Help - eBooks and eReaders

eBook stands for 'electronic book'. This is a digital version of a printed book and can be read on computers, smart phones, eBook readers and other electronic devices. The text can appear as a digitised version of the printed book or can be more interactive, depending on the device and format. The most suitable eBook format for you will depend on what you want from your eBook and what operating system you have. See below for a brief description of the different formats.

eBooks can be read on computers, smart phones, eBook readers and other electronic devices. On your computer you can read DRM protected eBooks by just double-clicking the eBook in your Adobe Digital Editions library. 

On Smartphones and Tablets Apps (applications) are created to provide an easy reading environment. We have Apps available for Apple devices , Google Android devices and Pcs. Find out More.

We sell Adobe (PDF); Adobe (ePub)

Please note ALL these include Digital Rights Management (DRM) and therefore any device you plan to read the eBook on must accept eBooks with DRM. Any eReaders Foyles sells are always DRM compatible.

In order to download these eBooks you will require Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), as this manages the DRM for the publisher. This makes these formats different from ePub and PDFs without DRM. An Adobe PDF reader or ePub reader not compatible with ADE will not work. If a product is listed in these formats it means there is not a version of this product without DRM available to buy although other titles may be available without DRM. Information on DRM

• Adobe (PDF)

This is a fixed-format digital version of a book, designed to resemble the printed version as closely as possible. Some devices will allow you to change the size of the text but not generally to make formatting changes, such as changing page breaks, adding annotations, and so on. Zooming and panning are possible.

Please note these PDFs include Digital Rights Management and require Adobe Digital Editions to be downloadable, not just the standard Adobe PDF reader.

• Adobe (ePub)

ePub stands for Electronic Publication Format. It is an open-source format that can be used by anyone to create an eBook. With ePub you can decide how you read your book regardless of which device you are using. It allows you to re-flow the text, adjust the font size and change the style and page size.

Please note these ePubs include Digital Rights Management and require Adobe Digital Editions to be downloadable.

DRM is an encryption layer that allows the publisher to prevent the illegal copying, printing or sharing of files, and may restrict the number of times a product can be downloaded.

Digital Rights Management is only added at the point when the product is downloaded. This is because the DRM needs a specific code to tie the purchase to the customer. The most common code to be used is an Adobe ID because Adobe Digital Editions has become the industry standard product used to add the DRM. 

Foyles requires you to have an Adobe ID to purchase from us. 

If an eBook has DRM status, it can be read only on authorised computers or handheld devices by authorised users. In order to find out what specific restrictions apply, please contact the publisher of the product you are interested in, as DRM information is not available to retailers, although customers using Adobe will be able to obtain this information once the book is in their elibrary.

Although DRM is controlled by the publisher and can vary, the most common standard is that the DRM will allow you to download to 6 different devices BUT those devices will need to be registered to the ID number. So, for example, when you create an Adobe User ID, you list the devices that you will want to download your books to. You can then add to or amend the list of devices but always keeping within your allowance of 6.

If you are downloading an eBook using a Sony ID, then you will always have to use Sony devices for further downloads of that book.

As the publisher rather than the retailer determines whether the eBook includes DRM, we cannot remove or amend it. Should the publisher allow the eBook to be sold without DRM, Foyles will certainly do so. Many free and out of copyright eBooks do not have DRM.

ALL the eReaders that Foyles sell are DRM-compatible. 

When you download Adobe Digital Editions you are asked to create an Adobe User ID. This is Adobe’s way of identifying you each time you download a new eBook or add a new device to your account. If you decline to create an Adobe User ID the software will still download but you will find you can’t download any eBooks until the User ID is created.

Conversely, if you create an Adobe ID but don’t download Adobe Digital editions you will be able to download eBooks but will have no default location to put them in. They can be tied up later but we strongly recommend having both Adobe Digital Editions AND an Adobe ID before downloading!

During purchase on the Download screen we will provide a screen for you to enter your Adobe ID. On the same screen there will be a link to Adobe for you to create one on their website if you don’t already have one.

The same options are in your Account within the ebooks.foyles.co.uk domain under DRM settings.

This is free software that manages Digital Rights Management for the copyright holder.  

In order to download most eBooks with DRM and all eBooks bought from Foyles you will need to download Adobe Digital Editions, which is available free. Please check the system requirements before downloading.

Here are Adobe’s own main pages on this product

http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/

http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/help/

http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/faq/ 

http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/systemreqs/

Adobe can be used on Windows and Mac computers, although our information as of January 2012 is that MacOS 10.7.72 aka Lion is not fully supported, most eBook readers, smartphones and palm devices, but NOT on the Amazon Kindle. Our latest information is that it cannot be used on the Apple iPad but that once downloaded using ADE, the titles can be transferred to the iPad. We therefore strongly recommend that you check with the manufacturer or your manual to see if your device is compatible before buying any eBook from any supplier.

When you download Adobe Digital Editions you are asked to create an Adobe User ID (see above). This is Adobe’s way of identifying you each time you download a new eBook or add a new device to your account. If you decline to create an Adobe User ID, the software will still download but you will find you can’t download any eBooks until the User ID is created.

Once Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) is downloaded it will appear as a new desktop Icon and in your programs list. Although you can open it manually, the default setting is that it will open automatically every time you download something from our website.

When ADE is created a new folder will be created in C:\Documents and Settings\ My Documents\My Digital Editions or wherever your My Document folder is. THIS is where your eBook files are sent each time you download unless you choose otherwise.

When you have a new device (including any PC, laptop, tablet or eReader) to which you want to read or download an eBook, ‘authorise’ it with Adobe. This is not as laborious as it sounds. The authorisation process is very quick and the device or PC is recognised simply by being either the PC or device you are using to connect to Adobe. It even works if the device is just attached to the PC you are using the internet on.

Just open ADE, go to the Library drop down list and choose Authorise Computer. 

You can add and remove devices or PCs as you go. Ordinarily, you can’t have more than 6 devices/PCs registered with Adobe at one time. If the device you are using is not authorised you will be able to download the eBook to an authorised PC but you won’t be able to copy it onto the device until it too is authorised.

Useful Adobe pages for troubleshooting are

http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/faq/

http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/help/

http://forums.adobe.com/community/adobe_digital_editions

Our advice -

Keep your Adobe Digital Editions software up to date.

If you refuse an Adobe update, the software automatically provides something called a 'shortcut file' instead. You will then find that, although you can carry on using ADE for eBooks that have previously been downloaded, you will be unable to download or view new items until you complete the upgrade.

When you do accept the option to upgrade to the latest edition, the shortcut file will automatically complete the downloads of all eBooks that you attempted whilst the ADE was out of date. This is done without you having to reconnect with the eBook provider, as all the information is kept in the shortcut file.

What to do when you have exceeded your maximum number of activations.

In this case you need to request Adobe to reset your Adobe ID: http://www.adobe.com/support/digitaleditions/

To do so follow this Instruction:

1. click ‘Submit a web case’ (on the right)
2. sign in with your Adobe ID
3. at the bottom of the page you find ‘Choose issue type’. Select ‘Using a Product or Service’
4. mark ‘Additional Products’
5. select ‘Adobe Digital Editions’
6. now the support form shows up. Your ‘Brief Description’ might be ‘Please reset my Adobe ID’ and in the ‘Please describe your issue’ field, just type in the reason for your request (for example: ‘The Number of my activated devices has been exceeded. Can you please reset my ID so that I can read my ebooks again’)

Adobe Digital Editions shows the message Error #2038 when you try to open an eBook.

This error occurs if:

• Digital Editions is not able to connect to the Adobe servers. Check your Internet connection and firewall settings.
• your eBook has somehow been removed from the Digital Editions Folder. In this case, please remove the affected Item from your Library and re-download the eBook from your My eBooks account.

Devices that have their own software and elibraries can still use Adobe PDF and ePub, although once in the software provider's elibrary, the book cannot be transferred to anything except their devices. This means that, for example, a Sony Reader owner who chooses to use a Sony Library instead of the Adobe elibrary, will only ever be able to use books on a Sony device. A Sony Reader owner who uses the Adobe elibrary can transfer their books to their Sony Reader and any other device they want – within what is permitted under DRM.

Sorry, no. Amazon’s Kindle is what is called proprietary software. You can ONLY buy eBooks from Amazon to read on a Kindle or via Kindle Apps. You can’t move eBooks bought from Amazon anywhere else and you can’t add non Kindle eBooks to your Amazon library.

At Foyles we give you freedom and choice. 

You can usually download the eBook up to 3 times from the eBookshelf page on your website (though publishers have the right to vary this). This should allow you to re-try if you encounter any problems with your initial attempt. It also allows you to download the eBook to a new elibrary should the existing version be lost for any reason. 

After 3 downloads a message will tell you that you have reached your download limit.

You can have your eBook simultaneously on up to 6 devices.  Each device needs to be registered on your Adobe ID to be allowed to have an eBook with DRM on it. See above for what is an Adobe ID.

The publisher of some eBooks may allow you to print a limited number of pages or all pages, depending on the individual title. This is built into the Digital Rights Management. You will need to check with the publisher of the specific book you are concerned about. 

Yes, once you have successfully downloaded your eBook, it is yours to read as many times as you like. Like any other electronic file, it must be properly saved in order to be retrieved. 

If the downloaded file is lost for any reason you can download it up to 2 more times, making 3 in total.

Even better news is that if you download our Apps you can use our eReading software to read any eBook or document saved in your My eBooks account directly, without having to download it each time. 

You can also upload eBooks with or without DRM into your My eBooks account so that these too can be accessed by our eBook App. Or you can use this as a place to store eBooks from downloading that you can access from anywhere with an internet connection.

Although this includes eBooks bought from other companies, unfortunately it does not include either Amazon Kindle or Apple’s ibookstore as both of these companies use their own DRM, which can’t be shared outside of their system.

You can use our Quick Search or Advanced Search to see all available versions of a particular title. ISBN searches will usually display only the one format related to that ISBN. This is true of all types of books whether paperback, hardback, audio CD or eBook. However, on occasion, publishers may have used the same ISBN for more than one format. In these cases, performing a title or other search will yield more than one result, depending on how many different books have been allocated the same ISBN, although it will be clear from the search results list which format/s are available.

If you want to browse our entire eBook selection, go to the eBooks Tab or use the ‘Browse by’ option to choose the format’ eBook’. You can further refine this by eBook format, and/or cross-reference by a particular subject. 

Once you click on an eBook item, Add it to your Basket or select the eBooks Tab, you will be on our special eBooks website where your My eBooks section gives you access to all eBooks you wish to keep.

Although you can find and Add to basket on both our main website, eBook purchases have to be completed on our ebook.foyles.co.uk site. We will open the correct basket for you automatically when you start to buy an eBook.

On our ebooks website you can add multiple eBooks into the same basket but only single copies of each item. eBooks are charged immediately and cannot be refunded once the download is available. This is the last step of the checkout process.

Your payment is taken during the checkout and the eBook is available to you to read via our Apps or to download from My eBooks immediately. You will be emailed a receipt straight away too.

No. We now provide eBooks to you in a different way with more user features, but this does mean they have to be charged separately.

eBooks are subject to VAT, and the VAT component is included in the purchase price shown. The VAT amount will be displayed on your invoice-receipt.

Customers outside of the EU or who have VAT-exempt status for any reason should use normal channels to reclaim any VAT charged.

You can purchase via our Android App but not via our iOS App for Apple Ipad & Iphone. Like most retailers we don’t allow purchasing through our app because we can’t afford the charges that Apple makes on these purchases. You can purchase via the browser & read the eBook in your App straight away though. You may find our Apple iPad, iPhone users section useful.

Purchasing – although our buying system is the same for everyone the Safari browser does sometimes treat the Iframe connection to our credit card company as a cookie. Therefore IF you have the Safari browser set to not accept cookies the Credit Card will fail to be registered with our card company.

We recommend changing the settings on your cookies to accept always at least until one transaction has been accepted. There is an option to accept cookies only on sites you have visited before & that should work after this if you do not want to accept all cookies. Ipad users may need to know that your Safari settings can’t be accessed within the browser but are in the overall Settings section on the iPad.

Once you have completed your order the eBook should be ready to download. It is held in your My eBooks section, which is opened automatically for you at the end of the Checkout process. This can also be accessed via the Foyles eBook App.

Once there you will be shown all the eBook titles you have ordered from Foyles, with the most recent listed at the top of the page. 

For the Foyles Website:

You are given the opportunity to download at the end of the checkout. If you don’t want to do this immediately you can access it later by following these steps:

• Go to the eBooks Tab.
• Login if you are not already logged in.
• Click on My eBooks at the top right of every page.
• Hover the cursor over an item and you will see an Actions button appear.
• Go to Actions and select Download from the list
• You will be asked to confirm whether you want to proceed by clicking download again.
• At this point your device or PC takes over. Normally a pop up box will open asking you whether you want to Save or Open the File.
• To use the default Adobe Digital Editions Library click Open. To save the file to a location of your choice click Save and choose the location.

For the Apps:

• The My eBooks is called your Library. Click on this to open if you are currently in the store.
• Just click the title you want and the eBook will open within the App eReader.

The process is the same as for bought eBooks with one exception. When you see the pop up box will asking you whether you want to Save or Open the File we recommend that you choose Save the file instead. 

Save the file into your ‘My Digital Editions folder’ which is normally within My Documents. Then add the file to Adobe Digital Editions by opening ADE and using the ‘Add Item to Library Option’ that is on the Library Drop Down menu. 

These free eBooks don’t use DRM and this seems to be the best way to ensure they stay within your ADE library. Sometimes the default Open only adds the items to a temporary rather than permanent folder.

If the eBook has not arrived within 15 minutes please contact our Customer Services team on orders@foyles.co.uk or telephone us on +44 (0)20 7440 1557 with the details from your emailed receipt. 

We are available to help; when contacting us please provide as much information about any error message you see. A screenshot of any message is the ideal.

Please note that, legally, Foyles is deemed to have provided the product to you when it is ready to download from our website. At this point it is your choice when and how to download it. We cannot take responsibility for the download process as this uses software and hardware that we do not control.

Troubleshooting issues

• Please be aware that Internet Security Protocols can hinder or completely prevent downloads. Please check your software provider's instructions on how your settings can impact on downloads. As a rule of thumb, anyone using blanket settings of High Security will not be able to download. That is true of all downloading from the internet, not just eBooks.

• Unable to connect to Server – In order to download your eBook, Adobe Digital Editions has to connect to the Adobe Server to validate your User ID. If it can’t connect please check your internet service. If everything else is OK then Adobe may just be experiencing a high volume of connections and be unavailable. We can only recommend downloading in the early morning when UK internet usage is at its lowest and when most people in The United States are still asleep. 

• If you are encountering difficulties, please see Adobe’s own Help screens. 

• Don’t forget to check your device’s own documentation and Help options.

Refunds are not available on eBooks as, for practical and copyright reasons, we cannot reuse the product once we have supplied it to you, so please make sure you check that you are ordering the correct eBook and format for your machine before completing your purchase.

Customers with a credit card billing address in the UK can purchase on this site even if they are not in the UK at the time of purchase. However at this time we cannot sell ebooks to customers with non-UK billing addresses in order to ensure that the copyright territory restrictions are implemented.

Anything that you have already downloaded can be added to your My eBooks account for access via the internet and our Apps.

If you have eBooks in your eBookshelf not yet downloaded you will need to download them first, then upload them.

We run a joint login between www.foyles.co.uk, ebooks.foyles.co.uk and our eBook Apps so you only need one Username (your email address) and password between them. Creating an account in one location will also create them in the others.

However, the credit card charging systems for the two websites are different and therefore you do need to maintain your billing address and card details separately.

BOTH websites have SSL certificates and are secure. Your card details can be kept, amended and deleted in both locations as you wish.

You can only change your password on the www.foyles.co.uk website.

When on the www.foyles.co.uk website and in the My Login section you cannot see eBook orders placed from February 6th 2012. The eBookshelf only includes eBooks bought before February 6th 2012. See I have eBooks in my existing Foyles eBookshelf – can I transfer them to My eBooks?

When on ebooks.foyles.co.uk  or our Apps via the My eBooks option you will see all eBooks bought after February 6th 2012 or uploaded by you.

Features:

All eBooks purchased from Foyles will automatically appear here.

• You cannot see orders for non-eBooks.
• We do not have a transaction history for eBooks but you can contact our customer services if you wish to check any previous order.
• eBook orders are provided immediately at the end of the checkout process so no order status is necessary.

You can Upload other eBooks even when bought from other retailers or PDFs from your own files. This includes eBooks with and without DRM.

• However, Amazon Kindle books and Apple’s iBooks cannot be included due to restrictions set by these companies.
• Just click the upload option and a box will open allowing you to navigate to the location of the file/s you wish to upload. Then click OK.
• You will need one of the following Multimedia players installed in order to use the Upload function. These are normally available to download for free on the internet. Flash, Silverlight, HTML5 or Gears.
• The location of your eBooks files is normal in C Drive – My Documents – My Digital Editions BUT if you have chosen a different location or not had Adobe Digital Editions installed at the time you downloaded the eBook it maybe in My eBooks also within My Documents or a completely different location.
• In order to upload the right eBook file you will need to identify it. Normally the .epub or .pdf file will be called the name of the book. For example oliver_twist.epub but sometimes the file is not so obvious. If you cannot identify the eBook within your My Digital Editions folder then open Adobe Digital Editions and select the title you want. In the Properties of the eBook the name of the file you njeed should be stated. Once identified you can complete the upload process as normal.

You can alter the Title and Author details of any item.

• This is located under the Actions button.
• To alter an item, hover the mouse over it and the action button will appear. Choose Edit Info from the list.
• To alter multiple items, use the tickbox alongside the title to select as many items as required and then choose the Action button at the top of the page. Choose Edit Info from this list instead. All changes will then apply to all selected items.

You can assign labels to each eBook or document.

• Any item can have multiple labels.
• Currently labels can only be one word long.
• This function is located under the Actions button.
• To alter a single item, hover the mouse over the item and the action button will appear. Choose Manage Labels from the list.
• To alter multiple items, use the tickbox alongside the title to select as many items as needed and then choose the Action button at the top of the page. Choose Manage Labels from this list instead. All changes will then apply to all selected items.

You can filter the list of eBooks and documents on the account by label.

• Go to The Drop Down box called All eBooks. You will see each created label on the list. By selecting any single one only the items with this label will be shown.
• To restore the entire list re-select All eBooks or click the My eBooks tab.

You can search for a particular author or title within your My eBooks library.

• Use the Search in My eBooks box in the top right. Any word in the Author Title field can be used. This will reduce the list to only items that match your search.
• To restore the entire list click the My eBooks tab.

You can Sort the list of eBooks and documents.

The default view is in order of themost recently added eBook or document.

• To change this Go to The Drop Down box called Sort By.
• Choose from the drop down list between: Product Title, Author and Recently Added.

You can delete any item from your My eBooks library.

• This function is located under the Actions button.
• To alter a single item hover the mouse over the item and the action button will appear. Choose Edit Info from the list.
• To alter multiple items, use the tickbox alongside the title to select as many items as needed and then choose the Action button at the top of the page. Choose Edit Info from this list instead. All changes will then apply to all selected items.
• This action cannot be undone and is not recommended for any eBook that you do not have downloaded in an additional location.
• You can add an eBook back via the Upload function from another location.

• With the app you can download eBooks and documents from your Foyles My eBooks library and read them on your mobile device.
• Your eBook is automatically synchronised between use of the App on your phone or laptop. So you need never lose your place!
• Foyles-powered-by-txtr apps support the most common eBook formats, EPUB and PDF – including eBooks with Adobe DRM, the industry standard.
• You also have direct access to our ebooks.foyles.co.uk  store, which offers you a huge selection of titles.
• Opening an account with Foyles on our App will create an account on all Foyles Websites.

Already have a Foyles website login? Then use the same username and password on the App after you’ve downloaded it.

Download your free Foyles-powered-by-txtr application for Android, iPhone or iPad!

Foyles powered by txtr is a free eBook reading app for Android, iPhone or iPad from the UK's iconic bookseller.

The app is a first for Foyles and has some advanced beta features which we have made available now so that we can get your feedback. Do email us at either foyles-android-gb@txtr.com or foyles-ios-gb@txtr.com to tell us what you think, as we want you to have the best possible reading experience

You will be able to download eBooks and documents from your library and read them on your mobile device. Our app supports ePub and PDF - including eBooks with Adobe DRM. This means you will be able to read and sync across your devices, and store eBooks and documents from multiple sources.

If you're on Android, you'll also have direct access to our eBook store, where we have over 200,000 eBook titles from which to choose. If you're on  iPhone or iPad, -due to Apple policy-, you won't be able to purchase within the app, but you can download your eBooks from this website to your device for reading on the go.

• Logging in: Now that you have opened your app, you’ll need to log in to your existing www.foyles.co.uk account, or set up a new account in order see the existing ebooks in your ‘My eBooks’ account on the ebooks.foyles.co.uk website. 
• Go to settings at the bottom of the screen.
• Enter your foyles.co.uk username (email address) and password.  If you don’t already have an account then press ‘Create Account’.
• Many eBooks are protected by Digital Rights Management
• in order to read any DRM-encrypted books you will need to enter your existing or create a new Adobe ID. 
• To upload eBooks and documents, select the ‘My eBooks’ tab, select Upload and follow the instructions.
• To purchase, select ‘Buy Now’ on the book of your choice and follow the instructions. 

• Go to ebooks.foyles.co.uk.  Log in using the same username and password you used on the Foyles powered by txtr App.
• When all uploads and purchases are completed, simply open your app on any device. Your books will be waiting there for you to read.

• Logging in: Now that you have opened your app, you’ll need to log in to your existing foyles.co.uk account, or set up a new account in order see the existing ebooks in you’re ‘My eBooks’ account on the ebooks.foyles.co.uk website.
• Go to the settings button. This will either be within your menu icon or at the bottom of your screen.
• Enter your foyles.co.uk username (email address) and password.  If you don’t already have an account then press ‘Create Account’.
• Many eBooks are protected by Digital Rights Management.
• In order to read any DRM-encrypted books you will need to enter your existing or create a new Adobe ID.

• Within the App
  • Enter the store by selecting the trolley icon in the top right corner.
  • Find the book you want and purchase is completed your new eBook will appear in your library.

• Via our website:
  Log in to ebooks.foyles.co.uk using the same username and password you used on the Foyles powered by txtr App.
  • To upload eBooks and documents, select the ‘my eBooks’ tab, select Upload and follow the instructions.
  • To purchase, select ‘Buy Now' on the book of your choice and follow the instructions.

If you don’t already have an Adobe ID then you can create one on the Adobe Website, accessed via the Adobe ID link on the Settings page.

• Adding eBooks and documents to your library:
  • When all uploads and purchases are completed, simply open your app on any device. Your books will be waiting there for you to read.
    
    
• Your App Features
  • Library view
    • In order to see all the titles from your "my eBooks" account you will need an internet connection.
    • To start reading a title just click the jacket.
    • This will download the eBook to your phone for local use. This will take a few seconds but longer with a poor internet connection.
    • Once downloaded this eBook will appear in your library and be available for reading even without an internet connection.
    • Your default view is jackets on a virtual bookshelf to see a List View with slightly more information per item press the icon with 3 lines.
    • To return to the Bookshelf view press the Icon of Squares.
    • Magnifying Glass= Search within the library for any author or title, using any relevant word. Selection will reduce to your search criteria. Return to the full list by using your back option/icon.
    • Buying. For Android users only. Enter the store by selecting the trolley icon in the top right corner or click the Buy a Book title in your library.
  • Reading features
    • To access the following features press your options or menu icon/button which will vary by phone. Press the same icon to close the features view and carry on reading without these icons on display.
    • Close = This will close the book you are reading and return you to the library.
    • i = Book Info screen. The About section covers; Table of Contents (if made available by the publisher), Bookmarks that you have created, a synopsis about the book (if made available by the publisher), ISBN, Publisher & Format information. Android users only – The similar books functions will take you to the stores listing for books by the same Author or Publisher. Return to reading by clicking the Continue Reading button.
    • AA = Choose to adjust font size. Also accesses Night & Day mode. Day is black text on a white background and Night is the reverse.
    • Magnifying Glass= Search within the book for any word or phrase. Results will show separately for Contents List & the main text. Each result can be selected to be taken to the relevant text location.
    • Dotted box =  Bookmark pages by clicking this icon. You have the option of adding your own notes within the Bookmark too. These will be synced on any device that you use our App on.
    • <------>=  Shows you your progress through he book. Press the circle to see the percentage read & drag the circle with your finger to move to a new percentage point in the book & read from there.
    • Never lose your place. Opens automatically at your last read page, even if you were reading it on other devices.
  • App eBookstore (Android Only)
• eReader FAQs
  • What is an eReader?

    An eReader is an electronic handheld device that can be used to read eBooks and other electronic documents. eReaders differ from laptops, phones etc. because of a special eInk screen, which is not backlit and mimics the appearance of ordinary ink on paper, thereby making the text easier to read.

• What eReaders does Foyles sell?
  Foyles sells the NOOK eReaders and tablets. For more information see http://www.foyles.co.uk/nook. You can use any eReader (except a Kindle which uses its own formats & DRM) with our services however.
  
  
• Why should I buy one?

  You can store around 350 books on each eReader. Most also allow you to use SD cards for extra storage. So it's quite possible to have your entire library on one device.

  As well as an ever-growing range of new titles, there are many free, out-of-copyright eBooks available that can be downloaded to your eReader.

  When an eReader has Wi-fi, eBooks you purchase can be downloaded instantly to your device..

  You can read eBooks wherever you want, not just at your computer. Enjoy the eInk display, which is truly readable without backlighting, as on a PC or mobile.

  For your greater comfort, font size and face can be adjusted, removing a dependence on large print books.

  An eBook can automatically open at the last-read page.

  You can hold backups of your eBook on your digital library on your PC, so if your eReader were to get damaged you wouldn't lose all your books.

  Printed books use 3 times more raw materials and 78 times more water to produce: the production of e-books does not consume paper or ink.

• What Should I Consider Before Buying an eReader?

  Many eReaders now come internet enabled with inbuilt stores and inbuilt Digital Rights Management (DRM) software. This can mean you don't 'need' anything else to use them. However to take full control of your eBook library or add content from outside of the inbuilt store you will need a computer, a USB cable (normally supplied with the eReader) and DRM software. The software most frequently used (including by Foyles powered by Txtr) is the free Adobe Digital Editions software. Check the Help Guide for any eReader you are considering for its advice on DRM software.

  Consider where you want to buy your eBooks from. The vast majority of eReaders allow you to buy from anywhere but the Amazon Kindle ONLY allows you to buy from Amazon this is why they call their eBooks Kindlebooks.

  eReaders require electrical power and must be charged. However, you generally get around 7,000 page turns per charge.

  eReaders can get damaged and may not be repairable, so although your eLibrary is still safe, there might be the replacement cost of a new eReader.

  Not every printed book is available as an eBook. Currently it is only a small percentage of the vast number of titles in print. However, this is improving all the time.

  Some books available as eBooks cannot be read on some eReaders because they are not supplied in a format those readers allow (see next section below).

• What formats do eReaders read?

  eBooks come in a variety of formats. ePub is an open-source format (meaning anyone can use it freely to create eBooks) and was created specifically for eBooks and eReaders. It allows the reader greater flexibility with the look of the text on the screen, providing a better reading experience. Adobe PDF files are common but were originally created for computer screens rather than eReaders and can therefore be a little unwieldy compared with ePub. In both cases when publishers add Digital Rights Management to the eBook file this creates a difference between ePub without DRM and Adobe PDF without DRM. There is more detailed information on formats in the eBook section above.

• How do I put eBooks on my eReader?

  This process is now commonly called 'Sideloading'. You connect your eReader to your computer using a usb cable (supplied). You can then take any eBooks from your eLibrary and place them in your eReader. Once connected to your computer, the eReader will appear as an external drive. You find this by clicking on 'My Computer' in the start menu. You then cut and paste (or drag) the eBook from your eLibrary onto the folder of your choice in your eReader.

• OK. I have an eBook on my reader. What now?

  Switch on your eReader. Using the menu options select the menu where you placed the book. Then select the book and you can begin reading. You can change the font size and orientation to suit, and turn the page using the keys or touch screen. You can bookmark the page you are on at any time so that you will return to that page next time. If you don't bookmark, the eReader will remember the page you were last on until you choose to read something else. Some eReaders allow you to add notes and/or have built-in dictionaries.

• Where do I get an eLibrary from?

  An eLibrary is where you store your eBooks on your computer. It is also therefore a backup for all books on your eReader. You may already have an eLibrary on your computer. However, when you download ebooks that include DRM you will need Adobe Digital Editions, which can be downloaded free from Adobe and this will include its own Adobe eLibrary.

  Most people use the Adobe eLibrary but this is not mandatory even when using Adobe Digital Editions to download. You can choose the location that your file is downloaded to.