which e-ink devices allow direct download from PG?

[rjnagle]

Hi, there, I have multiple ebook devices -- including an ipad. I'm thinking of buying a reader for my 11 year old nephew this summer.

Must: epub, not Kindle, good overdrive integration. Under 150$

I'm looking at the Sony Wireless Reader PRS-T1 for its overdrive integration, but I don't see any easy way to access PG.

There's one feature I've seen in some of the software solutions like Stanza and Bluefire which I don't seem to find anywhere else: easy ability to access Project Gutenberg (and to a site like feedbooks or manybooks).

The e-ink devices just don't seem to do this, and not even the Kindle Fires or Nook tablets do (if I recall).

Another thing. I know that I could use the web browser to download from PG. But it is not easy (and some ebook readers like Nook Simple Touch don't let you download ebooks directly from the device's browser).

Can you recommend an ebook reader which provides the best solution for this problem. Put simply, my nephew won't download PG titles if he needs to use calibre or if he needs to find content via web browser. I'd prefer that he do all his searching/browsing via the device itself, not some other device.

As an aside, I have to wonder how hard it would be for the device makers to include a shortcut link to here http://m.gutenberg.org/ebooks/?format=mobile

[Dulin's Books]

im not sure i understand. are you saying he wont use a browser?

[rjnagle]

There are billions of web pages to go to (and if he wanted web surfing, he'd rather do it from the laptop). Maybe my concern is simply that devices have the ability to have shortcuts to URLs -- I'm assuming that I can set a home page for the browser?

I just looked at my Nook Simple Touch. It used to have a web browser via the Search button, but apparently a firmware update removed it. WTF?!

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by rjnagle

As an aside, I have to wonder how hard it would be for the device makers to include a shortcut link to here http://m.gutenberg.org/ebooks/?format=mobile

Most of them don't want to do this - after all, Wifi devices usually are bound to a shop, and you're supposed to use the shop, and not some other site.

I've just downloaded a book from m.gutenberg.org (Sherlock Holmes epub) on my Story HD, using my WebPortal mod (by default the reader has only the shop, and the browser doesn't download books from other site).

Unfortunately even with the mod it does not work particularly well. This is mainly because that site sucks. While it may be targeting mobile devices, it's certainly not targeting eink screens (what with javascript smooth autoscroll effects); the input search field for some reason does not work (although it worked so far for me on all other sites - it works fine in the non-mobile version too). And what's worst, the epubs you download aren't named properly; the Sherlock Holmes epub ended up being 'pg1661.epub'. Testing on the PC with Firefox, it suggests the same name.

That's suboptimal, but not the fault of the reader, it's the site itself. I'd have to adapt my WebPortal mod to unzip this epub, look at the metadata, in order to be able to give the file a proper name - - basically what Calibre does when you do this on the PC...

[rjnagle]

frostschutz, you are so right. I absolutely hate the fact that all ebook files are labeled inscrutable things like pg1661.epub.

It would be a relatively trivial thing for device vendors to cooperate with PG to allow for a smooth user experience. Better yet, I wish the stores for these vendors actually allowed for easy browsing of PD titles on their sites. Seriously guys, does Amazon or BN feel threatened by works more than 100 years old?

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by rjnagle

It would be a relatively trivial thing for device vendors to cooperate with PG to allow for a smooth user experience. Better yet, I wish the stores for these vendors actually allowed for easy browsing of PD titles on their sites. Seriously guys, does Amazon or BN feel threatened by works more than 100 years old?

Amazon has many public domain books available for free on their site, as do Google and Kobo, I'm not familiar with B&N or Sony. They do allow for easy browsing of PD titles on their sites, do a search for "free classics" and you'll find pages of ebooks offered. In fact, Kobo eReaders come with 100 free public domain books loaded on them. You can also find many public domain books available right here on MobileRead. If you aren't downloading public domain books from one of the bookstores to a compatible device, you'll have to use a browser, either on the device or on a computer. Instructions for downloading Project Gutenberg books to eReaders: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenb...Devices_How-To

[frostschutz]

Downloading books from MobileRead works just fine, gives good filenames also (uploaders choose proper names for their stuff here). I've never actually used the gutenberg site before today

[rjnagle]

Let me just say: it's not as easy as it looks. On the Kindle store, the search button is a cumbersome way to find things. I just tried accessing the mobile site as a bookmarked URL. Well, luckily the javascript on the PG site isn't too heavy for the kindle to handle....

[Synamon]

Free ain't easy.

AFAIK only Sony allows direct downloads from Overdrive for library books, so if that's important to you then your decision is made. If public domain books are more important then Kobo is cheap and simple and comes pre-loaded with 100 public domain books. If you want the best access to public domain books via a bookstore, Kindle might be your best bet, but it fails your epub requirement. If your nephew likes science fiction, he can email ebooks from Baen's free library directly to a Kindle, or you can even use the email option to send him free books you've downloaded for him from Project Gutenberg or other sites. None of the e-ink readers have everything, you'll have to compromise.

[speakingtohe]

Pretty sure PRS T1 will download gutenburg books although I haven't tried it. I prefer sideloading from calibre. Just me perhaps.

Helen

[Dulin's Books]

onyx and pocketbook devices can both be used to download books from PG through their browser. Both will allow you to set book marks. Onyx's browser is much easier to use and you can save an Icon to the browser start page that you can then click each time to get to the website you want to go to. for instance i keep google , wikipedia, a sci magazine site i download from and PG on mine. Files you download land in hte "downloads" file as you would expect

Both companies devices allow you to rename a file on the device so you dont need anything like calibre etc. and both allow you to move files around on the device from one folder to another etc.

there are other companies whose devices have browsers decent enough to enable you to get to gutenberg and download. Sony should..

i havent used the mobile version of PG for anything. i just use the regular page

[Synamon]

If you really can't cope with the browser option on an eReader, then you can put the Magic Catalog for Project Gutenberg (mobi or epub) on an eReader. You use the eReader's own search function to look for the book you want within the document and when you click on the link for a book it will download directly to your wifi eReader.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Synamon

If you really can't cope with the browser option on an eReader, then you can put the Magic Catalog for Project Gutenberg (mobi or epub) on an eReader. You use the eReader's own search function to look for the book you want within the document and when you click on the link for a book it will download directly to your wifi eReader.

We live in amazing times.

helen

[davidrothman]

Not just Gutenberg (as valuable as it is) but ANY site. Here's to a nice, easy OPDS solution. http://opds-spec.org/

David Rothman
LibraryCity.org

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by Synamon

Free ain't easy.

AFAIK only Sony allows direct downloads from Overdrive for library books, so if that's important to you then your decision is made. If public domain books are more important then Kobo is cheap and simple and comes pre-loaded with 100 public domain books. If you want the best access to public domain books via a bookstore, Kindle might be your best bet, but it fails your epub requirement. If your nephew likes science fiction, he can email ebooks from Baen's free library directly to a Kindle, or you can even use the email option to send him free books you've downloaded for him from Project Gutenberg or other sites. None of the e-ink readers have everything, you'll have to compromise.

It's very easy. The Sony T1 has a web browser. It allows direct downloads from the browser and not just from Overdrive. You can download public domain EPUB files from Project Gutenberg, although personally I prefer to download them from Feedbooks. I like the formatting of their books better. I attached a screen capture of the mobile Project Gutenberg home page. I also attached a screen capture of a random book. All you do is open the book description and then select the Download in EPUB option and it magically shows up on the T1's home screen and your book list.

It also doesn't matter whether the books have DRM or not. Sony has their own bookstore which is easy to purchase books from (no different than buying books from Amazon on my Kindle or B&N on my Nook). But, you can also download purchases from the Kobo website through the T1 browser. I can download attachments from email, both from Google Mail and my ISP webmail. I can download files from my Dropbox account which is a method many are using to transfer files wirelessly from the computer to the T1.

Direct searching and download from your public library's Overdrive site is just the icing on the cake.