Verboten purchase downloads

Greg Anos · 11-14-2013, 07:28 PM

I recently tried to buy a comic ebook (Bloom County) from both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Neither one of them would let me download the ebook to my pc.

Does anyone hear know why? Somehow, there is a class of books that are verboten on anything but a e-reader/tablet...

AnemicOak · 11-14-2013, 07:40 PM

Occasionally I've run across books that only work on certain devices or apps. Generally something that's 'fixed format' where the suppliers haven't added that functionality to all apps yet.

For Bloom County it looks like the Nook Win 8 app works with it, so I guess that's an option for some PC's. (B&N isn't developing their regular Windows app any more) For Kindle it can be read in a browser using the Cloud Reader, but that seems the only possible PC solution right now. For Kobo it looks like iOS and Android only too.

fjtorres · 11-14-2013, 08:03 PM

I checked the first Calvin and Hobbes compilation at Amazon and it lists what devices it runs on. No mention of Kindle for PC, only Kindle for Win8. But that one does allow downloads of a sort, I hear.

Jessica Lares · 11-14-2013, 09:46 PM

It won't let you open most of the large format books in the Cloud Reader. Not all comic strips are fixed format. I looked at a For Better or Worse the other day, and most of the strips are done in a way where the Sunday strips are actually multiple rows. So when you have it in portrait mode, you see the full thing, and then two rows of it in landscape on a Kindle (in my case Paperwhite).

Bloom County is fixed though, and REALLY fixed. There's one one comic per page and LOTS of wasted space. Doesn't even make sense as an eBook.

Greg Anos · 11-15-2013, 08:08 AM

So in order to buy the book, I have to buy either Win8 (which I don't want, at over $100), or a new ebook reader, which I don't want (at $70 to $100).

(And it is book dependent. I bought and downloaded a Dilbert book, no problem.)

What a bunch of blithering idiots...

cromag · 11-17-2013, 01:32 AM

I've run into something like this at Barnes & Noble. They won't allow magazines -- at least, the ones I subscribe to -- to be downloaded to the PC, but I can download them to my tablet via Nook for Android. And then I can move them to my PC or ereader. The only reason I've seen for this is "special formatting" but it displays just fine on my ereader.

I suspect it's mostly comics and magazines. At least, I've never encountered it with a book.

It's an annoyance, but I already had a couple of tablets, so I can live with it.

forsooth · 11-17-2013, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

So in order to buy the book, I have to buy either Win8 (which I don't want, at over $100), or a new ebook reader, which I don't want (at $70 to $100).

(And it is book dependent. I bought and downloaded a Dilbert book, no problem.)

What a bunch of blithering idiots...

They never listen.

11-14-2013, 07:28 PM	#1
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,492 Karma: 37057604 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	Verboten purchase downloads I recently tried to buy a comic ebook (Bloom County) from both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Neither one of them would let me download the ebook to my pc. Does anyone hear know why? Somehow, there is a class of books that are verboten on anything but a e-reader/tablet...

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11-14-2013, 07:40 PM	#2
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Occasionally I've run across books that only work on certain devices or apps. Generally something that's 'fixed format' where the suppliers haven't added that functionality to all apps yet. For Bloom County it looks like the Nook Win 8 app works with it, so I guess that's an option for some PC's. (B&N isn't developing their regular Windows app any more) For Kindle it can be read in a browser using the Cloud Reader, but that seems the only possible PC solution right now. For Kobo it looks like iOS and Android only too.

11-14-2013, 08:03 PM	#3
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	I checked the first Calvin and Hobbes compilation at Amazon and it lists what devices it runs on. No mention of Kindle for PC, only Kindle for Win8. But that one does allow downloads of a sort, I hear.

11-14-2013, 09:46 PM	#4
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	It won't let you open most of the large format books in the Cloud Reader. Not all comic strips are fixed format. I looked at a For Better or Worse the other day, and most of the strips are done in a way where the Sunday strips are actually multiple rows. So when you have it in portrait mode, you see the full thing, and then two rows of it in landscape on a Kindle (in my case Paperwhite). Bloom County is fixed though, and REALLY fixed. There's one one comic per page and LOTS of wasted space. Doesn't even make sense as an eBook.

11-15-2013, 08:08 AM	#5
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,492 Karma: 37057604 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	So in order to buy the book, I have to buy either Win8 (which I don't want, at over $100), or a new ebook reader, which I don't want (at $70 to $100). (And it is book dependent. I bought and downloaded a Dilbert book, no problem.) What a bunch of blithering idiots...

11-17-2013, 01:32 AM	#6
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,026 Karma: 459735575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I've run into something like this at Barnes & Noble. They won't allow magazines -- at least, the ones I subscribe to -- to be downloaded to the PC, but I can download them to my tablet via Nook for Android. And then I can move them to my PC or ereader. The only reason I've seen for this is "special formatting" but it displays just fine on my ereader. I suspect it's mostly comics and magazines. At least, I've never encountered it with a book. It's an annoyance, but I already had a couple of tablets, so I can live with it.

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