eBooks: Version 2.0 of Adobe Digital Editions Now Available
The version 2.0 went live about 10 days ago.
From Adobe:
Adobe Digital Editions 2.0 is released and available for immediate download. This version includes major improvements for accessibility over Digital Editions 1.7, and is designed to provide greater access to both protected and unprotected electronic books in the EPUB format for Windows and Mac users.
Digital Editions 2.0 utilizes accessibility features on Windows and Mac OS to provide access for users who are blind or who have visual difficulties, including support for high contrast modes and support for resizing of book text. Digital Editions also offers keyboard support which is dramatically enhanced over version 1.7.
Screen reader users can use one of several tools to read books with Digital Editions. On Mac OSX VoiceOver support is provided, although one limitation at present is that book content can only be read one page at a time rather than as a continuous stream. On Windows, users can choose between JAWS, NVDA, and Window-Eyes. GW-Micro provides Window-Eyes support via an app – to get the app for Window-Eyes users should go to the Window-Eyes control panel, press ALT-A to get to the App Menu, and select AppGet. When the list of available apps is displayed, Digital Editions can be found in the “Program Enhancements” group.
Adobe Digital Editions supports books protected by Adobe’s DRM (Digital Rights Management) solution. This allows users to access books available from libraries which use the Overdrive service, as well as those books purchased from vendors such as Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Waterstones, and other booksellers.
Quinton Lawman has more (including screenshots) on the OverDrive Digital Library Blog.
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About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.