Current Audiobook Specials

[Catlady]

I didn't know that the enhanced copies took longer to process. But even so, the program just runs in the background, so what if it takes a long time?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I didn't know that the enhanced copies took longer to process. But even so, the program just runs in the background, so what if it takes a long time?

Well that's true, but when you're looking at converting 722 titles (some @ 50-60 hours) like I am it just seems more daunting when you can only do one at a time at 1X. Gonna take a long time.

[IcecreamLtDan]

I use Nero 7 as I still have a copy from years ago, it can burn audible files to CD. If you still have a copy of Nero 7, 8 or 9 around, I've had great success using it along with UltraISO to convert them to MP3's without having to actually burn cd's, and it does it rather quickly as well so I don't have to wait while it plays the files "real time". I then take WinAmp Pro, which is still free I believe as they are shutting it down, and convert them to whatever size I need if it's too big to fit on one cd. My truck plays MP3 cd's and that's where I do all my listening.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I didn't know that the enhanced copies took longer to process. But even so, the program just runs in the background, so what if it takes a long time?

I assume that others, like me, occasionally use their PC for other things, so having its resources taken up by a background process indefinitely is not ideal.
Even if the resource drain is small enough to leave your PC usable, using your PC for other tasks while these analog conversions are in progress can result in poor quality output.

But more importantly for me (since I have multiple machines that I could set to doing very time consuming tasks if need be) is the fact that I might get a book and want to listen to it on some other device that same day. I don't want to wait 16 hours, especially when I might find there was a problem of some kind and I might need to start it all over again.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by ApK

I assume that others, like me, occasionally use their PC for other things, so having its resources taken up by a background process indefinitely is not ideal.
Even if the resource drain is small enough to leave your PC usable, using your PC for other tasks while these analog conversions are in progress can result in poor quality output.

But more importantly for me (since I have multiple machines that I could set to doing very time consuming tasks if need be) is the fact that I might get a book and want to listen to it on some other device that same day. I don't want to wait 16 hours, especially when I might find there was a problem of some kind and I might need to start it all over again.

Can't say I ever noticed a drain on computer resources when I'm doing the conversion. But in any case, you can run the program overnight--if the book is lengthy it's usually in parts, and at least one or two parts a night would be doable. Yes, it would take forever, but it would get done. I've never had a problem running SoundTaxi--when I first got it, it ran for five days straight.

And why would you need to wait to listen to a book? Listen to it with the proper app if you can't wait, and then convert it for your backup.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Can't say I ever noticed a drain on computer resources when I'm doing the conversion. But in any case, you can run the program overnight--if the book is lengthy it's usually in parts, and at least one or two parts a night would be doable. Yes, it would take forever, but it would get done. I've never had a problem running SoundTaxi--when I first got it, it ran for five days straight.

And why would you need to wait to listen to a book? Listen to it with the proper app if you can't wait, and then convert it for your backup.

Come on, are you one of those people that has a hard time imagining how anyone can do things differently than you would?
I gave up Sound Taxi a long while ago because the quality of the output was highly variable, and always adversely impacted by other use of the computer.
I'd hope it, along with PCs in general, have improved, but I suspect, given the nature of analog conversion, it will still be true for many people.

As for using the 'proper' app, maybe I don't want to. Using a little imagination, maybe the only 'proper' app someone has is the PC, and they'd like to take the book in the car with them.

Not to mention that PCs sometimes crash or lose power, or get inadvertently touched by other household members.
Unlike making barbecue or love, it's better to get things like this done faster rather than having them go on for hours.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by ApK

Come on, are you one of those people that has a hard time imagining how anyone can do things differently than you would?

Apparently I am.

I gave up Sound Taxi a long while ago because the quality of the output was highly variable, and always adversely impacted by other use of the computer. I'd hope it, along with PCs in general, have improved, but I suspect, given the nature of analog conversion, it will still be true for many people.

As for using the 'proper' app, maybe I don't want to. Using a little imagination, maybe the only 'proper' app someone has is the PC, and they'd like to take the book in the car with them.

Huh? You don't convert because it takes too long and uses too much of the computer's resources, but you can't listen without converting? Color me baffled.

Not to mention that PCs sometimes crash or lose power, or get inadvertently touched by other household members.
Unlike making barbecue or love, it's better to get things like this done faster rather than having them go on for hours.

Fine, faster is better, but slow is better than not converting at all and risking the loss of material.

[Barbara1955]

I going to try Sound Taxi ...since it has a free trail version LOL ????? 1 How do I get the Audible books into it? 2 How do I get the Overdrive books into it? They are already on my PC [os Win 8] I just want them converted & backed up on my external WiFi HD... in case a site crashes or I not near my PC when I want to listen to them.

[silverraven]

Originally Posted by Katie1

I going to try Sound Taxi ...since it has a free trail version LOL ????? 1 How do I get the Audible books into it? 2 How do I get the Overdrive books into it? They are already on my PC [os Win 8] I just want them converted & backed up on my external WiFi HD... in case a site crashes or I not near my PC when I want to listen to them.

Audials One offers a free trial too. But you have to use iTunes with it. Audials sets up a virtual CD burner, so you are 'burning' your books to the hard drive instead of a CD. The couple times I did it, it went way faster than real time because it 'burns' more than one track at a time.
S

[septentrion]

I'm a bit confused about all those programs. Should I understand that each one of them convert the audiobooks in real time?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by septentrion

I'm a bit confused about all those programs. Should I understand that each one of them convert the audiobooks in real time?

Almost anything (even the built-in sound recording tool on any PC) can "convert" a DRMed audio file in real time. It's basically just playing the sound and re-recording what's playing.

Soundtaxi and many of these other apps can convert MUCH faster, like 10 to 50 times faster depending on the system.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by septentrion

I'm a bit confused about all those programs. Should I understand that each one of them convert the audiobooks in real time?

They should all have settings that allow different conversion times. The slower the conversion rate, the higher the quality of the converted file. I generally go for a much faster conversion, as I'm not that finicky about the audio quality of spoken word audiobooks.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Huh? You don't convert because it takes too long and uses too much of the computer's resources, but you can't listen without converting? Color me baffled.

I was giving examples of reasons that various people (ie, not you) might have for wanting to get it done fast. Not all reasons necessarily apply to all people at all times. Abraham Lincoln said that, I think.

Fine, faster is better,

Yea, I win! :-) It was the barbecue that won you over, right?

OK, enough of this foolishness.

but slow is better than not converting at all and risking the loss of material.

Certainly, and it's nice to know there are a variety of options for freeing this stuff, and several that can do it in real time for free.

ApK

[tubemonkey]

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[Barbara1955]

Guess I not going to get an answer to my question. sigh