Update on the Status of OverDrive App

[seacitylady]

Just got this response from OverDrive. Think we need to make some calls to BN!!!

"Thank you for contacting OverDrive. We understand and appreciate your
frustration with downloading and transferring titles to the NOOKcolor.

The introduction of the Barnes & Noble App Store for the NOOKcolor and
NOOK Tablet did not remove restrictions preventing the installation of
third-party apps such as OverDrive Media Console for Android without
obtaining it through the Barnes & Noble App Store. OverDrive is
currently working with Barnes & Noble to bring the OverDrive Media
Console to the Barnes & Noble App Store. Without the app in the Barnes &
Noble App Store, it will not be available for the NOOKcolor or NOOK Tablet.

While we are hopeful to obtain approval from Barnes & Noble as they are
an OverDrive partner, we are not guaranteed acceptance of our app for
their store. We are making every effort and attempt to get the OverDrive
Media Console app available via the Barnes & Noble App Store. Continue
to watch to see if it becomes available and assist us with our efforts
by contacting Barnes & Noble at service@barnesandnoble.com or
1-800-THE-BOOK (1-800-843-2665) and asking them to approve the OverDrive
Media Console app for their store so that it can be used on the
NOOKcolor and/or NOOK Tablet. Until Barnes & Noble approves the app,
connection the NOOK and transferring titles through Adobe Digital
Editions remains the only method to get titles onto the NOOK."

[j-andersonjma]

At least it sounds like there is activity towards getting OverDrive on the Nook.  I have "borrowed" e-books from our local library via Adobe Digital Editions and it is a bit of a chore.

[geertm]

According to an WSJ article at the end of last year, we will get public library lending using Wifi at the beginning of this year. I assume that will work the same way as Kindle public library lending, so you do not need the Overdrive app. That is why I expect the Overdrive app will not become available.

[j-andersonjma]

How is public library lending accomplished on an Amazon Kindel?

[drmom73]

I cannot speak to how things work on an actual kindle but I have borrowed kindle format books from my local library on my rooted Nook Color using the Kindle app.  The way it works is that you borrow the book from your libraries website on your pc or via the web browser of the device .  Then, you must go to your amazon account and authorize download of the title to your device.  After this it appears then on your Kindle reading app.  Honestly, I find the procedure for borrowing easier using the Overdrive app especially since it allows you to see the days remaining on the lend vs the kindle app which does not.  However, the Kindle reader interface is better than the Overdrive reader interface so it is a trade off.  Either way, I prefer borrowing books from the library than purchasing as I usually only read a book once.  I have been spoiled by having the Overdrive app and would never want to have to sideload library books again. Hope that helps.

Brooke

[seacitylady]

I contacted OverDrive directly just yesterday & got the above response today. I think it is pretty clear that the direction is to try & to get an actual app available in the Nook app store. Overdrive already has a working app for Android, thus no need to develop anything. Putting an app in the Nook App store would be  much less complicated to then what they have worked out with Amazon. BN does not have a lending library & unlikely to develop one. Instead of speculating I suggest that those who are interested make the suggested contacts with BN & let them know we want the app in the store.

It is not productive to continue complaining about sideloading & ADE issues, wishing & hoping & relying on an old article from the WSJ that the calvary is on the way. There are thousands of members on these boards. If enough people contact BN them it might have light a fire. .

[compulsiveread…]

I installed the n2a card at Christmas time and the first thing I did was install the overdrive app for android. Though it was great to download my library books directly to my NC, I found the overdrive app to NOT be a very enjoyable reading experience. I simply did not like it and I had no control over automatic orientation, could not lock it and that was the deal breaker for me. It was too much like reading off the website, I found myself reading the same paragraph over and over again and being too distracted by the set up to "get it". I gave up and looked for another solution. 

What I ended up with and enjoy very much is the Aldiko reading app. I added my library to the "collections" area in aldiko and it takes me straight to my libraries website where I can browse for ebooks. I can also download them straight into aldiko. Aldiko has a setting for your ADE name and password, once added, you're pretty good. It's not quite as good a reader as the NC stock reader, but tons better than Overdrive. 

I would be much more interested in the aldiko app for the NC than an overdrive app. Just a lot more usuable.

There are many other advantages too.

I imported all my NookBooks into Aldiko from my NC main directory so I was then able to put many of my ebooks into the archive (of course this was on my sd card so it didn't take any room on my nook so may not be practical on the nc itself). I am getting to a point that my NC was started to act up because of the lack of disk space. Now I just keep about half my ebooks in my active library on my NC stock side because I do enjoy reading them better on the NC stock reader. Yes, there is an B&N reader app for android, but I didn't care for it. Not nearly as enjoyable as using the stock reader on the NC.

I also find it easeier to sort and place my books into the categories on Aldiko as I can read the description of the ebook and any tags placed on the ebook while I do it. THAT should be something that the stock reader included. It sure makes shelving the books a lot easier.

[seacitylady]

I would agree that using an N2A card & Aidiko is a passable but not very satisfactory solution.  I have an N2A card &, frankly, I never use it to read. I sideload my books & read them in the Nook. I am a tech savvy person as are many people on these boards.I think sometimes we forget many others are not. I volunteer @ our local public library & ,because I do have good tech skills, I spend a lot of time helping people try to set up their devices to download books. The Nook is by far one of the most difficult to set up due to the need for ADE and, I have done it many times. Often I have to deal with trying to clean up the mess when the person has already tried to do it themselves.

Many of the people I see are elderly and/or handicapped. Their tablet or reading device is not a tech toy to them. Often reading is one of the few pleasures they can still experience. It takes a lot of time to help them and, even if I set up ADE for them, they do not have the physical capability to drag & drop the book to the Nook Icon. They come in all excited about their new Nook & often leave very discouraged & disappointed. As we all know, if the tinest mistake is made in setting up ADE it can be rendered unusable. There has just got to be a better way. This should be a fairly easy process &, if Amazon has found a way, I am sure BN should be able to be the same. Being able to download a book with an N2A card & using a reader such as Aidiko, or even the the Nook app, i never going to be the same reading experience as downloading the book directly to & in the Nook itself. Anything else is just a techie kludge & I think people who value the reading experience deserve better.

So, if things are working Ok for you that's great. Do nothing. And, if you think there is no problem no need to trouble yourself further or download the app if it ever materializes. I did't start this thread to engage in a debate of the merits of the OverDrive Media Console's fairly lame reader feature. I just wanted to let people who might be interested in the subject of direct download know what was going on & where to direct their comments. BTW I think there is a much better change of seeing the Overdrive App then in ever seeing Aikido which like Calibre competes, albeit poorly, with the Nook ereader. 

[bklvr896]

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seacitylady wrote:

I contacted OverDrive directly just yesterday & got the above response today. I think it is pretty clear that the direction is to try & to get an actual app available in the Nook app store. Overdrive already has a working app for Android, thus no need to develop anything. Putting an app in the Nook App store would be  much less complicated to then what they have worked out with Amazon. BN does not have a lending library & unlikely to develop one. Instead of speculating I suggest that those who are interested make the suggested contacts with BN & let them know we want the app in the store.

It is not productive to continue complaining about sideloading & ADE issues, wishing & hoping & relying on an old article from the WSJ that the calvary is on the way. There are thousands of members on these boards. If enough people contact BN them it might have light a fire. .

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B&N doesn't need a lending library, they just need an infrastructure that will work like it does at Amazon, and they simply download the B&N copy of the book, with the expiration information.  The problem with an OverDrive App vs over the air lending like Amazon is that an App will leave the NST owners complete out of the process.  The device doesn't run Apps.  Hopefully B&N doesn't want to exclude the NST owners from the easier process.

[bobstro]

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bklvr896 wrote:

[...] The problem with an OverDrive App vs over the air lending like Amazon is that an App will leave the NST owners complete out of the process.  The device doesn't run Apps.  Hopefully B&N doesn't want to exclude the NST owners from the easier process.

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Overdrive Media Console runs on the NST without modification of the app. The problem is that B&N doesn't make it easy to do so.

Unfortunately, it does download files into its own directory, so there's not an existing easy way to get that file into the B&N reader (or any other) for non-techie users. However, something could easily be scripted.

[bobstro]

I have been able to use Overdrive to download a book and read it in the Overdrive reader. I also forgot that you can select a directory to download to in the browser Overdrive calls for actually browsing and downloading titles. I was able to point it to /sdcard/My Files/Books. I've got a large (500+) collection of small self-created epubs, though, and the title hasn't shown up in the B&N reader yet, even after a reboot. This isn't an Overdrive limitation, though.

[BruceMcF]

So the ideal is an overdrive app that downloads books in a way that allows them to be read with the built-in Nook ereader.

The reply from Overdrive doesn't let us known one way or the other whether that will be possible with the app they have submitted, but in making the email they suggest, I will be sure to specify that that's my strong preference. Indeed, a competing subpar eReader option inside the Overdrive appstrikes me as wasted bloat in the app.

[compulsiveread…]

I agree. THere is no app, overdrive or otherwise that can ever substitute for the stock NC reader as far as actual reading experience.  I only offered a temporary solution until B&N can get their act together. which frankly, I have been waiting 2 years for. I stand by my opinion though that reading on the overdrive app is vastly insuperior to any other reading app I've looked at, including the aldiko app which is better than the nook app imo. (the app, not the stock NC reader which I prefer if possible)

I was sooooo happy that I could use the overdrive app on my nc...and then crushed when it was so awful to use. I hope that it will be better on the stock NC and able to be read on the stock reader, but on android, overdrive is horrible. But that is not an option at the moment (using it on the stock NC) so the question is a moot one at this time.

Am I happy? Options are few so my choice is and continues to be, a reasonably decent library experience with aldiko and the nc2 card versus nothing at all or sideloading for however long it takes. But hey...that's my choice and I stand by anyone else who chooses otherwise.

I'm not forcing my choice on others...just offering it for consideration. There may be someone who IS interested, but won't know they have an option if it isn't shared by someone.

[seacitylady]

I just talked to a friend who bought a Nook on my recommendation. In fact he returned a Kindle to do it.  It took him several hours to get ADE working & he is a very computer literate guy. He said there is no way on earth his wife could have set it up on her own &, in fact, was upset because the library books did not have covers like the ones on Kindle. He wrote BN a scathing letter re how non-competitive it was to put their customers through this. Were the device not rootable & had a card slot it would be going back. His wife really likes the Nook but now his "assistance" is going to be required every time she wants to download a library book. He said there is just no comparison with Kindle's ease of us. I did get a response back from BN today. Given it's "kiss off" nature of this message I would not hold my breath. However, if enough people contact them hopefully they will do something.

"We truly appreciate your taking the time to share your feedback
concerning the availability of OverDrive Media Console App.
       
Customer feedback is critical to the success of our business, and we
rely on suggestions such as yours to help us determine what our
customers value most. We assure you that we have reviewed the issue that
you have raised with the appropriate people for consideration and
possible implementation.

Once again, thank you for your email.  Please refer to our website from
time to time to check on that updates regarding your concern and Barnes
and Noble in general.

Sincerely,
Jisy"

[geertm]

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seacitylady wrote:

I just talked to a friend who bought a Nook on my recommendation. In fact he returned a Kindle to do it.  It took him several hours to get ADE working & he is a very computer literate guy. He said there is no way on earth his wife could have set it up on her own &, in fact, was upset because the library books did not have covers like the ones on Kindle. He wrote BN a scathing letter re how non-competitive it was to put their customers through this. Were the device not rootable & had a card slot it would be going back. His wife really likes the Nook but now his "assistance" is going to be required every time she wants to download a library book. He said there is just no comparison with Kindle's ease of us. I did get a response back from BN today. Given it's "kiss off" nature of this message I would not hold my breath. However, if enough people contact them hopefully they will do something.

---

1. All ereaders need ADE to put library books on them, Kindle is the only exception. Amazon was forced to find another way because Kindle it the only ereader not supporting ePub. That is why it took Amazon several years to offer library lending, all that time Nook users could use the library to lend books.

2. If your friend is really "very computer literate" he should not have needed several hours to install ADE. Install ADE, register with Adobe, authorize Nook. Half an hour should be more than enough.

3. After ADE is installed correctly getting a library ebook consists of just two steps:

      a. download ebook from library

      b. within ADE drag book to Nook.

Anybody should be able to do that without needing assistance more than once.

[seacitylady]

Glad you have found ADE so user friendly. Many others don't. If you Google "ADE problems/errors" page upon page will come up. While it should not even take a half hour to set up, the fact of the matter it can take many frustrating hours if a small mistake is made early in the process. Not a fan of Kindle but a mass market product, like the Nook, needs to have ease of use. Regardless of the reason, Kindle beats the Nook hands down with regard to ease of use in downloading books from the library. Given that it is perfectly possible to even the playing field, or even gain a competitive advantage, it would be in BN's best interest to do so.

Naturally, if you don't download books from the library or, like yourself, are a happy camper it would be a meaninless gesture. However, for the frustrated many, including those I work with as a library volunteer ,it would mean a great deal. If you were an old person with hands deformed by arthritis or had Parkinson's or MS I don't think you would find the relatively simple drag/drop action easy-peezy. I can assure you many need assistance more then once & some can not do it at all. However, I guess "those" people could just content themselves with reading paper books or puchase ebooks from the BN store if they could afford it. Or, they could just go buy a Kindle. I love my Nook & hope it is around for a long time as a brand so I hope they will chose to fix something that has an available solution.

[bobstro]

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geertm wrote:

1. All ereaders need ADE to put library books on them, Kindle is the only exception. Amazon was forced to find another way because Kindle it the only ereader not supporting ePub. That is why it took Amazon several years to offer library lending, all that time Nook users could use the library to lend books.

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I just used the Android Overdrive app to download an ADE DRM-encumbered epub to my NC and am able to read it in the Aldiko reader. So yes, we need an ADE-capable solution. Unfortunately, B&N is not providing one, while one is readily available on many other Android devices. Including the NOOKcolor and tablet, unless you run B&N stock firmware.

Doing things B&N's way isn't particular simple.

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2. If your friend is really "very computer literate" he should not have needed several hours to install ADE. Install ADE, register with Adobe, authorize Nook. Half an hour should be more than enough.

---

Ah yes, attack the individual rather than the problem. Not having been there, you're able to ascertain exactly how difficult installing software into any given computer configuration is? What if the reader is not particularly computer literate? In your haste to go after the poor guy with an ad hominem attack, you missed the point of seacitylady's post. His wife would have difficulty with it.

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3. After ADE is installed correctly getting a library ebook consists of just two steps:

      a. download ebook from library

      b. within ADE drag book to Nook.

Anybody should be able to do that without needing assistance more than once.

---

So if I lug my laptop around in case I feel the urge to check out a library book, I'm all set, right? On the Nook Tablet features page, under supported file types, it mentions "Borrow library books". The associated footnote even notes that  the NT "Contains Reader® Mobile technology by Adobe Systems Incorporated". Nowhere is the need to have a computer at hand mentioned.

The idea of having to tether the "World's Best Reading Experience" to a computer to read a library book is absurd. B&N needs to admit they screwed this up and fix it now. Overdrive works on the NC and NT today. Overdrive has already been submitted to the B&N Market. They just need to fix their reader.

Or maybe just fix the marketing. Let's call it the "World's Best Reading Experience for Those Owning a Windows or Macintosh Computer and Without Physical Disabilities or Financial Limitations".

[bobstro]

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BruceMcF wrote:

So the ideal is an overdrive app that downloads books in a way that allows them to be read with the built-in Nook ereader.

The reply from Overdrive doesn't let us known one way or the other whether that will be possible with the app they have submitted, but in making the email they suggest, I will be sure to specify that that's my strong preference. Indeed, a competing subpar eReader option inside the Overdrive appstrikes me as wasted bloat in the app.

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I think the "ideal" is a B&N  reader that can handle downloaded library books like Aldiko and other Android ebpub readers. The only improvement beyond that would be for B&N to provide a replacement "store" that interacts with libraries in the same way Overdrive does. Interestingly, CWMARS is laid out like a store already.

The Overdrive reader is sub-par, at least by today's standards. Other readers have no problems dealing with the .acsm files it downloads, however. The "World's Best Reading Experience", as B&N calls it, shouldn't have such limitations.

[seacitylady]

Amen to the last sentence! The only entity that can solve this problem is BN & complaining on these boards & arguing with one another is a waste of time. I have worked in marketing for a large corporation for many years & I can assure you squeeky wheels get oiled. Sending emails or calling might, particularly in large numbers, just might light a fire. BN is suppose to be a partner of OD & has their logo on the OD website. One wonders what that really means when the do not even have an OD app in the Nook Store & their main competitor (a non-partner) is able to satisfy it's customers with direct download capability. Things can always be refined & more features added. However, I suggest they get the ball rolling with the easiest & fastest to execute method.

[BruceMcF]

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bobstro wrote:

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BruceMcF wrote:

So the ideal is an overdrive app that downloads books in a way that allows them to be read with the built-in Nook ereader.

---

I think the "ideal" is a B&N  reader that can handle downloaded library books like Aldiko and other Android ebpub readers.

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nbsp;

That would be one way to accomplish the goal. I did not specify how its to be done, because I don't care if the download app or the reader app bridges the gap. In my email, I just stated that I want it to do, and omitted speculating on system design.