Hi Rob, OverDrive Media Console is a free app that lets you do library downloads of audio books and eBooks from participating libraries. It's widely used by libraries in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and also in the UK and Germany and an increasing number of countries internationally. The audio book borrowing and playing works very well. The eBook downloads and reading work with VoiceOver, but the reading experience is not as good as with iBooks or with the Kobo books app, so I would mostly use this for audio book listening. So if I wanted to read eBooks from these library downloads, I'd probably read these on my computer with an application like Adobe Digital Editions Preview, even if I borrowed them through this iOS app.
You need to get a library card with your local public library to use this app. This usually involves providing proof that you're a resident of in that area -- like showing them a utility bill, phone bill, or bank statement addressed to you at that address, since in the U.S. and Canada library services are generally free to local residents of an area. And you may have to show up in person to apply and get your card. After that, you only need to use the account number and PIN number as login and password for the app, or any online web-based borrowing of downloadable materials that you want to do. Or if another family member has a library card that you can use for the app, that might also work for you. You can find your local library or libraries by double tapping the "Get Books+" button in the app, then double tapping the "Add a Library" button. Then type in either the library name, city, or zip code in the text field and double tap the "search" button. For audiobooks, choose to browse OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks titles. (Your library may also have WMA audiobooks for borrowing, but they can't be played on iOS devices). For eBooks, you can browse Adobe ePub titles, Open ePub titles, and public domain eBook titles, but don't browse Kindle eBook, since these also won't work for you. There's a fixed borrowing period, set by your library, which can be 7, 14, or 21 days, and you can download items that you've borrowed any time during that period. However, once the borrowing period ends, they won't play any more on your device, and you'll have to delete them. If you borrow audio books, you only need your library card number and PIN. If you want to download and read eBooks with Adobe's DRM protection, you need to apply for an Adobe ID to authorize your device, and again I think the app or your library web site will guide you through the process. OverDrive is the only iOS app that I'm aware of that you can use to read general ePub books that have Adobe's ADE DRM with VoiceOver. Adobe's DRM is the most popular form of DRM protection used by general eBook sellers. Kobo books lets you buy books with Adobe's ADE DRM, but the books show up in your library associated with your account via their Kobo app, so navigation and reading is transparent. Other apps that can read eBooks with Adobe's DRM, like BlueFire Reader, protect the contents by making sure the actual text content can't be read with a screen reader, similar to the way the Kindle app works. So even if you load a title without DRM into such apps, you'll suddenly find VoiceOver won't read any of the contents. You can look for previous discussion of the OverDrive app in the list archives. Bryan Jones posted some information over a year ago. There's also an OverDrive Media Console application for desktop use on Windows and Mac computers that is accessible, and can be used to play these audio books. One nice feature of borrowing through the app is that you can request to be put on a wait list for books that are not currently available, and have them send you an email when they can be borrowed. Then you have a 48 hour period to borrow them through the app. HTH. Cheers, Esther On Jul 21, 2012, at 3:41 PM, Rob wrote: > Dear List, > While browsing the app store, I found the Over Drive app. > have any of you tried it? > > Thanks, > Rob -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en.
