Should I keep my baby? (Content, 3rd party retailers, hacks, etc)

need2read · 07-09-2010, 11:22 PM

Hello,

I've had my Amazon Kindle for 2 weeks. I just had to buy one after the price dropped to 189 and then I saw a refurbished model for 169 on their site. I'm not afraid of refurbs so I got it and have been happy with it so far.

However, since I've had my Kindle, I've been trying to read up on it because it is important for me to have a reading device that I will be able to enjoy for a very long time. I have been flustered with so much information and I feel like I've gotten nowhere and I only have 2 more weeks before I can return my Kindle if necessary.

I do not like to ask redundant questions because I know that my answers are out there, SOMEWHERE, but I'm just hit with so much information and terminology that I do not recognize, and I have found that I'm reading up about ereaders more than I am using mine, so I am now desperate enough to ask.

forgive me

I did not realize that by owning the Kindle I can only buy amazon.com ebooks. This is very disturbing to me as I have noticed that there are some books over at B&N for the Nook that are available that are not available on the Kindle.

From what I've been able to gather, the Nook allows me to read books purchased from other ebook stores, but only some, right? It's all about the book formatting, but there seem to be so many different types of formats, and I've had a hard time searching to figure out which websites sell which formats.

Another thing that bothers me is that the Kindle does not have expandable memory or removable battery. I know that it has enough memory for a lot of books, but I just like the idea of expandable memory and a removeable battery. The Nook offers this, from what I understand.

I am also wondering how "hackable" are the nook and kindle? I'm not good with computers, but I would definitely learn in order to keep my purchases. Or upload purchases from other websites onto the device. The fact that I can only use the Kindle for Amazon purchases worries me. I don't think it would happen but what if Amazon went belly up? I would no longer be able to purchase new material? I'm not asking HOW TO HACK, I'd just like to know if the information is out there because it would be great to buy a book offered through another ebook retailer and upload it to my kindle (or Nook, for that matter). I have a 5$ coupon for the Kobo ebookstore, and it's a shame that I cannot use it.

The one thing that Amazon has me on is content: I know that they have a larger selection that BN, and some of their prices are a little cheaper (The Girl w/The Dragon Tattoo is only 7.15), and newspapers galore, which I'm a fan of mostly text-y papers like Foreign Affairs, the Economist and various newspapers, so the lack of pictures/charts is not a big deal to me.

so I am just in a whirlwind of pros and cons for the Kindle and Nook and hope to get any advice. I'm also not set on a kindle or nook, and open for another reader if it will suit my purposes.

I thank you so much for your time

PS: I will happily forgo expandable memory/removeable battery if i can upload 3rd party content to the kindle, or if I can upload 3rd party & Amazon content to the Nook (that may even be a better option if I can do it)

banjobama · 07-10-2010, 12:54 AM

I don't own a Kindle or a Nook, but it's not true that you can ONLY buy ebooks from Amazon. You just definitely CAN'T buy books from Barnes and Noble or the Sony store. I mean you could buy them, but they won't display on your Kindle.

Any book that doesn't have Digital Rights Management can be converted with the Calibre program to a format the Kindle can read. If you choose a Nook, then you're not going to be able to get books from Amazon or Sony. If you had a Sony, like me, then you can't buy books from B&N or Amazon.

Amazon arguably has the best selection and prices, especially if you mostly want to read new bestsellers. Don't start kicking yourself just yet.

AnemicOak · 07-10-2010, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by need2read

I did not realize that by owning the Kindle I can only buy amazon.com ebooks. This is very disturbing to me as I have noticed that there are some books over at B&N for the Nook that are available that are not available on the Kindle.

You don't have to buy only from Amazon. Well really it depends on the type of book you're talking about I guess. If it something from a big New York publishing house then you'll need to get it from Amazon unless you want to learn to strip DRM and convert (which isn't that hard). If you're just looking for more places to buy books... You can buy books in the 'Multiformat' selection from Fictionwise. You can buy books from Webscription.net (pretty much all SciFi/Fantasy). You can buy books from Smashwords. You can buy books from many small publishers (like BeWrite books to name one).

Basically just make sure one of the formats they offer is Mobipocket (prc/mobi) and that the books are DRM free. Any of these books can be loaded on the Kindle by using the USB cable and placing them in the 'documents' folder.

Quote:

From what I've been able to gather, the Nook allows me to read books purchased from other ebook stores, but only some, right? It's all about the book formatting, but there seem to be so many different types of formats, and I've had a hard time searching to figure out which websites sell which formats.

The nook will allow you to buy DRM'd books from B&N and also from anywhere selling ePub's or PDF's with Adobe encryption (usually the store will tell you Adobe Digital Editions is required, this means Adobe DRM). You can also buy non-DRM'd books from the same places you can get them for the Kindle. The nook will also support eReader format which is a legacy format some folks have (you can still buy books in this format also).

Quote:

Another thing that bothers me is that the Kindle does not have expandable memory or removable battery. I know that it has enough memory for a lot of books, but I just like the idea of expandable memory and a removeable battery. The Nook offers this, from what I understand.

This is true. It just depends on if those are important to you or not. There is always a chance a battery could go bad after the warranty is up. The battery on the Sony 505 I bought in October of '07 is still going strong, but that doesn't mean it always will. It's not that the batteries in the Kindle's and Sony's can't be replaced, but the unit does need to be opened up where the nook doesn't require that messing around.

Quote:

I am also wondering how "hackable" are the nook and kindle? I'm not good with computers, but I would definitely learn in order to keep my purchases. Or upload purchases from other websites onto the device. The fact that I can only use the Kindle for Amazon purchases worries me. I don't think it would happen but what if Amazon went belly up? I would no longer be able to purchase new material? I'm not asking HOW TO HACK, I'd just like to know if the information is out there because it would be great to buy a book offered through another ebook retailer and upload it to my kindle (or Nook, for that matter). I have a 5$ coupon for the Kobo ebookstore, and it's a shame that I cannot use it.

Sounds like you're asking if the formats are 'hackable', not the devices themselves. I'm not up much on device hacks, but I'd guess the nook is probably more hackable (as in installing third party stuff on the device).

As for formats. B&N ePub, .vs Kindle azw, .vs Adobe ePub (what Kobo sells) they can all have their DRM removed fairly easily. Once that's done Calibre can be used to convert between those formats in seconds.

wallcraft · 07-10-2010, 02:20 AM

The Kindle reads DRM-free (no encryption) MOBI ebooks from any source. However, many ebooks have DRM. Just about every other ebook site uses the ePub format. B&N uses a password-based DRM, but most other sites use Adobe DRM. The Nook can read B&N and Adobe DRMed ePubs, but it prefers B&N ebooks.

It is very easy to strip DRM from B&N and Adobe ePubs. One good source of information on such things is Apprentice Alf's Blog. It is probably legal in the US to strip DRM from an ebook you bought if you are doing so in order to read it on another device. The Kindle does not read ePubs, but DRM-free ePubs convert nicely to MOBI using Calibre.

My advice is to keep the Kindle and buy most ebooks from Amazon but also buy from other sites if they have a better deal or an ebook missing from the Kindle store.

malligator · 07-10-2010, 03:44 AM

I've been eyeing eReaders for a long time and finally made the leap when the $149 Nook came out. The only advice I can give is that I look at my Nook like a TV (I know...blasphemy...but let me explain). I realize and understand that not every TV show and movie ever made is available on my TV at all times. As much as I'd love it to be, I have to accept that not every book ever written is available on my eReader. Hopefully, one day they will, but until then I find that a library card is the best accessory you can have with your eReader.

HarryT · 07-10-2010, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malligator

I've been eyeing eReaders for a long time and finally made the leap when the $149 Nook came out. The only advice I can give is that I look at my Nook like a TV (I know...blasphemy...but let me explain). I realize and understand that not every TV show and movie ever made is available on my TV at all times. As much as I'd love it to be, I have to accept that not every book ever written is available on my eReader. Hopefully, one day they will, but until then I find that a library card is the best accessory you can have with your eReader.

The question that I prefer to ask, when looking at a reading device, is not "is every book I want available for it?", but "are there sufficient books available for it that will interest me?". As long as the answer to the second question is "yes", then that seems to me to be a good reason to buy the device.

need2read · 07-10-2010, 11:25 AM

Thank you all so much for the information! It's very informative and I don't feel overwhelmed as I have when trying to navigate through different threads. I'm on Holiday for the weekend so next week I will definitely look into using my 5$ coupon at the Kobo store for an ebook and experimenting uploading it onto my kindle.

Thanks again for being helpful and kind!

07-09-2010, 11:22 PM	#1
need2read Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle	Should I keep my baby? (Content, 3rd party retailers, hacks, etc) Hello, I've had my Amazon Kindle for 2 weeks. I just had to buy one after the price dropped to 189 and then I saw a refurbished model for 169 on their site. I'm not afraid of refurbs so I got it and have been happy with it so far. However, since I've had my Kindle, I've been trying to read up on it because it is important for me to have a reading device that I will be able to enjoy for a very long time. I have been flustered with so much information and I feel like I've gotten nowhere and I only have 2 more weeks before I can return my Kindle if necessary. I do not like to ask redundant questions because I know that my answers are out there, SOMEWHERE, but I'm just hit with so much information and terminology that I do not recognize, and I have found that I'm reading up about ereaders more than I am using mine, so I am now desperate enough to ask. forgive me I did not realize that by owning the Kindle I can only buy amazon.com ebooks. This is very disturbing to me as I have noticed that there are some books over at B&N for the Nook that are available that are not available on the Kindle. From what I've been able to gather, the Nook allows me to read books purchased from other ebook stores, but only some, right? It's all about the book formatting, but there seem to be so many different types of formats, and I've had a hard time searching to figure out which websites sell which formats. Another thing that bothers me is that the Kindle does not have expandable memory or removable battery. I know that it has enough memory for a lot of books, but I just like the idea of expandable memory and a removeable battery. The Nook offers this, from what I understand. I am also wondering how "hackable" are the nook and kindle? I'm not good with computers, but I would definitely learn in order to keep my purchases. Or upload purchases from other websites onto the device. The fact that I can only use the Kindle for Amazon purchases worries me. I don't think it would happen but what if Amazon went belly up? I would no longer be able to purchase new material? I'm not asking HOW TO HACK, I'd just like to know if the information is out there because it would be great to buy a book offered through another ebook retailer and upload it to my kindle (or Nook, for that matter). I have a 5$ coupon for the Kobo ebookstore, and it's a shame that I cannot use it. The one thing that Amazon has me on is content: I know that they have a larger selection that BN, and some of their prices are a little cheaper (The Girl w/The Dragon Tattoo is only 7.15), and newspapers galore, which I'm a fan of mostly text-y papers like Foreign Affairs, the Economist and various newspapers, so the lack of pictures/charts is not a big deal to me. so I am just in a whirlwind of pros and cons for the Kindle and Nook and hope to get any advice. I'm also not set on a kindle or nook, and open for another reader if it will suit my purposes. I thank you so much for your time PS: I will happily forgo expandable memory/removeable battery if i can upload 3rd party content to the kindle, or if I can upload 3rd party & Amazon content to the Nook (that may even be a better option if I can do it) Last edited by need2read; 07-09-2010 at 11:44 PM.

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07-10-2010, 12:54 AM	#2
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	I don't own a Kindle or a Nook, but it's not true that you can ONLY buy ebooks from Amazon. You just definitely CAN'T buy books from Barnes and Noble or the Sony store. I mean you could buy them, but they won't display on your Kindle. Any book that doesn't have Digital Rights Management can be converted with the Calibre program to a format the Kindle can read. If you choose a Nook, then you're not going to be able to get books from Amazon or Sony. If you had a Sony, like me, then you can't buy books from B&N or Amazon. Amazon arguably has the best selection and prices, especially if you mostly want to read new bestsellers. Don't start kicking yourself just yet.

07-10-2010, 02:20 AM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The Kindle reads DRM-free (no encryption) MOBI ebooks from any source. However, many ebooks have DRM. Just about every other ebook site uses the ePub format. B&N uses a password-based DRM, but most other sites use Adobe DRM. The Nook can read B&N and Adobe DRMed ePubs, but it prefers B&N ebooks. It is very easy to strip DRM from B&N and Adobe ePubs. One good source of information on such things is Apprentice Alf's Blog. It is probably legal in the US to strip DRM from an ebook you bought if you are doing so in order to read it on another device. The Kindle does not read ePubs, but DRM-free ePubs convert nicely to MOBI using Calibre. My advice is to keep the Kindle and buy most ebooks from Amazon but also buy from other sites if they have a better deal or an ebook missing from the Kindle store.

07-10-2010, 03:44 AM	#5
malligator Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 610 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kindle 3	I've been eyeing eReaders for a long time and finally made the leap when the $149 Nook came out. The only advice I can give is that I look at my Nook like a TV (I know...blasphemy...but let me explain). I realize and understand that not every TV show and movie ever made is available on my TV at all times. As much as I'd love it to be, I have to accept that not every book ever written is available on my eReader. Hopefully, one day they will, but until then I find that a library card is the best accessory you can have with your eReader.

07-10-2010, 11:25 AM	#7
need2read Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle	Thank you all so much for the information! It's very informative and I don't feel overwhelmed as I have when trying to navigate through different threads. I'm on Holiday for the weekend so next week I will definitely look into using my 5$ coupon at the Kobo store for an ebook and experimenting uploading it onto my kindle. Thanks again for being helpful and kind!

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