make kobo and nook play nice without ade!
January 5, 2013 3:04 PM Subscribe
Help me read Kobo eBooks on a Nook Tablet. Snowflake problem: Ubuntu.
I'm actually posting on behalf of a customer in my bookstore, but being our store's go-to tech support person, I'm interested in knowing how we can work around this issue.
She wants to buy Kobo eBooks, since they're our provider and she wants to support our bookstore. She recently purchased a Nook Tablet and does not want to buy another device. Her home computer is running Ubuntu.
Normally one would just install Adobe Digital Editions on a Mac/PC and use that to transfer files to the Nook, but ADE is not available for Ubuntu. I explained how WINE works, but it didn't seem like an ideal solution.
Also, there isn't a Kobo app available for the Nook like there is for Android/iPad etc., so there is no way to open eBooks directly on the Nook if they are Adobe DRM files.
And the Kobo and B&N phone support people were about as helpful as you'd expect them to be.
tl;dr Help us find a way to open Kobo eBooks on a Nook Tablet without the use of Adobe Digital Editions.
I'm actually posting on behalf of a customer in my bookstore, but being our store's go-to tech support person, I'm interested in knowing how we can work around this issue.
She wants to buy Kobo eBooks, since they're our provider and she wants to support our bookstore. She recently purchased a Nook Tablet and does not want to buy another device. Her home computer is running Ubuntu.
Normally one would just install Adobe Digital Editions on a Mac/PC and use that to transfer files to the Nook, but ADE is not available for Ubuntu. I explained how WINE works, but it didn't seem like an ideal solution.
Also, there isn't a Kobo app available for the Nook like there is for Android/iPad etc., so there is no way to open eBooks directly on the Nook if they are Adobe DRM files.
And the Kobo and B&N phone support people were about as helpful as you'd expect them to be.
tl;dr Help us find a way to open Kobo eBooks on a Nook Tablet without the use of Adobe Digital Editions.
Calibre is the answer, but it won't strip DRM from the files by default; she'll have to install plugins for that. Once those plugins are installed, Calibre will convert the ebook files to whatever format she likes and transfer them to her Nook without much hassle.
For further info, MobileRead's a good source.
posted by asperity at 5:29 PM on January 5, 2013
For further info, MobileRead's a good source.
posted by asperity at 5:29 PM on January 5, 2013
Oh -- actually, I'm not sure she'll be able to download the files at all without ADE or software that incorporates the ADE stuff in itself (Sony's reader software does this). So Calibre will handle the conversion, but not the initial download of the file -- for that, she's going to need ADE.
posted by asperity at 5:31 PM on January 5, 2013
posted by asperity at 5:31 PM on January 5, 2013
Best answer: Easiest thing might just be for her to follow these instructions.
posted by asperity at 5:40 PM on January 5, 2013
posted by asperity at 5:40 PM on January 5, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks, all. I should have mentioned that she isn't the most tech-savvy person (I think it was her husband that installed Ubuntu on their computers) so Calibre and WINE are beyond her, and that she was really just looking for a way to open the books directly from her Nook Tablet. All of y'all's good advice really confirms what we already know: that this is an impossible wish.
However, it is helpful for me should I receive future questions of this nature! :)
posted by wintersonata9 at 7:26 PM on January 5, 2013
However, it is helpful for me should I receive future questions of this nature! :)
posted by wintersonata9 at 7:26 PM on January 5, 2013
Perhaps her husband can set the system for her, combining ADE and Calibre+plugins, as that is the only way that I know of to do this. Once it is set up, it is very easy to run.
The only other option is for her to restrict her Kobo-books purchases to books without DRM -- there are some publishers who have actively chosen to sell books through Kobo without DRM, and these can be downloaded directly from the Kobo webpage as an epub file. But, obviously, this is a restricted catalogue - though luckily for SF&F fans, all of the Tor books are now DRM-free.
posted by jb at 9:08 AM on January 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
The only other option is for her to restrict her Kobo-books purchases to books without DRM -- there are some publishers who have actively chosen to sell books through Kobo without DRM, and these can be downloaded directly from the Kobo webpage as an epub file. But, obviously, this is a restricted catalogue - though luckily for SF&F fans, all of the Tor books are now DRM-free.
posted by jb at 9:08 AM on January 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh - I just noticed that she has a Nook tablet (as opposed to the ereader). Is it Android based? Can she get the Kobo reading app? If the Nook Tablet allows you to install Kobo app, then she should be able to read all of her Kobo books (and it will sync more easily).
posted by jb at 9:10 AM on January 7, 2013
posted by jb at 9:10 AM on January 7, 2013
Sorry - just re-read and realised no app. Please disregard.
posted by jb at 9:11 AM on January 7, 2013
posted by jb at 9:11 AM on January 7, 2013
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posted by jeather at 3:24 PM on January 5, 2013