[Cockeye]

I emailed my local library and they said this :

hank you for your enquiry about ebooks and the iPad.
Currently our service is not compatible with the iPad, however we are
pushing our service provider to provide a service for users of iPads.
We understand that they are working on an ebook reading app for mobile
devices, however we do not at this stage have a timescale or know which
Apple devices will be included. We will however continue to press
Overdrive on this issue.

Thank you for contacting us,

so I emailed Overdrive and on August 3rd (so not long ago) they said this :

Hello,

The Apple iPad runs a version of the iPhone OS so has the same
compatibility with our formats. Both MP3 and WMA Audiobooks may be
transferred to the device using OverDrive Media Console (for the
computer). Additionally, OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks can be downloaded
directly to the iPad using the OverDrive Media Console for iPhone.

However, the iPad does not currently support the eBook formats (Adobe
DRM PDF, Adobe DRM EPUB, DRM Mobipocket) provided by OverDrive.
Unfortunately, we are unable to determine if Apple will add DRM support
for these formats in the future. Please let us know if we can provide
further assistance.

Sincerely,
The OverDrive Media Support Team

That reads to me that they are suggesting the ball is in Apples court, no?

I have replied with this :

reading around this issue - it would appear that the responsibility would actually lie with Overdrive to support the iPad rather than Apple support your software. In fact several local libraries who DO NOT use Overdrive here in the UK DO support iPad. It is only libraries that use Overdrive that do not.

In the light that your company supports neither Kindle or iPad - which I believe alienates a very large potential audience - I do find it strange that non-overdrive public libraries do support my device. So, to reiterate, you are saying it is impossible for you to do so? I was wondering how other libraries, therefore, manage to do so?

I am computer savvy and could easily borrow books, strip the DRM out of them, and then keep them permanently. But being a law abiding citizen who likes to read I am currently resisting this option.

If iPad support is never going to come, though, I may have to consider this option.

I would welcome your opinion.

we'll see what they say.