The Readerware Newsletter

Readerware 1.20

It's new release time again. Readerware 1.20 is now available for download from the web site, http://www.readerware.com. You will find two download links, one for the full install and another for the upgrade. The easiest way to upgrade to Readerware 1.20, is to download the upgrade file. This is a self extracting file, just double-click on it after you download it to begin the upgrade. Make sure you pick the same directory as you installed Readerware in originally and then click the Unzip button. Your existing Readerware 1.x installation will be upgraded to 1.20. If you prefer you can download the full install instead, but the upgrade is a lot smaller.

What's New

The big news in this release is that the Readerware Browser now supports encryption and you can safely connect to secure sites. This means that you can now place an order, update your account info etc. with any of the online vendors, safely and securely right from the Readerware Browser. Just as you would in Netscape or IE. The Readerware shopping cart now uses the Readerware Browser to make it easier than ever to safely and securely place orders online.

As with the other browsers there are two levels of encryption available. They are commonly referred to as global encryption, (40 bit) and domestic encryption, (128 bit). As you are probably aware U.S. Government regulations require us to limit distribution of the domestic version to the U.S. and Canada. These export regulations are under review and will hopefully be simplified or eliminated in the near future. But for now we are stuck with them. These exact same regulations apply to Netscape and IE. With Readerware you will get the same level of encryption as you currently have in your normal browser. So here is how we are distributing Readerware.

The version available on the web site is the global version with 40 bit encryption. This will enable all users to connect to secure web sites using encryption. All users should download and install this version

Customers who are eligible can then request the domestic version upgrade. This is a small file that will be e-mailed to you. You simply install this on top of the global version.

In order to verify that you are eligible to receive the domestic upgrade we are limiting distribution to registered users only. It is not something we want to do but the information you provide during the RegSoft registration process helps us verify that you are a resident of the U.S. or Canada. In addition to being a registered user, you must go to the web site and fill in the encryption upgrade request form at http://www.readerware.com/rwEncrypt.html. Once you have done that we will verify your eligibility and send you the upgrade.

We are sorry this is so complicated, but The U. S. Government tightly controls the export of 128 bit encryption. This is being reviewed and hopefully the regulations will be eliminated shortly. As soon as the situation becomes clearer we will revise our distribution process accordingly.

Checking for a secure connection

It is important to understand whether you are sending data over an open connection or a secure connection. Normally you would not want to send sensitive information such as credit card numbers over an open connection.

The Readerware Browser now displays a padlock in the top right hand corner of the window, next to the surfing book icon. If the padlock is open, you have an open connection. This is the normal mode that you will see when browsing for books etc. The unlocked padlock is always blue. If the padlock is locked it indicates you have a secure connection. If the locked padlock is blue, you have a global level secure connection, if it is orange you have a domestic level secure connection. You will normally want to ensure you have a locked padlock when placing orders etc.

Be sure to also read the security policies at the various sites.

New Sites

Readerware is proud to announce that we have added two new sites. You can search and import from these sites to help build your database and of course you can order titles from them.

Alibris

"Books you thought you'd never find"

Access Alibris to locate those hard to find and out of print titles. Also be sure to check out the New Yorker cartoon of the week!

Book Closeouts

"We have over 5 million books at blowout prices. Because we feature closeouts exclusively, you may not find today's best-sellers, but you will find books on your favorite subjects and by your favorite authors... at super cheap prices!"

So check Book Closeouts regularly for the latest bargains.

Backing up your database

One user actually asked us what files she should back up to ensure that she could recover her Readerware database in case of a hard disk failure. Great idea, unfortunately this is something often overlooked, so follow the example and think about it now, before disaster strikes.

By default Readerware stores its database in the Readerware install directory. So the easiest thing to do is to backup the entire Readerware directory and all the sub directories. But that can involve a lot of data. The actual database can easily be backed up separately. The database files are:

The first three files contain the actual database. If you are using the new cover art feature introduced in Readerware 1.10, then all your images are stored as separate files in the thumbnails directory. For a complete database backup you should copy all these files and all files in the thumbnails directory. You could just backup the three database files, these will often fit on a floppy. Then if you ever have to restore, you can recreate you database and use the "Add Images to DB" button on the Auto Catalog panel to reacquire the images.

The above instructions refer to the default Readerware database. If you created additional databases, be sure to back them up also. You create databases using the File->New menu item. The name you give it will replace "RWareDB" in the above file names.

Maybe you created your Readerware database months ago when you first installed and forgot what name you used. No problem, the current database is displayed in the title bar. For example "Readerware Release 1.2 - Library" indicates that your database name is "Library" so the files are "Library.RWD.dat" etc. If you have forgotten which directory or folder you created it in, select File->Open, this will show you the current directory containing your open database.

Probably more than you really wanted to know about the Readerware database, but it is important to backup your data, any data.

Your Feedback

We welcome your feedback on Readerware. We have received a lot of comments from users since Readerware was released. So please let us know what you think of Readerware so far. E-Mail feedback@readerware.com.

Thanks for your support.