FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About eBooks and eBook Readers
In this article, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about eBooks and e-readers.
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers!
Here we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about eBooks and eBook readers. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, just drop by our forum, use the search function (to see if other visitors have already asked or answered it), or start your own thread and ask the community for help.
Where can I get eBooks and how much do they cost?
Where you can get eBooks depends primarily on the eReader you have. In general, you can shop at almost any store with almost any dedicated reading device. However, with Amazon Kindle eBook readers you need to pay attention to the file format, because they don’t support the widely used Adobe DRM copy protection. eBooks without DRM can be purchased in ePub format and converted, though. In any case, it’s a good idea to first check the supported file formats (see also the eReader overview on ALLESebook.de) and then choose an eBook store that offers the right format.
One advantage of eBooks is not just instant availability after purchase (ideally right from your couch), but also the generally lower price. As a rule, digital books cost about 20 to 30 percent less than printed editions. Prices evolve in step with the print version, though. That means when a potential bestseller in an already popular series launches, eBook prices are usually higher as well and align with the hardcover edition. When the paperback comes out, the eBook price typically drops to a lower level.
A particularly big advantage of the digital format is the free availability of many classics. These have been scanned, edited, and can be downloaded for free as eBooks. We’ve listed the key sources in our collection of free eBooks. You’ll find several thousand works by Goethe, Kafka, Mark Twain, Jules Verne, and many others—enough to stock up on free eBooks for a lifetime.
Can you read newspapers/magazines on an eReader?
In principle, the question of whether you can read newspapers, journals, and magazines on dedicated reading devices can be answered with yes. As so often, however, there’s a but.
The selection of offerings that are easily readable on eBook readers with an E Ink display is limited, to put it mildly. In other words, there are only a small number of newspapers that actually appear regularly for the eReader. Some offer subscriptions and even allow automatic delivery to the device. The best way to find out if your provider supports this is to ask customer service directly. The benefit is obvious: first thing in the morning you already have the latest issue of the newspaper on your device and can start reading.
Magazine offerings for tablets are more popular. There’s a much wider selection, in part because the adaptation work is much smaller thanks to fixed layouts, and dedicated apps can be used. Larger tablets have a fundamental advantage here, as they offer better legibility without zooming. The same applies to eBook readers. As a practical alternative to a tablet, there are also Android eReaders that let you install additional apps, giving you access to various newspapers and magazines.
If the right content offering is missing, you can also roll your own with a bit of prep work. With the popular eBook management program Calibre, you can automatically pull news feeds and convert the content into an eBook format. You can then send the resulting file to your device by email (on Kindle and PocketBook) or make it available via Dropbox (PocketBook). That way you always have quick, up-to-date access to the latest news.
How do I get eBooks onto my reader? Do I need additional software?
This depends on the eReader you’re using. By now, most devices have wireless access to an eBook store, where you can buy and download books directly from the eBook reader. That’s the easiest way to transfer eBooks to the device. The process is similar across stores, but it’s probably simplest with Amazon, followed by Tolino, PocketBook (Mayersche, Osiander), and Kobo.
You can also download books to your PC and transfer them to the device via USB. Additional software is only rarely necessary these days; most eBook readers are recognized like a regular USB flash drive, so you can simply move the files to the eReader in your file explorer. The only thing to watch out for is copying the eBooks to the correct folder. Some devices recognize files regardless of the folder, others require you to place them in a specific directory. That depends on the manufacturer. We’ve described how this works for your eBook reader here.
For larger eBook collections, it’s a good idea to use additional software to categorize your books and keep track of everything. Calibre is the most popular free option for a wide range of brands. You can also convert eBooks with it if needed.
What does DRM mean?
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. In many eBooks, especially commercially available ones, this method is used to protect the rights holder against unauthorized duplication. Most eBook stores currently use DRM, though DRM here doesn’t describe a single uniform technology, but rather a security measure. As a result, there are different types of DRM (even within one file format; for example, there are ePub files with different types of DRM protection), and it’s therefore important to check before purchasing which DRM-protected file formats your reader supports. In most cases, that’s only 1–3 formats supported by the reader, and often not all DRMs within a format are supported (e.g., ePub from Apple, Adobe, etc.).
In practice, this means you can only do with the eBook you purchased what the seller allows. Usually that means the book is tied to the registered user, often even to a single reader. To avoid the book becoming unusable when you buy a new reader, a small number of additional copies/licenses are often allowed to prevent having to buy it again.Attention: Please check this before purchasing!
Providers of free eBooks generally forgo DRM, since there are often no, or only limited, copyrights involved. There are now also some other publishers that offer DRM-free works for purchase. You can find a comprehensive description of DRM including lots of useful details here.
Frequently asked questions about the reading device
Questions also often come up about eBook readers you’ve already bought. We answer these in our eBook reader overview at the bottom of the page. These include, among others, the following questions:
- The screen flickers—does that mean it’s defective?
- Letters seem to be stuck on the screen (ghosting effect)—what can I do about it?
- Should you completely turn the eBook reader off when you’re not using it?
- Can eBooks only be read on an eBook reader?
We also explain the rest of the important details you should keep in mind when buying a device on the remainder of the page.
What do I need an Adobe ID for and how do I set it up?
An Adobe ID is a user account with the US company Adobe. The company provides the most widely used copy protection for eBooks, designed to prevent unauthorized sharing of files. Since the vast majority of eBooks have strict copy protection, it’s best to set up an Adobe ID right away when you receive a reader and register it on the eBook reader for smooth use.
What may sound a bit complicated at first—and often causes confusion for people who don’t deal much with tech—is actually not that difficult. We’ve published a detailed guide on a separate page explaining the process for all current eReader models, so even non-techies shouldn’t have much trouble with the initial setup. If it still doesn’t work, you can of course get help from other users in our forum, or contact the retailer who sold you the eBook reader. The Tolino partners usually have their own branches, as do the sellers of PocketBook devices (Osiander and Mayersche), so you can get quick help there as well.
