New Kindle owner

Canuck_in_Japan · 07-06-2015, 09:18 AM

After owning a Ectaco Jetbook, a Sony PRS 650, a Kobo Aura, an Aura HD and an Aura H2O I've finally moved over to the Darkside and purchased a Kindle PW3. I've had a few issues with the Aura H2O's firmware recently and the size is sometimes a little too big. That and I've always envied the Kindle's dictionary and little features like the vocabulary builder and Goodreads integration.
My new reader comes tomorrow so I'm just wondering if there's anything I should be aware of. I've heard a lot of hate regarding collections and I'm not much of a collections person but is there anyway I can make it (through Calibre) so that all the books in a series are together and in order? I already have them assigned series tags in Calibre.
Secondly almost all (with exception of the odd $1.99 deal that comes from Amazon) of my books will be EPUBs. I guess converting into the Amazon format shouldn't be a problem. Will I miss out on anything if I'm using converted EPUBs? I heard that the new Bookerly font doesn't work for side-loaded books. Is that true? I'm not a fonts or margins crusader so I don't expect to be disappointed but I'd like to take part in enjoying any new fonts if I can.
I guess that's all my concerns for now. Looking forward to tomorrow!

eschwartz · 07-06-2015, 09:45 AM

I'm not sure how exactly the new firmware features will be handled, but in general an AZW3 is an AZW3 regardless of whether Amazon made it or calibre made it. We *may* need to decode some secret sauce, potentially, for the new features.

As for collections, there is a calibre plugin that works in tandem with an on-device hack, but that won't work unless you do hardware modding to get the Kindle jailbroken in the first place.
Lots of people will tell you that calibre plugboards to prepend the series to the title make a perfectly fine adequate substitution.

P.S. Welcome to the dark side.

odamizu · 07-06-2015, 01:11 PM

It never occurred to me that the new Bookerly font wouldn't work with Calibre-made AZW3s. I thought Calibre-made AZW3s might miss out on improved word-spacing and hyphenation, but to not be able to select the Bookerly font?!

@Canuck_In_Japan: I would be very interested in hearing your findings on this when you get your PW3 (congrats!). And yes, welcome to the Darkside

. That's exactly how I felt when I went from Nook and Sony and epubs to Kindle. Dealing with azw3 took some getting used to, but I've settled in nicely and find myself quite happy here in the Dark

soulfuldog · 07-06-2015, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

My new reader comes tomorrow so I'm just wondering if there's anything I should be aware of. I've heard a lot of hate regarding collections and I'm not much of a collections person but is there anyway I can make it (through Calibre) so that all the books in a series are together and in order? I already have them assigned series tags in Calibre.

After following some advice from HarryT & eschwartz about using plugboards in Calibre to show series information in book titles and therefore make them very easy to organise in series order, I no longer use collections at all.

HarryT · 07-06-2015, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odamizu

It never occurred to me that the new Bookerly font wouldn't work with Calibre-made AZW3s. I thought Calibre-made AZW3s might miss out on improved word-spacing and hyphenation, but to not be able to select the Bookerly font?!

It's a font, like any other. Certainly you can select it (unless the book is so ill-mannered as to have a hard-coded font).

Canuck_in_Japan · 07-06-2015, 04:34 PM

Ok that's a relief. I guess I was misinformed. I will definitely post my impressions (as a new Kindle user) after about a week.

aceflor · 07-09-2015, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

After owning a Ectaco Jetbook, a Sony PRS 650, a Kobo Aura, an Aura HD and an Aura H2O I've finally moved over to the Darkside and purchased a Kindle PW3. I've had a few issues with the Aura H2O's firmware recently and the size is sometimes a little too big. That and I've always envied the Kindle's dictionary and little features like the vocabulary builder and Goodreads integration.
My new reader comes tomorrow so I'm just wondering if there's anything I should be aware of. I've heard a lot of hate regarding collections and I'm not much of a collections person but is there anyway I can make it (through Calibre) so that all the books in a series are together and in order? I already have them assigned series tags in Calibre.
Secondly almost all (with exception of the odd $1.99 deal that comes from Amazon) of my books will be EPUBs. I guess converting into the Amazon format shouldn't be a problem. Will I miss out on anything if I'm using converted EPUBs? I heard that the new Bookerly font doesn't work for side-loaded books. Is that true? I'm not a fonts or margins crusader so I don't expect to be disappointed but I'd like to take part in enjoying any new fonts if I can.
I guess that's all my concerns for now. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Now that is surprising.. !!!!

I remember our discussions on the Kobo sub-forum well....

Do not expect too much of the Goodreads integration, but you will love (or at least I think you will) the dictionaries and the Vocabulary builder. I love them on my Voyage.

This year I did not go for the Glo HD, nor will I go for the PW3, just staying put with my H20 (which I do not use much nowadays) and my Voyage, which I still love and use.

I'll be interested to read your first impressions.

HarryT · 07-09-2015, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aceflor

Do not expect too much of the Goodreads integration, but you will love (or at least I think you will) the dictionaries and the Vocabulary builder. I love them on my Voyage.

Goodreads integrations is only available to people in the US, remember. The OP is not in the US.

patrickt · 07-09-2015, 01:46 PM

Ah, yes, "in the U.S." I bank "in the U.S." I pay taxes "in the U.S." and I vote "in the U.S." so I guess I can purchase my books "in the U.S."

aceflor · 07-09-2015, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Goodreads integrations is only available to people in the US, remember. The OP is not in the US.

True of course. I forgot that... I used my US account for my Voyage and was not impressed at all, and switched it after a while to my German account.

Barbara1955 · 07-09-2015, 05:31 PM

Once I side load my ebooks to my Fire Phone I can Choose ANY Font I want... Any size print I want. So I don't understand Why You OP Cant Choose the Bookerly Font When its added to the PW3. I Kinda like to see Amazon Add the Bookerly Font to the Phone It would save space & Hopefully turning pages less.

07-06-2015, 09:18 AM	#1
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	New Kindle owner After owning a Ectaco Jetbook, a Sony PRS 650, a Kobo Aura, an Aura HD and an Aura H2O I've finally moved over to the Darkside and purchased a Kindle PW3. I've had a few issues with the Aura H2O's firmware recently and the size is sometimes a little too big. That and I've always envied the Kindle's dictionary and little features like the vocabulary builder and Goodreads integration. My new reader comes tomorrow so I'm just wondering if there's anything I should be aware of. I've heard a lot of hate regarding collections and I'm not much of a collections person but is there anyway I can make it (through Calibre) so that all the books in a series are together and in order? I already have them assigned series tags in Calibre. Secondly almost all (with exception of the odd $1.99 deal that comes from Amazon) of my books will be EPUBs. I guess converting into the Amazon format shouldn't be a problem. Will I miss out on anything if I'm using converted EPUBs? I heard that the new Bookerly font doesn't work for side-loaded books. Is that true? I'm not a fonts or margins crusader so I don't expect to be disappointed but I'd like to take part in enjoying any new fonts if I can. I guess that's all my concerns for now. Looking forward to tomorrow!

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07-06-2015, 09:45 AM	#2
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'm not sure how exactly the new firmware features will be handled, but in general an AZW3 is an AZW3 regardless of whether Amazon made it or calibre made it. We may need to decode some secret sauce, potentially, for the new features. As for collections, there is a calibre plugin that works in tandem with an on-device hack, but that won't work unless you do hardware modding to get the Kindle jailbroken in the first place. Lots of people will tell you that calibre plugboards to prepend the series to the title make a perfectly fine adequate substitution. P.S. Welcome to the dark side.

07-06-2015, 01:11 PM	#3
odamizu just an egg Posts: 1,827 Karma: 7943430 Join Date: Mar 2015 Device: Kindle, iOS	It never occurred to me that the new Bookerly font wouldn't work with Calibre-made AZW3s. I thought Calibre-made AZW3s might miss out on improved word-spacing and hyphenation, but to not be able to select the Bookerly font?! @Canuck_In_Japan: I would be very interested in hearing your findings on this when you get your PW3 (congrats!). And yes, welcome to the Darkside . That's exactly how I felt when I went from Nook and Sony and epubs to Kindle. Dealing with azw3 took some getting used to, but I've settled in nicely and find myself quite happy here in the Dark

07-06-2015, 04:34 PM	#6
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	Ok that's a relief. I guess I was misinformed. I will definitely post my impressions (as a new Kindle user) after about a week.

07-09-2015, 01:46 PM	#9
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	Ah, yes, "in the U.S." I bank "in the U.S." I pay taxes "in the U.S." and I vote "in the U.S." so I guess I can purchase my books "in the U.S."

07-09-2015, 05:31 PM	#11
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,455 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	Once I side load my ebooks to my Fire Phone I can Choose ANY Font I want... Any size print I want. So I don't understand Why You OP Cant Choose the Bookerly Font When its added to the PW3. I Kinda like to see Amazon Add the Bookerly Font to the Phone It would save space & Hopefully turning pages less.

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