Desktop software: All the other books

ScalyFreak · 06-28-2011, 02:24 AM

I've posted here before about using the Kobo software with my Sony eReader (easy, just connect it), and now I have a follow-up question. When I look at my library on Kobo's website only some of the books have a download link, and only thosebooks sync to my 950. The others are accesible in my Droid app and in the desktop software, but I haven't found a way to load them to the 950 simply because I can't get to the files themselves. If they are on my computer I have not been able to locate them, and I can usually make a computer do whatever it is I want it to do pretty easily but right now, it's defying me.

Sugestions? Anyone?

ScalyFreak · 06-29-2011, 04:04 PM

Anyone....?

PeterT · 06-29-2011, 04:29 PM

The books that are NOT available for ePub download are in what we call kEpub format; Kobo's own DRM'ed files.

On Windows they are stored in AppData\Local\Kobo Desktop Edition\kepub and have names like c6cd1f19-cd08-4c25-bc9a-b1570c61983f.

Sorry to say there is no way to use those other than in Kobo's own applications.

ScalyFreak · 06-29-2011, 04:46 PM

That was exactly the info I needed! I'm a bit sad I can't sync them easily to the Sony reader, but at least now I know what I have to work with. Thanks!

Joe563 · 06-29-2011, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Anyone....?

You should contact the Kobo Helpdesk to find out why they aren't providing epub files for the books you have purchased. All of the books I have purchased from Kobo have downloadable ADOBE DRM EPUBs, which, when I click on the downloaded file loads it into Adobe Digital Editions. I could tell you where the Desktop application stores it's data, but this is not likely to be of any use to you since they do not appear to be epubs.

Regards,
Joe

ScalyFreak · 06-29-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe563

You should contact the Kobo Helpdesk to find out why they aren't providing epub files for the books you have purchased.

I haven't actually paid for them, they are all from the Free Books category. But I might contact them later today anyway and ask... just to see what they say. If I do I'll be sure to share their response here.

Joe563 · 06-29-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

I haven't actually paid for them, they are all from the Free Books category. But I might contact them later today anyway and ask... just to see what they say. If I do I'll be sure to share their response here.

Well, if they are free they are either in the public domain or some publisher is providing them free. In either case, if you google the title you should be able to find a source in epub format.

Regards,
Joe

ScalyFreak · 06-29-2011, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe563

Well, if they are free they are either in the public domain or some publisher is providing them free. In either case, if you google the title you should be able to find a source in epub format.

Which makes it even stranger that Kobo won't provide them in ePub, if others do... then again, I suppose they don't really have any obligations to make sure their books work on their competitors' devices, do they?

george.talusan · 06-29-2011, 06:03 PM

The Kobo Desktop software should synchronize your Kobo purchases or "purchases" to your Sony Reader.

We're currently ironing out a couple of bugs around this but the basic functionality should be there as it has been since the initial release of the desktop application.

portablejim · 06-29-2011, 06:37 PM

If they are public domain books that you find, the source may be Gutenberg, and so there is no download link as you can easily get the book from another source, without DRM.

Example: Around the world in 80 days
KoboBooks
Gutenberg
EPubBooks
Mobilereads - Ebook Uploads
etc.

ScalyFreak · 06-29-2011, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by george.talusan

The Kobo Desktop software should synchronize your Kobo purchases or "purchases" to your Sony Reader.

That's what makes it so weird. The Kobo software does sync all the ePub files with my 950 (I had another thread on that a week or so ago), but it won't sync the non-ePub ones.

For example, this edition of The Castle of Otranto seems un-syncable. That's what puzzles me. I know that I could get it from somewhere else, but I already have it in the library in the Kobo app I've been using on my phone, and it would just be so much easier to swipe the entire Kobo library to the 950 and be able to sync between phone and desktop software and then to the reader again.

But if the files are of a Kobo-only format, I guess that explains why I can't get them on the Sony reader. Sony tends to be obnoxious that way.

rashkae · 06-29-2011, 08:00 PM

It's a guttenburg book, so it should have no drm... That means, if you find the epub file (and kepubs are, it seems, just plain old epub files at heart,), then you should be able copy it to the Sony. (I would open it in Calibre first to verify that kobo didn't do something silly like encrypt the file)

tomsem · 06-29-2011, 08:20 PM

Can someone provide a reference to one of the 'non downloadable' books? I'd like to try an experiment...

portablejim · 06-29-2011, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rashkae

It's a guttenburg book, so it should have no drm... That means, if you find the epub file (and kepubs are, it seems, just plain old epub files at heart,), then you should be able copy it to the Sony. (I would open it in Calibre first to verify that kobo didn't do something silly like encrypt the file)

I think the kepub book is protected in some way (with encryption / DRM).

Joe563 · 06-29-2011, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

Can someone provide a reference to one of the 'non downloadable' books? I'd like to try an experiment...

Check ScalyFreak's last message for a reference - Message #11.

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06-28-2011, 02:24 AM	#1
ScalyFreak Sith Wannabe Posts: 2,034 Karma: 8017430 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: I'm not sure... it's kind of dark. Device: Galaxy Note 4, Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Fire HD, Aluratek Libre	Desktop software: All the other books I've posted here before about using the Kobo software with my Sony eReader (easy, just connect it), and now I have a follow-up question. When I look at my library on Kobo's website only some of the books have a download link, and only thosebooks sync to my 950. The others are accesible in my Droid app and in the desktop software, but I haven't found a way to load them to the 950 simply because I can't get to the files themselves. If they are on my computer I have not been able to locate them, and I can usually make a computer do whatever it is I want it to do pretty easily but right now, it's defying me. Sugestions? Anyone?

06-29-2011, 04:04 PM	#2
ScalyFreak Sith Wannabe Posts: 2,034 Karma: 8017430 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: I'm not sure... it's kind of dark. Device: Galaxy Note 4, Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Fire HD, Aluratek Libre	Anyone....?

06-29-2011, 04:29 PM	#3
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,166 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	The books that are NOT available for ePub download are in what we call kEpub format; Kobo's own DRM'ed files. On Windows they are stored in AppData\Local\Kobo Desktop Edition\kepub and have names like c6cd1f19-cd08-4c25-bc9a-b1570c61983f. Sorry to say there is no way to use those other than in Kobo's own applications.

06-29-2011, 04:46 PM	#4
ScalyFreak Sith Wannabe Posts: 2,034 Karma: 8017430 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: I'm not sure... it's kind of dark. Device: Galaxy Note 4, Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Fire HD, Aluratek Libre	That was exactly the info I needed! I'm a bit sad I can't sync them easily to the Sony reader, but at least now I know what I have to work with. Thanks!

06-29-2011, 06:03 PM	#9
george.talusan Kobo Developer Intern Posts: 84 Karma: 253043 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Toronto, ON Device: Kobo Touch, Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo	The Kobo Desktop software should synchronize your Kobo purchases or "purchases" to your Sony Reader. We're currently ironing out a couple of bugs around this but the basic functionality should be there as it has been since the initial release of the desktop application.

06-29-2011, 06:37 PM	#10
portablejim Enthusiast Posts: 49 Karma: 88 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NSW, Australia Device: Kobo Touch Black	If they are public domain books that you find, the source may be Gutenberg, and so there is no download link as you can easily get the book from another source, without DRM. Example: Around the world in 80 days KoboBooks Gutenberg EPubBooks Mobilereads - Ebook Uploads etc.

06-29-2011, 08:00 PM	#12
rashkae Wizard Posts: 1,142 Karma: 5061953 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Aura HD	It's a guttenburg book, so it should have no drm... That means, if you find the epub file (and kepubs are, it seems, just plain old epub files at heart,), then you should be able copy it to the Sony. (I would open it in Calibre first to verify that kobo didn't do something silly like encrypt the file)

06-29-2011, 08:20 PM	#13
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,478 Karma: 26425959 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	Can someone provide a reference to one of the 'non downloadable' books? I'd like to try an experiment...