Question about side loading

[CAFlanny]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I bought a Kobo Libra a couple months ago and switched from using Calibre as mainly backup for my purchased books to side loading my books directly to the device. I know a lot of people on this forum side load their books from Calibre. Just curious, do you side load all of your books, including the ones purchased from your device's store?

[maddz]

Originally Posted by CAFlanny

Long time lurker, first time poster. I bought a Kobo Libra a couple months ago and switched from using Calibre as mainly backup for my purchased books to side loading my books directly to the device. I know a lot of people on this forum side load their books from Calibre. Just curious, do you side load all of your books, including the ones purchased from your device's store?

Depends. If I purchased an omnibus, I usually split it into the separate components, and I delete the omnibus and side load the components. Otherwise, I leave single volumes on board and tag them in Calibre as DO NOT SEND (vs SEND). I have a saved search for the SEND tag, and when I connect, I only work with the volumes in that search.

The other tricky ones are colour graphic novels and comics. These I usually purchase from Amazon, and they get read in the Kindle app on my iPad; they are tagged as DO NOT SEND in Calibre, and aren't converted to ePub. This is mostly because of size constraints.

I will add that although I own a Kobo Forma, most purchased content is from the Kindle store, with occasional purchases from the Kobo store.

[ownedbycats]

I only sideload Kobo Store books if I need to fix the formatting, e.g. stupid ugly fixed fonts. Otherwise I just download them from the store.

I also use a custom "On Kobo" column and make very heavy use of column icons:



Here you see a fanfic I need to update on my device, a sideloaded book from another store, a book from the Kobo Store, and a book borrowed from Overdrive (I keep records for them so I can keep track of what I've read).

[Sirtel]

I sideload everything, no matter where I bought them. Mostly because I change the formatting (I have specific preferences).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I only sideload Kobo Store books if I need to fix the formatting, e.g. stupid ugly fixed fonts. Otherwise I just download them from the store.

I also use a custom "On Kobo" column and make very heavy use of column icons:

Attachment 187847

Here you see a fanfic I need to update on my device, a sideloaded book from another store, a book from the Kobo Store, and a book borrowed from Overdrive (I keep records for them so I can keep track of what I've read).

You should use the Reading List plugin. That way you can add to your list any books you want to add/update to your list and then it happens when you plug in our Kobo.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You should use the Reading List plugin. That way you can add to your list any books you want to add/update to your list and then it happens when you plug in our Kobo.

I do use it. I just haven't plugged in my Kobo yet today.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I sideload everything, no matter where I bought them. Mostly because I change the formatting (I have specific preferences).

Ditto

[DNSB]

I sideload virtually all my non-Kobo Plus content. Much like @Sirtel, I find spending 5 minutes on a book to clear up the formatting makes my reading experience much more enjoyable. These are mostly minor annoyances such as paragraphs that are double spaced, indent and extra spaces between paragraphs (one or the other but not both), useless font family specifications, etc.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by CAFlanny

do you side load all of your books, including the ones purchased from your device's store?

Yes, to Kobo Libra, Kobo H2O original, Kindle DXG, KK3 & PW3, Sony PRS350 and Likebook Mars. And keep all the originals also.
I don't use direct WiFi (or 3G on the DXG) on any ereader for purchased books from Amazon or Smashwords. I download to PC and make backups.
I separately backup Calibre's files.
I don't put ALL the ebook on all devices. Many ebooks are also public domain or works I'm proofreading.

[pwalker8]

I put all my books in Calibre, then I use the Kobo plugin to match the books that I bought from kobo and side load everything else. That way, when I plug the Kobo device in, it shows only my new books as not on the device.

[tempest@de]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I sideload everything, no matter where I bought them. Mostly because I change the formatting (I have specific preferences).

I do the same.

[Apache]

I keep Calibre and my library on my Surface Pro and I read using Freda. Calibre is set to automatically open the book I choose in Freda and I can browse all of my books.

[BookCat]

I sideload everything because I don't like wifi. It gives me a headache. So my internet is wired, the router (or modem) has the wifi switched off (by the engineer), and my kindles are in permanent aeroplane mode.

I used to sideload directly, without using Calibre. Now I like the efficiency of sending from Calibre. Some books have to be converted from epub to azw3 anyway (such as those from mobileread), but I also use Calibre for books from Amazon.

[cfrizz]

I have always sideloaded my books I have both Sony for PC, & Calibre software on my pc. having started out with the Sony software. I basically use Calibre to convert all my books that I now always get from Amazon. I move them over to Calibre to disinfect, and to covert over to epubs. Then I drop them into my My Ebooks file on my pc, then I hook up my phones, tablet, & Kobo and transfer the books over to those.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by CAFlanny

Long time lurker, first time poster. I bought a Kobo Libra a couple months ago and switched from using Calibre as mainly backup for my purchased books to side loading my books directly to the device. I know a lot of people on this forum side load their books from Calibre. Just curious, do you side load all of your books, including the ones purchased from your device's store?

Yes, I have multiple ereaders and I sideload on all but 2 units. I read a lot of series and the plugboard in Calibre allows me to enumerate series so I can read in order.

I do have 2 units where I make use of switching between ereaders and having the story in the same place. I live downstairs and am evening care giver for brother, so need to be upstairs for several hours. I have some mobility problems and this helps a lot. Sometimes I just do audiobooks via the Echo though.