OverDrive is the service used by more than 15,000 libraries to provide digital and audiobook access to their patrons. The OverDrive Media Console is a universal app for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad that will let you locate a nearby library offering OverDrive books, let you search their offerings, and check out books using a valid library card. You won’t even have to go to the library to check out books. You can read or listen to the books in the app. There’s no worry about overdue books, because access to the books expires on the due date. You’ll even have access to free, out-of-copyright books through the OverDrive app. The OverDrive Media Console app is free in the iTunes app store.
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And all you have to do to use this ‘service’ is give Adobe all of your personal data.
FAIL!
I simply cannot understand this comment. To get a library card, I must provide the same information. I am a contented user of Overdrive.
Let me be more precise.
My local public library is paid for with tax dollars, some of which I provide. The personal info I give them is so they can verify I am a resident of the taxing authority that provides their funding.
Adobe is a private company. Their stated use of my personal information is to send me unsolicited email about ‘offers’ and other emails I will surely want to know about. I would be very surprised if they did not also sell my email address to others as well.
The difference between providing personal information to the library and giving it to Adobe should be obvious. But in case it is not, here it is in a nutshell: requiring me to provide personal information to a private company just so I can use a service paid for with my tax dollars is unacceptable.
I will also be more precise. I get no emails from Adobe because I told them not to send them. Moreover, I know that I cannot control who has access to info I give to any entity, public or private: I accept that it may be circulated, just as I know that when I walk the streets of NYC I am being photographed. In the end, we don’t really disagree, I am willing to accept what to you is unacceptable, and we agree on what that is.
@Philippe Radley
Well spoken. Thanks.
If you have android there is also a version of this app for phones and for tablets (including 3.1 – download bug has been fixed).
Find it works out really well – the trick is just to remember I do have books loaded on it, and go into it to read the items rather than through my regular reader.
Dont really see what the issue is – have an adobe account and don’t get spammed by them – plus around 50% of the readers at least, require the same id – necessary when using an adobe drm book. If you are that worried about it, set up a nonsense account and see how much spam and issues you really get.