Hacks EPUB ON K4 ?

mpd123 · 10-04-2011, 10:14 AM

Is it possible to read epub books on a kindle 4 using a hack or is it simply impossible.
i know you could use calibre to convert but i dont want to convert all my books from epub.

cheers mick.

Zeebra · 10-04-2011, 10:16 AM

In the Kindle developers section they are working on hacking the new Kindle firmware. It remains to be seen at the moment. Given that previous Kindles have been hackable, my guess is it will be possible, but it isn't done yet.

carld · 10-04-2011, 10:20 AM

I don't think the K4 has even been successfully rooted yet, so no hacks of any kind for now.

Once it's rooted I'm assuming the English version of the Duokan firmware will be ported to it, but that still won't handle DRM, and it's a lot of trouble besides.

Your best bet is to remove the DRM and convert your ePubs to mobi using Calibre.

Noughty · 10-04-2011, 10:20 AM

I've seen a lot of hacks for kindle. Don't they violate warranty conditions or something? Could you have problems for doing some hackings on your kindle if you need to replace it or something?

HarryT · 10-04-2011, 10:41 AM

If you want to read ePub books, buying a K4 doesn't really seem like a very sensible choice. Far better to buy an ePub device, surely?

mpd123 · 10-04-2011, 11:13 AM

true harry, however my question was one more of curiosity as to the ease of reading epub on a k4.
especially at the price they are being sold.

ah well just have to get the new sony then.

cheers,mick.

jswinden · 10-04-2011, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpd123

true harry, however my question was one more of curiosity as to the ease of reading epub on a k4.
especially at the price they are being sold.

ah well just have to get the new sony then.

cheers,mick.

I think that would be a dream device for me--an E Ink reader that natively reads DRMed mobi and ePub and displays both formats very well. Probably won't happen as most E Ink readers in USA are produced by companies who want to push their eBookstore. I'm afraid a totally eBookstore independent manufacturer would have to sell them at a higher price than they would be worth.

BTW, the main reason I bought a Kobo Touch several months ago was because they advertised it as being able to read ePub and mobi, although the mobi was non-DRM. However the mobis displayed like a text file with little intact formatting and took forever to load. I returned it.

shinew · 10-04-2011, 12:35 PM

If the ability of reading multiple formats(especially mobi & ePub) is high on your priority, I would suggest giving Nook Simple Touch a try. It seems to be alot more hackable since it's android based.

abookreader · 10-04-2011, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shinew

If the ability of reading multiple formats(especially mobi & ePub) is high on your priority, I would suggest giving Nook Simple Touch a try. It seems to be alot more hackable since it's android based.

sigh.

No.

The operating systems of both are quite hackable. Believe me. There hasn't been a Kindle yet which hasn't been torn apart by the techno geeks and altered in all sorts of way. I expect the newest Kindles will be also - just give them a week at least.

Regardless, jumping from mobi to ePub at the moment is such a non-issue that it doesn't even matter. Couple of clicks on your computer.

shinew · 10-04-2011, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookreader

sigh.

No.

The operating systems of both are quite hackable. Believe me. There hasn't been a Kindle yet which hasn't been torn apart by the techno geeks and altered in all sorts of way. I expect the newest Kindles will be also - just give them a week at least.

Regardless, jumping from mobi to ePub at the moment is such a non-issue that it doesn't even matter. Couple of clicks on your computer.

true that both can be modified to install 3rd party apps. but once Nook Touch is rooted, its basically an e-ink based android tablet, there're a lot more existing choices in terms of apps availability. kindle does not have such ecosystem exists once jailbroken. So to me the Nook simple touch is more hackable in that you can ask the devices to perform more functions than the kindle does within the confine of their hardware capabilities.

I myself prefer the kindle for other reasons though as which format to use does not matter much to me.

slm · 10-04-2011, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shinew

If the ability of reading multiple formats(especially mobi & ePub) is high on your priority, I would suggest giving Nook Simple Touch a try. It seems to be alot more hackable since it's android based.

If you root the Nook Simple Touch, you can install the Kindle App on it and read DRM'd Amazon books on the Kindle app and DRM'd epubs on the Nook app!!

seajewel · 10-04-2011, 02:11 PM

I'm hoping this will happen on the Sony PRS-T1, since it is supposedly also Android-based. The Nook STR is nice but I don't understand why they didn't include a web browser or allow more storage in non-B&N books. I guess those features can be added once rooted, though, but the T1 probably has a faster processor.

Lazer · 10-04-2011, 02:26 PM

Just down load a free copy of Calibre and convert your ePub to Mobi...

Barty · 10-04-2011, 02:45 PM

The best way to read ePub on kindle is still to strip any drm and convert using calibre. This is mostly painless (just takes extra steps and time), except in some cases where the margins and indents get messed up, which you may not care about (I do, so I have to edit the file).

Assuming the new kindles are as hackable as the old ones, there are alternative third party software that can read epubs. But they are not seamless. I.e., there is no plugin you can drop in that magically lets your kindle read epubs. You either switch to an alternative os or launch a different program, with its own interface. Your kindle books, dictionary, bookmarks, notes, TTS, etc, will not be available until you switch back to original kindle software. Keep in mind thekindle is not a tablet. It's designed to run its original software and that's it. This kind of alternative software is a hack so using it isn't very smooth and probably not something non geeks want to bother with.

Also, these programs don't handle all ePub features, either, so often they will not look as they're intended and you may get better result if you just convert them to mobi and read on native kindle software.

All this to say: best bet is to convert, and if ePub is what you want, just get something else.

pidgeon92 · 10-04-2011, 02:51 PM

The nice thing about Calibre is that it will convert ebooks to a useable as it is adding them to the device. No need to convert them manually.

10-04-2011, 10:14 AM	#1
mpd123 Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 8038 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: liverpool Device: kobo glo / samsung note 10.1	EPUB ON K4 ? Is it possible to read epub books on a kindle 4 using a hack or is it simply impossible. i know you could use calibre to convert but i dont want to convert all my books from epub. cheers mick.

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10-04-2011, 10:16 AM	#2
Zeebra Evangelist Posts: 461 Karma: 956567 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Kindle Oasis 3	In the Kindle developers section they are working on hacking the new Kindle firmware. It remains to be seen at the moment. Given that previous Kindles have been hackable, my guess is it will be possible, but it isn't done yet.

10-04-2011, 10:20 AM	#3
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I don't think the K4 has even been successfully rooted yet, so no hacks of any kind for now. Once it's rooted I'm assuming the English version of the Duokan firmware will be ported to it, but that still won't handle DRM, and it's a lot of trouble besides. Your best bet is to remove the DRM and convert your ePubs to mobi using Calibre.

10-04-2011, 10:20 AM	#4
Noughty Addict Posts: 352 Karma: 103850 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: Kindle NT	I've seen a lot of hacks for kindle. Don't they violate warranty conditions or something? Could you have problems for doing some hackings on your kindle if you need to replace it or something?

10-04-2011, 10:41 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	If you want to read ePub books, buying a K4 doesn't really seem like a very sensible choice. Far better to buy an ePub device, surely?

10-04-2011, 11:13 AM	#6
mpd123 Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 8038 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: liverpool Device: kobo glo / samsung note 10.1	true harry, however my question was one more of curiosity as to the ease of reading epub on a k4. especially at the price they are being sold. ah well just have to get the new sony then. cheers,mick.

10-04-2011, 12:35 PM	#8
shinew Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 1008082 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NYC Device: Kindle PW, K4 Touch, iPad2, Samsung Galaxy S II	If the ability of reading multiple formats(especially mobi & ePub) is high on your priority, I would suggest giving Nook Simple Touch a try. It seems to be alot more hackable since it's android based.

10-04-2011, 02:11 PM	#12
seajewel Fanatic Posts: 589 Karma: 1451235 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-950	I'm hoping this will happen on the Sony PRS-T1, since it is supposedly also Android-based. The Nook STR is nice but I don't understand why they didn't include a web browser or allow more storage in non-B&N books. I guess those features can be added once rooted, though, but the T1 probably has a faster processor.

10-04-2011, 02:26 PM	#13
Lazer Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 1498858 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Just down load a free copy of Calibre and convert your ePub to Mobi...

10-04-2011, 02:45 PM	#14
Barty doofus Posts: 2,521 Karma: 13088847 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	The best way to read ePub on kindle is still to strip any drm and convert using calibre. This is mostly painless (just takes extra steps and time), except in some cases where the margins and indents get messed up, which you may not care about (I do, so I have to edit the file). Assuming the new kindles are as hackable as the old ones, there are alternative third party software that can read epubs. But they are not seamless. I.e., there is no plugin you can drop in that magically lets your kindle read epubs. You either switch to an alternative os or launch a different program, with its own interface. Your kindle books, dictionary, bookmarks, notes, TTS, etc, will not be available until you switch back to original kindle software. Keep in mind thekindle is not a tablet. It's designed to run its original software and that's it. This kind of alternative software is a hack so using it isn't very smooth and probably not something non geeks want to bother with. Also, these programs don't handle all ePub features, either, so often they will not look as they're intended and you may get better result if you just convert them to mobi and read on native kindle software. All this to say: best bet is to convert, and if ePub is what you want, just get something else.

10-04-2011, 02:51 PM	#15
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	The nice thing about Calibre is that it will convert ebooks to a useable as it is adding them to the device. No need to convert them manually.