Collections

TonyGamble · 01-08-2015, 05:00 AM

I have a Kindle PW2 - and by lunchtime I will have a second for my wife to use.

I am using Calibre to download the books to both.

I want to be able to have 'collections' on each machine - fiction, non-fiction, travel guides, etc.

My googling suggests it is tricky to do this on the PW2 from within Calibre and that the answer is to do it on the Kindle. There is then the matter of how the info is stored in the Kindle Cloud - and I think the Cloud replicates the Collections?

Before I start building the Collections I need on a Kindle would anyone like to say if there is a quicker way using Calibre that does not involve jailbreaking the Kindles.

Tony

TonyGamble · 01-08-2015, 01:37 PM

Update.

Waiting for some help gave me time to do some more reading.

Here it said it might be possible to use Kindle for PC.

http://epiphenie.com/life/organized-...ons-management

I have got my books into collections on the Kindle for PC software but I cannot find a way get Import Collections on my Kindle. Might this because the books have been loaded from Calibre and not from the Cloud.

I am reluctant to load them from the Cloud in case I lose my Metadata info about the books that I was so pleased to introduce yesterday.

Tony

eschwartz · 01-09-2015, 01:38 AM

Kindle fw>=5.4.2 uses Cloud Collections, you can no longer import collections from other Kindle devices/apps.

Either jailbreak and use the calibre plugin [GUI Plugin] Kindle Collections or resign yourself to doing it by hand. And remember to thank Amazon for how easy they make things.

Decide now, because thus far you cannot newly jailbreak any Kindle running fw5.6.x -- and your PW2 will soon get that update if it hasn't already.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=186645

TonyGamble · 01-09-2015, 04:24 AM

Thanks,

I'm already on 5.6 so jailbreaking is not an option.

Luckily I am new recruit to ebooks so my collection is not daunting to do on each Kindle.

However, I feel sorry for those with larger libraries on their Kindles as some method of cataloguing must be essential. I suppose they don't buy the paperwhite.

I'll be able to work with our two paperwhites as we won't want to keep the books we have read and we'll keep topping them up with Calibre. Most of our books will be fiction so we will create 'collections' for the oddities like Travel Guides, Biographies and Non-Fiction.

eschwartz · 01-09-2015, 10:31 AM

Yeah, I hear you. Fortunately many people were already jailbroken.

Note that collections will automatically sync between the two devices you have, whether you want them to or not.

TonyGamble · 01-09-2015, 11:26 AM

I had not realised that I did not need to allocate the books on my wife's Kindle. She is using it at the moment but I'll look to see what is there as I did not allocate one or two of her titles. Quite a lot of the books on my Kindle are not on hers anyway. Some she has read and some are not her 'cup of tea' anyway.

Tony

TonyGamble · 01-09-2015, 12:18 PM

I've been doing some reading.

Are you sure the collections will to to my wife's PW2 if both machines have their books loaded by Calibre and not downloaded from the Amazon cloud?

eschwartz · 01-09-2015, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyGamble

I've been doing some reading.

Are you sure the collections will to to my wife's PW2 if both machines have their books loaded by Calibre and not downloaded from the Amazon cloud?

Erm, no, sorry.

You will get a little popup that says sideloaded books cannot be synced. (That is, books that are not from Amazon. Books from Amazon that are downloaded from the browser and sideloaded as-is -- or at least without conversion -- count as Amazon books, not sideloaded books. Some people refer to this as cloudloaded.)
Dunno why, as it used to work just fine...

TonyGamble · 01-09-2015, 06:18 PM

" or at least without conversion"

If I download those can Calibre add the 'blurb' metadata that I like? By that I mean add the metadata to the files on the Kindle.

Tony

eschwartz · 01-10-2015, 10:29 PM

Yes, calibre can add metadata jackets, but only if the book is in AZW3 format (not the legacy MOBI books, in other words) but you may have to reconvert the book

.

kovidgoyal · 01-10-2015, 10:35 PM

It can add metadata jackets to MOBI as well. WHat it cannot do is replace existing jackets in MOBI. That means that if you run the conversion twice using the mobi as source you will end up with two jackets.

eschwartz · 01-10-2015, 10:55 PM

I was thinking of Polish books, (not entirely sure why, TBH,) which can only update AZW3 and EPUB. Naturally, if you are converting the book, you can add a jacket.

TonyGamble · 01-11-2015, 01:57 AM

Thanks guys.

In which I'll download to both machines.

What is 'interesting' (or not very) is that if you elect to create your Collections on two machines it does not let you have the same named Collection on the second machine.

For example I have some guides on both machines. I called one Collection Travel Guide. I tried to do the same on the second machine and it said the Collection existed - but I could not see it as I had not dowloaded anything to that machine from the Amazon Cloud. I got round it by calling the Colllection on that machine Travel Guides with an 's'. Not complicated but I guess something I will cure when I start downloading the whole library - and then adding the metadata covers as you have just explained.

Tony

eschwartz · 01-11-2015, 03:35 AM

I believe there is some way to show the collection, but I don't have any devices with Could Collections so someone else will have to explain it.

01-08-2015, 05:00 AM	#1
TonyGamble Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 505924 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: None	Collections I have a Kindle PW2 - and by lunchtime I will have a second for my wife to use. I am using Calibre to download the books to both. I want to be able to have 'collections' on each machine - fiction, non-fiction, travel guides, etc. My googling suggests it is tricky to do this on the PW2 from within Calibre and that the answer is to do it on the Kindle. There is then the matter of how the info is stored in the Kindle Cloud - and I think the Cloud replicates the Collections? Before I start building the Collections I need on a Kindle would anyone like to say if there is a quicker way using Calibre that does not involve jailbreaking the Kindles. Tony

01-10-2015, 10:29 PM	#10
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Yes, calibre can add metadata jackets, but only if the book is in AZW3 format (not the legacy MOBI books, in other words) but you may have to reconvert the book . Last edited by eschwartz; 01-10-2015 at 10:56 PM.

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01-08-2015, 01:37 PM	#2
TonyGamble Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 505924 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: None	Update. Waiting for some help gave me time to do some more reading. Here it said it might be possible to use Kindle for PC. http://epiphenie.com/life/organized-...ons-management I have got my books into collections on the Kindle for PC software but I cannot find a way get Import Collections on my Kindle. Might this because the books have been loaded from Calibre and not from the Cloud. I am reluctant to load them from the Cloud in case I lose my Metadata info about the books that I was so pleased to introduce yesterday. Tony

01-09-2015, 01:38 AM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Kindle fw>=5.4.2 uses Cloud Collections, you can no longer import collections from other Kindle devices/apps. Either jailbreak and use the calibre plugin [GUI Plugin] Kindle Collections or resign yourself to doing it by hand. And remember to thank Amazon for how easy they make things. Decide now, because thus far you cannot newly jailbreak any Kindle running fw5.6.x -- and your PW2 will soon get that update if it hasn't already. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=186645

01-09-2015, 04:24 AM	#4
TonyGamble Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 505924 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: None	Thanks, I'm already on 5.6 so jailbreaking is not an option. Luckily I am new recruit to ebooks so my collection is not daunting to do on each Kindle. However, I feel sorry for those with larger libraries on their Kindles as some method of cataloguing must be essential. I suppose they don't buy the paperwhite. I'll be able to work with our two paperwhites as we won't want to keep the books we have read and we'll keep topping them up with Calibre. Most of our books will be fiction so we will create 'collections' for the oddities like Travel Guides, Biographies and Non-Fiction.

01-09-2015, 10:31 AM	#5
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Yeah, I hear you. Fortunately many people were already jailbroken. Note that collections will automatically sync between the two devices you have, whether you want them to or not.

01-09-2015, 11:26 AM	#6
TonyGamble Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 505924 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: None	I had not realised that I did not need to allocate the books on my wife's Kindle. She is using it at the moment but I'll look to see what is there as I did not allocate one or two of her titles. Quite a lot of the books on my Kindle are not on hers anyway. Some she has read and some are not her 'cup of tea' anyway. Tony

01-09-2015, 12:18 PM	#7
TonyGamble Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 505924 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: None	I've been doing some reading. Are you sure the collections will to to my wife's PW2 if both machines have their books loaded by Calibre and not downloaded from the Amazon cloud?

01-09-2015, 06:18 PM	#9
TonyGamble Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 505924 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: None	" or at least without conversion" If I download those can Calibre add the 'blurb' metadata that I like? By that I mean add the metadata to the files on the Kindle. Tony

01-10-2015, 10:35 PM	#11
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It can add metadata jackets to MOBI as well. WHat it cannot do is replace existing jackets in MOBI. That means that if you run the conversion twice using the mobi as source you will end up with two jackets.

01-10-2015, 10:55 PM	#12
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I was thinking of Polish books, (not entirely sure why, TBH,) which can only update AZW3 and EPUB. Naturally, if you are converting the book, you can add a jacket.

01-11-2015, 01:57 AM	#13
TonyGamble Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 505924 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: None	Thanks guys. In which I'll download to both machines. What is 'interesting' (or not very) is that if you elect to create your Collections on two machines it does not let you have the same named Collection on the second machine. For example I have some guides on both machines. I called one Collection Travel Guide. I tried to do the same on the second machine and it said the Collection existed - but I could not see it as I had not dowloaded anything to that machine from the Amazon Cloud. I got round it by calling the Colllection on that machine Travel Guides with an 's'. Not complicated but I guess something I will cure when I start downloading the whole library - and then adding the metadata covers as you have just explained. Tony

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01-11-2015, 03:35 AM	#14
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I believe there is some way to show the collection, but I don't have any devices with Could Collections so someone else will have to explain it.