Quote:
Originally Posted by orion2001
Do you know if these edits are saved into the Epub or if the image/metadata is only incorporated when viewing the Epub within your Marvin library?
Also, on a related note, I presume that any changes you make to Epubs in your library in Marvin can be sync'd back to the cloud easily?
|
Nope, Marvin isn't an EPUB editor.
It doesn't touch your EPUB files, but can change the metadata and cover picture in Marvin's internal database and Library.
It's similar to making bookmarks, highlights and annotations in the books you read in Marvin -- the EPUBs themselves aren't touched. However -- and this is Marvin's no. 1 feature for me, and what I find its main competitive advantage, because no other e-reader offers it -- you can easily export your bookmarks/highlights/annotations, as well as import/restore them at any later time. (You or any other Marvin user.) For example, I'm currently helping a writer to proofread his book. I can just send him my MRV file with all the typos highlighted, including my comments, and he (on another continent) can just load that file in his own Marvin on his own iPad, and see my corrections and comments right inside the text of his book.
What other e-reader -- iOS or otherwise -- can do this? None, as far as I'm aware.
I confess I would see little use myself in an ability to export metadata and the cover picture as well -- cooperation on Calibre's part would likely be required for this to work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by murraypaul
save to disk from calibre to put all the files in one directory, then you can add them all in one go [...] is clearly the better option.
|
It's still a lot slower than some of the other alternative options. For example: even if you expressly wished to "save to disk" from Calibre (because of potential changes to the metadata and cover picture), then saving to
that particular location of the disk that is being monitored by cloud software such as Dropbox or SugarSync, saves you the extra manual step of having to drag those files to the iTunes window (and a very specific, deeply buried subsection of it that you first need to locate and open with many mouse clicks), plus later synchronizing iTunes with the iPad. I mean, why perform all those manual steps when they can be performed automatically by cloud software?
As to Dropbox, its integration directly within Marvin means you can load dozens of books from Dropbox to Marvin in one go, if you wish. Finally, is it even possible to argue that using the iTunes transfer can be faster than using the direct OPDS catalogue access?
Such a supposition seems rather far-fetched.
Another advantage of the cloud software transfer method not mentioned so far is that you do not need to have your main computer and your handheld device running at the same time. To perform an iTunes sync, you must be running both devices simultaneously, which can be inconvenient. In contrast, you can just, literally, "drop" your books into Dropbox, resting assured you will find them on your iPad (and all other devices!) whenever you switch it on at a later time.
Further, making the same book available on both your iPad, and your iPhone (and possibly also iPad mini!), will require not only the extra manual step(s) mentioned above, but the duplicate or triplicate amount of those manual steps if you insist on using iTunes transfer. Even now, with no iPhone version of Marvin available so far, I'm saving time with the cloud software book transfer method, because I use Marvin on 2 iPads (iPad 3, iPad 1), and if I were to use iTunes transfer, I'd have to perform all the (unnecessary) manual steps required for it, twice instead of just once.
Please understand I'm not trying to "convert" anyone to non-iTunes book transfer methods.
I'm simply describing the alternatives and their benefits compared to the (as I see it) obsolete iTunes transfer method. If that sometimes comes across as impolite, I'm sorry -- I'm extremely busy and just lack the time to couch my posts in 100% politically correct, ultra-polite vocabulary.
There's no intention to be rude, however.