iPad Bluefire and iBooks help please

[AlexBell]

I have an iPad 2 which I use for checking the ebooks I design for Circaidy Gregory Press, using iBooks. I have 20+ ebooks in the iBooks library

I have read some reviews of the Bluefire reader, so thought I'd see how the ebooks in the iBooks library look when read with Bluefire. But I can't understand how to make the ebooks in the iBooks library available to the Bluefire reader - or vice versa for that matter. The Bluefire Reader User Manual is less than helpful.

Cany anyone tell me please how to read the ebooks already on the iPad in the iBooks library with Bluefire?

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

Cany anyone tell me please how to read the ebooks already on the iPad in the iBooks library with Bluefire?

You have to strip the DRM from anything you have in iBooks. I don't know how to do that but I believe Calibre will do the job.

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

You have to strip the DRM from anything you have in iBooks. I don't know how to do that but I believe Calibre will do the job.

Nope, calibre can't strip DRM from iBooks. Apple's Fairplay DRM was recently cracked though, this thread might help.

If AlexBell is using iBooks to read epubs that weren't purchased from Apple, then he wouldn't have to worry about Apple's DRM. Sorry, can't help with Bluefire since I don't use it or have an iPad. *scurries off*

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by Synamon

If AlexBell is using iBooks to read epubs that weren't purchased from Apple, then he wouldn't have to worry about Apple's DRM.

He seemed to be talking about books he had written. I could be wrong, of course.

[Moe The Cat]

Alex, one way to get ebooks into Bluefire is to email them to yourself. Open the email on the iPad and press-and-hold the attachment. When the "Open With ..." dialogue appears, "Bluefire Reader" should be one of the options.

Edit: I don't think there is any way to "share" ebooks between the two apps. Each app wants its own copy of each ebook.

[AlexBell]

Thanks, kyteflyer. I didn't write the books myself, but I did turn them into ePubs from Word documents. The ebooks don't have any kind of (shudders with loathing) DRM.

Thanks, Moe. 'I don't think there is any way to "share" ebooks between the two apps. Each app wants its own copy of each ebook.' That has got to be the stupidest design decision by Apple or Bluefire that I've seen in a long time. Why on earth would they choose to set it up that way?

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

That has got to be the stupidest design decision by Apple or Bluefire that I've seen in a long time. Why on earth would they choose to set it up that way?

Blame Apple. Basically, each app has its own sandbox and apps aren't really allowed to share sandboxes.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

That has got to be the stupidest design decision by Apple or Bluefire that I've seen in a long time. Why on earth would they choose to set it up that way?

Think "walled garden". I love Apple Stuff but I detest the way we are all gradually being moved into a corner where its difficult to get out. I don't use iBooks for that reason.

[AlexBell]

Thanks to you both. If I understand you both correctly it's to make sure one can only use this company's software - something like an attempt to set up a monopoly.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

Thanks to you both. If I understand you both correctly it's to make sure one can only use this company's software - something like an attempt to set up a monopoly.

I believe that is a misinterpretation, in this case. I do agree that Apple has a closed system but they are not setting up a monopoly. The not sharing a sandbox is due to the iOS not being a full OS with interlocks in place to avoid one application from interfering with another such as one application editing a file that another one happens to be using. I believe this is just a simplistic implementation to avoid this problem.

Dale

[JSWolf]

You side load ePub eBooks into Bluefire Reader using iTunes.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You side load ePub eBooks into Bluefire Reader using iTunes.

Thanks, Jon

Could you tell me how, please? Preferably in one syllable words?

I can and do drag and drop ePubs from my computer to iBooks, with iTunes open, but can't seem to open Bluefire to see a place to drop the ebooks to.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

I can and do drag and drop ePubs from my computer to iBooks, with iTunes open, but can't seem to open Bluefire to see a place to drop the ebooks to.

Connect the iPad to iTunes.
Select it in the Devices section on the left.
Select the Apps tab at the top.
Look in the File Sharing section.
There is a list of apps, select Bluefire Reader.
Either
a) Click Add... and select the files you want, or
b) Select the files you want in explorer, and drag and drop them into the 'Bluefire Reader Documents' area.

[ilovejedd]

@AlexBell
The easiest way to get your epubs to Bluefire or iBooks is by emailing them to yourself and tapping on "Open in..." on the attachment.

Another option (if you think you'll be doing this regularly), if you have Dropbox, install the Dropbox app on your iPad and link it to your Dropbox account. After that, you can just copy the ebooks to your Dropbox folder, open the Dropbox app on the iPad, browse to the ebook and tap on "Open in...". If you have other epub readers installed on your iPad, those should show up in the "Open in..." dialog. If you star/favorite the book in Dropbox, it'll make it available offline so say you only open it in iBooks right now, you open the book in Bluefire later even if you don't have internet connection. I use this method to get ebooks to iBooks, Stanza, MegaReader, Bluefire, Kobo, etc.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Connect the iPad to iTunes.
Select it in the Devices section on the left.
Select the Apps tab at the top.
Look in the File Sharing section.
There is a list of apps, select Bluefire Reader.
Either
a) Click Add... and select the files you want, or
b) Select the files you want in explorer, and drag and drop them into the 'Bluefire Reader Documents' area.

Thanks for your advice, but...

I have attached the iPad to the computer (running Windows 7), let iTune open by itself, and let it synchronise
I clicked on devices - Owner's iPad is the only one I have
I clicked on the Apps tab, and the apps I have appeared on the computer screen
I clicked on Bluefire Reader, and a dark blue margin showed around it. Nothing else happens.
I do not see a File Sharing section, and never have seen anything like that. How do I make it show? I've looked in the File icon on the top left of the iTunes display, but don't see anything resembling File Sharing - nor in any of the other options in the horizontal menu at the top of the iTunes window.

What am I doing wrong?