The Digital Clinic with Lorie

Okay, for those of you who don’t know we offer free podcasts for your education and enjoyment. You can find them here

Every three weeks or so we switch things up and offer a new podcast. Sometimes the new offering is an Author Spotlight, sometimes it’s a Meet the Editors, and often it’s both.

There are a few ways to access the podcasts.

• First, the easiest; to listen to the current offerings, simply click on the play buttons on the web page where you found the podcasts.  If your system is configured to allow streaming then you’ll hear the media begin playing immediately.

If I doesn’t start, don’t worry, you can still get them through subscribing to them, which I will explain below.

• You can also access a specific podcasts by using the convenient Don’t Miss drop down menus provided.

If you use the Don’t Miss drop down menus and select your podcast, then click the GO button a second, smaller window will open and allow you to play the podcast.

This works for both the Author Spotlights and the Meet the Editors podcasts. Again, if streaming doesn’t work, you may still subscribe.

• You may also subscribe to the podcasts.

Again, choose from one of the Subscribe To drop down menus and select your listening program.

I prefer iTunes for mine, because it’s very user friendly. If you don’t have iTunes you can download it for free from here all you need is an email address, and the set up is simple.

If you subscribe to the podcasts, then the newest ones should automatically download to your library.  

Once the podcasts are in your library all you need to do is open iTunes, click on the Podcast option on the left menu and you’ll find them.

If for some reason your system won't allow you to subscribe through our web page you can still find the Harlequin Podcasts by using the search menu in the iTunes store.

First, my advice:  To make this process as easy for you as possible, take the time at the beginning of your eBook journey to read more about the various eReader programs and devices and choose one that works for you. Then take an extra 5 minutes to set your reader program up properly. Having what works best for you is invaluable later, as it saves you both time and frustration and enhances your reading experience.

To register for an eBook Boutique accounts, you begin here at the eBook Boutique.

Up in the top right hand corner of this page you will see: Sign In, eBook Account Info, My Bookshelf and eBook Help. Choose Sign In.

On the next page, on the bottom left, you’ll see Not Signed Up? Along with a spot where you put your email address. Once you’ve added your email you click Register.

Fill out your registration information on the page that pops up and then click Accept and Continue.  

Now that you have your Boutique account, let’s move onto reading programs.

Personally I prefer to use either Mobipocket or the Microsoft eReader because they work best with my device. There are some devices though, that require the adobe version, so we’ll take a look at that one as well.

Go back up to the corner where you chose Sign In and click eBook Help. That will take you to this page.

You’ll see that each reader program offers you three links.  The Basics, Software Help, and Troubleshooting, to get the free download of the program of your choice, choose Software Help.

These will take you to a page that provides a link to download the program as well as a list of the most frequently asked questions about that program.  It even provides download and install instructions, although all three programs are fairly simple to download and install. You will need to know what system you’re using, whether it’s a version of windows, and which one, or one of the MAC variants.  

Once you download your program and purchase your first eBook you typically need to activate your device before it will let you read the book.  The activation procedure is unique to each program, it usually auto starts, is fairly easy to do, and is in place to help protect the author’s work from being pirated.

I tend to activate my program prior to making my first purchase, just to ensure myself that it's working properly and to avoid problem later.

Hey Christa.

I find that I read eBooks faster as well, which is funny because they really are the same length.

I love mobipocket too. I like it that they give me so many options to access my books. I can read them on my desktop, laptop or handheld and it recognizes me without issue.

Today we’ll discuss the three eReader programs that we offer books in, and some of their assets and pitfalls.

Adobe Acrobat: One of the upsides to adobe as a reader is the fact that most computers already have it pre-installed, so there’s nothing to download. It’s also compatible with most systems. Another advantage is that there are tons of pre-existing pdf’s out there. Many technical manuals, required government forms, craft patterns, etc, are written in pdf. So if you’ve already got the program downloaded, then you’re good to go.

A major downside to adobe is that most eBooks are available only for a single download, so if you run into a connection problem mid download then you often have to seek customer support in order to retrieve your document.  And honestly, not all vendors are as helpful as our customer support team. Another is that while the program does give you the option to auto scroll, I just can’t read that fast most times, and I have yet to find a way to slow it down or an easy way to pause it.  I find the program, in general is not as user friendly for readers as it ought to be. I haven’t been able to find a proper bookmark or highlight feature so I basically have to remember where I was if I have to put the book aside. Which doesn't always work for someone like me who often has 2-3 books on the go at any given time.

Adobe does allow you to customize your reader experience some though. If you edit your preferences you can adjust the size of the font, how many pages you see at once, even change the colors of the background and text, to make it easier on tired eyes. For handheld readers I believe there’s also the option of pivoting your document to allow for landscape viewing.

Microsoft eReader: easy to install, easy to use once you activate it, which you do need a windows .net passport for.  It is user friendly and compatible with most windows based systems and many of the handhelds.

On your computer, the default screen size is about the size of a paperback, although you can make it full screen if you wish. How big your screen is on your handheld device depends on the device itself.  You can choose from a number of font styles and sizes. You can easily add bookmarks, highlights, even notes and/or drawings in the margins.

I’d prefer it if the program had the option to change the text and background colors, but overall it’s hard to find a negative beyond that.

Mobipocket: This is my favorite of the three for a number of reasons.  It’s easy to install, easy to use, and is compatible with most computers and handhelds. The eBook format is also available from most vendors. The program does offer you the best of both of the features from the previous two. You can make it full screen, zoom in, or out, change the layout, margins, line spacing, font size and color, background color, add bookmarks, highlights, make notes…  for a much more customized reading experience. It also incorporates the ability to sync your reading device within the program.

There was some problem with customer support from mobi for a while there. I’m hoping it’s since been resolved because while it is usually an easy set up customers have run into problems and been unable to easily resolve them on their own.

Yes Anita, there are links for free downloads available in our eBook store.

If you look in the top left corner of your sceeen (when in the eBook store) you'll see a link for eBook Help.  On this  page that pops up, you'll see the different eReader program options. On the software help link for each of those you'll find a free download of the program.

Penni ~ I switch my background/text colours up quite a bit as well. Particularily when I read at night, especially after a long day at the comp.

Christa ~ Yes, we off free downloads of Mobipocket, Microsoft eReader and Adobe.

The reader one uses really is a personal choice. I have a friend who adores adobe and hates the others, go figure.

In some ways it's like a reading device, get it in your hands and try it out if possible before you "buy" it.

Yes Leigh, that's very true. Mobipocket does compress the books so you can carry more. I didn't even think to include that as a plus.

Hi Anita, did you download the Audible Manager and try adding your device to it and syncing to it from there? I honestly find it a more compatible program for the audibles than WMP.

Or, if you'd rather not, in the meantime... in WMP, up where it says sync, try refreshing the devices, see if it's actually registering your device. You may need to manually set that up...

1. Start the Player, turn on your device, and then connect it to your computer. If prompted, select the AutoPlay option to sync the device using Windows Media Player.

2. Do one of the following:

   • If the Player has selected to sync your device automatically, click Finish. When you do so, the Player will sync your entire library to your device. After that, your device will automatically sync every time you connect it to your computer while Windows Media Player is running

   • If the Player has selected to sync your device manually, click Finish. Then, in the Sync tab, you can select the files and playlists you want to sync manually. 

   •  

Anita ~ Do you have another available usb port?

Although the computer manuals rarely tell us this, there are two kinds, standard and high speed. Not all devices will work in all ports, so before we fiddle too much more, try another port.  It may be that simple.

I have to go out again, promised kids I'd take them out for burgers, but I will be back in about an hour or so and I'll check back in.

No worries, we will sort this out.

You're welcome Anita. I'll keep an eye out for your email. If for some reason I don't respond within 24 hours of it, then please try again, my spam filter may have eaten it.

I don't know offhand Tammy, but I will ask about it.

Hi Linda.

A reader device is a very individual thing. How it feels in your hand, how easy the screen is to see, the process to download and open books, whether you want it to do more than one thing...

I use a pda, my sister likes her smary phone, and others like something that is ebooks only.

I always advise that people take the time to investigate the devices, and where possible play with a floor model. The devices aren't cheap so you'd best be happy with it.  

Thanks ladies.  I was in Pittsburgh and I had no net, so I only just saw this. I will pass your thoughts on.