oh thank you so much for pointing me to something that i found a few clicks after the screen that allowed me to download the install file! what would the internet do without your infinitely useless helpfulness.
http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq....k-files-stored
that's where i read the blurb that prompted me to post. obviously there's something i was still confused about and needed clarification on. but thanks for perpetuating the 'internet people are jerks' myth.
i can't tell you how helpful "go read the internet" is.