First Kobo book purchase - where is it?!

WillW · 07-17-2019, 03:07 PM

I’m picking up my new Kobo H20 on Monday, and thought I’d have a practice run at buying a book from the Kobo store, particularly as there’s £3 off the first purchase.

I can find the book in “My Books” on Kobo desktop app, and it opens on the Mac, and presumably it will transfer to the H20 when I plug it in via the USB port. Will it..?

I’d intended to use the Kobo the same way I’ve always used my Kindle, and Sony before it, offline, side loading books from the computer to the device by USB, via Calibre.

I find my newly downloaded Kindle files in the My Kindle Content folder. But following the same route to the Kobo / Kobo Desktop Edition / Kepub folder, there is no kepub file.

How do I find the kepub / epub file so that I can store it in the usual way (or convert for the Kindle should the H20 not be as good as I hope it will be)?

I understand the file is DRM protected, but so are the Kindle files, yet they are readily accessible.

Short version - where’s my book?

PeterT · 07-17-2019, 03:18 PM

If you use WiFi on your Kobo then purchased content will sync automatically to your device.

If you connect via USB then when you launch Kobo Desktop, purchased content will sync to your device.

Kobo Desktop downloads the content in kepub format with Kobo's own DRM system in use. The download files have a random looking númeric name with no extensions. Apprentice Alf / Harper do have tools to remove the DRM and add to calibre.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

WillW · 07-17-2019, 03:25 PM

Thanks. So will I be able to access an actual epub (Kepub) file from the device? Or will it be the same file (random looking numeric name) as on the Mac ? Calibre doesn't recognise this file.

lumpynose · 07-17-2019, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillW

Thanks. So will I be able to access an actual epub (Kepub) file from the device? Or will it be the same file (random looking numeric name) as on the Mac ? Calibre doesn't recognise this file.

I've never bought a book from the Kobo bookstore. But what it sounds like is you buy the book, then it's delivered to your ereader, then you plug the ereader into your computer, and with calibre pull it from the ereader into calibre's library.

Maybe see if the kobo bookstore has something like the kindle cloud reader. The way I buy books from amazon is I've set up the kindle My Devices content page so that it delivers the book to the amazon cloud, then on the content page click on the 3 dots and download it for transferring with usb. Then I drag it from the downloads folder into Calibre. If the drm removal plugin is installed then it does its job.

WillW · 07-17-2019, 04:19 PM

That's how I'm hoping it'll work.
I use my Kindle pretty much the same way. I have Amazon deliver the book to my Kindle for Mac app (old version), then add it to Calibre from Kindle Content folder. But when I buy a book from Amazon this way, the book then EXISTS as an AZW3 file on my hard drive. The book I bought from Kobo doesn't exist as an epub, or kepub, on my hard drive.
I thought Kobo was supposed to be the more open system, and Amazon the fenced in one. I've never been fenced in or restricted by Amazon (thanks to Calibre), yet I can't, it seems, get an ebook delivered to my computer by Kobo..

jackie_w · 07-17-2019, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillW

I’m picking up my new Kobo H20 on Monday, and thought I’d have a practice run at buying a book from the Kobo store, particularly as there’s £3 off the first purchase.

I can find the book in “My Books” on Kobo desktop app, and it opens on the Mac, and presumably it will transfer to the H20 when I plug it in via the USB port. Will it..?

I’d intended to use the Kobo the same way I’ve always used my Kindle, and Sony before it, offline, side loading books from the computer to the device by USB, via Calibre.

I find my newly downloaded Kindle files in the My Kindle Content folder. But following the same route to the Kobo / Kobo Desktop Edition / Kepub folder, there is no kepub file.

How do I find the kepub / epub file so that I can store it in the usual way (or convert for the Kindle should the H20 not be as good as I hope it will be)?

I understand the file is DRM protected, but so are the Kindle files, yet they are readily accessible.

Short version - where’s my book?

Any Kobo purchase which you can already see in Kobo Desktop's 'My Books' tab will normally be found (in Windows, don't know about Mac) in directory
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Kobo\Kobo Desktop Edition\kepub

All such books are in kepub format. They have no file extension and have names like 5d744d20-34ca-4abb-9350-e94a2ef64dab.

You don't need to do any drag/drops with these files because the easiest way to get a book into calibre is to do what PeterT said. Install the relevant Apprentice Alf calibre plugin for Kobo (namely Obok) and launch it. It knows all about kepubs in Kobo Desktop, so just follow what you see on the screen. As you know we're not allowed to say much more than that, here.

I don't believe you need to wait for your new Kobo device to arrive to do any of the above.

Alternatively, if you prefer to download a standard epub, rather than the kepub, you could login to the Kobo.com website and find the download button for your book. But then you'd also need to use the Adobe Digital Editions software and the other, most common, Apprentice Alf calibre plugin to arrive at a similar result.

FWIW, personally, I can't be bothered with ADE. I find Kobo Desktop easier.

lumpynose · 07-17-2019, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackie_w

But then you'd also need to use the Adobe Digital Editions software and the other, most common, Apprentice Alf calibre plugin to arrive at a similar result.

FWIW, personally, I can't be bothered with ADE. I find Kobo Desktop easier.

For books that are delivered via ADE I double click on that little link file that gets downloaded to my PC, then in ADE there's a thing in the File menu to open the folder in Explorer, after selecting that from there I drag the epub/pdf from the Explorer into Calibre.

WillW · 07-17-2019, 04:55 PM

Thanks Jackie_W. Sorted!
The OBOK Icon was off the edge of the Calibre screen. I didn't know it was there. C. deals with Kindle books without the need to launch a separate applet.
Learning curve...
:-)

jackie_w · 07-17-2019, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillW

Thanks Jackie_W. Sorted!
The OBOK Icon was off the edge of the Calibre screen. I didn't know it was there. C. deals with Kindle books without the need to launch a separate applet.
Learning curve...
:-)

Glad to help! You'll probably have a lot more Kindle vs. Kobo learning curve to negotiate before you're done

Don't forget to ask questions here before getting too frustrated with the differences.

Hopefully the Kobo/calibre goodies on offer (no jailbreaking required) will make it worth your effort in the long run.

WillW · 07-17-2019, 06:13 PM

I got to really like the Kobo u.i. - and the comfortlight pro - over the couple of days I played with the Clara last week, and as long as the H20 doesn't have any issues, then it's a done deal and I'm looking forward to its arrival.
Further reassured now I know how it meshes with C.

07-17-2019, 03:07 PM	#1
WillW Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 20 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Kindle paperwhite	First Kobo book purchase - where is it?! I’m picking up my new Kobo H20 on Monday, and thought I’d have a practice run at buying a book from the Kobo store, particularly as there’s £3 off the first purchase. I can find the book in “My Books” on Kobo desktop app, and it opens on the Mac, and presumably it will transfer to the H20 when I plug it in via the USB port. Will it..? I’d intended to use the Kobo the same way I’ve always used my Kindle, and Sony before it, offline, side loading books from the computer to the device by USB, via Calibre. I find my newly downloaded Kindle files in the My Kindle Content folder. But following the same route to the Kobo / Kobo Desktop Edition / Kepub folder, there is no kepub file. How do I find the kepub / epub file so that I can store it in the usual way (or convert for the Kindle should the H20 not be as good as I hope it will be)? I understand the file is DRM protected, but so are the Kindle files, yet they are readily accessible. Short version - where’s my book?

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07-17-2019, 03:18 PM	#2
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,166 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	If you use WiFi on your Kobo then purchased content will sync automatically to your device. If you connect via USB then when you launch Kobo Desktop, purchased content will sync to your device. Kobo Desktop downloads the content in kepub format with Kobo's own DRM system in use. The download files have a random looking númeric name with no extensions. Apprentice Alf / Harper do have tools to remove the DRM and add to calibre. Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

07-17-2019, 03:25 PM	#3
WillW Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 20 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Kindle paperwhite	Thanks. So will I be able to access an actual epub (Kepub) file from the device? Or will it be the same file (random looking numeric name) as on the Mac ? Calibre doesn't recognise this file.

07-17-2019, 04:19 PM	#5
WillW Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 20 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Kindle paperwhite	That's how I'm hoping it'll work. I use my Kindle pretty much the same way. I have Amazon deliver the book to my Kindle for Mac app (old version), then add it to Calibre from Kindle Content folder. But when I buy a book from Amazon this way, the book then EXISTS as an AZW3 file on my hard drive. The book I bought from Kobo doesn't exist as an epub, or kepub, on my hard drive. I thought Kobo was supposed to be the more open system, and Amazon the fenced in one. I've never been fenced in or restricted by Amazon (thanks to Calibre), yet I can't, it seems, get an ebook delivered to my computer by Kobo..

07-17-2019, 04:55 PM	#8
WillW Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 20 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Kindle paperwhite	Thanks Jackie_W. Sorted! The OBOK Icon was off the edge of the Calibre screen. I didn't know it was there. C. deals with Kindle books without the need to launch a separate applet. Learning curve... :-)

07-17-2019, 06:13 PM	#10
WillW Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 20 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Kindle paperwhite	I got to really like the Kobo u.i. - and the comfortlight pro - over the couple of days I played with the Clara last week, and as long as the H20 doesn't have any issues, then it's a done deal and I'm looking forward to its arrival. Further reassured now I know how it meshes with C.

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