A newbie question re downloading ebooks to Kobo

[Katel]

For example I've just read the thread about downloading this forum's ebooks which I'd like to do. What I'm wondering is when you click on download where does the book go on the PC?

I have Kobo Desktop and ADE so can one specify which one it goes to? I want to use epub format so am assuming ADE only uses PDF?

I don't have Calibre installed and as I am technically fairly illiterate think it would be beyond me, and I probably wouldn't need most of its functions anyway.

So for simply downloading ebooks from sites other than Kobo or lending libraries I'm not sure what to do. Any advice much appreciated.

[RareBird]

Originally Posted by Katel

For example I've just read the thread about downloading this forum's ebooks which I'd like to do. What I'm wondering is when you click on download where does the book go on the PC?

I have Kobo Desktop and ADE so can one specify which one it goes to? I want to use epub format so am assuming ADE only uses PDF?

I don't have Calibre installed and as I am technically fairly illiterate think it would be beyond me, and I probably wouldn't need most of its functions anyway.

So for simply downloading ebooks from sites other than Kobo or lending libraries I'm not sure what to do. Any advice much appreciated.

ADE handles epubs and it's needed to download Adobe DRM epubs from the Kobo site (and others I'm sure). Calibre is actually really easy to use and if you have any problems there are many knowledgable users here and it does have it's own forum here. I'm not sure if you can sideload epubs using the Kobo desktop. Hopefully someone else can answer that one. As for where it goes on your computer, I would imagine it gets saved in your download folder depending on what operating system and browser you're using. Hope this helps.

[Mrs_Often]

You can't put epubs that you got from elsewhere into Kobo desktop. Kobo desktop is only for kepubs (books bought from Kobo).

ADE handles all types of ebooks and is mainly meant for use with books that have a 'lock' on it (DRM). ADE can authorise your computer and your devices (ereaders) to be able to read the DRM books you have.

For ebooks you get for free (that are unlocked, don't have DRM, like the ones you can download from this forum) you don't need to use ADE. You can if you want to, you can load them in and use ADE as a sort of personal library from which you put books on your ereader. But you can also just set up a folder on your computer, like "My Documents" and "My Music" (for instance, "My Books"), and put all the ebooks you download into there. From there, you can then drag and drop them onto your Kobo Touch like you would use a USB stick.

The ebooks you download from this forum go to the same place on your computer as any other file you download from internet goes (like a "downloads" folder).

Calibre indeed has lots of functions, but it is also useful for keeping track of the ebooks you have (personal library, works nicer than ADE) when your "My Books" folder gets full and messy. Calibre will work just like iTunes for instance. It gives you a list of all the books you have, and gives you search facilities and it can send books you select to your Kobo Touch for you. It's a lot easier than just keeping track of your books by yourself in a folder, but only if you have many books. (So, if you only have a few or so many that you can still have an oversight, you don't have to bother with Calibre.)

As for borrowing from a library, you will need ADE. Library books are locked with DRM and the unlocking is temporary, dependent on how long you borrow the library for. When you find a book in your library's database and borrow it, your computer will download an acsm file. You should open this acsm file in ADE, and then ADE will download the book for you. From there, you can put the book onto your Kobo Touch.

Good luck!

[Cdesja5]

Originally Posted by Katel

For example I've just read the thread about downloading this forum's ebooks which I'd like to do. What I'm wondering is when you click on download where does the book go on the PC?

I have Kobo Desktop and ADE so can one specify which one it goes to? I want to use epub format so am assuming ADE only uses PDF?

I don't have Calibre installed and as I am technically fairly illiterate think it would be beyond me, and I probably wouldn't need most of its functions anyway.

So for simply downloading ebooks from sites other than Kobo or lending libraries I'm not sure what to do. Any advice much appreciated.

I really recommend using Calibre! Now would be the ideal time to start, while your library is small and you should feel more and more comfortable with it as you get more books. You don't have to use all its features, just use the add books and keep all your books in it as a "catalog" so that you don't get the same book twice, so that you can easily find a book gotten long ago etc. I don't use a tenth of what it is able to do and that's fine! Calibre is quite easy to use for the "basics".
I think your question about where the ADE books go was missed in the great answers you got...
The ADE books go into "my documents", "my digital editions" folder by default.

[taming]

I know I am not the only person who uses kepub books, because of the syncing ability that lets me read on multiple devices and apps, while also downloading the ePUBs through ADE and pulling them drm free into Calibre for backup. It doesn't have to be either/or.

[Katel]

Thanks for the great replies. I have found the document My Digital Editions. So it's looking as though I best download Calibre and see how I go with it as everyone seems to have so much success. Right now I'm donwloading very few ebooks - have got stuck into The Count of Monte Cristo which goes on forever but I'm enjoying it - so as someone suggested now is probably the time to start with Calibre.
So am I right in assuming Calibre can be set to receive all epubs downloaded? Sorry if this is beginning to diverge into a Calibre thread.
If I do download it then I'll move across to that forum.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Katel

So am I right in assuming Calibre can be set to receive all epubs downloaded? Sorry if this is beginning to diverge into a Calibre thread.
If I do download it then I'll move across to that forum.

You download the book to where ever you want to on the PC, then you add it to calibre. Adding to calibre can be done in a few ways: drag-and-drop to the calibre window, use the add button in calibre or set-up calibre to automatically scan a directory for new books. I use one of the first two.