Revamped Kobo bookstore?

[simplyparticular]

I'm a US user and noticed the new layout over the weekend on my iPad. Now its showing up at my work Windows desktop, too.

Not liking the herky-jerky misaligned display of covers, which pauses for quite some time before loading the next batch.

Really not liking that I can't actually read the full book description without clicking a down arrow. It's blocked by the Related Titles box.

I pretty much only use Kobo for the coupons discounts anyway, since their search has long been a train wreck, but this is going to make me not even bother. With B&N in turmoil, it's probably time to take another look at the Sony Store. Removing DRM from iBooks and Kindle files is too much of a pain.

Or I can just stick with my Overdrive and 3M library options. My wishlists are pretty long.

[BillSmithBooks]

I emailed Kobo customer care about the store no longer showing DRM status and the response suggests that this is a permanent change, that they will no longer list whether books have DRM or not.

Now that means I won't be able to buy books from Kobo anymore -- no dedicated Linux app (not that I would install an app), they really want you to be running an app (so that suggests direct download of Epubs will be limited going foward), no DRM status listing, Web reader crashes every time I try to use it...this is a business that really shouldn't be that hard, but boy some companies make it seem terribly difficult to get it right.

Here is one area where Kobo could really shine and distinguish itself from Amazon and B&N -- "Unlike our competition, you can just buy and download your books, you don't need to be using a specific app, works on any operating system." And instead they appear to be eager to squander this competitive advantage.

It was a shame, I really liked browsing Kobo despite it's not so good navigation and discovery tools.

Back to Smashwords, Baen, Weightless, AngryRobot, Black Library, Book View and the other folks who understand the importance of non-DRM books.

[doubleshuffle]

I emailed Kobo customer care about the store no longer showing DRM status and the response suggests that this is a permanent change, that they will no longer list whether books have DRM or not.

While I don't like DRM, it's easily enough gotten rid of, so for me the info "Download options: Adobe DRM epub" has always signaled that I can go ahead and buy the book, even though I would prefer it DRM-free.

For me, not having that information implies something even worse: I don't know if I can download that book at all, or if I am stuck with a kepub that I can only get on my reader by synchronizing - and which might well become useless once I decide to buy a reader from a different manufacturer - or once Kobo crahes and burns due to idiotic decisions such as this recent one.

Bye Kobo, it's been nice to know you. (And I also really liked your shop, despite its shortcomings. Just have a look at my list of purchases, dear Kobo, and you will see that I am not the kind of customer you can afford to lose...)

[PurpleStar]

For anyone looking for another store, www.diesel-ebooks.com is a good one and has prices lower than Kobo's.

I'm not sure about shopping at Kobo anymore either. I can't stand the new design and the fact that it doesn't say if a book has DRM or not doesn't help. The only thing I find convenient about the store is that I can use a chapters gift card.

[GeoffR]

I still buy books with DRM, but I take it into account when deciding what price I will pay: I'm willing to pay a higher price for DRM-free books to support those publishers who don't use it.

And for the books I buy most there is often a choice between buying the US or UK edition from different publishers. Generally I prefer the UK edition, but if the US edition is DRM-free then I will buy it instead.

For the big publishers is is not much of a problem, for the sort of books I usually buy I know that Macmillian will be DRM-free and the others not. But for smaller publishers I either don't know or can't always remember which are DRM-free. I rely on the retailer to tell me.

I would also be a bit pissed off if I bought a book that turned out to be PDF. I never want to buy anything in PDF format, but with the new shop how would I know?

[JChip]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

Removing DRM from iBooks and Kindle files is too much of a pain.

You cannot be serious about Kindle files, right? It takes few seconds to do that?
Ibooks are something different, but Kindle files?

[bookaho!ic]

removing and converting kindle to epub is ver easy

[simplyparticular]

Originally Posted by JChip

You cannot be serious about Kindle files, right? It takes few seconds to do that? Ibooks are something different, but Kindle files?

I'm guess I"m not talking about converting or even deDRMing. I'm talking about getting the atcual file itself. It's tedious. Maybe it's only this many steps because I own a Mac and iPad, and not a Kindle or Windows?

For Kobo, Nook and Sony, I can download the ePub file directly from their website, open up my Downloads folder and there it is.

Kindle files are quite a few more steps just to get the actual book file. And it got harder on the Mac in the last year. I have to open up Kindle for Mac, download the book(s) in question to the app (deliver to desktop never works on my account), and then go digging for the file. Kindle for Mac now dumps them into a hidden file folder buried deep in the operating system. It used to put them in a folder in the Documents folder, so I eventually got smart and created a shortcut to the hidden files.

Since the Kindle books are all named by their ASIN, I have to cross-reference to the Amazon website for the code for which file I'm looking for. And it's not just one file - Kindle for Mac downloads 4-5 files for every book - .azw, .mbp, .apnx, and .phl and .lpr files all show up in that folder.

To make it easier to spot the new stuff, I color code the ones I've already imported, but it's still a big file folder to look through, since Kindle for Mac keeps those extra files for every book I've ever bought from them - even if you've removed the book itself from the app (all it does is remove the .azw file).

So if price is equal, I just buy from one of the ePub vendors.

I mostly get the freebies from Amazon, that aren't free at the ePub vendors. I don't download freebies until after I've read them on my iPad and liked them. 95% of the freebies I've read I'll never read again, so I let them stay on Amazon's servers.

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

Kindle files are quite a few more steps just to get the actual book file. And it got harder on the Mac in the last year. I have to open up Kindle for Mac, download the book(s) in question to the app (deliver to desktop never works on my account), and then go digging for the file. Kindle for Mac now dumps them into a hidden file folder buried deep in the operating system. It used to put them in a folder in the Documents folder, so I eventually got smart and created a shortcut to the hidden files.

Since the Kindle books are all named by their ASIN, I have to cross-reference to the Amazon website for the code for which file I'm looking for. And it's not just one file - Kindle for Mac downloads 4-5 files for every book - .azw, .mbp, .apnx, and .phl and .lpr files all show up in that folder.

To make it easier to spot the new stuff, I color code the ones I've already imported, but it's still a big file folder to look through, since Kindle for Mac keeps those extra files for every book I've ever bought from them - even if you've removed the book itself from the app (all it does is remove the .azw file).

So if price is equal, I just buy from one of the ePub vendors.

I mostly get the freebies from Amazon, that aren't free at the ePub vendors. I don't download freebies until after I've read them on my iPad and liked them. 95% of the freebies I've read I'll never read again, so I let them stay on Amazon's servers.

I agree, it's more trouble for azw than for ePub on a Mac. To make it easier to spot the new files, I sort by file date, with new files on top.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

Kindle files are quite a few more steps just to get the actual book file. And it got harder on the Mac in the last year. I have to open up Kindle for Mac, download the book(s) in question to the app (deliver to desktop never works on my account), and then go digging for the file. Kindle for Mac now dumps them into a hidden file folder buried deep in the operating system. It used to put them in a folder in the Documents folder, so I eventually got smart and created a shortcut to the hidden files.

Since the Kindle books are all named by their ASIN, I have to cross-reference to the Amazon website for the code for which file I'm looking for. And it's not just one file - Kindle for Mac downloads 4-5 files for every book - .azw, .mbp, .apnx, and .phl and .lpr files all show up in that folder.

I just have an alias straight to the My Kindle Content folder. I sort that folder by date modified, and grab the most recent azw. No cross-referencing required. I find it pretty simple, really.

[Jane Oldaker]

Anyone know if amazon intends to permit its competitors to continue to display Goodreads reviews? I just chalked up tthe lack of them on the new kobo site to the change in Goodreads ownership.

[jmilica]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

I'm guess I"m not talking about converting or even deDRMing. I'm talking about getting the atcual file itself. It's tedious. Maybe it's only this many steps because I own a Mac and iPad, and not a Kindle or Windows?

Yes, it's probably coz you don't have Kindle.
I have Mac but I also have Kindle(s). I never open Kindle for Mac unless it opens on its own when I am viewing files I already have.
Kindle owners have option of transferring book/sample to computer when buying or the already bought ones (bought ones from Manage Your Kindle page).
So, I just click on transfer, it ends up in my Download folder, I click on Calibre add book, chose .azw book from download folder (and it nearly always is titled like the title of the book, no ASIN numbers) and that's it. Few seconds.

On the other hand, as other users have suggested, you probably could create alias of My Kindle Content folder and just add from that folder with files sorted according to date added. That should also be few seconds.

[jmilica]

Originally Posted by Jane Oldaker

Anyone know if amazon intends to permit its competitors to continue to display Goodreads reviews? I just chalked up tthe lack of them on the new kobo site to the change in Goodreads ownership.

Google Play store still has goodreads reviews.
This might have been Kobo's decision. Not very wise, if anybody asks me - though nobody will

[jmilica]

Kobo is still having old site in India, but is there any way to know for sure if file is kepub or epub on the new site (like, from option - devices for reading book)?
If there is not, I guess I'll have to leave them forever. Though I do have Google option now, which is in majority of cases cheaper, so I am not that worried...

[taming]

Generally, with very few exceptions, all books are available in both formats. The issue is that Kobo does not indicate whether books are drm-free.