PDFs and ebooks from the library?

Lorif · 08-07-2010, 09:38 PM

Hi, I'm considering getting a Kobo, and I just have some question about usability if I'm not buying the books from Kobo.

If I have a pdf of a book I have previously downloaded, will I be able to easily put in on the Kobo without having formatting issues?

If I want to put a ebook from my public library on the reader, will I be able to?

Any advice or comments on the usability of the Kobo in these areas would be appreciated. Thanks!

JSWolf · 08-07-2010, 09:46 PM

The Kobo will handle library ePub no problem. But PDF is a problem. No 6" eink screen is capable of handeling a PDF made for letter size paper all that well. So forget the PDF it won't work well enough. ePub is fine though.

andyw · 08-07-2010, 09:56 PM

Whats wrong with using a program like Calibre to convert the PDF to Epub.
I have done this with many books and have not had any issues yet.

wrenn1 · 08-07-2010, 09:56 PM

Download the free program Calibre and "convert" the PDF to 'epub' and add it to your kobo using calibre. It is very simple. Once you have Calibre open you will see the commands.

Lorif · 08-07-2010, 10:05 PM

That sounds very doable, thank you!

JSWolf · 08-07-2010, 10:13 PM

Sounds doable. But in reality it's a pain in the ass big time. No novel length PDF is going to convert without errors. And the errors can be minor to quite big. So you try to convert, take your changes and hope for the best when what you get could be a total mess.

Lorif · 08-07-2010, 10:20 PM

So what do you suggest? My local library doesn't have an extensive collection of ebooks; thus, I would have to download some PDFs to cover what their collection doesn't have.
I'm not interested in buying ebooks in any form, because I currently spend little to no money on books.
Should I just give up on the Kobo and continue to get normal books from the library?

JSWolf · 08-07-2010, 10:25 PM

Make requests of your library t get what you want in ePub as long as what you want is available in ePub.

There is one other solution. You can spend $15 for a library card to the Philadelphia Free Library and get access to a growing collection of eBooks that do include ePub. Your $15 gets you one year access.

Lorif · 08-07-2010, 10:27 PM

That's not a bad deal. Thanks for the idea!

wrenn1 · 08-07-2010, 10:37 PM

I have converted many many books and have very few glitches. Even with glitches the books are easily readable.

soup · 08-08-2010, 12:25 AM

you can view pdf's with the kobo, it's just... cumbersome.

epubs are better, and I go to great lengths to get the epubs over the pdf, however calibre's converter isn't perfect, if the pdf is two page per view, or two columns per page, you'll end up with garbled word mush.

but just drag and drop the pdf onto the kobo and it'll be under the "documents" option, it'll come up as an image that you can zoom and scroll over.

wrenn1 · 08-08-2010, 01:33 AM

I think the reason I have never had a problem with a PDF converted to epub with Calibre might be because I am mostly reading fiction or non fiction with the same layout as my fiction.

If Lorif would be doing the same I think it would be worth it to convert using Calibre rather than reverting back to using paper books.

I have had some that have the odd random word or title thrown in with the text and page numbering is off but I am usually so into what I am reading that I don't let it distract me. I am also reading much more than I did when I had to make a trip to the library and remember to return books.

Good luck whatever you decide.

kiwikobo · 08-08-2010, 04:58 AM

I've just found (from this site) The suggestion that you use the free Mobipocket converter to convert PDF to its format, then load that into Calibre and convert it to epub. This works beautifully, and saves ages fiddling to tidy up documents.

corona · 08-08-2010, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwikobo

I've just found (from this site) The suggestion that you use the free Mobipocket converter to convert PDF to its format, then load that into Calibre and convert it to epub. This works beautifully, and saves ages fiddling to tidy up documents.

I'm lazy, I know, but this is a big place -- have you got the link?

HarleyB · 08-08-2010, 07:03 PM

I have a couple of books in PDF which have not converted well to ePub in Calibre. So I just read them as PDFs on my Kobo.
To get something that I can comfortably see and not have to scroll from side to side I use the landscape mode and the whole page setting on the Kobo. This means that I need to use 3 page turns to read the full page of text (which could reduce the amount of reading you get before needing to recharge) but otherwise I quite enjoy the PDFs on my Kobo.

08-07-2010, 09:38 PM	#1
Lorif Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: prs-505, prs-t1	PDFs and ebooks from the library? Hi, I'm considering getting a Kobo, and I just have some question about usability if I'm not buying the books from Kobo. If I have a pdf of a book I have previously downloaded, will I be able to easily put in on the Kobo without having formatting issues? If I want to put a ebook from my public library on the reader, will I be able to? Any advice or comments on the usability of the Kobo in these areas would be appreciated. Thanks!

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08-07-2010, 09:46 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,964 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The Kobo will handle library ePub no problem. But PDF is a problem. No 6" eink screen is capable of handeling a PDF made for letter size paper all that well. So forget the PDF it won't work well enough. ePub is fine though.

08-07-2010, 09:56 PM	#3
andyw Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kobo	Whats wrong with using a program like Calibre to convert the PDF to Epub. I have done this with many books and have not had any issues yet.

08-07-2010, 09:56 PM	#4
wrenn1 Addict Posts: 259 Karma: 48576 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	Download the free program Calibre and "convert" the PDF to 'epub' and add it to your kobo using calibre. It is very simple. Once you have Calibre open you will see the commands.

08-07-2010, 10:05 PM	#5
Lorif Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: prs-505, prs-t1	That sounds very doable, thank you!

08-07-2010, 10:13 PM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,964 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Sounds doable. But in reality it's a pain in the ass big time. No novel length PDF is going to convert without errors. And the errors can be minor to quite big. So you try to convert, take your changes and hope for the best when what you get could be a total mess.

08-07-2010, 10:20 PM	#7
Lorif Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: prs-505, prs-t1	So what do you suggest? My local library doesn't have an extensive collection of ebooks; thus, I would have to download some PDFs to cover what their collection doesn't have. I'm not interested in buying ebooks in any form, because I currently spend little to no money on books. Should I just give up on the Kobo and continue to get normal books from the library?

08-07-2010, 10:25 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,964 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Make requests of your library t get what you want in ePub as long as what you want is available in ePub. There is one other solution. You can spend $15 for a library card to the Philadelphia Free Library and get access to a growing collection of eBooks that do include ePub. Your $15 gets you one year access.

08-07-2010, 10:27 PM	#9
Lorif Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: prs-505, prs-t1	That's not a bad deal. Thanks for the idea!

08-07-2010, 10:37 PM	#10
wrenn1 Addict Posts: 259 Karma: 48576 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	I have converted many many books and have very few glitches. Even with glitches the books are easily readable.

08-08-2010, 12:25 AM	#11
soup Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kobo	you can view pdf's with the kobo, it's just... cumbersome. epubs are better, and I go to great lengths to get the epubs over the pdf, however calibre's converter isn't perfect, if the pdf is two page per view, or two columns per page, you'll end up with garbled word mush. but just drag and drop the pdf onto the kobo and it'll be under the "documents" option, it'll come up as an image that you can zoom and scroll over.

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08-08-2010, 01:33 AM	#12
wrenn1 Addict Posts: 259 Karma: 48576 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	I think the reason I have never had a problem with a PDF converted to epub with Calibre might be because I am mostly reading fiction or non fiction with the same layout as my fiction. If Lorif would be doing the same I think it would be worth it to convert using Calibre rather than reverting back to using paper books. I have had some that have the odd random word or title thrown in with the text and page numbering is off but I am usually so into what I am reading that I don't let it distract me. I am also reading much more than I did when I had to make a trip to the library and remember to return books. Good luck whatever you decide.

08-08-2010, 04:58 AM	#13
kiwikobo Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 120 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	I've just found (from this site) The suggestion that you use the free Mobipocket converter to convert PDF to its format, then load that into Calibre and convert it to epub. This works beautifully, and saves ages fiddling to tidy up documents.

08-08-2010, 07:03 PM	#15
HarleyB Fanatic Posts: 565 Karma: 1113286 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast Australia Device: Kobo (RIP), iPad, iPhone 4, Kobo Touch x2, Kobo Glo	I have a couple of books in PDF which have not converted well to ePub in Calibre. So I just read them as PDFs on my Kobo. To get something that I can comfortably see and not have to scroll from side to side I use the landscape mode and the whole page setting on the Kobo. This means that I need to use 3 page turns to read the full page of text (which could reduce the amount of reading you get before needing to recharge) but otherwise I quite enjoy the PDFs on my Kobo.