Alternative to calibre

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by cnf

I'd actually use the sony software over calibre, if it where not windows only. And what I want is a completely new GUI, as well as playlists, and playlist syncing.

Well, warm up your favorite python editor and start sending patches to Kovid to add playlists and also GUI enhancements. He usually happily applies them.

BOb

[cnf]

Why does everyone always assume everyone is a programmer?

[Riocaz]

Originally Posted by cnf

I'd actually use the sony software over calibre, if it where not windows only.

Have you tried the Sony software under Windows at all?

Originally Posted by cnf

Why does everyone always assume everyone is a programmer?

So you arn't capable of fixing what you perceive to be a flaw in the free software... Have you even tried Iain's suggestion of asking Kovid to add it as a feature.

[cnf]

Originally Posted by Riocaz

Have you tried the Sony software under Windows at all?

Yes, vmware.

Originally Posted by Riocaz

So you arn't capable of fixing what you perceive to be a flaw in the free software... Have you even tried Iain's suggestion of asking Kovid to add it as a feature.

Ask him to completely rewrite the UI because I don't like it? I'm not quite THAT arrogant :P

[Amalthia]

Originally Posted by cnf

Yes, vmware.



Ask him to completely rewrite the UI because I don't like it? I'm not quite THAT arrogant :P

would it really require a re-write of the software to add sync ability to it? Because I really do see adding sync as a good step forward towards the development of Calibre.

[doreenjoy]

I'd be interested to know if there is an answer to the original question....

[Tommy]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I'd be interested to know if there is an answer to the original question....

if the question hasn't been answered, the interested reader might want to have a look at this [thread] (just shamelessly advertising my little app) It's by far not as mighty as calibre, but still it seemed to stir the Creator of calibre, Ph.D. to advertise his little toy in my thread ).

But in earnest, maybe this can be such an alternative you are looking for.
I wrote it for my Iliad, but kept it in a way that enhancing it for some other reader shouldn't be too hard. Actually, I just wrote a plugin that works for my newly bought Sony. What this plugin does is just copy the book to the appropriate location, i.e. /Volumes/SONY505/database/media/books/ for me.
I'm not yet too familiar with the Sony and still have to figure out how things work in detail...

As Catalog (that's its name) is written in Java, it runs on any platform - except for Windows which requires you install a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - before you can start it.

Tommy

[user_none]

It sounds like you use OS X. If that's the case have you tried Books for MacOS X?

[cnf]

Originally Posted by user_none

It sounds like you use OS X. If that's the case have you tried Books for MacOS X?

Yes, I have. but it is a "book cataloging application", it is imo not suited to manage ebooks.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by cnf

Is there any alternative to calibre on a mac for a PRS-505? ... but I would like a way to create collections.

Yes, there is alternative. It is called Calibre ;-)

Seriously.
When you install Calibre, you install GUI (that you dislike), but you also install lots of commandline programs that can be used to convert books, copy books to your reader, read the memory of your reader (to find out what books are on) and also, I believe, a utility that can create collections. Collections reside in a single xml file in reader memory.
Some people use Calibre exclusively by using individual utilities from commandline. Calibre utilities could also be used to kick-start a development of a simple gui just for creating collections.

[cnf]

Originally Posted by kacir

Yes, there is alternative. It is called Calibre ;-)

Seriously.
When you install Calibre, you install GUI (that you dislike), but you also install lots of commandline programs that can be used to convert books, copy books to your reader, read the memory of your reader (to find out what books are on) and also, I believe, a utility that can create collections. Collections reside in a single xml file in reader memory.
Some people use Calibre exclusively by using individual utilities from commandline. Calibre utilities could also be used to kick-start a development of a simple gui just for creating collections.

Sorry, but I am growing somewhat tired of people endlessly suggesting calibre... I know what it does, I have it installed, I use the CLI tools (which are great), I really REALLY do NOT like the GUI...

What I'd really want is something like iTunes for my eBooks.

So once again:
* I am well aware that a lot of people like calibre, that's fine.
* I am aware calibre comes with a plethora of command line tools. I use and like those.
* I know calibre is an open source project. My coding skills (not to mention my design skills) however are really not up to snuff to start recoding an entire GUI.
* It seems both the dev and most users like calibre's GUI just fine, so I am not going to ask the devs to redo the GUI just for me.

calibre is a nice piece of software, it just really does NOT suit me on the GUI front.

This is why I am looking for an ALTERNATIVE (serving or used in place of another) to calibre.

Thank you

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by cnf

This is why I am looking for an ALTERNATIVE (serving or used in place of another) to calibre.

Thank you

Sounds like maybe you're using Mac OS? There is a version of the Sony software out for Mac now, maybe give that a try. Otherwise I'm pretty sure there's nothing really out there at this point.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by cnf

This is why I am looking for an ALTERNATIVE (serving or used in place of another) to calibre.

Thank you

There is another tool.... it lets you organize ebooks in folders. Um... don't recall what its name is. Perhaps someone else will jump in here with the name of it. I looked on the Wiki and didn't seem to see it.

BOb

[kacir]

Originally Posted by cnf

Sorry, but I am growing somewhat tired of people endlessly suggesting calibre... I know what it does, I have it installed, I use the CLI tools (which are great), I really REALLY do NOT like the GUI...

Sorry. I did not know that you are aware of the CLI programs that come with Calibre.

By the way, Calibre GUI isn't exactly my cup of coffee, but it does its job, and I only use it infrequently and for short periods - just to create tags and upload another batch of books on my reader. Fortunately it takes many hours to read a book as opposed to one minute or so it takes to load up the book (that I organized and converted elsewhere).

While I say that the Calibre GUI isn't exactly to my taste, I *very* strongly dislike just about everything about Sony Library Software.

[JonB]

I'm going to stick my oar in here.

Calibre is a pretty good application fo collecting / transferring books to/from a Reader but so far it has failed to format various pdfs of mine into reasonable (by that I mean readable on the Reader) epub formats. It often fails to convert at all. I'd like to see it do a better job of this before new features are added. I don't think expecting users to understand regular expressions is good, and the arcane options for reformatting are totally inscruitable. Would also like to see better documentation so I can understand how to use the features.

I think the developer of this (albeit occasionally useful) program doesn't really understand what a good GUI really looks like.