Google ebooks question

[daffy4u]

Just browsing around I don't see anything to draw a Kindle owner to the Google store (even if they carried mobi books). The prices aren't lower and unless they have exclusive content, they're just another ebook seller. Am I missing something?

[abookreader]

Originally Posted by sadievan

Then I'm thinking that the ebook you downloaded was DRM free.

Carol

Yes it was. She said she downloaded the free Silas Marner book and the book I downloaded was the only free one I saw although I didn't look long and hard. It was DRM free though, just a plain ePub file.

[sleepy6553]

Just tried Moby Dick. Same problem. It's ending up in my annotation file. I'm not getting an ePUB file conversion in Digital Editions. I must be missing a step somewhere.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by sleepy6553

Edit: I did find the file with the .annot extension in my annotation folder in My Documents/My Digital Editions/Annotation. If that is any help in solving this. I don't understand why the file went into that folder this time.

That's not the actual file. It should have the .epub extension. Go up one in the folders to My Digital Editions, not the Annotation folder.

Carol

[sleepy6553]

Originally Posted by sadievan

That's not the actual file. It should have the .epub extension. Go up one in the folders to My Digital Editions, not the Annotation folder.

Carol

It doesn't show up there. I find no .epub file for Silas Marner (or Moby Dick that I just downloaded).

Also, when I close Digital Editions and go back, the book is no longer on the screen. It doesn't show up in my library. For some reason, I'm not getting an ePUB version when I click on read on my device. That's where the problem lies.

[abookreader]

I'm wondering - I've closed out Google Books

When you click Download on the book does it ask you if you want to save the file or view it?

Make sure you click save if it does and not just "View File" or whatever

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by sleepy6553

It doesn't show up there. I find no .epub file for Silas Marner (or Moby Dick that I just downloaded).

Also, when I close Digital Editions and go back, the book is no longer on the screen. It doesn't show up in my library. For some reason, I'm not getting an ePUB version when I click on read on my device. That's where the problem lies.

OK. I just created an account so I could see what's happening. You have a choice to read the book or if you scroll down on the page, you can download the book. When I hit download, a save file box opens and I'm given the choice to 1) open with Adobe Digital Editions or 2) save file to. The 2nd option allows me to select where I want to save the file.

Did you get this. Did you select open with Adobe or save file?

Carol

[sleepy6553]

Originally Posted by sadievan

OK. I just created an account so I could see what's happening. You have a choice to read the book or if you scroll down on the page, you can download the book. When I hit download, a save file box opens and I'm given the choice to 1) open with Adobe Digital Editions or 2) save file to. The 2nd option allows me to select where I want to save the file.

Did you get this. Did you select open with Adobe or save file?

Carol

I'm going to do this a step at a time. Thank you for your help. I just clicked on a new free book. It gives me the option to GET IT NOW and there is a link to READ ON YOUR DEVICE. I have been clicking on Read on your device. Should I be clicking on GET IT NOW? I don't see anywhere that says save file.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by sleepy6553

I'm going to do this a step at a time. Thank you for your help. I just clicked on a new free book. It gives me the option to GET IT NOW and there is a link to READ ON YOUR DEVICE. I have been clicking on Read on your device. Should I be clicking on GET IT NOW? I don't see anywhere that says save file.

I clicked on Read on your device. Scroll down and there is an option to download the epub version.

Carol

[sleepy6553]

I GOT IT! Yes, I was clicking on open with Adobe Digital Editions. I just clicked SAVE TO and it saved it as an ePUB. Thank you for helping me....it was like pulling teeth to get me here.

Thanks, everyone.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by sleepy6553

I GOT IT! Yes, I was clicking on open with Adobe Digital Editions. I just clicked SAVE TO and it saved it as an ePUB. Thank you for helping me....it was like pulling teeth to get me here.

Thanks, everyone.

Your welcome. Glad everything worked out.

Carol

[abookreader]

good job!

Everything is confusing until you know how to do it sleepy. Then it seems simple.

[tomsem]

The Google web reader actually works pretty darn well on Kindle. Page turns are pretty fast. Typeface & size are easy to adjust, TOC navigation, search. Keyboard shortcuts for Next and Previous page (j or n, k or p respectively). And Page Numbers!

If I wanted or needed to purchase a DRM ePub, I would definitely consider Google's storefront first (as opposed to B&N, Kobo), since I can effectively read it on any device, including my Kindle. If I could upload other ePub (including Adobe DRMed items) to my Google library, or open ACSM files to read library books, that would make it even better. Maybe that is coming.

There don't seem to be many low-cost (as opposed to free) books, and no way to search for books that cost <$5 for example. Or maybe you can use 'normal' Google search to find them.

But as it is, it is like a great upgrade to read ePub directly has just been delivered to my Kindle.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Just browsing around I don't see anything to draw a Kindle owner to the Google store (even if they carried mobi books). The prices aren't lower and unless they have exclusive content, they're just another ebook seller. Am I missing something?

You are missing something: you can read these on your Kindle (K3 at least) using the web browser. The web reader is actually pretty good, good enough that I wouldn't bother with conversion and its uncertain results.

In addition, you can download and read purchases on any device or software that can deal with Adobe DRM (everything but Kindle). So if you are looking for a place for an ebook library to live that is not 'locked in', and don't want to deal with stripping DRM and converting, you could do worse than Google.

Whether there is content that you want to read from Google that isn't available from Amazon is another question which only you can discover the answer to. I would agree that it's not a pleasant browsing experience presently - not easy to find things of interest.

[AceTracer]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Just browsing around I don't see anything to draw a Kindle owner to the Google store (even if they carried mobi books). The prices aren't lower and unless they have exclusive content, they're just another ebook seller. Am I missing something?

Yeah, you're missing the fact that Google Books has scanned versions of all its books. I much prefer reading the actual book as it was intended, instead of hampered flowing text versions (which is why I try to get PDF versions whenever I can).

Though I've been a faithful Kindle user (I've owned three) this alone has me thinking that I'll probably never buy another Kindle book. Though again, I didn't buy that many to begin with because of my aforementioned preference. Usually only when I couldn't get it through my preferred means.

By the way guys, I was able to download a PDF version of Alice in Wonderland from Google Books and it works great on the Kindle, but of course this is a public domain book so it most assuredly won't work with any pay books.

This is what rubs me about DRM. I'd be *happy* to pay for books if you didn't restrict where I can read it.