New Device Recommendation

[theducks]

Originally Posted by davidfor

The image that @DNSB posted was from the store in a web browser. I don't like looking for books on the device as the interface is terrible and slow. I only use the store on the device if I know exactly what I want or choosing from my wishlist.

I think there was a way to filter to free books on the device, but, it isn't there now. Or I might be confusing it with the Android app. That had a free book list the last time I looked.

I poked around 'Discover', and all of a sudden, it showed books by price range.
I have no clue how I got there

Like Uncle Robin, I think I might have bought 1 book (might have been 2) from my Aura2

The Libra2 is not that slow in the book store, just the screen is to small to do a 'quick browse'.

[JeffGeorge]

Can you only have one library configured in the Overdrive settings? I was going to get set up with a 2nd library, but I don't really see the point if you can only connect to one.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I've had 4 different Kobo devices since leaving the Amazon nearly 4 years ago, and I think I've bought one book on any of them. MUCH less painful on the website.

Plus, since you need to put the book in calibre, you have that backup copy of your book. In calibre's Edit Metadata window, that big box on the right labeled Comments, is always blank for an Amazon book. Do books from the Kobo store have that filled in? And of course the Series information is blank from Amazon (but usually part of the book's title so at least it's easy to copy and paste).

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by JeffGeorge

That makes more sense. I agree that the interaction on the device is terrible and slow. I'll try the Web-based store instead as I experiment with this device. Thanks!

Unless you have an old Kindle you'll need to figure out how to remove Amazon's DRM. I've never gone that route but apparently you can use the Kindle for PC's serial number or whatever for the key in the DeDRM plugin. Once you get that plugin set up all you do is drag the book into calibre and like magic the DRM is gone. Then you can convert it to EPUB.

[JeffGeorge]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Plus, since you need to put the book in calibre, you have that backup copy of your book. In calibre's Edit Metadata window, that big box on the right labeled Comments, is always blank for an Amazon book. Do books from the Kobo store have that filled in? And of course the Series information is blank from Amazon (but usually part of the book's title so at least it's easy to copy and paste).

This makes me think of another question. I bought a book on the Kobo Webstore on my PC. It automatically showed up on my device (which is good), but how do I get a copy to my PC? Can I get it directly from the Website, or do I have to move from the device to computer myself?

[JeffGeorge]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Unless you have an old Kindle you'll need to figure out how to remove Amazon's DRM. I've never gone that route but apparently you can use the Kindle for PC's serial number or whatever for the key in the DeDRM plugin. Once you get that plugin set up all you do is drag the book into calibre and like magic the DRM is gone. Then you can convert it to EPUB.

Luckily I'm not a former Kindle user, so I don't have anything directly purchased from Amazon. Barnes & Noble might be a different matter, though, but I've only bought maybe a couple ebooks from them ever. No major loss.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by JeffGeorge

Luckily I'm not a former Kindle user, so I don't have anything directly purchased from Amazon. Barnes & Noble might be a different matter, though, but I've only bought maybe a couple ebooks from them ever. No major loss.

I have this myopic problem of always seeing the world through my experiences; I buy all my books from Amazon since I started with a Kindle. Plus, I keep some tabs open for ereaderiq for free books and am typically downloading one or more a day; I don't know if they also do freebies from the Kobo store. My vague impression is that for freebies Amazon is more prevalent.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I've had 4 different Kobo devices since leaving the Amazon nearly 4 years ago, and I think I've bought one book on any of them. MUCH less painful on the website.

Your one eBook ahead of me. I've never even loaded the store on my H2O.

[JeffGeorge]

Originally Posted by hobnail

I have this myopic problem of always seeing the world through my experiences; I buy all my books from Amazon since I started with a Kindle. Plus, I keep some tabs open for ereaderiq for free books and am typically downloading one or more a day; I don't know if they also do freebies from the Kobo store. My vague impression is that for freebies Amazon is more prevalent.

With the assistance of people here, I was able to see the freebies on the Kobo Web store, so that works much better. Of course, if you're looking for free stuff you can always find public domain items at gutenberg.org. The child in me pulled every Oz book from that site.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by JeffGeorge

With the assistance of people here, I was able to see the freebies on the Kobo Web store, so that works much better. Of course, if you're looking for free stuff you can always find public domain items at gutenberg.org. The child in me pulled every Oz book from that site.

You are best to delete those OZ eBooks and grab the ones from here done by Grannygrump. They are much better formatted and have the drawings.

[JeffGeorge]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You are best to delete those OZ eBooks and grab the ones from here done by Grannygrump. They are much better formatted and have the drawings.

Get out of here! Are you telling me that this forum has public domain books available? That's what I get for my own tunnel vision of only looking at the sub forum that is currently relevant to me.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by JeffGeorge

This makes me think of another question. I bought a book on the Kobo Webstore on my PC. It automatically showed up on my device (which is good), but how do I get a copy to my PC? Can I get it directly from the Website, or do I have to move from the device to computer myself?

There are two options.

One is via the Kobo desktop. It will download the exact same book as has been downloaded to your eReader (a format called kepub (for Kobo epub)) but it will have a non readable name (a series of numbers) and will be protected by Kobo's own DRM.

The other option is from the website (I can't describe it since I'm currently using my phone). I think it's from the My Library page. Here you can download an ACSM file which in turn you open with Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) and obtain a standard Epub file protected by the standard Adobe DRM.

Either of those formats can be added to calibre with DRM removal. The Kobo format will need you to use the obok calibre plugin; the Adobe format will use the DeDRM plugin.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[hobnail]

Yeah, there are a lot of great books in the MobileRead library. If you like them illustrated then Grannygrump's are the gold standard. The few that I've uploaded are at the other end of the scale; no illustrations and the least amount of CSS I can use that makes a presentable book. Two series that I recommend are the William S. Hart's Injun and Whitey series and Forrest Reid's Young Tom series (start with it, not the publication order). See also the Jeremy series by Walpole uploaded by crutledge.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by JeffGeorge

Get out of here! Are you telling me that this forum has public domain books available? That's what I get for my own tunnel vision of only looking at the sub forum that is currently relevant to me.

Check out https://www.mobileread.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=132

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[JeffGeorge]

Wow. So much great knowledge here. Glad I decided to start using an ereader again. I went from ereader strictly to physical, but now I'm content with a hybrid reading behavior.