Anybody use the Kobo eReading app / service?

[Bill]

I'm giving it a try. Intrigued by the social aspect. Especially the possibility of commenting and joining conversations about specific passages. Perhaps the selection is smaller than Amazon's. And if I want to buy a corresponding audio book and stay in sync, I'm out of luck. But it still might be cool. And it would be cool to interact with Sword and Laser-ers at the passage level with Books of the Month.

http://www.kobobooks.com/

[Ben]

I've got a Kobo, but I've never used that bit of their social feature set. I love having the stats and badges, though, and just bought a mini during the sale for my roommate's birthday.

[Bill]

I didn't even realize it was a hardware e-reader. I was just talking about the app. (In my case, on my Android tablet.) But I am intrigues by the $39 mini. Been using the Kindle app on my tablet for a long time. But have been wanting to get a Kindle for sunny days outside. But I may get the cheaper Kobo instead.

[Scott]

I use the Kobo app on my iphone. I'm buying two of the Kobo mini's ($39) for my kids during the sale.

I have a Kindle Paperwhite but wish I would've bought a Kobo instead.

[Matthew]

Can't say I have used the social features, but the Kobo store is pretty good. It has almost all of what the Amazon store has. In truth both B&N and Kobo have just about all that the Amazon store has. I think I have only once found a book (Romance of the three Kingdoms) that was only in the Amazon store. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1

[Sandi]

You can get Kobo ebooks through many indie bookstores. It's a great way to support the little guys and still read ebooks.

[Daniel]

I do not use the social features (I have good reads for that) But I use Kobo as my main ereader, and have for years.

Very pleased with it.

[Bill]

Sandi wrote: "You can get Kobo ebooks through many indie bookstores. It's a great way to support the little guys and still read ebooks."

That's cool. Reason enough to get one.

[Ben]

Sandi wrote: "You can get Kobo ebooks through many indie bookstores. It's a great way to support the little guys and still read ebooks."

Yeah, I support my local indie bookstore by buying the Kobo books right from their website. Cool of Kobo to do that.

[Bill]

I've looked at a few indie stores connected to Kobo. ( I found them through the site indiebound.org )

Each site just has links to the Kobo site. But when I go to the Kobo site, that indie store's logo appears on the page. I'm assuming that's done by cookies and not a permanent connection in my account.

If I do leave the site, though, and return. The logo is gone. So manybe I always have to go to the indie store's site first.

I've sent an email to the local indie store to confirm. I'm going to write Kobo as well.

[Darren]

It was the only thing I could find Tailchaser's Song on, for some reason. Used the phone app for that, and of course now whatever the distribution issue was has been cleared up, and you can get the ebook of that through any publisher. Haven't used it much since. I usually only read short stories or poetry on the phone. Or magazines like Clarkesworld.

[Jacy]

I use the Kobo app on my apple products. I like some of the features of the app and have been debating getting an actual Kobo. The badges are fun and lots of times there are secret badges that you don't know about until they pop up on your stats. However, I always find myself leery of getting an actually e-reader because if the company goes under or something I loose support. At least with the apps, I can download them to a PC and keep the stuff backed up. I also love that you can get e-books through indie stores!

[Matthew]

Jacy wrote: "I use the Kobo app on my apple products. I like some of the features of the app and have been debating getting an actual Kobo. The badges are fun and lots of times there are secret badges that you ..."

Actually everything but the Kindle can sideload books from all of the other stores. They all use the same DRM scheme from Adobe.

[Ben]

Jacy wrote: "However, I always find myself leery of getting an actually e-reader because if the company goes under or something I loose support."

If the company goes under, I can still download the books I've purchased to my pc from my ereader. I'd also hope that, if I'm storing my books on the cloud, the company would send me an email warning of their impending death, reminding me to download my books. Also, since I personally side-load most of my books, they're on the hard drive before they even hit the ereader. Calibre is such a wonderful tool.

[Caitlin]

Kobo is great, I have their Arc (which I'm using to write this comment) and the Glo. One thing I really like is if they don't have a book I want, I just open my Google Play app and buy it there. Seamless on the Arc (tablet type) and I just have to side load it onto the Glo. Plus the readers sync my bookmarks with each other and the apps for tablets and phones. Their motto seems to be "we don't care what you read our books on", because I used to have a Nook and I just side loaded my Kobo books onto it too.

[Neil]

I'm a big fan of my Kobo, and one reason is I float between my eReader and iPhone. As the last poster mentioned, syncing bookmarks between the Kobo app on the iPhone and the eReader is pretty awesome - I love living in the future :) I actually side load all my books, and I'm forcing myself to experiment with Calibre more and more to add flexibility. I've never used any of the social connectivity on the Kobo though. Just not my thing I guess.

[Mark]

I just tried the kobo app after reading the thread. I think I'm in love

[Clarissa Emiria]

Haii, I'm Clarissa Emiria.. :)

I just downloaded the Kobo Books app to my Ipad Mini last night while laying sleepless anyway (heh, actually because of this thread, I've been a Kindle app girl so far, but now I might switch for good :) )...

I just, I am not sure how to get my kindle books onto my computer, and into my Kobo app? I am not very technically minded (hence the iDevice), so I might need a blow by blow account of how one does that, sorry >_< One wouldn't believe it, from my picture, but I really AM "blonde" on the inside... xD

I have seen Calibre mentioned, but the Kobo app itself says Adobe Digital Editions.... Do I need both, to convert the format, once I figure out how to get my books on my computer? xD

I am sorry if I am being completely stupid, I just don't know my way around computers and tech stuffs xD

Thank you, in advance :)

[Bill]

You can't get Kindle books into your Kobo app. You can only buy new books in Kobo's store, or import non DRM (digially protectd) books (in ePub format) into the app. That usually means older books that are no longer under copyright.

If you transfer any non DRM ePub onto your iPad, you just choose Import in the Kobo app.

Calibre is mostly helpful in turning other eBook formats into ePub. I guess they can help transfer tooks to pad, but with my Android Tablet, I transfer the files via other ways (Dropbox) and with my Kobo reader, I just use a USB cable.

[Clarissa Emiria]

Hmm.... Okay.... I just thought I saw somewhere on Goodreads that someone said you could use some program or other to change the format?

But thank you :)

[Bill]

There may be a way, but it may be complicated.

[Clarissa Emiria]

It could be interesting, that's why I am looking into it, because I like the "Add Shelves"-bit in the Kobo app :D Also, the social features... :)

It has been slightly unstable, though, but I hope those instances were only glitches xD

[Caitlin]

Kobo and Nook books are easily sideloaded onto each others devices, but with Amazon I believe you need to strip the DRM and convert the file first. However, these are all hardware fixes - as in you can put the books on your Kobo Glo or Nook Color for example.

Nothing will move the books into the Kobo app.

[Clarissa Emiria]

The funny thing is, that there is the option to load ePub files into the Kobo app via Dropbox, but apparently also via iTunes (although, I haven't the faintest idea if I am able to understand the instructions that came with the app, on how to do that xD)...

I have importet/loaded/sideloaded a couple of books via Dropbox, and that seemed to go smoothly... They were originally pdf files, that my boyfriend convertet to ePub, and it worked for him, and they ARE shown on my shelves, I just haven't actually read any of them yet xD

But apparently sideloading (or loading or importing, or whatever it's called) CAN be done in/to the app... According to the app itself xD

[Scott]

Just got a couple of Kobo's for my kids and am having problems finding certain books in the Kobo stores (my 9 year old daughter loves the American Girls books but they are absent from Kobo stores)....anyone had good luck finding books elsewhere that they can't find at the Kobo store???
(my daughter would be grateful for any help)

[Caitlin]

I stand corrected, and I have to try that for myself!

[Rick]

Scott - Google Play seems to have them if this is what you mean: https://play.google.com/store/search?...

Here's a support thread on how to get Play books to the Kobo: https://support.google.com/googleplay...

Kobo uses Adobe Digital Editions DRM which others also use and the books using ADE are freely swappable from reader to reader. So you could also use Barnes and Noble Nook titles if the Play stuff isn't what you want or you'd prefer to buy from B&N.

[Scott]

Rick wrote: "Scott - Google Play seems to have them if this is what you mean: https://play.google.com/store/search?...

Here's a support thread on how to get Play books to the Kobo: https..."

I appreciate the help - thank you very much - I'm off to Google Play to spend some money