Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[darryl]

This is the link referred to by Lynx-lynx which should tell you all you need to know.

http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/0...es-wont-allow/

Good luck.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Be careful at Kobo. If they are still doing the ePub3 > kepub conversions, you'll find more then just new Tor eBooks being converted to kepub.

So now you're not even bothering to look before trotting out the same old talking points?

FYI, they've gotten a lot better recently. The labeling still isn't perfect, but Orbit's one of my go-to checkpoints. In particular, this novella doesn't show a download format on the page, but it's got a standard "Adobe DRM EPUB" button in my library. (Purchased 12/2014.)

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've been noticing more epUb eBooks are coming out as ePub 3 (when there is no frigging reason not to be ePub 2).

Yes, we get it, you still hate progress. No doubt you still don't understand why the web has moved on from using HTML 2 and RealAudio.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So if Kobo is still converting, it means more and more new eBook are not going to be available as ePub 2

Because (a) Kobo doesn't make kepubs out of EPUB-2 books and (b) Kobo decides whether publishers use EPUB-3 or EPUB-2. Riiiight.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

and if you want to then convert to ePub, you would need the current Modify ePub plugin.

No, that routine doesn't "convert to ePub" - it optimizes the EPUB by stripping out extra gunk. Kepubs work fine as EPUBs; they just have a lot of bloated code inside that the plugin disposes of.

But hey, don't take my word for it. I only wrote the routine in question. What would I know about it?

[Uschiekid]

Originally Posted by Docno

I don't follow ebook goings-on much, but just the other day I read about Sony shutting down its ebook store, and it makes me nervous considering that I have 600+ books with Kobo. Most of them are stored in the Kobo 'cloud', of course. Can someone point me to a site that explains how to download and backup my titles in the event that Kobo goes the Sony route some time in the future? Or am I being paranoid? Apologies for my ignorance on these things.

I think many people are giving advice that is more complicated than you perhaps need.

How I've understood your issue is that you buy books, then download them through your kobo device/using a kobo app, so you have no backup on your computer.

So the first step in backing up has nothing to do with removing drm from kepubs.

Do you have an adobe digital editions account? Do you have that programme on your computer? If not, do those two things. If you do, first, go to Kobo's website. Login to your account. Go into your library/purchased content. There should be a button beside each book "Adobe DRM EPUB" or "Adobe DRM-Free EPUB". Click that button. It will download an .ascm file, which you open in Adobe Digital Editions (often referred to as ADE). Do this for all your books. There is a possibility some won't have a download button, that means only a kepubs is available, in that case you would have to follow some of the other advice, to remove drm.

You now have a backup file that is no longer linked to kobo, and so you aren't reliant on kobo staying in business.
You are however reliant on Adobe staying in business, or handing over their drm system to someone else.
If that makes you nervous still, you can google apprentice alf, and use it with Calibre to free you from drm. But as i understand it, as long as you have the Adobe file, you can also do this in the future, should something go wrong in the future. It's definitely more secure than only having kobos "cloud" copy (aka kepub).

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[zelda.owns.link]

Originally Posted by Docno

I don't follow ebook goings-on much, but just the other day I read about Sony shutting down its ebook store, and it makes me nervous considering that I have 600+ books with Kobo. Most of them are stored in the Kobo 'cloud', of course. Can someone point me to a site that explains how to download and backup my titles in the event that Kobo goes the Sony route some time in the future? Or am I being paranoid? Apologies for my ignorance on these things.

When Sony closed its Reader Store it sold the rights to Kobo. I had two Sony Reader Store accounts, both of which were integrated into my Kobo account. I am sure if Kobo were to close another retailer would buy them out to increase their customer base. Hopefully this alleviates some of your concerns.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Uschiekid

I think many people are giving advice that is more complicated than you perhaps need.

How I've understood your issue is that you buy books, then download them through your kobo device/using a kobo app, so you have no backup on your computer.

So the first step in backing up has nothing to do with removing drm from kepubs.

Do you have an adobe digital editions account? Do you have that programme on your computer? If not, do those two things. If you do, first, go to Kobo's website. Login to your account. Go into your library/purchased content. There should be a button beside each book "Adobe DRM EPUB" or "Adobe DRM-Free EPUB". Click that button. It will download an .ascm file, which you open in Adobe Digital Editions (often referred to as ADE). Do this for all your books. There is a possibility some won't have a download button, that means only a kepubs is available, in that case you would have to follow some of the other advice, to remove drm.

You now have a backup file that is no longer linked to kobo, and so you aren't reliant on kobo staying in business.
You are however reliant on Adobe staying in business, or handing over their drm system to someone else.
If that makes you nervous still, you can google apprentice alf, and use it with Calibre to free you from drm. But as i understand it, as long as you have the Adobe file, you can also do this in the future, should something go wrong in the future. It's definitely more secure than only having kobos "cloud" copy (aka kepub).

Just one thing to add - install ADE 2.x or lower only. More recent versions have the ability to change the drm scheme to one that can't be removed.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by zelda.owns.link

When Sony closed its Reader Store it sold the rights to Kobo. I had two Sony Reader Store accounts, both of which were integrated into my Kobo account. I am sure if Kobo were to close another retailer would buy them out to increase their customer base. Hopefully this alleviates some of your concerns.

Not all books will transfer over correctly. I only had a dozen books and one is kepub only which can't be read on my Sony. There's no telling where Kobo's accounts will be sold. The transfer from Fictionwise to B&N did not go well for a lot of people.

The only way to be sure you keep your books is to download and remove drm.

[Uschiekid]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Just one thing to add - install ADE 2.x or lower only. More recent versions have the ability to change the drm scheme to one that can't be removed.

Ah, ok. I use Ubuntu/Linux, so nothing vaguely recent is compatible, so I never realised there was that issue. I'm still on 1.7.
Good to know, for sure!

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[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Jswolf (or some else?) as I"m not on my PC at the moment I can't paste the Digital Reader article link discussing obok - could you paste it please. It is within MR"s rules to paste that link here. Thanks.

Docno, Nate's Article will help you and provide the obok code you need for handling kepubs.

http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/0...es-wont-allow/

There you go.

[peterwardgd]

jesus, i thought this was a discount code thread.

[jgoguen]

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[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by peterwardgd

jesus, i thought this was a discount code thread.

Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

So now you're not even bothering to look before trotting out the same old talking points?

FYI, they've gotten a lot better recently. The labeling still isn't perfect, but Orbit's one of my go-to checkpoints. In particular, this novella doesn't show a download format on the page, but it's got a standard "Adobe DRM EPUB" button in my library. (Purchased 12/2014.)

Yes, we get it, you still hate progress. No doubt you still don't understand why the web has moved on from using HTML 2 and RealAudio.

Because (a) Kobo doesn't make kepubs out of EPUB-2 books and (b) Kobo decides whether publishers use EPUB-3 or EPUB-2. Riiiight.

No, that routine doesn't "convert to ePub" - it optimizes the EPUB by stripping out extra gunk. Kepubs work fine as EPUBs; they just have a lot of bloated code inside that the plugin disposes of.

But hey, don't take my word for it. I only wrote the routine in question. What would I know about it?

I did have a look and yes Kobo is still making kepub ONLY out of publisher ePub 3. Here's a link to one such from St. Martin's Press. http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/unbreakable-40.

Kobo is not deciding if publishers should or should not make ePub 2 or 3. What Kobo is doing is seeing that if an ePub sent to them is ePub 3, they convert it to kepub and do not let it be downloaded as ePub. They do not sell it as ePub but kepub only. So as more publishers switch to ePub 3, Kobo will only be able to sell it to those with a Kobo Reader or Kobo software. Yes, you can use Kobo Dsktop to download, Obok to remove the DRM (if it has any) and Modify ePub to convert it back to ePub. But that's a lot more work then just going to Google Play and buying it there (unless you get a good price via a coupon or it's not available via Google).

The reason I say making ePub 3 is needless is because the publishers are not doing anything with the ePub 3 that cannot be done with ePub 2. If someone uses Sigil with one of these ePub 3 and goes to use Flightcrew to verify it, it'll come up with a number of errors. They are moving to ePub 3 with no reason at all to do so. Just because you can doesn't mean it's a good idea.

[Smenk]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I did have a look and yes Kobo is still making kepub ONLY out of publisher ePub 3. Here's a link to one such from St. Martin's Press. http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/unbreakable-40.

Actually that book seems to be available as an epub, the option is shown if you save a preview - http://i.imgur.com/A1PpeV6.png