Library books on OverDrive for iPad?

[jaybee]

Is anyone using OverDrive for reading borrowed library books? I have just discovered that I can download library books directly into OverDrive without going through a computer. I haven't used it to read yet. It looks pretty limited, but I'm going to try it to avoid the multi-step process i've been using: to download through Adobe Digital Editions, then load into iTunes, then load into BlueFire Reader.
If anyone is using it for library books, I'd be interested to hear how you like it. If you have other iPad apps for managing loaned library ebooks, I'd love to hear about them as well.

[paulak39]

I'm happy with the Overdrive app, especially since I don't have to connect to the PC. Until recently I was using Bluefire, but it's nice to add library books in fewer steps.

[Zoshka]

I tried the Overdrive app today, but many books listed on the Overdrive web site aren't available for mobile device download, so they didn't work on the Overdrive app. When I tried to download one, it gave me that message, that it was unavailable for mobile devices. Overdrive searches on the ipad also didn't bring up books that I can find on the regular internet site. I don't know why it would release an app and advertise that capability but then limit it.

If you want a solution that doesn't involve loading into itunes, you might try out the Bluefire reader app. They were the first to actually allow reading Overdrive books on Apple devices, and the process was pretty simple. You just downloaded the acsm file from the library, mail it to yourself as an attachment, and then when you click on the attachment on the mail app it automatically opens the book in the Bluefire reader, after getting authorized by Adobe. I haven't used Bluefire in a while, but I think I'd prefer doing my book searches on a computer, so hopefully the app will still work conveniently. I used to read library books through Bluefire, which tracked due dates for the books, and all other books I read through ibooks.

[odiakkoh]

i love the overdrive app on my droid. thats weird that you cant access most of the books zoshka. is that a glitch in the app or did they really limit usage on apple products?

[Zoshka]

The actual message I get when doing a library Overdrive search on the computer is:
"There may be titles that match your search that cannot be downloaded on this device. Visit this site on a computer; many titles can be downloaded to computers then transferred to devices." Actually, I just read the first similar thread below, and the user couldn't download .pdf books specifically, which is the kind I tried unsuccessfully to download, so maybe it's just specific to .pdf ebooks.

That's why I prefer to do my search on a computer and download the acsm files. Then you simply:
1) Send an email to yourself, attaching the acsm files.
2) Open up the email on the ipad.
3) Click on acsm file in body of email. It gives the option of opening in Overdrive or Other, which leads to Bluefire. Then it authorizes and downloads the book through the app.

That method avoids the clunky and extra steps of downloading and opening books through Adobe Digital Editions on the computer and then transferring them to itunes. I looked at Bluefire, and I prefer it to Overdrive because of the greater number of options, such as brightness control, margin control, night mode, orientation lock, page turn effects, and bookmarks. Plus I remember the developer showing up on MobileRead when the program came out and listened to all the suggestions and quibbles from readers to make improvements.

[jaybee]

Thanks, Zoshka. I just tried the email method. It's simpler than the Adobe/iTunes method, but involves several more steps than the Overdrive method. I do like BlueFire better than Overdrive. I'll try them both for a while and see which is the less
inconvenient.