Kindle app for iPhone and iPod Touch in iTunes Store

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by mores

sorry if this is a dumb question, but can you just download the kindle app and purchase books from amazon WITHOUT owning a Kindle?

I went out and bought myself a used 1stGen iPod Touch that had been jailbroken to 2.2.1 and then downloaded Kindle for iPhone and it works just FINE!!!

However, I haven't gotten around to extracting the purchased Kindle ebooks to my PC - but I have downloaded the app that allows one to do so.

Derek

[phenomshel]

Derek, when you do get around to doing that, would you please be kind enough to post what format the books you extracted were in when you extracted them? I have a theory going here...

Thanks,

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Derek, when you do get around to doing that, would you please be kind enough to post what format the books you extracted were in when you extracted them? I have a theory going here...

Thanks,

Okay,

I installed and ran iPhone Backup Extractor. It's super easy to use! I found that all THREE ebooks purchased were given the .prc file extension. And, when I checked two of them, I found they were in typical .mobi/.prc format and did NOT need decryption. However, the third one was MUCH larger - 3.7MB and it did not come with any image files, just a rather short text novel - and upon checking it out with Hextreme, I found a TOPAZ file (first four bytes were 'T', 'P', 'Z' and zero(hex value 30). As I don't know of any way to extract a .tpz file, I'm stuck reading it on my iPod Touch.

Let me say here and now that reading a .tpz ebook on the iPod Touch (8GB model) is an experience of TOTAL SUCKDOM!!! The damn thing takes three-four seconds to 'decrypt' each and every single PAGE!!! (BTW, the novel with this problem is "The American Zone" which ran to about 350 pages in HC, but it used a fairly 'large' typeface and could probable have fit into 200 pages if it had gone to a more 'typical' font.)

Derek

[mores]

Thanks for the answers!

[Blue Tyson]

So can you tell in advance if a book is Topaz, or it is just a lottery?

The Gardner Dozois Year's Best Science Fiction 25th edition is apparently a Kindle book now. I don't have an iPhone etc., but I might know someone that does.

If this backup extractor program runs on windows with no jailbreaking needed, then that would be an option?

A 4MB novel is stupid, certainly.

[sirbruce]

The sample usually tells the tale, but not always. If it turns out to be Topaz you can always return it within a day or two.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by galavanter

Not if you use iPhone Backup Extractor, a Mac only program.

There is a Windows version. Google is your friend.

[All4Fun]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is a Windows version. Google is your friend.

Even easier, look at post #276 where I posted a link to the Windows version.

[jfreijser]

Originally Posted by morituri

I wrote the review on Treo Today. I can confirm you don't need a Kindle. Here are a couple of things that I didn't mention :
1. You don't need to be in the US, just have a US iTunes account.
2. You don't need to have a US Amazon account.

Dear Morituri,
Tx for your contributions in this issue.
I just read your blogpost at http://www.treotoday.net/2009/03/05/...-books-iphone/ , and as far as I can work out, step 1. doesn't work for me:

"1. Download the Kindle iPhone app from the Apple App Store. It’s free."

When I go to Apple iStore it says Kindle not available in Dutch iStore. Is there another site from which to download?

Thanks,
regards, Jan

[Tom Swift]

If I recall, I just opened the US iTunes store and created an account there. When I had to fund it, I found a virtual credit card card company, paid them for a thirty-day VISA card, complete with address in the States, and used that to fund the account. Now if I have to fund it, i just buy a gift card off eBay.

[owl123]

Just open US iTunes account WITHOUT a credit card. Go to iTunes, select a free app to download and when it comes to selecting a payment option for your new account select "None."

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Tom Swift

If I recall, I just opened the US iTunes store and created an account there. When I had to fund it, I found a virtual credit card card company, paid them for a thirty-day VISA card, complete with address in the States, and used that to fund the account. Now if I have to fund it, i just buy a gift card off eBay.

Which virtual credit card was accepted by the US iTunes store? Why not get a virtual Visa card that is valid for a longer period of time? Or get a new one after 30 days? Is it expensive?

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by owl123

Just open US iTunes account WITHOUT a credit card. Go to iTunes, select a free app to download and when it comes to selecting a payment option for your new account select "None."

Maybe you are using an old version of iTunes? There are a number of payment options, namely various credit cards and PayPal. "None" is not one of them.

[galavanter]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is a Windows version. Google is your friend.

Originally Posted by All4Fun

Even easier, look at post #276 where I posted a link to the Windows version.

Yeah, because good ole Jon was asking for it instead of simply googling for it himself. The iPhone Backup Extractor I used was created by an entirely different developer Jon, an OSX developer. There is no windows "version" of HIS program. Why such a wise*** so much of the time?

Now I come back months later to see yet another cheap shot from you, based totally on ignorance (see post #282 Jon, where I call attention to the Windows variant) and wise up will ya. I do feel for you man. Hope your mom is doing well.

[kjk]

You cannot create an iTunes Store account without a credit card or valid payment.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2731

You CAN create an iTunes App Store account without a credit card or valid payment.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534