Using iPad Safari to download from SFPL Overdrive e-library

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Using iPad Safari to download from SFPL Overdrive e-library

Whenever I try to use iPad Safari to download from San Francisco Public Library their Overdrive MPG3 e-audiobooks that I've checked out, I get "Download Failed. Safari cannot download this file." But my iPhone encounters no problem downloading same check out e-book. I've noticed that my iPhone's Safari goes to a different URL than does my iPad Safari.

N.B. SFPL says in their instruction that MPG3 works with iPhone and iPad. iPhone Safari URL reads "SFPL.lib.overdrive.com/...." but when I touched download on the IPad the URL reads "ofs.contentreserve.bin...." just before I get the error message "Download failed."

Are other iPad users able to download SFPL Overdrive e-audio books using iPad Safari, as I easily do using iPhone? My settings on iPad are same as iPhone.

iPad, iPad OS 3.2.2 7B500

Posted on Sep 25, 2010 11:40 AM

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Answer 1

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Sep 25, 2010 12:02 PM in response to yper

Have you tried another browser on your iPad? Also, some apps like GoodReader allow you to enter the URL of a download and to download it.

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Answer 2

Tamara

Level 6

13,738 points

Sep 25, 2010 12:10 PM in response to yper

Have you downloaded the Overdrive App?
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/overdrive-media-console/id366869252?mt=8

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Answer 3

yper Author

Level 1

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Sep 25, 2010 6:57 PM in response to lllaass

I prefer to reach a response to the Safari question rather than fork off to trying other browsers. I think the underlying issue is that Overdrive supplies a reader for the Mac and a reader for the iPhone but no reader for the iPad. I appreciate the GoodReader idea. First, I want to explore downloading from library to Mac and then transferring to iPad.

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Answer 4

yper Author

Level 1

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Sep 25, 2010 11:32 PM in response to Tamara

Yes, I've downloaded the Overdrive App to my iPad. Safari will not download MPG3 audio-ebooks to the app.

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Answer 5

Sep 25, 2010 11:39 PM in response to yper

You can't download them on the iPad.
From what I get from their website-you download to the pc/mac then transfer over to the app.

PS.
I don't have the app-have you tried looking around inside the app to see if you can download from within it?

Message was edited by: Johnathan Burger

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Answer 6

yper Author

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Sep 26, 2010 12:05 PM in response to Johnathan Burger

Johnathan, thank you for the ideas.

I now realize that I cannot directly download SFPL audio-ebooks from SFPL (library). I've tried downloading from library to iTunes, but the download .omg cannot be dragged and stuck on the iTunes screen. Also, I don't know how to transfer .omg sound doc from iTunes to my iPhone's Overdrive app.

Can an .omg (MPG3) doc be dowloaded to my Mac, then dragged from download to iTunes, and the transferred (& how?) from iTunes to iPhone Overdrive app?

I have nearly 60Gigs of music in iTunes, but a search for the .omg title doesn't reveal that it's actually been transferred from download to iTunes window.

Ideas?

PS I've written Overdrive's contact and posed some questions, because they are a primary vendor to so many public libraries, and I think iPad should have the capability of accessing FREE audio-ebooksand FREE visual-ebooks from my library, which offers a huge variety. I have zero interest purchasing books from iTunes, which is for folks with money to burn, not rapid readers.

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Answer 7

trentic

Level 1

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Sep 27, 2010 11:01 AM in response to yper

Hey,

I think I can help you with this. I'm the Electronic Resources Librarian at SFPL. I deal with a lot of OverDrive questions. Let me see if I can answer the questions from your latest post and then if you still need assistance, I'll leave you my contact info.

The two ways to download audiobooks is 1) Library to iPad, with the OverDrive Media Console app and a WiFi connection and 2) Library to Mac/PC using the desktop version of the OverDrive Media Console software and an Internet connection. I asked OverDrive about the download error you are getting and they think it might be related to the security settings on the WiFi connection you are using. In particular, they have found downloads from the OverDrive servers are not permitted if you are using a public WiFi connection.

You should be able to download an MP3 audiobook from the Library to your Mac as mentioned in #2 above, then open iTunes and add it to your iTunes Library.
Once you've downloaded the title using the OverDrive software, go to iTunes and select "Add File to Library..." from the File menu. Unless you've designated another folder for your OverDrive files, the default on a Mac should be: Documents\My Media\MP3 Audiobooks. The file will be added to your music collection so look for it there.

Here's a link to the help file on the MP3 format - http://sfpl.lib.overdrive.com/Help-FAQ-Format425.htm

Anyways, I hope this helps. Like I said, if you still can't get this to work for you, contact me at jgarcia@sfpl.org or 415-557-4478.

Cheers,

trent

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Answer 8

yper Author

Level 1

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Nov 1, 2010 6:15 PM in response to trentic

This response will put finality on the question I posted -- using iPad (wi-fi version) to directly download from a public library to the iPad of an audio-ebook in MP3 form: THIS CANNOT BE DONE DIRECTLY, despite the Overdrive.com listings of "compatibility" of iPad wi-fi version.

Yes, an INDIRECT download of an audio ebook format MP3 from a public library to a computer and then a transfer from that computer to an iPad's iPod icon is possible, though the method is a bit convoluted. The transferred audio-ebook does not end up in Overdrive's icon but in the iPad icon for iPod.

My thanks go to Trent Garcia, Electronic Resources Librarian at SFPL, for his able assistance to establish what "is possible" apart from what "should be" possible. I hope that the Overdrive.com team will incorporate corrected information into their listing of iPad compatibility for direct and indirect downloads of MP3 files.

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