Other than the Kindle and Nook, what devices can you sideload on?

[JSWolf]

You can sideload on Sony Readers.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Nope... The Kobo Desktop app is ONLY used for direct downloads of books in Kobo eBook format (commonly called kEpub) to the device.

For regular ePubs you can either copy them directly via either the command line, or a file-system browser (ie Windows Explorer), or use a tool like Adobe Digital Edition or calibre.

Thanks for the correction!

[Xanthe]

I can sideload with my Sony 350 and T1 readers without using any dedicated program, via USB.

For devices like the Nook HD & HD+, I can also, in addition to adding books via USB, upload to cloud storage programs from my PC and access/copy the books to the device via WiFi.

[Jessica Lares]

You can bypass MTP with ADB. A dirty method, sure, but it's worth the ~ 10 minutes to set up because it'll work with just about any future Android device as long as the development options are available. And then it's just as simple as:

1. Connect the device

2. Open the Terminal/ADB

3. If you want to install an app:

adb install draginyoursaidapptothewindow.apk

And then press ENTER.

If you want to push some files/folders.

adb push lalala.pdf /sdcard/

And then press ENTER.

If you want to pull something out, like all your photos:

adb pull /sdcard/Pictures/

And then press ENTER.

I don't do the whole plug in your device, mount the USB drive, dig through the folder/open the app thing. It takes too long.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, you have to use iTunes, but it still transfers via USB. I believe that with the Kobo you have to use a desktop app, too.

You don't have to use iTunes; you can e-mail it to your kindle address and then download it from your library with the Kindle app. No usb, and sideloaded books that are e-mailed will sync across all devices.

[HarryT]

The word "sideloading" means "transferring via USB". I know you can email files to Amazon, but that - by definition - is not sideloading.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The word "sideloading" means "transferring via USB".

Well, that or "transferring via memory card". Transferring directly between local devices, by whatever method.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by meeera

Well, that or "transferring via memory card". Transferring directly between local devices, by whatever method.

Yes, absolutely. NOT downloading from the Internet, in other words. So while there are numerous methods of getting books onto an iPad (e-mail to Amazon, downloading from Dropbox, etc), such methods can't be described as "sideloading".

[Billi]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The word "sideloading" means "transferring via USB".

Originally Posted by meeera

Well, that or "transferring via memory card". Transferring directly between local devices, by whatever method.

Originally Posted by HarryT

NOT downloading from the Internet, in other words.

From a linguistic point of view, I always find it funny that the "normal" and "straightforward" behaviour is labelled as a kind of strange or wrong.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Billi

From a linguistic point of view, I always find it funny that the "normal" and "straightforward" behaviour is labelled as a kind of strange or wrong.

Internet loading is the normal method on all modern readers - that's plain and simple "downloading". We use the term "sideloading" to indicate a loading method that's not the normal one.

[Billi]

Maybe I should not have made any assumptions about the "normal" or "most used" method to get your files to your reader. Taking your point of view, Harry, there is of course nothing funny or obscure in the wording.

[Alyssa Miranda]

As a final note, the user's manual for both the Kindle and Nook warn that the device should be electrically disconnected before physically unplugging it from the computer. For a Windows PC, this is done by clicking on the "hidden icons" arrow on the bottom tool bar, then clicking on the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" icon, then ejecting the device. Although I typically remove flash drives without going through all this, and without ill effect, I hesitate to not follow these instructions with the Kindle and Nook.

[Alyssa Miranda]

No sooner did I hit the "submit" button than I realized the instructions given in my previous post were for a PC running Windows 7. I don't know how they're implemented under Windows 8, or under the recent update to Windows 8, both of which have drastically altered the desktop. If someone has experience with these OS, how to sideload/disconnect e-readers under them could be a helpful post.

[robko]

Originally Posted by Alyssa Miranda

As a final note, the user's manual for both the Kindle and Nook warn that the device should be electrically disconnected before physically unplugging it from the computer.
.......
Although I typically remove flash drives without going through all this, and without ill effect, I hesitate to not follow these instructions with the Kindle and Nook.

Can't speak for Nook or Kindle, but it is important to properly "unmount" the Kobo readers as you've described so I suspect the other 2 are the same. Not doing so can easily corrupt the database on the device and force a wipe/reset to get things back to normal. I think I've read a technical rationale for this behaviour on here, but I can't remember what it was.

Interestingly if you read the directions that come with a flash drive (in my defense, the only reason I did read them was regarding this very question ), these days they will mostly say you can just pull them safely with out unmounting them.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by robko

Interestingly if you read the directions that come with a flash drive (in my defense, the only reason I did read them was regarding this very question ), these days they will mostly say you can just pull them safely with out unmounting them.

On a linux system, sure. (unless you pull it out while in the middle of writing files.) But Windows always knows when I've done that and insist on checking the filesystem. And then saying there's nothing wrong. And then complaining next time as well. An easy fix (hah!) is to copy all files somewhere safe then reformat the USB drive. (I did that once in desperation.)

Obviously, Micro$oft has it in for linux users and uses this to sneakily cause trouble. ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!