SOLVED! E_ADEPT_REQUEST_EXPIRED - if you're on a mac, anyway....

Question

i did a lot of research. if you get that annoying message when you tried to activate, try this:  (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2538)
Symptoms
Mac OS X may display the incorrect time when "Set date & time automatically" is enabled in the Date & Time pane of System Preferences, after using Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant to migrate time zone settings from another Mac. 
The analog clock shown in the Date & Pane of System Preferences may temporarily display the correct time after selecting the correct time zone, but the time zone selected will not be retained after quitting System Preferences.
Products Affected
Mac OS X 10.5
Resolution
   1. If the Date & Time preferences window is open, close it.
   2. From the Go menu choose Go to Folder.
   3. Type or paste the following location, then click Go.
      /private/etc/
   4. Delete the folder named "localtime".
   5. Enter your admin password if prompted.
   6. Select the correct time zone in the Time Zone tab of Date & Time preferences.
Additional Information
When no time zone is selected, the time displayed in Mac OS X will be in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), except for the World Clock widget in Dashboard which will display the correct time for the city shown on the widget.
it worked for me, and this bloody program has now been activated. hope it helps someone else!
frankly, if my local library didn't FORCE its users to have this program in order to get out ebooks, i would have given up. this a stupid problem.

Answer 1

How about another two cents?
I know squat about a Mac, so I can't comment on how to set the time and
date.  I can comment, however, on ADE.
Putting it into perspective, Adobe got into the digital publishing arena
early, with its Portable Document Format.  As the industry developed, the
industry formulated specifications for an 'electronic publishing' format,
and Adobe created the .epub file format to those specifications.  As the
industry developed, Adobe developed software that implemented digital
rights to publications (DRM) via its Content Server software.  So, Adobe is
part of the landscape for digital publications.
Libraries, publishers, authors and distributors all use software that
implements the Adobe framework to distribute ebooks.  You don't HAVE to use
Adobe Digital Editions to interface with your local library, but you do
have to use software that utilizes the Adobe framework.  You could use
Calibre, Bluefire Reader or Overdrive, which is probably the program the
library uses.  All of these will work.
To be fair, Digital Editions is intended to simplify the process (you be
the judge) and let an individual interface with external ebook sources AND
manage a library of ebooks. Most users in the Windows world have few if any
problems with it.  And the Mac version works well also - IF you get your
computer's settings squared away....
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