Touch Kobo touch + Dropbox. It works!

4ll4n · 12-18-2011, 07:15 PM

Just wanted to share this as I've been forever waiting for a reader that would integrate Dropbox 'out of the box'.

I'be had a play around with the Kobo and the iPad app of the same name to see how they behave with each other.
Using dropbox on the ipad with the app is super simple but of course epubs don't sync between devices, no surprise there though I'm hoping a future update may change that. So I set about visiting the Dropbox site from the Kobo Touch browser and it turns out I was able to download an ePub to the reader without a problem from there.
Navigating to the file was somewhat fiddly but it worked!

I guess it makes perfect sense since epubs can be downloaded from sites offering free ebooks but I still felt it was worth sharing as I have not seen this mentioned anywhere and I think this makes the Kobo touch the only e-ink device capable of doing this without hacks.

Hope it helps others looking for this kind of functionality.

taming · 12-18-2011, 07:41 PM

I wrote about this awhile back. Now what we need is someone who can find a way for Calibre to remember bookmarks and sync. I know that there is an Aldiko sync program that works with Dropbox.

The Terminator · 12-18-2011, 08:30 PM

Works great.

johoul · 04-02-2012, 12:34 PM

hi there -

Just bought a new kobo touch and pretty happy with it so far. The one gripe I have is that I can't download books from drop-box through the browser (my wife has a sony prst1 and drop-box works perfectly with it). I suspect I may have to downgrade to an older firmware version to be able to use drop-box, does anyone have any suggestions?

thanks in advance

4ll4n · 04-06-2012, 06:12 AM

Which firmware are you running at the moment?

Flashpaul · 04-09-2012, 12:56 PM

To download a book from Dropbox I had to select the desktop version from the bottom corner

I was then able to download books

The Terminator · 04-09-2012, 01:00 PM

The newest firmware seems to have broken the ability to download books via the browser.

vlad59 · 04-10-2012, 01:07 AM

If that's true that's a real shame. I know the browser is not officially supported but this feature has to be fixed IMHO.

GoingDown · 04-10-2012, 01:39 AM

I am using KT with firmware 1.9.17 and downloading books from my home server works fine. I tested with few books, sizes ranging from 5 MB to 55 MB. I am not using SD card if this matters.

The browser is quite slow to start up though, slower than with old firmware.

PeterT · 04-10-2012, 08:46 AM

I wonder why some servers seem to work, and others fail when downloading material... Some subtle difference in the HTTP protocol between servers?

vlad59 · 04-10-2012, 03:11 PM

I just tested it with a custom nginx server and it's not working. I'll dig a little more.

EDIT :

After some testing I found out that any link to a php script don't work. On the other end any link to an epub work (and the epub is ready to be read).

I also found out that I get a reboot after every download so there's something wrong with my webserver or my Kobo or any interaction between those two.

johoul · 04-13-2012, 05:10 AM

hey, thanks for all the comments

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ll4n

Which firmware are you running at the moment?

I'm running 1.9.17 (r37603) - just tried again with dropbox, it's connecting in desktop version - no reaction when i click on any pdf or epub -

vlad59 · 04-13-2012, 03:39 PM

If you want to make some tests. I made a small HTML page with 3 download links :

Direct download
Download through a PHP script
Download through a PHP script hidden by some URL rewriting

In all 3 cases the mimetype is correct : application/epub+zip.

I found out that only the second link is not working. But after each test my Kobo freezed and rebooted.

You can test it yourself : http://cops-demo.slucas.fr/index.html and tell me if you have the same results.

peaze · 04-16-2012, 10:16 AM

I was able to download via dropbox. (firmware .17)
I selected the desktop version from the bottom corner.
To download you have to double click!
Then the download button will appear.

regards
peaze

Isidar · 05-05-2012, 04:10 PM

Wow this seems a good new, I'll try it in a few minutes

I'm happy to read this :-)

Yepp, it works,
Great thing ...
Just go to www.dropbox.com/login

12-18-2011, 07:15 PM	#1
4ll4n Member Posts: 17 Karma: 20082 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kobo Glo	Kobo touch + Dropbox. It works! Just wanted to share this as I've been forever waiting for a reader that would integrate Dropbox 'out of the box'. I'be had a play around with the Kobo and the iPad app of the same name to see how they behave with each other. Using dropbox on the ipad with the app is super simple but of course epubs don't sync between devices, no surprise there though I'm hoping a future update may change that. So I set about visiting the Dropbox site from the Kobo Touch browser and it turns out I was able to download an ePub to the reader without a problem from there. Navigating to the file was somewhat fiddly but it worked! I guess it makes perfect sense since epubs can be downloaded from sites offering free ebooks but I still felt it was worth sharing as I have not seen this mentioned anywhere and I think this makes the Kobo touch the only e-ink device capable of doing this without hacks. Hope it helps others looking for this kind of functionality.

12-18-2011, 08:30 PM	#3
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	Works great. Last edited by The Terminator; 04-09-2012 at 01:00 PM.

04-10-2012, 03:11 PM	#11
vlad59 Addict Posts: 369 Karma: 37869 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kobo eReader Touch, Kobo Aura HD	I just tested it with a custom nginx server and it's not working. I'll dig a little more. EDIT : After some testing I found out that any link to a php script don't work. On the other end any link to an epub work (and the epub is ready to be read). I also found out that I get a reboot after every download so there's something wrong with my webserver or my Kobo or any interaction between those two. Last edited by vlad59; 04-10-2012 at 04:38 PM.

04-13-2012, 03:39 PM	#13
vlad59 Addict Posts: 369 Karma: 37869 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kobo eReader Touch, Kobo Aura HD	If you want to make some tests. I made a small HTML page with 3 download links : Direct download Download through a PHP script Download through a PHP script hidden by some URL rewriting In all 3 cases the mimetype is correct : application/epub+zip. I found out that only the second link is not working. But after each test my Kobo freezed and rebooted. You can test it yourself : http://cops-demo.slucas.fr/index.html and tell me if you have the same results.

04-16-2012, 10:16 AM	#14
peaze Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: Kobo touch	I was able to download via dropbox. (firmware .17) I selected the desktop version from the bottom corner. To download you have to double click! Then the download button will appear. regards peaze Last edited by peaze; 04-16-2012 at 10:25 AM.

12-18-2011, 07:41 PM	#2
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I wrote about this awhile back. Now what we need is someone who can find a way for Calibre to remember bookmarks and sync. I know that there is an Aldiko sync program that works with Dropbox.

04-02-2012, 12:34 PM	#4
johoul Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: kobo touch	hi there - Just bought a new kobo touch and pretty happy with it so far. The one gripe I have is that I can't download books from drop-box through the browser (my wife has a sony prst1 and drop-box works perfectly with it). I suspect I may have to downgrade to an older firmware version to be able to use drop-box, does anyone have any suggestions? thanks in advance

04-06-2012, 06:12 AM	#5
4ll4n Member Posts: 17 Karma: 20082 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kobo Glo	Which firmware are you running at the moment?

04-09-2012, 12:56 PM	#6
Flashpaul Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: Kobo touch	To download a book from Dropbox I had to select the desktop version from the bottom corner I was then able to download books

04-09-2012, 01:00 PM	#7
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	The newest firmware seems to have broken the ability to download books via the browser.

04-10-2012, 01:07 AM	#8
vlad59 Addict Posts: 369 Karma: 37869 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kobo eReader Touch, Kobo Aura HD	If that's true that's a real shame. I know the browser is not officially supported but this feature has to be fixed IMHO.

04-10-2012, 01:39 AM	#9
GoingDown Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 1274 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Finland Device: Kobo Touch	I am using KT with firmware 1.9.17 and downloading books from my home server works fine. I tested with few books, sizes ranging from 5 MB to 55 MB. I am not using SD card if this matters. The browser is quite slow to start up though, slower than with old firmware.

04-10-2012, 08:46 AM	#10
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,166 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	I wonder why some servers seem to work, and others fail when downloading material... Some subtle difference in the HTTP protocol between servers?

05-05-2012, 04:10 PM	#15
Isidar Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Madrid Device: Sony Touch T1	Wow this seems a good new, I'll try it in a few minutes I'm happy to read this :-) Yepp, it works, Great thing ... Just go to www.dropbox.com/login Last edited by Isidar; 05-06-2012 at 11:41 AM. Reason: it works, just tested !!!

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