11-27-2012, 03:59 PM | #1 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 42
Karma: 10890
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Burlington, ON
Device: Kobo Touch & Kobo Arc
|
Calibre Companion Issues
Okay, so I have bought the app, got it configured so I can see what is in my library using content server connection.
I have no options to download any books, or modify them in any way. Alternately when I connect via wireless I see nothing, just says I'm connected..... So far the app is useless..... what gives? |
11-27-2012, 04:55 PM | #2 | ||
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,741
Karma: 6997045
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Notts, England
Device: Kobo Libra 2
|
Quote:
If you don't see any allowed formats then you have not told CC that the book's format is acceptable for downloading. By default CC uses epub, mobi, azw, and pdf. If you want some other format such as CBZ you must inform CC. See the FAQs in the thread Calibre Companion Android App: Information, Change Log, and FAQ, and in particular FAQs 11 and 12. Quote:
|
||
11-27-2012, 05:56 PM | #3 | |
Enthusiast
Posts: 42
Karma: 10890
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Burlington, ON
Device: Kobo Touch & Kobo Arc
|
Quote:
I'd go so far as asking for a refund.... |
|
11-27-2012, 06:14 PM | #4 | ||
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,741
Karma: 6997045
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Notts, England
Device: Kobo Libra 2
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
11-28-2012, 12:15 AM | #5 | |
Enthusiast
Posts: 42
Karma: 10890
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Burlington, ON
Device: Kobo Touch & Kobo Arc
|
Quote:
I've sent an email .... |
|
11-28-2012, 04:59 PM | #6 | |
Enthusiast
Posts: 42
Karma: 10890
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Burlington, ON
Device: Kobo Touch & Kobo Arc
|
Quote:
I've attached 4 screen shots showing what it looks like once the connection has been made, through to a downloaded book showing in my library. Not that I am trying to bash CC, it's an okay program if you want to do the wireless thing...but you had mentioned that you don't have access to your metadata in Aldiko and if you look at the book details you can see that it does show up - even custom fields.(read) Now if you could modify the data related to the books, like change the rating after you have read it, mark it as read etc right from within CC, then I can see the advantage, but it would appear that you cannot do this in either CC or Aldiko. One other point - Aldiko is cheaper. |
|
11-28-2012, 05:47 PM | #7 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,741
Karma: 6997045
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Notts, England
Device: Kobo Libra 2
|
Quote:
More important, aldiko will not see subsequent changes to calibre's metadata. For example, download a book to aldiko from calibre's content server. Now change the author name, series name, series number, a tag, or any other metadata in calibre. Even assuming that the metadata is included in the book format, Aldiko has no idea that you have made these changes and cannot know that you have made these changes unless you manually download the book again. CC will see these changes the next time you connect as a wireless device, without re-downloading the books. CC's sorting and grouping automatically will take the new information into account. To repeat, in CC there is no need to download the book again, or even to worry about whether the books with the changed metadata have ever been downloaded in the past. The metadata for downloaded books will be updated every time you connect as a wireless device. If all you want is to copy books to your device, then CC isn't for you. There are lots of ways to do that including aldiko or fbreader or moon+ or other reader apps (many free), dropbox (especially with dropsync), windows explorer, and the like. However, if you want to be able to see a book's metadata on your device and you want the metadata on your device to track automatically what you enter in calibre, then the only solution I know of is CC. No reader app that I am aware of, including aldiko, can do this. Summary: I am not arguing that if all you want is calibre content server integration to copy books to your device then CC is somehow superior to the reader apps mentioned above. What I am arguing is that if you actively use calibre to manage metadata for your books then CC gives you something that no other app does: direct access to calibre's metadata up-to-date as of the last connect as a wireless device, not the metadata buried inside the book as of when it was downloaded. CC also gives access to calibre features such as automatic download of news, integration with plugins like reading list, and calibre's "on device" indicators. Apps based solely on calibre's content server give you none of these. Last edited by chaley; 11-28-2012 at 05:54 PM. Reason: forward references and grammar |
|
11-28-2012, 10:39 PM | #8 | |||
US Navy, Retired
Posts: 9,864
Karma: 13806776
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: North Carolina
Device: Icarus Illumina XL HD, Nexus 7
|
Let me start by agreeing with you, if all you want is limited access to your calibre library via calibre's content server then Calibre Companion isn't for you.
Quote:
Quote:
Utilizing CC I can easily group and sort by most every major metadata category I have in calibre, including custom metadata. I have a user category setup called All by Author that sorts all of my books by author, series and title in one list. I have another that sorts by books read or not read. If I launch a ePub from CC it automatically opens in the reader of my choice. The same is true for other ebook formats. Quote:
True, but it is limited in what it can do. I would say you get what you pay for, but truthfully buying Calibre Companion for $2.99 I got much more value than the app cost. |
|||
12-04-2012, 12:02 PM | #9 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 31
Karma: 481944
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Northeast
Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Nook Color running CM7, Galaxy Note II
|
Contrary to the above, I have found CC to be worth every penny and I couldn't have said it any better than Dr. Ohh. I was able to download 60 books in no time with all of the metadata and appropriate covers. Then downloading books to my fav reading app was a breeze and was able to download all 60 in less than a minute. I use Aldiko for novels and Moonreader+ for books that I use heavy highlighting and bookmarking. Via CC settings, I was also able to import azw3 right into K4A. It would have taken much longer to go through ereader apps catalogue to get the books, not to mention the problems I initially had with connecting to the server.
Now if in the future I find that ideal ereader app, (I'm fickle) I will be able to mass transfer all of the books again into my ereader app of choice. Thanks for the work, CC is a great app. |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
reading books in Calibre Companion | allthumbs | Devices | 5 | 11-26-2012 06:49 PM |
Calibre Companion: Promises Kept | chaley | Devices | 4 | 11-24-2012 12:20 PM |
Standalone content-server and Calibre Companion issues | duckpuppy | Devices | 2 | 11-08-2012 07:54 AM |
calibre companion not showing some metadata | mirkob | Devices | 8 | 10-12-2012 02:09 PM |
Calibre Companion and Kindle Fire HD | nynaevelan | Devices | 3 | 10-12-2012 06:28 AM |