Buying two Kindles

[jerryleejr]

I did search for this so if I am repeating a thread Dont ban me for life.
I read on another forum that if you have multiple kindle accounts, You only have to buy a title once. I thought the book was linked to the PID of the kindle? So how does this work? I understand this doesnt work for subscriptions, but I like the idea that I can read a book and let the wife read it without giving up my device.

JJ

[carld]

I'd guess that the books in your account are just links to the master file. I'm assuming that when Amazon sends a book to your Kindle it retrieves the master copy, applies the DRM, which attaches your Kindle PID to that copy of the file, and then sends it out. That way they don't have to store thousands of individual files tied to specific Kindle PIDs.

That's probably completely inaccurate but I'd bet it's something like that.

[desertgrandma]

I found this searching online


We have just purchased two Kindles for our high school library as a pilot, and I found out a couple of things. First, you can have up to 6 Kindles tied to one Amazon account, and, if you buy a single title, you are allowed to put it on all 6 of them.

....so you and your wife would have two kindles, but one amazon account. The same book could be on both Kindles.

Anyone else know more? I did a search on the Kindle support pages, but didn't find anything one this.

[Alisa]

Yes. I have two Kindles registered to my account. One for me and one for my husband. If we get samples or buy books from our Kindles directly they go to that Kindle. If we use my Amazon account from a computer online to shop for books, we choose which Kindle to send it to. With samples you can send to one then the other. With books, you buy it and select which to send it to but if you want it on another Kindle, they can get it through the Content Manager on the Kindle. Periodical subscriptions are for one Kindle only.

[daffy4u]

Here's some more info for you:

Digital Rights Management Issues

* Content from the Kindle Store: Books and other non-subscription items you purchase from the Kindle store may be downloaded to up to six Kindles registered to the same Amazon.com account. If you have exceeded your download limit, you must delete the item from one Kindle to transfer it to another. Subscription content can only be downloaded to one Kindle at a time, and only the seven most recent issues will be available for redownload in the Kindle Content Manager or from Your Media Library.

Someone posted on the Amazon forums that there is a round about way to share subscriptions. Subscriptions are identified with one particular Kindle when it comes to downloading via Whispernet. In order to share, the other person on the account without the subscription must go to the media library and download the subscription to computer then transfer it to their Kindle.

If the Amazon forums were easier to search, I'd link you. Instead, tomorrow I'll post and ask for confirmation and then post a link when I get an answer.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Alisa

Yes. I have two Kindles registered to my account. One for me and one for my husband. If we get samples or buy books from our Kindles directly they go to that Kindle. If we use my Amazon account from a computer online to shop for books, we choose which Kindle to send it to. With samples you can send to one then the other. With books, you buy it and select which to send it to but if you want it on another Kindle, they can get it through the Content Manager on the Kindle. Periodical subscriptions are for one Kindle only.

Alisa, since you have 2 Kindles, would you mind experimenting with the subscriptions sharing method I wrote above? If you don't have any subscriptions, would you mind doing a quickie trial to see if it works?

[pilotbob]

Ah... so you can atually have more than 6 Kindles tied to your account, but only 6 at a time can have one book on them. Interesting.

BOb

[jerryleejr]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ah... so you can atually have more than 6 Kindles tied to your account, but only 6 at a time can have one book on them. Interesting.

BOb

Just how many readers do you plan to use at one time BOB?

JJ

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jerryleejr

Just how many readers do you plan to use at one time BOB?

JJ

I was actually thinking about some of the libraries that were talking about using the Kindle. It would be good for them... they could have dozens of Kindles but effectivly 6 "copies" of each book.

BOb

[jerryleejr]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I was actually thinking about some of the libraries that were talking about using the Kindle. It would be good for them... they could have dozens of Kindles but effectivly 6 "copies" of each book.

BOb

I see, Hadn't thought of that, Good for the Kids.

JJ

[daffy4u]

Okay, I posted the question on the Amazon forums and the answer is YES about how to share subscriptions.

Leslie H. Nicoll says:
Yes.

I verified it with my New York Times subscription. I, as the subscriber, receive it via Whispernet, but the other Kindles on my account can access the paper (7 days worth is maintained in the archive) via "My Media Library." You have to transfer it with the USB.

I would assume this works for a magazine subscription, too, but I haven't specifically tested that.

LHN