Talk:Kobo eReader

FAQ

Alrighty guys and gals, lets sift through the current bugs and quirks with the Kobo and make a master copy here describing the issue, and the workaround(s). It would be a good idea to link to the OLDEST thread on the issue in the FAQ, so people have a place for discussion if they feel the need, or have something new to contribute. Once we get this into shape, we can make a stick on the Kobo forum linking here, which should help us avoid the many redundant questions. I'm personally going to be busy until this weekend, but I'll at least check this discussion page and chime in when appropriate :) --Stinger 21:50, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

Fixed Calibre + DRM relationship note

"It is important to note that Calibre can only be used with ebooks that do not have a license enforced by Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology. For DRM-protected books you should use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer books to your Kobo eReader."

This is wrong. I'm 100% sure Calibre can handle ADE protected epub files fine, it just can't convert them to other formats. I'm not sure if this holds true for all the other forms of DRM though. Fix it up if you have more knowledge about that than I. --Stinger 01:31, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Thanks Stinger. Do you happen to know if Calibre can also transfer DRM protected books to the Kobo? If not, the FAQ should probably mention that. (BTW: What do you make if this: http://bugs.calibre-ebook.com/wiki/DRM ? See the section "Why does calibre not support DRM?")

Yep, it can transfer the files to devices just fine. That's just a simple copy operation (you could take the encrypted epubs from the "\Documents\My Digital Editions" folder and manually copy them to the Kobo yourself right? that's all Calibre does in this case). From that Wiki link: "If calibre were to support opening or viewing DRM files" --Stinger 02:35, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the clarification. I've never worked with a DRM protected ePub so I'm hazy on how Calibre handles them. I was under the impression the files had to be 'checked out' using ADE, but obviously that's not right. --Artificial 02:42, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Think of it this way: DRM essentially encases your book in a vault. When you load a book into ADE, it downloads this vault and stores it on your computer. Calibre (or you) can move/copy this vault wherever it wants, it just can't open it. ADE, or an (authorized) Kobo, has the metaphorical keys. --Stinger 03:16, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Gotcha! --Artificial 03:25, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Draft FAQ Questions

OK, here is a little list of topics I think might be included in the FAQ based on questions I see popping up frequently. Feel free to edit the list as required. --Artificial 00:21, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Great framework Arti. Suggestion: I think there should be separate question about using ADE in general. Then we can just mentioned the download link for a particular store where necessary and refer to the main ADE question for the rest. --Stinger 00:43, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Cool, that makes sense. Will save repeating the same info in multiple FAQs. I've never used ADE though, so I'll leave to someone else to write that one. --Artificial 01:23, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Cool, have to say this talk page seems rather cumbersome :P +1 for IRC. Anyway, we should also list what's confirmed to be on the upcoming firmware from kobo reps, as well as what isn't. I can't speak for everyone, but i'm willing to bet a lot of people are asking that question. --Bismar 03:35, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

You can setup a channel on one of the free networks if you want Bismar. I don't really want to go through the trouble for just a couple people, as my IRC Jedi powers are a bit rusty. I'll brush up if there's more demand though. --Stinger 03:38, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

I deleted the 2 questions that were merged into the article, No real need for them to be here anymore. --Stinger 01:38, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

---

Q. How can I change the line spacing of my epub books?
A. [Explain that there is no inbuilt way to achieve this. Describe steps to manually unpack the ePub and edit the CSS stylesheet. Note: this solution might be too 'techy' for the 'average' user? I've just noticed several people complain about line spacing, which i imagine can be controlled using the CSS line-height property.]

Q. Can I read DRM protected ePubs on my Kobo eReader if I bought them from a store other than Kobo/Borders/Whitcoulls?
A. Yes, unless the book was purchased at Barnes & Noble [Explain what makes B&N different? Link to the "how to use ADE" FAQ question for instuctions about transferring books to the Kobo eReader.]

Q. How do I charge my Kobo eReader?
A. [This may sound like a dumb idea for an FAQ, but in the Kobo user guide is scant information charging the device. Explain charging via USB or via a third-party wall charger. Explain the purpose of the red charging light (when it turns red the device is supposed to be charged). Explain that the battery has no 'memory' and there is no need to deplete the battery fully before recharging it.]

Q. Where can I buy books to read on my Kobo eReader?
A. [I'm not sure if this is an appropriate question for an FAQ, and its answer will be constantly changing. But I have noticed a lot of new Kobo purchasers ask this question.]

Q. What case will fit my Kobo eReader if I can't get an official case?
A. [Link to modified DVD case]

Pedantic Question

The wiki has How do I install ePub files I got from somewhere other than the Kobo stores?

Surely ALL ePub files are installed the same way regardless of being from Kobo or elsewhere. Through use of ADE, Calibre or direct copying to the Kobo. --Petert 05:38, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

ePubs purchased from Kobo are "officially" meant to be installed via the Kobo Desktop Application. Unfortunately the desktop app ONLY supports ePubs purchased from Kobo. I think the implicit assumption of that FAQ is that you should use the Kobo Desktop App for Kobo books, and one of the methods you mentioned for everything else. Does that answer your question? I agree that the FAQ should mention ADE and drag'n'drop, instead of only focussing on Calibre (EDIT: done) --Artificial 05:52, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

My problem is that ePubs are a standard format; files that have the extension (on windows) of ".epub". The Kobo desktop does NOT support ePub files; only those stored in the propietary Kobo SQL database.

So with Kobo it all depends on what format you choose to download. If the book offers a "Download ePub" link, then this downloads the acsmfile that in turn prompts ADE to download the real book. If on the other hand you select the "Add to my Library" option, the book has to be accessed via the Kobo Desktop. --Petert 13:23, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

OK, I think I see where you are coming from. So you would prefer that the FAQ was worded 'How do I install ePub files?'. Sounds fair enough to me. --Artificial 21:32, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Good call Peter. I still think the section needs a little work. The title doesn't need the "somewhere other than the Kobo stores?" part. The first line already mentions the limits of the desktop app, and like Peter mentioned above, you CAN download epubs through ADE from the KoboBooks store as well, so all 3 methods will also work with any Kobo books too. We just need to explain the 2 download options consumers have; Injecting into the database using the desktop app, or ADE epub downloads. --Stinger 21:45, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

I changed the title of the FAQ. I also changed the word 'install' to 'transfer', since technically an ePub is not 'installed' on the Kobo eReader. If that seems too pedantic feel free to change it back. --Artificial 01:20, 17 June 2010 (UTC)

It's possible to obtain books from Kobo itself without using "their" desktop app at all. Open a standard web browser to kobobooks.com and the purchased books will have a "download" link for use with Adobe Digital Editions - these can be used with the same software as is used to download library books or other protected material. This would (I expect) be necessary for Win2000 users, where ADE seems to still work but all other Kobo-related apps are broken (because they require WinXP, Linux or Mac). --Carlb 18:37, 23 February 2011 (EST)

wifi vs. original version?

Perhaps this text should make it clearer that there are two different devices with the "Kobo eReader" branding; one has wi-fi, the other Bluetooth. They're not the same device and do not accept the same firmware, despite their various similarities.

A set of external links to places like Calibre, ADE, Gutenberg, Feedbooks and the like might also be a useful addition (either in the article itself or, if a separate page exists for free ePub book sources on this wiki, as an internal link directly to that page)? --Carlb 18:33, 23 February 2011 (EST)

Language in book store

I bought my Glo in France because Kobo UK will not ship outside the UK. It set to English without problems except that the book store only shown French language titles. I can't find a way to replace it with the English book store. Therefore I can't buy any books from Kobo.