Important news for iTunes/iDevice users: changes in 0.8.7

[GRiker]

Originally Posted by adv_dp_fan

So you are saying it will still require an extra copy?

Yes, it's exactly the same scenario as the recommended 'Connect to iTunes' approach discussed extensively in this thread.

If you feel that strongly about it, you could use calibre's content server to transfer books without iTunes acting as the intermediary.

G

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Starson17

That really is an unfair comment, you know. It's not that Calibre won't let you access its copy. There may not be a local copy and Apple insists upon a local copy. The real problem is that Apple won't let you (or Calibre) put your ebook on an Apple controlled device using anything other than Apple controlled software.

Put another way, and not counting the unsupported direct-to-device mechanism, putting stuff on an iDevice requires iTunes. From Calibre's point of view, iTunes IS the device, not the iPad or iPod.
When Calibre puts a book on a device, it ALWAYS creates a copy on the device, right? Kindles and Nooks don't link to your library copy, etc.
So really, the ability of iTunes to link to the library copy was something of a hack and an aberration, it was just a fairly convenient one for some of us.

Now Calibre is working more consistently, but that new consistency is highlighting one of the issues with trying to use Apple's model outside it's walled garden.

For me, I really only need my wife to choose whether the one extra step of deleting the iTunes copy is acceptable to her, or if I switch her to using Calibre's content server to get books onto her iPod.

ApK

[kiwidude]

If I use content server from my iPad (but connect my Kindle directly), do I have to keep alternating the "Preferred output format" every time I use the alternate device?

i.e. I have PDFs that I want to read on my iPad, and MOBIs of course for the Kindle.

It would be nice if I could specify a different output format for Content Server versus that for the connected device... ?

[GRiker]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

If I use content server from my iPad (but connect my Kindle directly), do I have to keep alternating the "Preferred output format" every time I use the alternate device?

i.e. I have PDFs that I want to read on my iPad, and MOBIs of course for the Kindle.

It would be nice if I could specify a different output format for Content Server versus that for the connected device... ?

Or, if the content server interface offered a choice of which format to deliver when multiple formats are available…

[kovidgoyal]

Click details and you get a choice of format to download in the content server

[Alan (PF95)]

Originally Posted by Starson17

The real problem is that Apple won't let you (or Calibre) put your ebook on an Apple controlled device using anything other than Apple controlled software.

Am I doing something wrong? I use Stanza, via iTunes.

I tell it to import, and it opens a window. I navigate to Calibre library (Calibre now holds all my books), drill down to author, and select book(s).

It's a hassle to select different books by different authors, but Calibre needn't be running- and no iTunes copies are made (that I can tell).

Should I revert to iBook, in order to have all these "copy to iTunes" problems?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Alan (PF95)

Am I doing something wrong? I use Stanza, via iTunes.

I tell it to import, and it opens a window. I navigate to Calibre library (Calibre now holds all my books), drill down to author, and select book(s).

It's a hassle to select different books by different authors, but Calibre needn't be running- and no iTunes copies are made (that I can tell).

Should I revert to iBook, in order to have all these "copy to iTunes" problems?

Wouldn't matter. Sounds like you are really not using Calibre in your process of putting books on your iDevice. You just happen to be using the same copy of the book on your disk that Calibre uses. You end up with the same situation that Calibre USED to end up with, and have the same sort of potential issues that Kovid described (if you make certain changes to the book in Calibre, you will break your link in iTunes.)

if you actually used Calibre to put the book on your device, you'd probably want Calibre to be able to do so no matter where it keeps it's library, and these changes enable Calibre to do it even if your library goes off to live in the cloud somewhere.

[adv_dp_fan]

Originally Posted by GRiker

If you feel that strongly about it, you could use calibre's content server to transfer books without iTunes acting as the intermediary.

That would be great except iBooks doesn't support the content server.

Anyway, for now I'm experimenting with the newest version to see how I feel about any changes in my old workflow. Who knows, maybe I'll like it better, and I can always revert back to an earlier version.

Thanks to everyone for answering all my questions and helping me understand the changes.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by adv_dp_fan

That would be great except iBooks doesn't support the content server.

Sure as heck does on ours. Browse to content server in Safari, click an epub to download and the device will prompt you with an "Open in iBooks" option.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Click details and you get a choice of format to download in the content server

What am I doing differently? When I view content server, I see a little grey button for each format of the book in my library, and I just click the one I want. I'm not even sure what "details" you are referring to.

ApK

[kovidgoyal]

You are seeing the mobile interface, go to /browse to see the normal interface.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You are seeing the mobile interface, go to /browse to see the normal interface.

Huh...how about that. I don't think I ever used the full interface before. Sometimes I'm happy to be a blind man describing an elephant when it comes to feature-rich systems. I'm only aware of the parts I use.
The mobile view is perfect for me.

Even in the /browse view on my system, by the way, I see an "other formats" line with links to all the formats in my library, so there would seem several ways to slice it.

[adv_dp_fan]

Originally Posted by ApK

Sure as heck does on ours. Browse to content server in Safari, click an epub to download and the device will prompt you with an "Open in iBooks" option.

Ah, didn't think about trying to get it through Safari.

Thanks.