2 announcements of the free offer, but can’t find the books actually available for download. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/7 "2003-07-07T00:34:41Z")
Try going here Harriet: [http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free\_shop.asp](http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free_shop.asp) I had to re-activate my reader for some reason, but it worked. ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/8 "2003-07-07T00:45:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Archergal \* > \*\*I don’t have a PocketPC and I **won’t** be tied to my computer for reading books! Maybe if I had a laptop… > \*\* Pocket PCs are uncomfortable for reading, and laptops are huge for a book. Maybe we need some good e-books readers. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/9 "2003-07-07T01:00:04Z")
Still no luck. And Revtim, if there’s a link in your post, I don’t see it. Could the problem be because I use the Tablet PC version on this machine? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/10 "2003-07-07T01:17:02Z")
You don’t see the link? That’s odd, it’s the second line of the post. Anybody else not see it? Maybe because I made the with Mozilla it’s hosed up. Lemme try again: [http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free\_shop.asp](http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free_shop.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/11 "2003-07-07T01:20:24Z")
FWIW, I still don’t see the link. Perhaps this is just an extensive, elaborate, practical joke on ME?? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/12 "2003-07-07T01:53:26Z")
GOTCHA!!! Just kidding. Can anybody else tell me if they see the links in my last two posts? Maybe the colors are set differently on your machine Harriet, and the backround=foreground. Try highlighting my entire posts, and maybe you’ll see the links. ---
**Author:** ![chestnutmare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@chestnutmare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chestnutmare)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/13 "2003-07-07T01:55:46Z")
I see the links… But I could be hallucinating. I haven’t tried e-books before. Exactly how much of a pain in the ass is it to read one off of a laptop? ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/14 "2003-07-07T02:14:46Z")
No, even highlighting I don’t see the links. There appears to be only one blank space after “again:” in your second post. Too strange!! And I see chestnutmare is in on the whole thing, too… If it’s not too much trouble, could you try posting the link in non-html format, so I can paste into my browser? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/15 "2003-07-07T02:35:06Z")
No problem Harriet. I’ll uncheck the “Automatically parse URLs:” option: [http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free\_shop.asp](http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free_shop.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_Schmeese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Marconi\_Schmeese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_Schmeese)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/16 "2003-07-12T02:59:56Z")
This week’s free titles: I Am Madame X by Gioia Diliberto Open Innovation by Henry Williams Chesbrough Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan **Kal** , thanks for the heads up! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-microsoft-giving-away-free-e-books/186553/17 "2003-07-12T03:19:25Z")
Totally cool, **Kal**! I’ve not tried ebooks yet and this is a grand opportunity for me. Thanks Much! 🙂