Audiobooks discussion
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Time for a New Device? - Need Advice
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Janet
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Jun 10, 2015 08:09AM
Although I have an old Sansa Clip, I broke the clip and since then I've been doing all my audio listening on my iPhone. This has worked well for me until this week when I got 4 Overdrive audiobooks from the library holds list at one time. I can't possibly listen to them all in 14 days. One of my friends suggested downloading them to my Clip because they wouldn't expire and I could take my time with them. However, I've also switched from PC to Mac and there seem to be some incompatibilities preventing file transfer. I'm thinking about buying an iPod or would the Overdrive audiobooks expire on an iPod? Any and all advice appreciated. I'm not much of a techy so the path of least resistance is probably the best even if I have to fork over for another device.
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I use a Sansa and a Zune. With both of those devices, I can "take my time" listening to audio books because they do not expire, BUT you cannot transfer the audio books to another device. As I have been through a few Sansa's (they are hardy, but not immortal), I have purchased memory cards and use them to hold my audio books -- once again, they cannot be transferred from the memory card to any other location (either another card or another device). Your Mac should interface with the Sansa, but, once again, the audio books will not be transferable from one device to another. You'll need to download them to your Mac before your borrowing period expires. Overdrive works with all devices, though people here on GR say their mobile device apps do not always work smoothly.I'm not certain it is time for a new device (the Q in your subject line), but without hurrying to make a decision, put the books on the Sansa and do not force yourself to rush to a yay or nay decision on the iPod.
I can't get them to load on the Sansa from the Mac.
I have an older iPod Touch and I can confirm that library books downloaded through the Overdrive App do expire. Before the Overdrive App, I used to download books to a Windows PC and then from there to the iPod using the Overdrive software (console?) on the PC. I'd have to change my iTunes settings to "manually manage music" until I finished the book, otherwise syncing with ITunes would wipe it out.
I listened to the downloaded book using iTunes on the iPod (can't remember if it showed up as an audiobook or playlist) which is pretty barebones compared to the Overdrive App. I'm not positive, but I think the library books downloaded this way remained available on the iPod past their expiration - it seems like they didn't get removed until the next time I used the Windows Overdrive software to download another book; so, you'd be fine until you needed to download the next library book :-).
Hopefully another iPod user can correct me if I'm misremembering how this works; but even If I am remembering correctly, you can see the iPod isn't exactly an elegant solution to trying to time shift library loans.
I have an ipod touch and Donna is correct - books do expire on the Overdrive App once the due date comes up (if you turn on the wifi). Personally, I download my Ovedrive books onto my PC with the Overdrive App and then use Sound Taxi to covert them so they don't expire. I always delete them directly after I listen to them though so my intent is honorable I just don't always have time to listen to them right away :)
Maybe I will try to download Overdrive to my work PC and transfer my borrowed audiobooks to the Sansa from there....
Janet wrote: "Although I have an old Sansa Clip, I broke the clip and since then I've been doing all my audio listening on my iPhone. This has worked well for me until this week when I got 4 Overdrive audiobook..."Some Overdrive audiobooks will allow you to burn them to CD (which I would assume don't "expire") -- is that an option for you?
I've never had a problem with moving files to other mediums. Of course- I don't transfer with any kind of software (nor do I have Sansas or iProducts), so perhaps that is the issue.
Set up a Google Drive, upload from smartphone, PC, tablet any device on the net. Download same. The last MP3 book I uploaded did not count against my free space allotment. Go crazy.
If anyone is looking for a great Audible player, the Fire phone is on sale for $159. That includes your nect year's Prime membership so the phone is $60.http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00OC0USA6...
I'd be interested in any solutions to this. I download audiobooks through Overdrive on to a tablet for my mother. I take this into her nursing home where she doesn't have any wifi and the books still expire when they come to the end of their term. She was surprised to find they had just disappeared! I'd renewed them by then but had to take the tablet home again to re-download them via our wifi.
Ruth wrote: "I'd be interested in any solutions to this. I download audiobooks through Overdrive on to a tablet for my mother. I take this into her nursing home where she doesn't have any wifi and the books sti..."I ended up putting them on my Sansa Clip...for some reason they don't expire on there but I'm quickly running out of space. I don't see any memory card in mine. Do they all have them and I'm just not seeing it? It would be nice to have some extra storage.
Ruth wrote: "I'd be interested in any solutions to this. I download audiobooks through Overdrive on to a tablet for my mother. I take this into her nursing home where she doesn't have any wifi and the books sti..."Move them to another folder, and use a different player. I routinely use Smart Audiobook Player. As I have a specific folder that it looks at- I will download a book via Overdrive, then move it to the other folder. It will not expire in this new folder; although Overdrive will tell you so.
This way I still have time to listen to everything, as my HOLDS on Overdrive tend to become available all at the same time.
Natalie wrote: "Move them to another folder, and use a different player. I routinely use Smart Audiobook Player. As I have a specific folder that it looks at- I will download a book via Overdrive, then move it to the other folder. It will not expire in this new folder; although Overdrive will tell you so. ..."That sounds good, Natalie. Thank-you - I'll try that next time I download a book for her.
I contacted SanDisk for advice on additional storage for my Sansa Clip+. They say it can accommodate 32GB but they only recommend 16GB....any idea why?
Janet do you have iTunes on your PC? I download MP3s (will only work for MP3 format) using Overdrive onto my PC. Then open up iTunes and transfer the book from Overdrive to iTunes. Once in iTunes it will not expire. I move books as needed onto my device (iPod or now Samsung phone), and then delete them from iTunes when I'm done listening.
I use a Mac except at work where I'm not permitted to download Overdrive. I've got an old PC at home that I fear will crash any day that I've been using to transfer audiobooks from Overdrive to my Sansa Clip+
Janet wrote: "I contacted SanDisk for advice on additional storage for my Sansa Clip+. They say it can accommodate 32GB but they only recommend 16GB....any idea why?"I don't know the why, I have seen that 16GB limit mentioned. Get another Clip Plus or Clip Zip (also takes micro SD cards). I just got a refurb'd Zip + SD card from a seller on ebay for $33.
I have a 32 GB microSD card in my Clip Zip. If the card is anywhere near full (mine is maybe 80% full), it takes a LONG time to refresh the files when you take out and reinsert the card. Like... 5+ minutes where you can't do anything but wait. I imagine it wouldn't be so bad with a smaller memory chip, but I like having a ton of books with me at all times (maybe 40?), so I endure the wait.My Clip Zip is starting to lose its charge very quickly... but I checked Amazon, and apparently there are two new "cheaper" models that have caused the Clip Zip (OLDER TECH) price to go UP to $75!!! I swear I only paid $40 for mine last April!!!
I ended up buying (2) 16GB size for $14. Presumably when one is full I can swap it out. I'm sure there is a better solution out there....I just don't know what it is.
Janet - that's what I do with my Sansa. I fill up 16 GB cards and swap them out when I need what's on them.
My husband bought the Samsung player, thrilled with it, don't need iTunes
Bec/ Audiothing wrote: "My husband bought the Samsung player, thrilled with it, don't need iTunes"In the past I've had ipod shuffles but both devices that I had stopped charging as the little cable just wouldn't connect so now I'm left with audiobooks that I bought through iTunes that I can't listen to!
Ruth wrote: "Bec/ Audiothing wrote: "My husband bought the Samsung player, thrilled with it, don't need iTunes"In the past I've had ipod shuffles but both devices that I had stopped charging as the little cab..."If they are Audible books then they will still be available to you, go to the ask audible section within this group, they are great with questions like this.
Bec/ Audiothing wrote: "If they are Audible books then they will still be available to you, go to the ask audible section within this group, they are great with questions like this. ..."Thanks Bec, I'll go and do that now!
Ruth, turn off your mother's wifi. If the player cannot be accessed from the Internet, the book should not expire.My problem is that I can no longer transfer books for some reason. I used to download from the library via Overdrive, then "Transfer" from Overdrive directly to my iPod. But I haven't been able to do that lately. It will seem to transfer, but I can't find it on the iPod. Anyone know why? These are MP3s.
Also, I'm not crazy about the navigation and place saving on the iPod. But I like the fact that it has a display to keep track. Anyone have suggestions for an alternative?
Thanks.
Craig Faustus wrote: "Ruth, turn off your mother's wifi. If the player cannot be accessed from the Internet, the book should not expire.My problem is that I can no longer transfer books for some reason. I used to down..."
I think that the mp3 audiobooks transfer to the iPod as "Music" instead of as "Audiobooks".
They used to transfer as music, but now they're not to be found anywhere.
Craig Faustus wrote: "They used to transfer as music, but now they're not to be found anywhere."I haven't tried syncing an Overdrive book via iTunes lately (mostly use the Overdrive App), but depending on the iOS version you're using, your audiobooks may now be showing up in the iBooks app.
As of iOS 8.4, files recognized as audio books (such as m4b format) which are synced to your device from itunes switched from displaying in the music app to appearing in the iBooks app.
Audio books which were saved to itunes as a "Playlist" are no longer supported under iOS 8.4 as far as I know; when I sync my iPhone running iOS 8.4, these don't show up in either music or ibooks. But these playlist books do sync to my iPod Touch 4 running an older iOS.
I'm not sure what format Overdrive books are saved in on iTunes.
Donna, I'm using an iPod Nano with no wireless connectivity, attached to a PC, so there's no iOS involved unless the iPod has one. I used to transfer directly to the iPod, then use iTunes to turn the files into a playlist and change them from music to audiobooks. Now I can see the files on the iPod if I use Windows Explorer, but they don't show up on the device in iTunes.
Craig Faustus wrote: "Donna, I'm using an iPod Nano with no wireless connectivity, attached to a PC, so there's no iOS involved unless the iPod has one. I used to transfer directly to the iPod, then use iTunes to turn t..."Your iPod nano must run under an operating system and you should be able to check what version of iOS you're on. Not familiar with the nano, but for example, on my iPod Touch, I click Settings, then General, then About and scroll down.
Under version it says 1.0.2 PC so I assume that it's not an IOS but a PC version. I seem to recall having to reformat it when we moved it from a Mac to a PC. But it used to work fine with my PC iTunes.
Craig Faustus wrote: "Under version it says 1.0.2 PC so I assume that it's not an IOS but a PC version. I seem to recall having to reformat it when we moved it from a Mac to a PC. But it used to work fine with my PC iTu..."Sorry, I was confused - the Nano isn't an iOS device. Sounds like other Nano users also experienced Overdrive not working any longer; you might check the link below:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/...
I've run into this in the past and it's usually because iTunes wasn't open or my Nano wasn't showing up in iTunes. Also make sure In the Overdrive Transfer Wizard that the Player is set to transfer to your device and not the iTunes library.
I reset the iPod then it showed up in iTunes properly (it was only showing up on the sidebar, but not at the top before). Once I did that I was able to get into the settings and discovered that it was not set to manually control my content instead of syncing (I don't know how that got unset). But now, all is well. I can transfer from Overdrive into iTunes. Create a playlist, then change it to audiobook, and move it onto my iPod. perfect! Thanks to all.
