Mobipocket on Kindle

[Dharmabum]

Ok, so I'm sure I'm just an idiot.

I purchased an ebook from Mobipocket. I downloaded the sample and could read it on my Kindle 2 just fine, but I can't seem to read the actual book on my Kindle 2.

I've searched around and tried to solve this problem. Do I really need to become a python programmer to read my book on my Kindle? I'm not stupid, but the conversion process is beyond my ability. It seems that Amazon owns Mobipocket. Is this true? Then I'm even more befuddled.

I'm new here, and I'm sure this comes up every other day, but I couldn't find a reasonable answer, so I created a new thread. Any help would be appreciated. This just seems incredibly stupid imo.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dharmabum

Ok, so I'm sure I'm just an idiot.

I purchased an ebook from Mobipocket. I downloaded the sample and could read it on my Kindle 2 just fine, but I can't seem to read the actual book on my Kindle 2.

I've searched around and tried to solve this problem. Do I really need to become a python programmer to read my book on my Kindle? I'm not stupid, but the conversion process is beyond my ability. It seems that Amazon owns Mobipocket. Is this true? Then I'm even more befuddled.

I'm new here, and I'm sure this comes up every other day, but I couldn't find a reasonable answer, so I created a new thread. Any help would be appreciated. This just seems incredibly stupid imo.

The sample is without DRM and the Kindle will view it just fine. But, the actual book has DRM. The Kindle does not support Mobipocket DRM. It supports a modified Mobipocket DRM that Amazon has dubbed AZW. To be able to read that Mobipocket eBook using your Kindle, you'll have to strip the DRM.

[pdurrant]

As JSWolf says, the problem is the DRM. The simple answer for you is to not buy ebooks from the MObipocket ebook store. ALL books (to the mest of my knowledge) submitted to Mobipocket also appear on the Kindle store within a few days. So just buy them from there.

And yes, it is incredibly silly for Kindle to use the Mobipocket format and Mobipocket DRM, and yet not let you use DRMed Mobipocket books.

There are two possible solutions to reading your DRMed Mobipocket book.

One is to find the Kindlefix tools, and use that on your Kindle serial number to find your Kindle's Mobipocket PID. It might be that you can enter that at Mobipocket web site and re-download your book.

The other is to strip the DRM from the book using mobidedrm, but to do that you'll need to have the PID for the book. If you've installed the Mobipocket software on your computer, it's probably the PID of that software installation.

DRM - "Don't Read Me"

Originally Posted by Dharmabum

I purchased an ebook from Mobipocket. I downloaded the sample and could read it on my Kindle 2 just fine, but I can't seem to read the actual book on my Kindle 2.

[Dharmabum]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The sample is without DRM and the Kindle will view it just fine. But, the actual book has DRM. The Kindle does not support Mobipocket DRM. It supports a modified Mobipocket DRM that Amazon has dubbed AZW. To be able to read that Mobipocket eBook using your Kindle, you'll have to strip the DRM.

Yeah, that's what it looked like. That seems just (a bit) completely dishonest. If you can read the sample you should be able to read the purchased product! If I'm not going to be able to read the purchased product make it so I can't read the sample either! /end rant>

So, thanks for the response. Is the python programmer route the only way to achieve my goal? Or am I destined to read that book on my computer and never buy another book from mobipocket again.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Dharmabum

Yeah, that's what it looked like. That seems just (a bit) completely dishonest. If you can read the sample you should be able to read the purchased product! If I'm not going to be able to read the purchased product make it so I can't read the sample either! /end rant>

So, thanks for the response. Is the python programmer route the only way to achieve my goal? Or am I destined to read that book on my computer and never buy another book from mobipocket again.

Is there a reason you've chosen to purchase your book from the more expensive Mobipocket.com rather than the cheaper Kindle store? Was the book not yet available in the Kindle store?

[Dharmabum]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Is there a reason you've chosen to purchase your book from the more expensive Mobipocket.com rather than the cheaper Kindle store? Was the book not yet available in the Kindle store?

Yes, it was not available in the Kindle store.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Dharmabum

Do I really need to become a python programmer to read my book on my Kindle? I'm not stupid, but the conversion process is beyond my ability.

Not at all... you need to do one of two things...

1. Buy DRMed books from the Kindle store ONLY.

2. Learn to RUN a python script that can remove the mobipocket DRM. This is far from becoming a python programmer, believe me.

As far as WHY Amazon does this is a mystery. Of course, I am sure the motivation is to lock Kindle buyers into the Kindle store... and to make people that want to buy from the Kindle store, buy a Kindle. Oh, wait, it isn't such a mystery after all.

BOb

[K-Thom]

Do both prc and mobi work on a Kindle or does the file have to end on .mobi?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by K-Thom

Do both prc and mobi work on a Kindle or does the file have to end on .mobi?

Either one will work.

Originally Posted by Dharmabum

Do I really need to become a python programmer to read my book on my Kindle?

Nah, you need install Python and be able to run a command line no programming needed.


Actually there are compiled .exe's floating around out there now apparently (at least for the first couple versions of mobidedrm) so you don't even need Python or to run a command line.

[K-Thom]

Either one will work.

Ah, thanks!

[Dharmabum]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Nah, you need install Python and be able to run a command line no programming needed.

It sounds so simple, but it's not. There are a few scripts floating around out there and figuring out the correct one to use and the correct syntax to use with each script, is obviously not programming, but is really not easy.

After screwing around with it for an hour or so, giving up and then trying again for an hour or so, I finally got it to work.

Thanks for everyone's info/assistance.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Dharmabum

After screwing around with it for an hour or so, giving up and then trying again for an hour or so, I finally got it to work.

Thanks for everyone's info/assistance.

It's really not hard though either. I think the biggest issue is that most people using computers these days have no understanding of the command line. Of course, anything you don't understand seems hard until you understand it. It's one of those easy vs simple things.

Now, those two hours you spent will pay dividends for years to come. Remember, verty little worth doing is easy (or is that simple).

Glad to hear you got it working.

BOb

[Dharmabum]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

It's really not hard though either. I think the biggest issue is that most people using computers these days have no understanding of the command line. Of course, anything you don't understand seems hard until you understand it. It's one of those easy vs simple things.

Now, those two hours you spent will pay dividends for years to come. Remember, verty little worth doing is easy (or is that simple).

All good points. I still don't really understand it though. Just kept trying stuff until something worked.

The hardest part was reentering all the info again and again and again. Once I learned to edit a txt file, rename it as a bat file and run that, it became a lot easier and quicker to try different things and get it to work.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Dharmabum

All good points. I still don't really understand it though. Just kept trying stuff until something worked.

The hardest part was reentering all the info again and again and again. Once I learned to edit a txt file, rename it as a bat file and run that, it became a lot easier and quicker to try different things and get it to work.

Ok, here's a tip... if you press the up-arrow in the command prompt the previous line you typed will reappear. If you press the up-arrow again it will go to the one before that and so on. This is true if you aren't using windows 2000. I think in Win2000 and previous you had to load DOSKEY to get this to work. (Oh, and you can use the down arrow to if you went "up" to far.)

BOb

[susan_cassidy]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

There are two possible solutions to reading your DRMed Mobipocket book.

One is to find the Kindlefix tools, and use that on your Kindle serial number to find your Kindle's Mobipocket PID. It might be that you can enter that at Mobipocket web site and re-download your book.

Unfortunately, this idea will not work, as Mobipocket servers will not accept one of the characters from the Kindle PID, so that the PID in the file will not match the actual PID. Just thought I'd mention it for future readers.