Adobe Digital Editions 1.5

Follow these steps to get started with Adobe Digital Editions 1.5 beta. If you have already downloaded Digital Editions 1.0 or an earlier version of the 1.5 beta, you must first uninstall the application prior to installing the beta release. Running multiple versions of Digital Editions simultaneously will cause issues with accessing and managing your content.

1. Download and install the Digital Editions beta

   Note: This is a public beta, not a final release. Neither the quality nor the features are complete yet. We want to show you our direction and get your feedback so that we can incorporate it into future releases. You should be aware that this beta release includes a new version of DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection. If you plan on using Digital Editions for mission critical work, please consider using Digital Editions 1.0.

2. Visit the Digital Editions Sample eBook Library to download free eBooks
3. Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Digital Editions
4. Visit the "Getting started" area of the Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 Help center

5. Ask questions and share your feedback in the Digital Editions beta discussion forum

   Please note that your submission of comments, ideas, feature requests and techniques on this and other Adobe maintained forums, as well as Adobe's right to use such materials, is governed by the Terms of Use.

Below you'll find links to help you participate in the Digital Editions beta community.

Online Forum

Ask questions, discuss, and share feedback with other readers and publishers in our online forum.

• Visit the Adobe Digital Editions beta discussion forum

Please note that your submission of comments, ideas, feature requests and techniques on this and other Adobe maintained forums, as well as Adobe's right to use such materials, is governed by the Terms of Use.

• FAQ
• System Requirements
• Release Notes

FAQ

Why a Digital Editions 1.5 beta?

To put it simply, Digital Editions is unfinished. We want to make it available to you now, so you can tell us what you like, what you'd like better, so you can help us shape it into the solution that users and content publishers need. Digital Editions beta also includes content portability, which provides users the ability to open and read eBooks on multiple computers and devices. Furthermore, the beta supports Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), and thereby enables these customers to now use Digital Editions.

What is content portability?

Some users have eBooks and other digital publications on their computers that have been licensed with Acrobat, Reader or Digital Editions 1.0 using "Easy Activation." These items cannot be moved to a new machine, essentially becoming locked on a particular computer. To solve this problem, Adobe Digital Editions 1.5 converts items to a license associated with a named account, which enables digital content to be backed up, copied and read on other machines. All items subsequently downloaded to an authorized machine with Digital Editions 1.5 are licensed to a named account.

Adobe wants your eBook experience to be as easy and seamless as possible. Naturally, this includes protecting your investment in eBooks from being lost or damaged. This is one of the key reasons why Digital Editions 1.5 features content portability.

This change will also enable a new breed of mobile devices designed to be used with Digital Editions. Furthermore, Digital Editions will be introducing new social features in the future that will enhance the use and enjoyment of user’s eBooks, such as sharing annotations and reading lists. Use of these social features will require that you have a personal identifier, even if you only use one computer.

How do I enable content portability?

The first time you run the Digital Editions 1.5 beta, you are prompted to authorize the application by entering an Adobe ID. If you don’t have an Adobe ID, you are provided with a link to get one. Then, when you purchase an item online or borrow one from the library with Digital Editions 1.5, the item will automatically be "tied" to your Adobe ID, rather than to your computer. This way, you are free to move your items to up to five other machines which have been authorized with Digital Editions 1.5.

See answers to more frequently asked questions

System Requirements

The minimum system requirements for Adobe Digital Editions beta are listed below.

Windows

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4), Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows Vista (Home Basic 32-bit and Business 64-bit editions supported)
• 500Mhz Intel Pentium processor
• 128MB of RAM
• 800 x 600 monitor resolution

Macintosh

PowerPC

• Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or 10.5
• PowerPC G4 or G5 500MHz processor
• 128 MB of RAM

Intel

• Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or 10.5
• 500MHz processor
• 128 MB of RAM

Supported browsers and Adobe Flash versions

Windows

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or 7, Mozilla Firefox 2
• Adobe Flash® Player 7, 8, or 9 (Vista requires Flash 9.0.28 to address a know bug)

Macintosh

• Apple Safari 2.0.4, Mozilla FireFox 2
• Adobe Flash Player 8 or 9

Release Notes

Digital Editions 1.5 beta is prerelease technology and not the final version. Not all features are complete and the technology is still considered in development. The release notes contain system requirements, a list of new features, and a list of known issues.

See the complete Digital Editions 1.5 beta release notes