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calibre
calibre 0.8.38
Your rating: Now say why...

(80) 3.99375

Complete e-library management system.   Free
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  • Download Now
    65.3 MB
  • Visit Developer's Site
    kovidgoyal.net
calibre is a one-stop solution to all your e-book needs. It is free, open source and cross-platform in design and works well on Linux, OS X and Windows. calibre is meant to be a complete e-library solution and thus includes library management, format conversion, news feeds to ebook conversion, as well as e-book reader sync features and an integrated e-book viewer.
What's New
Version 0.8.38:

New Features

  • Implement the ability to automatically add books to calibre from a specified folder.
    Closes tickets: 920249

    calibre can now watch a folder on your computer and instantly add any files you put there to the calibre library as new books. You can tell calibre which folder to watch via Preferences->Adding Books->Automatic Adding.

  • Conversion: When automatically inserting page breaks, do not put a page break before a <h1> or <h2> tag if it is immediately preceded by another <h1> or <h2> tag.
  • Driver for EZReader T730 and Pint-of-View PlayTab Pro
    Closes tickets: 923283, 922969
Bug Fixes
  • Fix device entry not visible in menubar even when it has been added via Preferences->Toolbars.
    Closes tickets: 923175
  • Fix metadata plugboards not applied when auto sending news by email
  • Fix regression in 0.8.34 that broke recipes that used skip_ad_pages() but not get_browser().
    Closes tickets: 923724
  • Restore device support on FreeBSD, by using HAL
    Closes tickets: 924503
  • Get books: Show no more than 10 results from the Gandalf store
  • Content server: Fix metadata not being updated when sending for some MOBI files.
    Closes tickets: 923130
  • Heuristic processing: Fix the italicize common patterns algorithm breaking on some HTML markup.
    Closes tickets: 922317
  • When trying to find an ebook inside a zip file, do not fail if the zip file itself contains other zip files.
    Closes tickets: 925670
  • EPUB Input: Handle EPUBs with duplicate entries in the manifest.
    Closes tickets: 925831
  • MOBI Input: Handle files that have extra </html> tags sprinkled through out their markup.
    Closes tickets: 925833
New news sources
  • Strange Horizons by Jim DeVona
  • Telegraph India and Live Mint by Krittika Goyal
  • High Country News by Armin Geller
  • Countryfile by Dave Asbury
  • Liberation (subscription version) by Remi Vanicat
  • Various Italian news sources by faber1971
Improved news sources
  • Metro Nieuws NL
  • FHM UK

Version 0.8.38:

New Features

  • Implement the ability to automatically add books to calibre from a specified folder.
    Closes tickets: 920249

    calibre can now watch a folder on your computer and instantly add any files you put there to the calibre library as new books. You can tell more...

Requirements
Intel, Mac OS X 10.5.2 or later


Related Links
Download Calibre 0.7.28 for Mac OS X 10.4 or PPC







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calibre User Discussion (Write a Review)
ver. 0.x:
(80)
Your rating: Now say why...
Overall:
(80)

sort: smiles | time
burypromote
+2

+8

zuluwarrior reviewed on 27 Jan 2012
Lovely. Manages my Kindle ebooks. Converts epubs and even the occasional pdf (pdf on the Kindle is not so great though). Have donated, this app deserves it.
[Version 0.8.37]


burypromote

+34

Alex reviewed on 20 Jan 2012
The tool to convert ePub books to Mobi for reading them on your Kindle.

Thank you for that. Very grateful.
[Version 0.8.36]

1 Reply

burypromote

+12
JCH2 replied on 27 Jan 2012
Why would you do that? I've not had a problem in the past putting ePubs on a kindle? Has something changed with Amazon no longer supporting ePub? That would be a serious mistake.
burypromote

-6

Pacmanen reviewed on 19 Jan 2012
The first time I was looking on it, I was not sure if I liked or not since it was not what expected but then I started it up today again and this time it looked just great so guess that the first time I opening it was a dream since now it is so good... thx to the creators of it and they can be sure that I will send them a donation soon (just need some cash first), there is nothing I do not like but still have a little idea unless I just did not look right but a guide on how to use it to make ebooks on mac form pages files since I do not have word at moment. that is not the developers foult so great softvare and do not know what to do without it
[Version 0.8.35]


burypromote
-11

-11

Pkoziski reviewed on 13 Jan 2012
Is this ever going to be finished? I seems like every week you have another update.
[Version 0.8.35]

1 Reply

burypromote
+6

+12
JCH2 replied on 20 Jan 2012
Because every week to month there are changes in the e-information world... changes to how various new stuff is being added, subtracted, change in the way individual ebooks are formatted and the hidden features and information that is inside of them. Calibre is one of the only softwares out there that tries to keep up with the rapid evolution of the ebook / epublication world. That will never stand still, and so hopefully neither will Calibre... or it will dead in the water and so will we.
burypromote
+10

+17

Baddington, B reviewed on 13 Jan 2012
It's uglier than a tree full of owls, but there is no software better for managing ebooks on any platform, especially Mac OS X.

Calibre isn't for reading. It's for organizing and managing a library of ebooks.

In my case I do my reading on an iPad, and iTunes absolutely sucks when you have more than a dozen ebooks. The library view is fine of course, a list of all your books, but when you go to make your selections on which ones are going to make it to your iPad you're entering a world of pain.

A WORLD OF PAIN.

So while Calibre is not going to win any beauty contests, it's open source and free, and is getting incremental improvement all the time. Additionally, you can use plugins for it that can do any number of things. Converting ebook formats with minimal effort is where I really fell in love with Calibre, and the fact that I could find plugins to convert my Kindle books so that I could read them in iBooks on my iPad was enough to keep me happy.

If I had any expertise in User Interface design I would want to volunteer for this project, but I can't do anything better and I value the time and effort of those who have contributed too much to whine about it here.
[Version 0.8.35]

1 Reply

burypromote
+2

+12
JCH2 replied on 20 Jan 2012
What's so ugly about a tree full of owls? Just teasing. ;)
burypromote
-9

-10

Edac2 reviewed on 09 Jan 2012
This ePub reader is a joke, right? I mean, this has to be one of the worst programs I've ever used in OS X. Why can't Apple make an OS X version of the iBook app?
[Version 0.8.34]

2 Replies

burypromote
+2

+17
Baddington, B replied on 13 Jan 2012
This is a multi-platform book organizer. You know how iTunes sucks for managing ebooks? This is software to do that better. It can open epubs and other ebooks and "read" them, but that isn't what it's made to do.

Since Calibre is free and open source, you can make it better if you think it's terrible.
burypromote
+3

+12
JCH2 replied on 20 Jan 2012
The only reason Calibre has a reader is so that you can preview and check the re-encode or translation of ebook formats... then tweak them if necessary... to get a re-format that is workable. I use it to setup formats for the Kindle, Android, Mac and Windows computers and units around my house. I am never locked in my by any corporations profit schemes no matter where I get an ebook. And yet there still people who think it is primarily an ebook reader (sigh).
burypromote
-1

+23

Schoschie reviewed on 06 Jan 2012
I wish I could like this because I appreciate the obviously enormous effort put into this free (!) package.

However, the one time I tried it, the experience was so hideous, I am afraid to ever try it again.

The one thing is its user interface is terrible. It's cluttered, it does not guide the user, all kinds of UI paradigms are mixed, not a joy to use at all. Mac users are pretty spoiled in terms of UI, so this might not be your experience, but I had to cringe all the time while using it.

But, while I can live with a bad UI, I just couldn't even get it to work, so it was a complete failure for me.

I tried to do two things: convert and reflow a PDF to an ebook format that my 3rd gen Kindle can display better. What happened is I waited for about half an hour with nothing happened, no UI updates until I found out that the app had just frozen. Nothing was converted.

I then tried it with a shorter, simpler PDF to see if it worked at all. It did, but the result was completely useless. They layout was broken beyond recognition; it was unreadable, most images/illustrations had disappeared.

Maybe I used a broken release or I simply failed to use it properly, but the experience was bad enough for me to just delete the whole thing outright and never try it again.
[Version 0.8.33]

3 Replies

burypromote
+4

+12
JCH2 replied on 06 Jan 2012
I take it you're working on a Mac; if not, my mistake. Macs are not friendly from low end complex programs. Take that from someone whose not worked multi-OS for 5 years on one Mac, and was in the Windows world from much longer before that.

The interface indeed needs work. I'm a big advocate for Calibre, but I could not disagree on that.

As to PDF, it is not a good format for eBooks in the first place. It is used by companies / publishers trying to 1) save money on layout programs for publishing and/or 2) thinking they gain some extra walls on top of DRM against transcoding an ebook. Now you know why, for PDF sucks as interchangeable data format.

The pdf method for element placement is not governed by CSS as in almost all other formats (which are essentially built on HTML). This is why you are having problems, and Calibre (or any transcoding software) will always have problems converting flat page layout (PDF) to fluid page layout (HTML). One approach still leans back to the idea that page is physical thing and electronic formats should be second to that. The online world, were ebooks took off from, abandoned that paradigm early on.

Don't know much work you want to put in to transcoding PDFs... and hopefully you aren't buying too many ebooks in that format, or your are going to keep facing this problem. What you need is a PDF extraction tool like FileJuicer to pull out the content and then rig it in a format you like. But you really don't want to face that in a large publication. It doesn't sound like you're up to the rest of the work.

Simpler answer, if and when possible, stop buying PDFs. They aren't really epublications... it's just that we have some devices capable of reading this throwback format primary designed to electronically store documents that are then printed only as needed.
burypromote
+1

+23
Schoschie replied on 06 Jan 2012
Thanks, JCH2, yep, I'm on a Mac.

The documents in question aren't commercial eBooks I bought from some publishing company, but free documentation PDFs that I gathered from all around the web.

True that PDF was never meant for interchange (which is never claimed, anyway) but instead to ensure that the visual appearance is identical on any platform. Realizing that, PDF is a good format. It's just not meant for eBook devices where you would need dynamic adaption to the usually smaller screen size. I am aware of that, but I thought that tools like calibre address exactly that problem.

I might have to go and look if those documents are available in other formats; I know this to be true for some of them (they are available as HTML) but definitely not all.
burypromote
+1

+12
JCH2 replied on 06 Jan 2012
Looking for updated formats is a good idea. It doesn't always work out, but a lot more institutions are catching and taking the hint. Many of the layout programs used at the industrial level are more and more capable of outputing document... or books... in both PDF and EPUB (which can then be easily converted to proprietary formats). But that stuff is expensive, and the "industrial" versions sometimes more so that what we think of as "professional" versions. Many companies don't have the spare cash right now for that. But, with brighter days ahead and fingers crossed, the need for PDF may die out as yet where ebooks are concerned. Of course Adobe will go down kicking and screaming on that one. ;)
burypromote
+15

+12

JCH2 reviewed on 09 Dec 2011
It amazes me that people still confuse this with an ereader package. Yes, it can do this, but that is not its primary function. So almost all of the "similar software" recommended here is completely off the mark.

Calibre allows the translation of one ebook format to another. [It can also help in teh creation of an ebook, though that is not its purpose either.] The complication is that both protection of, and construction of, proprietary ebook formats and their subtleties is ever changing. Calibre is the only free software out there that attempts to keep up with such changes and provide support for one primary purpose.

When you buy something that is considered data, such as an ebook, you have the legal right to make backups in any format you desire, and you have the legal right to view that data in any platform and on any device you legally own. Calibre remains legally usable because it supports that legal right. You use not only what device but what access software you wish instead of being subjected to the lock-in paradigms of US corporations that are shunned by almost all other free-world nations.

Is it perfect? No, because not only do certain corps with proprietary formats change details in those formats, they continue to change their proprietary access softwares as well. Then change the format details and modules again... because it is the only way they have to circumvent your legal right to access what you OWN in any way they YOU want to.

No other ereader format translation software does what Calibre does on the broadest range. I know, because I've tried them. (And Stanza stinks as even an reader.) Calibre can also easily manage ebooks and epubs and load them to almost any non-proprietary device that can display such. Of course, you do have to learn how to do so... but that requires breaking out of a slave mentality.

As an working author, of course I fear for what else this software can be used for that could impact my making a living wage. But I support the belief that when you buy a book, you own it; you don't lease it from a corp in some underhanded way that forces you do things their way, using only their services and devices.

Get free... get Calibre.
[Version 0.8.30]


burypromote
+8

+8

Teerexx1952 reviewed on 25 Nov 2011
How can anyone not like this software. It makes handling my ebooks a breeze and it is free. What more could you ask for?
[Version 0.8.28]

1 Reply

burypromote
-5

+21
Myschizobuddy replied on 02 Dec 2011
it looks drop right hideous
burypromote
+3

-9

fratetak reviewed on 23 Nov 2011
the best ebook manager
[Version 0.8.27]

1 Reply

burypromote
-1

-10
Edac2 replied on 09 Jan 2012
Maybe you and Teerexx1952 should start a club.
burypromote

WalterC had trouble on 26 Nov 2011
I've got a major problem at the moment. My books in Calibre have disappeared and I have a books folder with a metada.db file in the folder which calibre placed on the desktop. I had a look at the instructions for Restore Library function but it doesn't really help.

I did a net search and all I got was Windows' advice. HELP!!!

Kindle 3/Snow Leopard 10.6.8
[Version 0.8.28]

1 Reply

burypromote

WalterC replied on 26 Nov 2011
After some trial and error I finally worked out how to fix the problem.
burypromote

+35
Mischivo had trouble on 07 Sep 2010
This version has stopped detecting my Kobo Reader. I've unplugged and replugged numerous times. I've also run the setup wizard many times. Kobo no longer shows up as a device under Calibre.
[Version 0.7.17]


burypromote

+1
Deja Vue had trouble on 27 Dec 2009
When I tried to use Preferences (from the menu Bar and from app itself) I got "beachball" spinning for ever!? But, besides that, it is a great app.
prof. Deja Vue
[Version 0.6.30]


burypromote

Srgvie had trouble on 20 Dec 2009
The most basic feature a software must have is to save the files without errors. You can't do this simple task using Calibre, no matter if you have Leopard, Snow Leopard or Windows XP.

When your library is big, this software has a very slow startup. Just to make things clear, iTunes is not that slow, which means that the Apple guys are doing a smart job than Claibre developers.

The visual interface is terrible, terrible.

But nevermind. If only they could fix the save to disk stuff I would make a small donation in sign of gratitude.
[Version 0.6.29]


burypromote
-5

+28
Jobby had trouble on 28 Apr 2009
Why on EARTH does this need my admin password as soon as it runs?

No deal! Cmd-Q, Cmd-Delete.
[Version 0.5.9]

1 Reply

burypromote

+4
zwiggybo replied on 02 May 2009
It probably requires admin access because of the following feature:

"calibre has a builtin web server that gives allows you to access your ebook collection using a simple browser from any computer anywhere in the world. It can also email your books and downloaded news to you automatically."

In order to turn server on or off, requires admin rights I believe.

+3

Badgerone rated on 03 Feb 2012

[Version 0.8.38]




yyh1002 rated on 02 Feb 2012

[Version 0.8.37]




richardmannich rated on 30 Jan 2012

[Version 0.8.37]



+13

Quiiick rated on 27 Jan 2012

[Version 0.8.37]



+3

Junkblocker rated on 17 Jan 2012

[Version 0.8.35]



+4

Shooflyshoo rated on 14 Jan 2012

[Version 0.8.35]




xdefeenx rated on 13 Jan 2012

[Version 0.8.35]



+3

Aacuna4560 rated on 06 Jan 2012

[Version 0.8.34]



+13

Quiiick rated on 31 Dec 2011

[Version 0.8.33]



+2

Exy rated on 30 Dec 2011

[Version 0.8.33]


Downloads:216,334
Version Downloads:1,898
Type:Home & Personal : eBooks
License:Free
Date:03 Feb 2012
Platform:Intel
Price:Free0.00
Overall (Version 0.x):
Features:
Ease of Use:
Value:
Stability:
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calibre is a one-stop solution to all your e-book needs. It is free, open source and cross-platform in design and works well on Linux, OS X and Windows. calibre is meant to be a complete e-library solution and thus includes library management, format conversion, news feeds to ebook conversion, as well as e-book reader sync features and an integrated e-book viewer.
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