Non-calibre users, why not?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Yes, I've added several columns myself, I was just wondering whether the read/unread status had to be entered manually, or could be derived somehow, the way the percentage read is

(for those using a Kobo)
Kobo Utilities plugin for Calibre can mark a book that has finished status in the designated custom column

[droopy]

Originally Posted by ezdiy

Calibre users, why don't you use koreader?

I guess because I don't see koreader's benefits. What can it do?

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by droopy

Ah, yes, seems Calibre wouldn't provide any advantage for library books.

Actually, Calibre works nicely with library books. I convert to azw3 so that I can use the font/bolding functions that don't work with mobi. However, I have vision damage, so the need might not be there for others.

[m-p{3}]

I don't have many ebooks, and my folder structure on my storage works well enough.

Most of them are comic books anyway.

[Ashjuk]

Whilst I agree there are uses for Cailbre (format changing and tagging etc.) I refuse to use it for book management due to it's imposed database structure.

I organise my books either by author or genre - I do not want a separate folder for each individual book taking up space.

I can manage my books perfectly easily using a Windows file manager so why complicate things by using Calibre.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

Whilst I agree there are uses for Cailbre (format changing and tagging etc.) I refuse to use it for book management due to it's imposed database structure.

I organise my books either by author or genre - I do not want a separate folder for each individual book taking up space.

I can manage my books perfectly easily using a Windows file manager so why complicate things by using Calibre.

Take up (more) space ? Modern file systems are space efficient.
The folder (name) entry isn't much larger than the characters in its name
Calibres Tagging allows you to retrieve books 6 ways from Sunday, not just a from a single (topic) folder

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

Whilst I agree there are uses for Cailbre (format changing and tagging etc.) I refuse to use it for book management due to it's imposed database structure.

Why would you care about that? Are you also not going to borrow books from a library because of the way they have structured their book storage?

I see calibre like a library.

With regard to books, I use it as such:

- Buy a book and download it using Adobe Digital Editions.
- Import it into Calibre to have the DeDRM-plugin remove the DRM.
- Export the book to my desktop, rename it to "Author - Title.epub" and throw it into "EPUB Originals" just in case I need it again for whatever reason.
- Then I use calibre to fix the book where necessary: Edit the metadata, higher quality/different cover, higher quality maps, remove problems using the editor, etc...

Compare it to a library buying a book and having the cover replaced or even the book rebound (library binding), putting it into the catalog in the computer, and putting it in the correct place on the shelves.

When that's done, the book sits in calibre forever. The only thing I do is connect my ereader to the computer, find the book, and copy the book to it: just as you'd use a library. Go inside, find the book, borrow it and walk out again.

I don't care one whit about how calibre organizes its books in its internal storage, as long as I can find the books easily and can get my fully fixed and edited books out of it should I ever want to. (You can, by just copying all the books it out of the library folder, or by exporting into your own desired folder structure using calibre itself.)

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

I organise my books either by author or genre - I do not want a separate folder for each individual book taking up space.

I can manage my books perfectly easily using a Windows file manager so why complicate things by using Calibre.

That's actually the entire point of using calibre and its tags.

If you (using the file system), wanted to have a book filed under Author AND Genre AND publishing year AND publisher, you'd need to have 4 copies of the book.

In calibre, you only have one copy of the book, and then you'd be able to file it under as many tags as you'd want, and you'd be able to search for thins like:

"I want a book written by Stephen King published between 1970 and 1980, in the Horror genre."

It's easy in calibre. In a folder system, you'd need to first find all the books in the Horror genre, then filter those written by Stephen King, then match those books to the ones in your publishing date folder.

[Blas]

I have to be fair, the thing that made me start using Calibre was not even the necessity to organize my library, but it was the need of creating collections in a easier way on Kobo system. I like to have collections for genres, favorite and abandoned books. So it would be extremely annoying to select one by one. Calibre gave me the option to do it in a faster way(I found the instructions to do it here in this forum) .

It was a bit hard for me during the beginning to understand the features of the software, mostly because I didn't have a good English. So it took me some time to get used to it.

In the end the software turned out great for me to update Metadatas, organize my library and something really important for me... Make the backup of my Kobo reading activity.

In the end I think it depends mostly on people's needs.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Blas

I have to be fair, the thing that made me start using Calibre was not even the necessity to organize my library, but it was the need of creating collections in a easier way on Kobo system. I like to have collections for genres, favorite and abandoned books. So it would be extremely annoying to select one by one. Calibre gave me the option to do it in a faster way(I found the instructions to do it here in this forum) .

It was a bit hard for me during the beginning to understand the features of the software, mostly because I didn't have a good English. So it took me some time to get used to it.

In the end the software turned out great for me to update Metadatas, organize my library and something really important for me... Make the backup of my Kobo reading activity.

In the end I think it depends mostly on people's needs.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Much the same as most people. calibre makes managing our libraries easier so we use it.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Michal Jancik

- When I need to upload "methadones" to a book, I use Calibre.

* In short, I am satisfied with Caliber and I have no reason what to change .

I just have to ask how often you store opioids in your books?

[ezdiy]

Originally Posted by droopy

I guess because I don't see koreader's benefits. What can it do?

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

Supports virtually all formats, reasonably fast and customizable, bunch of useful plugins (like ftp fetcher). Stock readers often fall short compared to that.

I think Calibre is more of a tradeoff - either you spend a lot of (one time) hassle getting koreader to run, or you get continuous hassle juggling and converting externally. The idea for using decent reader software is the streamlined experience - fetch a book from wherever, adjust rendering directly in the reader for the book, read it - all wysiwyg on the device.

There's of course the aspect of using calibre to organize libraries, but I'm not all that convinced it's really necessary unless one deals with extremely large libraries (to a point those never fit on the device). Then there are of course specialized tasks, like OCRing pdf scan to a book and such. Those tend to be one off though, not all the time.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by ezdiy

Supports virtually all formats, reasonably fast and customizable, bunch of useful plugins (like ftp fetcher). Stock readers often fall short compared to that.

I think Calibre is more of a tradeoff - either you spend a lot of (one time) hassle getting koreader to run, or you get continuous hassle juggling and converting externally. The idea for using decent reader software is the streamlined experience - fetch a book from wherever, adjust rendering directly in the reader for the book, read it - all wysiwyg on the device.

There's of course the aspect of using calibre to organize libraries, but I'm not all that convinced it's really necessary unless one deals with extremely large libraries (to a point those never fit on the device). Then there are of course specialized tasks, like OCRing pdf scan to a book and such. Those tend to be one off though, not all the time.

Doesn't koreader have to be re-installed every time the device is updated? If so, it would seem that the "hassle getting koreader to run" is not just a one time thing. Especially with the flurry of updates lately, I think it would be easier to use Calibre to get your books in a state that they can be read without using a third party program that needs to be re-installed every time the reader updates.

Shari

[ezdiy]

Originally Posted by shalym

Doesn't koreader have to be re-installed every time the device is updated?

It's more involved than that. Most of the time, the jailbreak (and thus all apps installed alongside) survives, but sometimes it doesn't. Jailbreak is specific to amazon devices because they don't want you to use custom software on device. The problem you mention doesn't exist on devices like Kobo or Pocketbook, and indeed this is the safest choice in terms of hassle to go. Kindle with koreader is definitely for the more techy types who can put up with the occassional breakage (once a year or so).

[Butterfly1234]

Originally Posted by droopy

I wonder how many Kobo users forgo Calibre? How many use Calibre?

If you don't use Calibre, I'd be curious to know why not? How do you manage your library?

I only use Calibre when adding multiple book sof one author to my Clara, because I want to make sure that they are all sorted under the same author when I pick "books" and "by family name".

I heard about Calibre for the first time in a Belgian group of readers on Facebook, but it was only since I got help on this forum for sorting books of the same author that I use Calibre. But only for that.

My e-books are all on my separate SSD-disc, sorted by category (novels, thrillers, sci-fi, true story) and per category they are sorted by author).
So if I want to add 10 books from my SSD-disc to my Clara, I connect both devices to my pc with USB-cable and copy the books to the Clara.
Only when I want to add for example 10 books by Camilla Lackberg will I use Calibre.