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Old 02-13-2014, 11:23 AM   #1
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Questions from someone wanting a new reader.

At the moment my one and only beloved ereader is an old Sony 505, but I'm thinking of updating. I had ruled out kindles because they don't read epubs, but I have some questions.

1. do epubs convert well into mobi files, with justified margins?

2. do I need wi-fi to use a kindle? All the internet in my home is wired. I don't mind using 3g on the odd occasion I want to download a book from Amazon, but is this necessary; can I just sideload books?

3. What formats, other than mobi do kindles read?

4. Are books well-organised on a kindle: by author, title, length etc?

5. If there's a frontlight, can I switch it off?

6. Do they have page turn buttons?

7. Is the font crisp? Is it easy to alter the font style and size?

Any other info relating specifically to kindles would help. I'm not going to buy a Sony because of Sony's abandoning of ereaders. With the new ADE thing on the horizon, kindles are looking more appealling, but I'm concerned about being able to download the super epubs with MR members produce. They're no longer being uploaded in the 505's native format, hence the decision to purchase a more modern reader.

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Old 02-13-2014, 12:02 PM   #2
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1. do epubs convert well into mobi files, with justified margins?
The modern Kindle format is called "KF8", and it supports all the features that ePub does. 99.99% of the time books will convert flawlessly from ePub to KF8. Calibre calls KF8 format "AWZ3", from its file extension.

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2. do I need wi-fi to use a kindle? All the internet in my home is wired. I don't mind using 3g on the odd occasion I want to download a book from Amazon, but is this necessary; can I just sideload books?
No, you don't need WiFi. All the content on my Kindle is sideloaded.

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3. What formats, other than mobi do kindles read?
Text, HTML, and PDF (but not well). Best to stick to Mobi/KF8.

Quote:
4. Are books well-organised on a kindle: by author, title, length etc?
You can sort by title, author, or "most recent", but there are very good search facilities allowing you to easily find a book by searching for it.

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5. If there's a frontlight, can I switch it off?
You can't turn it off, but you can turn it down so low that it's a bare glimmer in pitch darkness.

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6. Do they have page turn buttons?
The Basic Kindle yes, the Paperwhite, no.

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7. Is the font crisp? Is it easy to alter the font style and size?
Very crisp, IMHO. There are, I think, 6 or 7 fonts provided, but the honest truth is that I never change the default.
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:03 PM   #3
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1. Yes.
2. You can just sideload, but having 3G is handy.
3. Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; Through conversion (via email service from Amazon, or by using Calibre, etc.): HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP.
4. You can sort by most recent, title, or author. Not by length. Length is shown in list view by a line of dots below the book title. The more dots, the longer the book.
5. The light on the Paperwhite cannot be completely switched off, until the Kindle is in sleep mode, then it should go off.
6. The Basic Kindle has buttons, though. The Paperwhite has a touch screen. The DX has buttons.
7. Yes and Yes
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:07 PM   #4
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1 I use Calibre to convert file they do great
2 Put Kindle for PC/Mac on your computer Transfer tem to Calibre & then you can sideload.
3 AWZ files I think their may be more but unsure
4 Author Title most recent on the Fires. But you can make collections any way you want on the iInk readers
5 Only the eInk reader Paperwhites have lights & of course the Fires are LCD like computers they are all adjustable
6 Some have phy page turners most have touch like the T2 & T3 by Sony
7 You can pick different Fonts

I hope I gave you the basic answers that will help you... I sure some one with more knowledge will come along & give you move techy answers!
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:13 PM   #5
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You don't need to use KindleforPC or Calibre to sideload. You can just connect via USB, then drag and drop the files you want to copy into the "documents" folder of the Kindle drive.
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:20 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by susan_cassidy View Post
You don't need to use KindleforPC or Calibre to sideload. You can just connect via USB, then drag and drop the files you want to copy into the "documents" folder of the Kindle drive.
He needs Calibre to Convert the files! Kindle Don't use ePubs! He will also need caliber to remove DRM from the files IF they have them!
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:20 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by susan_cassidy View Post
You don't need to use KindleforPC or Calibre to sideload. You can just connect via USB, then drag and drop the files you want to copy into the "documents" folder of the Kindle drive.
You can indeed. Going the K4PC -> Calibre -> Kindle route is simply the easiest, I've found, for DRM removal.
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:37 PM   #8
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Thank you all so much. There's just one more question and then I'm done. I think I may have fallen in love with the kindle, though it's a shame only the paperwhite has 3g and that the light can't be completely switched off.

Do the kindles have expansion slots for SD or micro SD cards?

Thanks again.

Oh and I'm female
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:56 PM   #9
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No, no expansion card. I currently have about 800 books on my PW, and it's around two thirds full.

Last edited by HarryT; 02-13-2014 at 01:08 PM.
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Old 02-13-2014, 01:54 PM   #10
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Bookcat--I think the others have answered your questions very well. Just wanted to share my experience. I made the move to a Kindle PW2 from a Sony 350 and 650 in October. I have several books in ePub format and except for a copy of the NIV Bible with lots and lots of footnotes, Calibre converted all of them to KF8/AZW3 format with out any problems. I use Calibre to load books on my KPW2--have the wifi turned off about 99.9% of the time. Works well for me.

I thought I'd want to be able to turn off the frontlight as well, but now that I have my KPW2, I find that I leave the light on all the time--it actually improves contrast in bright light as well. After experimenting, I keep mine between 9-11 brightness (out of 24).

The one thing that I miss about the Sonys are the awesome way that they use Calibre series tag information for collections on the device. But, from reading posts in the group, I've learned how to use Calibre Plugboards to add the series information to the title of the book before sending to the PW, and that has turned out to be an acceptable alternative.

I do miss the page turn buttons on the Sony--although the 350/650's have touch screens as well, I would use both methods--touch screen and buttons to turn pages. I liked having the alternative. But, it's really not that big of a deal for me.

I still use my Sonys once in a while, but the KPW2 has definitely become my go-to reader.

Last edited by dordale; 02-13-2014 at 02:23 PM. Reason: edited for typos
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Old 02-13-2014, 02:05 PM   #11
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Thanks for all the information. I think I've been converted! I'm off to Amazon to more closely inspect the readers, then to youtube to watch some reviews. Before the night's out, I may have ordered one!

Aargh! I've split an infinitive; I meant: to inspect the readers more closely!
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Old 02-13-2014, 02:23 PM   #12
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IF you want page turning & TTS & More Storage but really don't need a light Look into the Kindle Basic for $69
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Old 02-13-2014, 02:28 PM   #13
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The Basic Kindle doesn't have TTS or more storage .
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Old 02-13-2014, 02:51 PM   #14
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http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TMXJK0 Oops! Was thinking the Kindle Touch But it doent have the phy page turning.
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Old 02-13-2014, 08:00 PM   #15
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...

2. do I need wi-fi to use a kindle? All the internet in my home is wired. I don't mind using 3g on the odd occasion I want to download a book from Amazon, but is this necessary; can I just sideload books?...
In day-to-day use, no. You do need either WiFi or 3G to perform any of the "network" functions. These include syncing between devices and registering/reregistering the device.

Kindles, devices and software, must be registered to a Amazon account in order to purchase books from Amazon. Normally, a new Kindle will be pre-registered to the account with which it was purchased. If it was purchased as "a gift" it will come unregistered. An unregistered Kindle device will also lack some features until it is registered.

Kindle books that have DRM are mated to the particular device or software app for which they were purchased. Once a device is registered, you can purchase using any computer and download to that computer for sideloading to the device. If you are willing to remove DRM and have the Tools to do so, you could install Kindle for PC/Mac on your computer, register it and use it to purchase books. Once the DRM is removed you could sideload them to an unregistered Kindle. Kindle books acquired from vendors other than Amazon will not have DRM.

If you don't have multiple Kindles you don't need the syncing features. The very few other times you might need to reregister a Kindle to a new account, if ever, are rare enough that "borrowing" WiFi when needed (friends house, library, coffee shop, ...) should be a problem. I have WiFi at home but almost never connect to it from my Kindle. I download to my desktop and sideload via USB.
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