drive or overdrive ?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've only ever used the Overdrive app on Windows to download audiobooks.

Me, too, so I didn’t have a clue as to what you meant. Borrow the book in the browser and launch OD. It doesn’t require signing in with your various cards.

Originally Posted by Dazrin

That's all the Windows "app" does. It's not even close to a full featured program.

Thank you!

[4691mls]

I have both the Overdrive and Libby Android apps on my phone. I find the Overdrive app better for browsing the library (it's similar to the Windows website) but Libby is better for reading (more adjustable, has search within book).

I will keep using the Overdrive app until it stops working.

[Froide]

I am dreading the discontinuation of OverDrive. While Libby is better suited to seeing and managing my holds, loans, renewals, returns across all of my accounts at multiple libraries at once, I much prefer OverDrive for reading and listening to audiobooks.

[JSWolf]

When mentioning the Overdrive app, please use Overdrive app so others do not get mixed up between Overdrive and the Overdrive app. nd please go back and edit your posts if they need to be edited to reflect the app.

[Renate]

The International Court of Justice should investigate Adobe for the Window Digital Editions app.
It's a completely bug-ridden piece of crap that has not been updated in six years.
It has known bugs that have people ripping out their hair.
It "forgets" to update activation.xml when you copy over an EPUB book to an attached device.
The hacked solution is to copy over a DRM PDF book.
I go to OverDrive, select "Advanced Search", select "PDF book", sort by popularity, go to the last page and select one of the least popular PDF books.
I just had to do that.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Renate

The International Court of Justice should investigate Adobe for the Window Digital Editions app.
It's a completely bug-ridden piece of crap that has not been updated in six years.

No updates to the app also means no updates to the DRM. I can live with that.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by jhowell

No updates to the app also means no updates to the DRM. I can live with that.

Yup, you're right there.

I may play fast and loose in some regards.
It's not Adobe or OverDrive's business which device or even how many devices I have a book on.
I do play it straight. I don't de-DRM, I read a book within the loaned time and I'm the only one who reads it.
So, is it a federal crime if I have a copy on my ereader and my phone?
(The answer is: probably.)

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Renate

The International Court of Justice should investigate Adobe for the Window Digital Editions app.
It's a completely bug-ridden piece of crap that has not been updated in six years.
It has known bugs that have people ripping out their hair.
It "forgets" to update activation.xml when you copy over an EPUB book to an attached device.
The hacked solution is to copy over a DRM PDF book.
I go to OverDrive, select "Advanced Search", select "PDF book", sort by popularity, go to the last page and select one of the least popular PDF books.
I just had to do that.

6 years? Last update to ADE (4.5.11) was in April 2020. Are we talking dog years?

As for needing to update activation.xml? I'm still using a copy of activation.xml from my Kobo Touch. Copying it from one ereader to the next saves me from having to call Adobe to get more activations when I add to my ereader collection. I've never had an issue with reading DRMed epubs when I copy them over from ADE that could be blamed on an outdated activation.xml. I admit that I am using an antique Adobe ID since the company that issued the email address I use hasn't existed for well over a decade.

Admittedly this is on Kobo ereaders. B&N ereaders may be different but then they are useless to me in any event.

Your rants are amusing though.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Renate

The International Court of Justice should investigate Adobe for the Window Digital Editions app.
It's a completely bug-ridden piece of crap that has not been updated in six years.
It has known bugs that have people ripping out their hair.
It "forgets" to update activation.xml when you copy over an EPUB book to an attached device.
The hacked solution is to copy over a DRM PDF book.
I go to OverDrive, select "Advanced Search", select "PDF book", sort by popularity, go to the last page and select one of the least popular PDF books.
I just had to do that.

100% WRONG! No court should investigate anything to do with ADE. And ADE was last updated in 2020. Once you have ADE activated, you do not need to ever update the activation.xml file.

You don't have to go looking for PDF on Overdrive. That's your issue, nothing to do with ADE.

[Renate]

The ICJ was a joke, but ADE is still pretty bad.

activation.xml contains <loan>a0c91904-16ff-c30c-961e-2566fa7eb199-4d89149a</loan> for each book that you have borrowed.
This file is updated every time that you add a borrowed book.
If it isn't updated you will get a message when attempting to open the book that no loan is registered.
Yes, it is related to "activation" but it also holds your loans.

Most people don't seem to have a problem with this. It's not clear why some minority do.

[crane3]

Does Overdrive have its own 'cloud'? I have Libby app & had borrowed an ebook & is at chaper 1 on the Tab 5e; I then uninstalled the Overdrive app on the Tab A7 & installed the Libby app from Google store. Then open Libby app on the A7 to setup it for my local library.

Surprised as the A7 Libby app got me into the library without my need to do anything &, importantly, displayed the boook that is on the powered off 5e & at the same page! Looks like that there is auto syncing with the Libby app; perhaps this was done by Google & the google cloud?

Don't know if it works with multiple borrowed books; but Google is more intrusive than I thought. I have not signed up or paid for any cloud service.
In the case for library books, it may be a boon; however, don't know syncing works if one is reading the book via the Adobe to epub or other reading app being selected.

But it is interesting as I do read different books on the separate devices & sometimes switch when I feel the need to have a device recharged. Someone is keeping track on my library readings.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by crane3

Someone is keeping track on my library readings.

Welcome to the 21st century!
You don't have to be a tinfoil hat wearing individual to realize this.
Kindle has been documented to monitor your page turns.
I mean, it's great data if you're on the receiving end of the data.
Why would anybody create an app except to sell you something or else scrape your data?

I use a custom ereader app and I don't connect my ereaders to the internet.
Nah, I'm not paranoid, I just don't need that.

[crane3]

My appologies. Libby doesn't track/sync between tablets or it does "sync" badly. My follow-up has me on ch 9 on a talbet, powered down, power-up opened the Libby app & Libby says 59% of book read; tapped the book & it shows ch 1; back to Libby & it shows 2% of book read.

Looks like Libby is not providing a free sync between devices.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Renate

The ICJ was a joke, but ADE is still pretty bad.

activation.xml contains <loan>a0c91904-16ff-c30c-961e-2566fa7eb199-4d89149a</loan> for each book that you have borrowed.
This file is updated every time that you add a borrowed book.
If it isn't updated you will get a message when attempting to open the book that no loan is registered.
Yes, it is related to "activation" but it also holds your loans.

Most people don't seem to have a problem with this. It's not clear why some minority do.

I was curious enough to do some testing (Windows 11). When I borrowed a book from the library and copied it to my Sage using ADE, it did add a <loan>....</loan> to the activation.xml file between <loanToken>....</loanToken>. Ditto for a purchase from Kobo downloaded as DRMmed ePub.

So if the <loan>...</loan> is not being created, you could have issues. OTOH, I deleted the <loan>...</loan> entries, added the two books again and both the <loan>...</loan> entries were recreated.

I then removed the activation.xml file from my Sage and added the blank one saved from my Touch a decade ago. Ejected and reconnect to my computer and ADE 4.5.11 shows my Sage as being activated and I was able to copy a purchased book and a library loan book to my Sage and open them successfully.

[Renate]

You're quite right, there is more to it than just the loan that I quoted.

<loanToken>
  <time>...</time>
  <user>...</user>
  <operatorURL>...</operatorURL>
  <licenseURL>...</licenseURL>
  <loan>...</loan>
  <signature>...</signature>
</loanToken>

There's also the manifest.xml file which keeps track of what page you're on.

Then under "C:\Users\Whoever\Documents\My Digital Editions" is a bunch of stuff.
For me, I see a Gigabyte of expired library books.

Well, I cleaned up a bunch of stuff. Then I copied over the book that I really wanted and activation.xml did not change at all. I then copied over "Curious George and the Pizza Party", a PDF (which got bad reviews) and it updated.