John Scalzi Lock-In not downloadable in epub format

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I have a book I bought at Sony that was kepub only when it transferred to Kobo. The books are different - the epub has the chapter headings as a clickable link and has the font specified as serif. The font size is also bigger in Calibre's viewer for the kepub.

So the books are different and there may be other differences in other books. If I don't know what they might change in a book I'd prefer to have the original.

I've noticed something else. When you have a DRM free kepub and you view it in ADE 2 it looks one way and after you use Modify ePub to strip the kepub junk, it then looks another way. Both of these differences are still different then the way the original ePub looks in ADE 2.

So what we've found is that the kepub process is changing the CSS/XML enough to change the original formatting. This is unacceptable. I use the original crappy formatting to see how to fix the formatting. With it changed, it's not as easy to know what's what. For example, if section breaks have only a 1em space, after the kepub process, it might not have these section breaks any longer.

So whoever thinks it's OK to get a kepub from Kobo (instead of the original ePub) because we can strip the DRM and strip the kepub additions is wrong. We cannot fix what's been changed in the CSS/XML to make the formatting different.

So please, let's all tell Kobo to stop frigging making the ePub we want to buy into kepub. If we want kepub, we'll download with Kobo Desktop and get kepub.

[BookAdmin]

I didn't thought about that... Yes, it's like you're prisoner to your present e-reader manufacturer, I understand now.

[Mivo]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If I buy from Amazon, I know what I'm getting. If I buy from B&N, I know what I'm getting. If I buy from eBooks.com I know what I'm getting. If I buy from Kobo, it's a crap shoot in some cases.

This may have been mentioned, but if you put a book in your library before you buy it, it should tell you the format (in the library). I don't know if this applies to your particular case, though. I've been using this method ever since I ended up with a PDF instead of the desired epub. (They refunded me.)

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I have a book I bought at Sony that was kepub only when it transferred to Kobo. The books are different - the epub has the chapter headings as a clickable link and has the font specified as serif. The font size is also bigger in Calibre's viewer for the kepub.

This is only speculation because I don't have enough facts, but I do wonder if automated kobo-ising of css styles may be to do with trying to ensure (maybe badly) that the Kobo device font controls and sliders will work.

For instance, I always remove all occurrences of hard-coded font-family: serif in my standard epubs because leaving them in will stop the Kobo font selection control working (except for one specific scenario). Whether it causes the same problem in a kepub I don't know. I can imagine it would also be desirable to change font-sizes set in non-scaleable units such as pixels.

Speaking for myself, I also would prefer to do any/all css-customising myself but I'm not the one fielding complaints on Kobo's helpdesk about device features not working as advertised

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

If you use calibre, this might be an easier option:
http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/0...es-wont-allow/

Thanks Nate, I see you've updated the plugin, and that Rosie's reply identifies the changes.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Thanks Nate, I see you've updated the plugin, and that Rosie's reply identifies the changes.

Version update ...

[jiminrussell]

The link on Nate's page is pointing to the old 3.03 version, you will have to edit the link to use the correct 3.0.7 file name (and change the directory to 10 rather than 09 if you want the new version).

Edit: basically change the link to match the text of the link on his page and you will get 3.0.7 otherwise you get 3.0.3

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Version update ...

Originally Posted by jiminrussell

The link on Nate's page is pointing to the old 3.03 version, you will have to edit the link to use the correct 3.0.7 file name (and change the directory to 10 rather than 09 if you want the new version).

Edit: basically change the link to match the text of the link on his page and you will get 3.0.7 otherwise you get 3.0.3

Thanks for pointing this out. Nate's been notified that the link is wrong. (It's in fact showing v3.0.3)

EDIT
fixed - working as expected

[Lynx-lynx]

now that Kobo's finally put back in the format info I checked on the Scalzi 'Lock In' book and it's showing as an epub2 DRM format.

See attached pic

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

now that Kobo's finally put back in the format info I checked on the Scalzi 'Lock In' book and it's showing as an epub2 DRM format.

See attached pic

That's the UK edition published by Gollancz. The US edition published by Tor shows no download option.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

That's the UK edition published by Gollancz. The US edition published by Tor shows no download option.

Ah okay, I was viewing from my Aus account.

[Eric Carroll]

Found another example: War Dogs by Greg Bear.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Eric Carroll

Found another example: War Dogs by Greg Bear.

Chances are it's an ePub 3 so Kobo has converted it to kepub.