Syncing multiple Kobo`s?

khahoon · 05-31-2013, 12:04 AM

Hi

I have one Kobo now but I might end up getting both the mini and the Auro.

I have my own collection of pdfs, articles,scientific papers, pdf prints etc. So i probably wont be a heavy Kobo store user. My question is this. How can I sync all different Kobo devices in case I have multiple devices from them? I might move from device to device daily depending on the condition, travel situations etc.

I want to be able to keep readering where I left off on the other device, have my recent reads ad naturally all my books on all of them etc. But again I do not have much interest of online Kobo features since I maintained my own collection of bytes and bits over the years.

thanks

theonna · 05-31-2013, 12:19 AM

I don't think that there is an easy flawless way to do it with your own content.

samhy · 05-31-2013, 04:16 AM

Same here. Kobo, as does Sony for example, will synchronize what comes from the Kobo bookstore (and in this case I'm pretty sure it has to be kepub, not epub).
One of the reason will be the respect of privacy. Kobo won't know the content of your sideloaded documents.

taming · 05-31-2013, 09:54 AM

There has been a discussion of Canadian Privacy Act (PIPEDA) in posts on another recent thread. Here is one of them: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...48&postcount=7

samhy · 05-31-2013, 09:59 AM

Thank you taming for the link.
I agree with all of that: my privacy is very important to me. I don't want a bookstore to know every book I read, on what page I put a bookmark or how many times I reread a book. No b&m bookstore is coming to my place to check my bookshelves and documents, so I'm glad Kobo's behaving the same way

But that's not helpful to those who want everything to be synchronized

taming · 05-31-2013, 10:09 AM

I keep hoping that Kobo will figure out a way to let users give permission, if they want to, which would let this happen. With changes in PIPEDA underway, I am not holding my breath.

shalym · 05-31-2013, 10:18 AM

So no books are ever synced between multiple Kobo readers on the same account? Not even books bought from the Kobo store?

Shari

davidfor · 05-31-2013, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shalym

So no books are ever synced between multiple Kobo readers on the same account? Not even books bought from the Kobo store?

The kepub versions of books purchased from Kobo are synced along with the current reading position, any bookmarks and shelves. Nothing about sideloaded books is synced.

Uschiekid · 05-31-2013, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samhy

Same here. Kobo, as does Sony for example, will synchronize what comes from the Kobo bookstore (and in this case I'm pretty sure it has to be kepub, not epub).

Epubs will sync if not side-loaded. Which only happens if there is an epub and no kepub available. I had a weird experience with this lately where I found epubs that kept synching back to my device. But you can't archive them for some odd reason...I guess only kepubs can be archived, so I couldn't keep them from redownloading until I took them out of my library on the kobo website.

kevenv · 05-31-2013, 11:03 AM

Too bad they couldn't expand the functionality of the desktop software. Allow me to back up my stats, bookmarks etc etc etc to my own computer. Allow multiple users/devices and I could swap out libraries to my hearts content or transfer everything from one device to another, allowing my wife to use my Glow when I'm not traveling (She really hates reading with a small light at night on her Touch).

khahoon · 05-31-2013, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samhy

Thank you taming for the link.
I agree with all of that: my privacy is very important to me. I don't want a bookstore to know every book I read, on what page I put a bookmark or how many times I reread a book. No b&m bookstore is coming to my place to check my bookshelves and documents, so I'm glad Kobo's behaving the same way

(

I agree on this one. I did not know that Kobo as a company respects such things and this is a great plus for me. Not that I have anything to hide, but that does not mean that I am ok to share everything I do with the rest of the world especially with the commercial entities. I had a bad experience with delivery/shipping with Kobo however if the respect to privacy is one of Kobo`s primary concerns then I would stick to Kobo from now own.

@taming
Thanks for the link, that was enlightening

As far as syncing goes, I would like to be able to sync without going through Kobo`s servers anyway. Syncing files is easy since one can just sync different devices as folders/directories (like using Syncback or other apps). But I am not sure about bookmarks, recent reads etc.

samhy · 05-31-2013, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uschiekid

Epubs will sync if not side-loaded. Which only happens if there is an epub and no kepub available. I had a weird experience with this lately where I found epubs that kept synching back to my device. But you can't archive them for some odd reason...I guess only kepubs can be archived, so I couldn't keep them from redownloading until I took them out of my library on the kobo website.

Wow, thank you for that. I didn't know that some books are not available as kepub, only as epub.

Uschiekid · 05-31-2013, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samhy

Wow, thank you for that. I didn't know that some books are not available as kepub, only as epub.

Here's one (free), if you're curious:
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/A-Tal...1PHPNokzaA&r=2

I think I read a long time back on MR that this only happens when it is available as PDF. There will either be PDF and EPUB or EPUB and KEPUB, not PDF, EPUB and KEPUB.

Not sure why. Anyway, in that case, it synchs the epub, not the pdf.

But it sure confused me for awhile when I couldn't archive but also couldn't sync without it re-downloading after I had deleted it.

ShellShock · 05-31-2013, 04:23 PM

I keep my books on a micro SD card which I move between my Glo and Aura. A simple solution but with the downside that you have to remember what page you were on and go to it manually.

BeeTee-Ess · 05-31-2013, 11:13 PM

At risk of being accused of trolling...

I am a recent Kobo Mini owner, after many years of Kindle ownership. Our family owns 5 Kindles, plus a number of Kindle apps on various devices. Amazon automatically syncs our current reading of Amazon-supplied books, plus, if we choose to upload others to our 'personal documents' page, they will be synced as well.

Privacy is not an issue. If we do not want non-Amazon books synced, we simply do not upload them.

This service works well, and I had assumed Kobo would provide a similar one. I like my Mini, but it seems it is destined not to have any siblings.

05-31-2013, 12:04 AM	#1
khahoon Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 20000 Join Date: May 2013 Device: generic	Syncing multiple Kobo`s? Hi I have one Kobo now but I might end up getting both the mini and the Auro. I have my own collection of pdfs, articles,scientific papers, pdf prints etc. So i probably wont be a heavy Kobo store user. My question is this. How can I sync all different Kobo devices in case I have multiple devices from them? I might move from device to device daily depending on the condition, travel situations etc. I want to be able to keep readering where I left off on the other device, have my recent reads ad naturally all my books on all of them etc. But again I do not have much interest of online Kobo features since I maintained my own collection of bytes and bits over the years. thanks

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05-31-2013, 12:19 AM	#2
theonna One Posts: 107 Karma: 137282 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Sony, Kindle,Pocketbook, Nook...	I don't think that there is an easy flawless way to do it with your own content.

05-31-2013, 04:16 AM	#3
samhy Wizard Posts: 1,820 Karma: 9503859 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: France Device: (Sony (J) PRS 650), Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo HD	Same here. Kobo, as does Sony for example, will synchronize what comes from the Kobo bookstore (and in this case I'm pretty sure it has to be kepub, not epub). One of the reason will be the respect of privacy. Kobo won't know the content of your sideloaded documents.

05-31-2013, 09:54 AM	#4
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	There has been a discussion of Canadian Privacy Act (PIPEDA) in posts on another recent thread. Here is one of them: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...48&postcount=7

05-31-2013, 09:59 AM	#5
samhy Wizard Posts: 1,820 Karma: 9503859 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: France Device: (Sony (J) PRS 650), Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo HD	Thank you taming for the link. I agree with all of that: my privacy is very important to me. I don't want a bookstore to know every book I read, on what page I put a bookmark or how many times I reread a book. No b&m bookstore is coming to my place to check my bookshelves and documents, so I'm glad Kobo's behaving the same way But that's not helpful to those who want everything to be synchronized

05-31-2013, 10:09 AM	#6
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I keep hoping that Kobo will figure out a way to let users give permission, if they want to, which would let this happen. With changes in PIPEDA underway, I am not holding my breath.

05-31-2013, 10:18 AM	#7
shalym Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 52740263 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: New England Device: PW 1, 2, 3, Voyage, Oasis 2 & 3, Fires, Aura HD, iPad	So no books are ever synced between multiple Kobo readers on the same account? Not even books bought from the Kobo store? Shari

05-31-2013, 11:03 AM	#10
kevenv Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 178980 Join Date: Dec 2012 Device: Kobo Touch	Too bad they couldn't expand the functionality of the desktop software. Allow me to back up my stats, bookmarks etc etc etc to my own computer. Allow multiple users/devices and I could swap out libraries to my hearts content or transfer everything from one device to another, allowing my wife to use my Glow when I'm not traveling (She really hates reading with a small light at night on her Touch).

05-31-2013, 04:23 PM	#14
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,176 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	I keep my books on a micro SD card which I move between my Glo and Aura. A simple solution but with the downside that you have to remember what page you were on and go to it manually.

05-31-2013, 11:13 PM	#15
BeeTee-Ess Addict Posts: 306 Karma: 679580 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Brisbane, Australia Device: K3, K4NT, KPW2, Voyage, iP4, iP6, iPad Mini, HP TouchPad, Kobo Mini	At risk of being accused of trolling... I am a recent Kobo Mini owner, after many years of Kindle ownership. Our family owns 5 Kindles, plus a number of Kindle apps on various devices. Amazon automatically syncs our current reading of Amazon-supplied books, plus, if we choose to upload others to our 'personal documents' page, they will be synced as well. Privacy is not an issue. If we do not want non-Amazon books synced, we simply do not upload them. This service works well, and I had assumed Kobo would provide a similar one. I like my Mini, but it seems it is destined not to have any siblings.

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