Kindle integration w/Auckland public libraries

Forums › eBook readers, portable media players › Kindle integration w/Auckland public libraries - advice sought

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Reply # 1919268 13-Dec-2017 19:49

Gilco2:
jonathan18: A problem with Kobo is the narrower selection of books available to purchase compared to Kindle. Of course, one can purchase Kindle books and convert them using Calibre. But this also deletes the otherwise easy purchasing and automatic downloading of native titles.

Personally, I reckon be most influenced by the source of books: if a majority will be library rentals, but a Kobo; a Kindle if intending to purchase most titles.

My son has a Kobo, and the use of ADE to transfer tittles is enough to put him off using it regularly. I love the idea of having Oversrive built in, but I imagine their top model doesn’t come cheap...

My Kobo I buy the book from web and when I open Kobo it is there, just select download and it is downloaded on kobo quickly, no ADE to worry about. Only need ADE if you are going to convert it. Can even buy from Kobo itself. Couldnt be easier. Kobo Glo is mine

Sorry, I was talking specifically about borrowing library books, which do require the use of ADE. It is a frustrating additional step, in particular having to physically connect the Kobo to the laptop etc. it’s just so much easier borrowing library mags on the iPad, for example, where the same app (eg RB Digital, PressReader) can be used to find, download and read...

JimmyH

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Reply # 1919316 13-Dec-2017 21:19

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jonathan18: A problem with Kobo is the narrower selection of books available to purchase compared to Kindle. Of course, one can purchase Kindle books and convert them using Calibre. But this also deletes the otherwise easy purchasing and automatic downloading of native titles.

I have a slightly older model of Kobo Aura, which I bought in 2014 to replace my keyboard kindle, and I love it. The screen and battery life are good, and the ability to add a microSD card is nice if you have a lot of books and are traveling. Plus, it will read .mobi as well as .epub books.

Regarding conversion, you should do this anyway when you purchase a book, as it removes the DRM. Amazon has shown a few times that it's not above removing purchased books from kindles, or even deleting owner's whole libraries. Creating a DRM-free copy avoids this risk, and makes it much easier to trasfer purchased books onto a new ereaders when you eventually update. Unless you remove the DRM, you don't truly own that book you "purchased".

Bung

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Reply # 1919332 13-Dec-2017 22:10

JimmyH:
I have a slightly older model of Kobo Aura, which I bought in 2014 to replace my keyboard kindle, and I love it. The screen and battery life are good, and the ability to add a microSD card is nice if you have a lot of books and are traveling. Plus, it will read .mobi as well as .epub books.

The Kobo will only read drm free mobi. The ability to strip the drm usually goes hand in hand with conversion software.

PhantomNVD

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Reply # 1919340 13-Dec-2017 23:14

I subscribe to several free ‘indy’ book sites and have never had a problem converting Epubs or PDF’s via the amazon email converter... they’re usually loaded within 3 mins, and often already waiting in my kindle app. The iPhone kindle app also has ‘open in Kindle’ as an option, and this seems to side load the books into my kindle account... so much so that I had to add parental controls to my Sons account-linked Kindle Paperwhite2 so he (at 9YO) didn’t end up getting all the unsuitable/unknown content before I previewed it for him.

YMMV

jamesrt

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Reply # 1919392 14-Dec-2017 09:12

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For my 0.02c worth, I've personally found the Kindle Hardware to be much more reliable that the Kobo hardware.

My original Kindle is still trucking along after several years; whereas we've been through 3 Kobos that have all unexpectedly died in the same period.

Gorch

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Reply # 1919420 14-Dec-2017 09:26

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In the US you Overdrive is compatible with Kindle - see here for a help page.

Will probably never happen here seeing so much of our publishing and rights are aligned with UK/EU rather than US, but interesting that Amazon has enabled the tech on some level.

Bung

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Reply # 1919440 14-Dec-2017 10:07

Rather than Overdrive being compatible with Kindle I believe Overdrive passes the request over to an Amazon service to supply the Kindle loan copy. That would probably restrict available titles to those that Amazon also has distribution rights to.

Eurochild

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Reply # 1926584 29-Dec-2017 15:35

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OP here, ended up going with the Kobo Aura One under the Christmas tree. 399 from Noel Leemings (no need to tell me about post Christmas sales thanks).

So far so good. Overdrive integration with Auckland Libraries was a snap (though initially the search functionality has been a bit fiddly) and it’s a pleasant device ergonomically. Light and I like the grippy rubber back. So we’re happy with it.

Caveats being that I haven’t tried any Kindles at any length (the physical pageturn buttons sound appealing) and the price doesn’t make it the cheapest. But for someone who reads library eBooks enough to justify the price it seems just the ticket.

For myself I’m not sure I’ll ever go to the eInk side, too often I’m reading books and papers with diagrams and graphics. So will stick to the iPad and paper for now. But it’s a neat device.

Cheers

Senecio

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Reply # 1926608 29-Dec-2017 17:03

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I also went with the Auro One for the wife. 29th of December and she's already onto her 3rd library book so I'd consider it money well spent.

rosco62

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Reply # 1926696 29-Dec-2017 20:09

Eurochild: OP here, ended up going with the Kobo Aura One under the Christmas tree. 399 from Noel Leemings (no need to tell me about post Christmas sales thanks).

So far so good. Overdrive integration with Auckland Libraries was a snap (though initially the search functionality has been a bit fiddly) and it’s a pleasant device ergonomically. Light and I like the grippy rubber back. So we’re happy with it.

Caveats being that I haven’t tried any Kindles at any length (the physical pageturn buttons sound appealing) and the price doesn’t make it the cheapest. But for someone who reads library eBooks enough to justify the price it seems just the ticket.

For myself I’m not sure I’ll ever go to the eInk side, too often I’m reading books and papers with diagrams and graphics. So will stick to the iPad and paper for now. But it’s a neat device.

Cheers

Sounds good, checkout "borrow box" it's the other app that they have for borrowing from the library, has some different titles and authors than overdrive.

jonathan18

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Reply # 1950544 2-Feb-2018 09:36

I’ve been keen on buying a Kobo Aura One to replace my old, low-res non-front lit Kindle Touch,the Kobo brand chosen for its compatibility with public library loans, and this model specifically for the built-in OverDrive. I know I’ll use it much more without the hassle of having to use a computer and ADE every time I want to borrow a book.

What’s surprised me is how little the price of the One fluctuates - the OP mentioned paying full price before Xmas from NL and the likelihood they’d drop the price in post-Xmas sales, but that didn’t happen - it looks like they’ve never had it on sale, and when I asked them what discount I’d get through my work-based arrangement it was $1 off a $400 product!

The one local retailer that I’d trust enough to buy from and has it regularly on sale is Mighty Ape - they have it for $360 this morning, not far off their cheapest of $350. Time to pull the trigger...

jonathan18

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Reply # 1959023 16-Feb-2018 11:06

Our Kobo Aura One arrived last week, and the OverDrive integration is pretty good - once the Kobo firmware is updated that is (eg, prior to this couldn’t filter to show solely books available via the library system).

Biggest issue, though, is some poor built-in lighting. This model features lighting that changes tone towards dusk, but our one seems to have an LED that doesn’t change/stays on meaning a blue tint in part of the screen, as per the photo below. Not ok on an ereader costing close to $400, so have arranged to return it hopefully for a new one.

Senecio

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Reply # 1959286 16-Feb-2018 18:05

Disappointing to see that. My wife’s only gripe with her Aura One is the battery life. She charges it almost weekly where her last ereader would go months between charges.

itxtme

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Reply # 1959374 16-Feb-2018 22:45

Senico is that because the old one had no backlight?

Paul1977

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Reply # 1973894 13-Mar-2018 11:41

Is there any way to borrow an epub from the library that you can then convert in Calibre for use on a Kindle? E.g. "Borrow" it onto an iPad and then somehow transfer to PC for conversion?

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