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Frequently asked questions |
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E-Book basics
- What is an e-book?
- An e-book, or electronic book, is a digital file designed for reading on a computer screen – desktop or laptop – or a handheld electronic device.
- Why buy an e-book?
- Flexibility. E-books are available on multiple platforms, so you can read e-books on your desktop computer, or on your laptop or handheld device. You can build up a ‘library’ of e-books and carry them with you in your organizer or laptop, and read them wherever you choose. Depending on your device, you may be able to carry dozens, or even hundreds, of e-books with you – so you’ll always have something you want to read with you!
Functionality. With an e-book, you can search for text, look up word definitions, resize the text, or change the text orientation on the screen and still enjoy the functionality of traditional print books, such as highlighting text, making annotations, or bookmarking pages. Please note: exact features will vary by e-book reader format.
Convenience. Once you buy an e-book, you do not have to wait for delivery. You can download and read your new e-book right away.
Special features. Many HarperCollins e-books contain bonus content not available in the print edition, as well as advanced navigational features, such as hyperlinks to narrative notes.
- What do I need to read an e-book?
- Before you can download and read an e-book, you need to download and install free software called an e-book reader on your computer or handheld device. An e-book reader allows you to control the e-book functions, such as contrast settings, page turning, font size, and built-in dictionaries. HarperCollins publishes e-books for the Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader, Microsoft Reader, and Palm Reader.
- What are the different e-book formats?
- PerfectBound publishes e-books in three formats — Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader, Microsoft Reader, and Palm Reader. The HarperCollins e-books store sells e-books in all three formats:
- Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader
Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader is free software that allows you to read e-books on your desktop or laptop computer. The reader can be used on the Windows 98/ME/2000/NT 4.0/XP and on Macintosh OS 9.x platforms.
To download the Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader, click here.
Note that Acrobat eBook Reader is very similar to Acrobat Reader, but contains extra features specific to e-books. You cannot read an Adobe Acrobat eBook on Acrobat Reader.
For more information visit the Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader site:
http://www.adobe.com/products/ebookreader
- Microsoft Reader
Microsoft Reader 2.0 is free software that allows you to read e-books on your desktop or laptop computer or Pocket PC 2002 device. After activating (registering) your copy of Microsoft Reader 2.0, you can read the same protected e-book on up to four supported devices. This software requires a Windows platform, and does not run on Macintosh, Palm, or Linux operating systems.
Microsoft Reader 2.0 comes preinstalled on Pocket PC 2002 devices from a variety of manufacturers, and you can activate and read copy-protected (“Owner Exclusive”) e-books on these devices.
Earlier versions of the Pocket PC (in general, those purchased before September 1st, 2001) feature Microsoft Reader 1.0 for the Pocket PC, which cannot accommodate activation or read “Owner Exclusive” e-books. Many of these devices cannot be upgraded to Microsoft Reader 2.0. Please refer to your device documentation for further information. Please note: All PerfectBound e-books are only available as “Owner Exclusive”, and therefore cannot be read using Microsoft Reader 1.0 for the Pocket PC. However, they can be read on desktop and laptop PCs using Microsoft Reader 1.5 for Windows.
To download the Microsoft Reader, click here.
For more information visit the Microsoft Reader site: http://www.microsoft.com/reader
- Palm Reader
Palm Reader is free software that allows you to read e-books on computers and on handheld devices running on Windows 98/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP, Mac OS 8.6 or later, using CarbonLib 1.5 or later/Mac OS 10.1 or later, Palm OS, or PocketPC/WinCE platforms.
To download the Palm Reader, click here.
For more information or to download the free Palm Reader software, visit the Palm Digital Media site:
http://www.peanutpress.com
- A note about the Gemstar eBook
PerfectBound no longer publishes e-books in the Gemstar eBook format. For more information about the Gemstar eBook readers please visit the Gemstar eBook site: http://www.gemstarebook.com
- Which e-book format is best for me?
- To determine which e-book format is right for you, please refer to the e-book reader comparison chart:
| |
Microsoft Reader |
Adobe eBook Reader |
Palm Reader |
| Price of Reader |
Free |
Free |
Palm Reader - Free
Palm Reader Pro - $9.95 |
| Download time |
10-15 minutes using a 56K modem |
30-40 minutes using a 56K modem |
10-15 minutes using a 56K modem |
| Reading device |
Laptop, desktop, Pocket PC |
Laptop, desktop |
Laptop, desktop, Pocket PC, Palm OS Handhelds |
| Color |
Yes, depending on the hardware used |
Yes, depending on the hardware used |
Yes, depending on the hardware used |
| Adjustable type size |
Yes-this causes the text to re-flow and the page numbers to change |
Yes-but this is only done by zooming in, the text does not re-flow |
Yes-this causes the text to re-flow and the page numbers to change |
| Two-page view |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Printable text |
No |
With publisher permission, click here |
No |
| Mac-compatible |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Fully text searchable |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ability to take notes and bookmark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ability to highlight |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Photos and art supported |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ability to draw in eBook |
Yes |
No |
No |
- What e-book formats are available through PerfectBound.com?
- HarperCollins e-books offers e-books in Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader, Microsoft Reader, and Palm formats.
- Why do I need to certify or activate my e-book reader software?
- Microsoft and Adobe both require you to activate or certify your reader. This one-time process allows the e-book reader to work with the encryption systems that protect authors’ and publishers’ copyrights.
- Can I read e-books on my Macintosh?
- Yes, you can read e-books using the Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader on Mac OS 9.x, but not on the Mac OS X platform. Palm Reader e-books can be read on Mac OS 8.6 or later, using CarbonLib 1.5 or later, and on Mac OS 10.1 or later. E-books for Microsoft Reader cannot be read on Macs.
- Can I print out my e-book? Can I copy text into another document?
- HarperCollins e-books in Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader format allow you to print or copy approximately 10% of the text of the e-book per week. For example, in a 250 page e-book, you can print or copy up to 25 pages per week.
Other e-book formats do not currently support printing and copying.
- Can I lend or give my e-book to a friend?
- Your e-books are customized to work on your devices (e.g., your computer or PDA). E-book files are not be readable on a device that is not registered to the original purchaser. You can, however, lend your e-books to friends by lending them a registered device.
Purchasing and downloading
- How do I buy an e-book?
- Before you purchase your e-book, make sure you have already downloaded your preferred e-book reader software. (Note that you can download more than one type of e-book reader, depending upon your computer's system.) When you are ready to make your purchase, you can add an e-book to your shopping cart when you are on HarperCollins e-books search results page or the title product page. Simply click the appropriate icon — Palm, Microsoft, or Adobe — in the “Buy this e-book” box to choose which format you would like to purchase.
After that, proceed to the checkout, where you need to supply your credit card details to HarperCollins e-books secure purchasing system. Once your payment is authorized, you will be directed to a download page, where you can click on the links to download the e-books you’ve purchased. The downloading process will begin automatically. If you choose to download your e-book at a later time, you can return to My library under the My account link.
For security purposes, we do not store credit card infomation.
- When will I receive my e-book?
- Once you have completed your purchase, you will have immediate access to your e-books from the download page that you can access using the “proceed to download” button on your transaction receipt. There is also a link in the receipt that is e-mailed to you after you have completed your purchase. Your e-books are also available for downloading from the My library link in your HarperCollins e-books account.
- What does pre-order mean?
- When a "Pre-order today" symbol appears next to a title it is available for purchase now, but you will not be able to download the title until its on sale date. You will be notified by email when that title is available for downloading. Please note: Your credit card will be charged at the time of pre-order, not when you download the title.
- How do I download a title I have pre-ordered?
- Titles that have been pre-ordered will be available for downloading from My library.
- How long does it take to download an e-book?
- E-books can be downloaded in a matter of minutes. E-books come in all different sizes, depending on the length of the book and the number of images. On a 56K modem, a novel of about 300 pages can be downloaded in just a couple of minutes, whereas e-books containing many illustrations may take longer.
- Where can I find my e-book after downloading?
- The Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader, Microsoft Reader, and Palm Reader all have e-book libraries. In order to access your e-books after you have downloaded them, open your reader, and then go to your reader’s library. Your downloaded e-book will be listed there.
- How long can I keep my e-book?
- You will always own your e-book. If you switch e-book reading devices, if you buy a new computer or PDA, you may re-download your e-book through My library under the My account link.
Please note: You may need to re-download and reactivate your e-book reader software.
- If I buy a HarperCollins e-book in one e-book format, can I read it in a different e-book format?
- E-book file formats are not interchangeable. If you buy an e-book in the Microsoft Reader format you must read it using the Microsoft Reader software.
- What should I do if I have problems opening or downloading my e-book?
- For Microsoft Reader titles: If your Microsoft Reader title does not open after the download, go to My library and try downloading the title again. If it still will not open you may need to delete the Microsoft Reader association:
Here's what to do: Open Windows Explorer. Go to Tools (at the top) -> Folder Options -> File Types. Scroll down until you find the extension for Microsoft Reader. There may be two or three extensions but you should only need to locate the .lit extension (look for a small "r" with little green leaves). Delete this file type association (it can be added back later). Since this association has been deleted, when you click the link to download the ebook, you will be prompted to save this file to disk, rather than the title opening automatically to Microsoft Reader. Save the file to My Documents/My Library. When you open Microsoft Reader, sort by Date Acquired, and the title(s) should appear.
For Adobe titles: If your Adobe eBook does not download or open, open your Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader and click Open File, you will need to find the most recent file named "ebx.etd". If you are unable to find this .etd file, please contact hcebsupport-us@overdrive.com and include your Transaction ID, Customer ID, the name of the e-book and the specific error message that you are receiving and we will promptly reactivate your order so that you can download the e-book again.
For Palm Reader titles: If your Palm Reader title does not open, you will need to make sure that the Palm Reader is properly installed on your Palm OS handheld device or your Pocket PC. For more information on installing the Palm Reader, please click here.
- Do I have to pay any shipping and handling charges for my e-book?
- There are no shipping and handling charges for e-books.
- Can I make an e-book purchase without a credit card?
- In order to make an online purchase through HarperCollins e-books, you need to use a credit card. For security purposes, HarperCollins e-books does not store credit card information.
- Can I make a purchase by phone?
- Purchases through HarperCollins e-books can only be made online.
- Can I buy an e-book as a gift?
- E-books cannot be purchased as a gift.
- Can I return an e-book?
- HarperCollins e-books only allows e-books to be returned for technical difficulties after reasonable efforts have been made to resolve those issues. For technical support please contact hcebsupport-us@overdrive.com.
- How do I cancel an order?
- Before the final submission of your order, you may opt out of the purchasing process at any time. After you submit your order, you cannot cancel your order and you will receive the download link for your purchased e-book immediately.
- What happens if I lose my e-book device or my computer crashes?
- After you have re-downloaded and re-installed the e-book reader software of your choice, just return to My library under the My account link to re-download your e-book.
Please note: For the Microsoft Reader format once you have re-download the Microsoft Reader software you must reactivate the software using the same Passport account you originally created your HarperCollins e-books account with. For help please contact: hcebsupport-us@overdrive.com
Questions about HarperCollins
- Where else can I buy HarperCollins e-books?
- Click here to see a full list of US HarperCollins e-book retailers
HarperCollins around the world
HarperCollins e-books is the US retail presence for HarperCollins.
If you reside outside the United States, please visit the HarperCollins e-books retail store in your market:
- How do I contact HarperCollins?
- If you have a technical question, please send your inquiries to hcebsupport-us@overdrive.com.
To contact HarperCollins for non-technical questions only, please send an e-mail to perfectbound@harpercollins.com. No technical questions or purchase inquiries can be handled at the address.
- Where can I get more information about HarperCollins?
- To find out more about HarperCollins, click here.
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