Questions about the store and few others

chlorine · 08-10-2011, 03:52 PM

Hello,

I'm considering switching from a Cybook Gen 3 to a kindle 3.
My main concern lies with which books I would be able to buy from amazon. I live in France, and I'm not sure how to know in advance which books would be available to me. There's no link to the Kindle store from amazon.fr. I found that on amazon.com you can search in the kindle store, and that you can select the region you're in.
If I select Europe, do I see an accurate list of books I would be able to buy or is there a chance that some will be unvailable (the fact that they list a price in dollars and not euros has me worried)?

Also, would I be able to transfer my non DRM-ed mobipocket books to it? And use my mobipocket dictionary? I think the answer is yes in both cases but I'd rather make sure!

Thank you!

DreamWriter · 08-10-2011, 06:26 PM

I'm not able to answer your question regarding the Kindle Store, but you should have no problem reading your non-DRM mobipocket books on a Kindle. The .mobi format is really the same as Amazon's .azw Kindle format.

susan_cassidy · 08-10-2011, 06:59 PM

As to the mobipocket dictionary, you can use it if it does not have DRM. Kindle has the ability to use a different dictionary as the default. You just copy the dictionary to the Kindle, and set your default dictionary to the new one, if it is properly formatted.

Some readers have reported that, if the dictionary, and the ebooks are correctly coded, it can automatically use a French dictionary for French books, and the English dictionary for English books.

Edited to add: I think you might have gotten more specific replies if you had mentioned something in the title of the post about your account being in France, rather than the US.

wallcraft · 08-10-2011, 07:56 PM

As I understand the process, you buy from US Amazon (not UK Amazon, for example) and the price is always in US dollars but the price can be country specific. Once you set your country to (say) France for the Kindle, you don't see ebooks that are not available for sale to France. I am in the US, and there are even some ebooks I don't see because they are not available here. I can sometimes see them indirectly if I search for a paper book and the search turns up a related Kindle version. In that case (or if you have an ASIN and go directly to an ebook) I get a web page saying the ebook isn't available in the US.

chlorine · 08-11-2011, 03:54 AM

Thank you for your answers. Unfortunately it seems I can't change the title of my post to be more specific.

Concerning book availability, if somebody had an example of a book they were unable to buy in their region it would be very useful for me, so I could see how it is on the website.

jbcohen · 08-11-2011, 07:51 AM

Unfortunately the Cybook products tend to specialize in non-english books, expecially the cybook bookeen so the Kindle is going to be less forgiving if you are not fluent in english. I am not saying to rule out the Kindle, I own one, its a great reader its just not the best for all.

chlorine · 08-11-2011, 08:58 AM

Thanks for the warning jbcohen.
I am indeed French but I used to read mainly books in english on my cybook, and would still do so on a kindle if I bought one (hence the importance of the dictionary!

But still I'd like to know in advance what I would be able to get (in french or english) beforehand (I think that even with books in english there are many which are not available in France).

HarryT · 08-11-2011, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Unfortunately the Cybook products tend to specialize in non-english books, expecially the cybook bookeen so the Kindle is going to be less forgiving if you are not fluent in english.

I really don't know what you mean by that. Bookeen don't sell books - they sell book READERS, and they work absolutely fine in English. Can you give a specific example as to what you mean what you say it's "less forgiving"?

HappyMartin · 08-11-2011, 09:41 AM

So far as I am aware you can only see what books are available for your region if you are a registered user of the Kindle software. To check out your issue with restrictions simply try out with Kindle for pc. Register a credit card with Amazon and browse as if you were going to purchase books for use on you pc with the kindle for pc software. You should only be able to see books available to you.

This wont cost any money as you wont need to make a purchase and the kindle for pc software is free. If you like the range of books buy the kindle and if not dont.

Not sure if this helps you but it is what I understood from your query.

ProfCrash · 08-11-2011, 09:54 AM

It is also pretty easy to work around the geographic restrictions. There are threads on the subject.

abookreader · 08-11-2011, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

So far as I am aware you can only see what books are available for your region if you are a registered user of the Kindle software.

No ... you don't have to go through all that to see geographic availability and price per region. Log out of Amazon and do a search on Kindle books. In the upper left hand corner is a dropbox that you can use to set your region. This poster would choose Europe.

Look at the pic to see an example

chlorine · 08-12-2011, 12:11 PM

Thank you all for your answers!

So I had a look at what was available for Europe on the amazon.com website. I'm not overjoyed, but it seems reasonable. So I'll keep looking up a bit and take some time to think about it, but I might give in and buy one.

I'll have a look at the threads on going around geographical restrictions, but I've kind of become allergic to them when I was using my cybook (I stopped using it about a year ago), so they would have to be _very_ simple for me to consider using them.

foghat · 08-12-2011, 02:19 PM

^ quite easy to get around geographic restrictions with amazon. I am in Canada - there is the odd time a book I'm interested in is not available in Canada, but is in the US.

On my account, I have setup a 2nd US based address. When I need to buy from the US store, I simply select the US based address under Country Settings on my Kindle Account. Simple as that. It still get charged to my canadian credit card.

The one thing to note, is if you buy a book that is not in your region, do not select the 'Deliver to my Kindle' option - otherwise,after the fact, you get an email from amazon asking you to provide proof you are a citizen of the US. Just select the download and transfer via USB option and you should be fine.

chlorine · 08-12-2011, 02:34 PM

OK, even my lazy self has to admit it does look quite simple. Thank you for the tip!

08-10-2011, 03:52 PM	#1
chlorine Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle paperwhite 2	Questions about the store and few others Hello, I'm considering switching from a Cybook Gen 3 to a kindle 3. My main concern lies with which books I would be able to buy from amazon. I live in France, and I'm not sure how to know in advance which books would be available to me. There's no link to the Kindle store from amazon.fr. I found that on amazon.com you can search in the kindle store, and that you can select the region you're in. If I select Europe, do I see an accurate list of books I would be able to buy or is there a chance that some will be unvailable (the fact that they list a price in dollars and not euros has me worried)? Also, would I be able to transfer my non DRM-ed mobipocket books to it? And use my mobipocket dictionary? I think the answer is yes in both cases but I'd rather make sure! Thank you!

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08-10-2011, 06:26 PM	#2
DreamWriter Books are brain food. Posts: 2,950 Karma: 4836916 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: U.S. Device: Paperwhite · Fire HD6/HD8/HD10 · Galaxy Tab A7	I'm not able to answer your question regarding the Kindle Store, but you should have no problem reading your non-DRM mobipocket books on a Kindle. The .mobi format is really the same as Amazon's .azw Kindle format.

08-10-2011, 06:59 PM	#3
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	As to the mobipocket dictionary, you can use it if it does not have DRM. Kindle has the ability to use a different dictionary as the default. You just copy the dictionary to the Kindle, and set your default dictionary to the new one, if it is properly formatted. Some readers have reported that, if the dictionary, and the ebooks are correctly coded, it can automatically use a French dictionary for French books, and the English dictionary for English books. Edited to add: I think you might have gotten more specific replies if you had mentioned something in the title of the post about your account being in France, rather than the US.

08-10-2011, 07:56 PM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	As I understand the process, you buy from US Amazon (not UK Amazon, for example) and the price is always in US dollars but the price can be country specific. Once you set your country to (say) France for the Kindle, you don't see ebooks that are not available for sale to France. I am in the US, and there are even some ebooks I don't see because they are not available here. I can sometimes see them indirectly if I search for a paper book and the search turns up a related Kindle version. In that case (or if you have an ASIN and go directly to an ebook) I get a web page saying the ebook isn't available in the US.

08-11-2011, 03:54 AM	#5
chlorine Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle paperwhite 2	Thank you for your answers. Unfortunately it seems I can't change the title of my post to be more specific. Concerning book availability, if somebody had an example of a book they were unable to buy in their region it would be very useful for me, so I could see how it is on the website.

08-11-2011, 07:51 AM	#6
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	Unfortunately the Cybook products tend to specialize in non-english books, expecially the cybook bookeen so the Kindle is going to be less forgiving if you are not fluent in english. I am not saying to rule out the Kindle, I own one, its a great reader its just not the best for all.

08-11-2011, 08:58 AM	#7
chlorine Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle paperwhite 2	Thanks for the warning jbcohen. I am indeed French but I used to read mainly books in english on my cybook, and would still do so on a kindle if I bought one (hence the importance of the dictionary! But still I'd like to know in advance what I would be able to get (in french or english) beforehand (I think that even with books in english there are many which are not available in France).

08-11-2011, 09:41 AM	#9
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	So far as I am aware you can only see what books are available for your region if you are a registered user of the Kindle software. To check out your issue with restrictions simply try out with Kindle for pc. Register a credit card with Amazon and browse as if you were going to purchase books for use on you pc with the kindle for pc software. You should only be able to see books available to you. This wont cost any money as you wont need to make a purchase and the kindle for pc software is free. If you like the range of books buy the kindle and if not dont. Not sure if this helps you but it is what I understood from your query.

08-11-2011, 09:54 AM	#10
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	It is also pretty easy to work around the geographic restrictions. There are threads on the subject.

08-12-2011, 12:11 PM	#12
chlorine Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle paperwhite 2	Thank you all for your answers! So I had a look at what was available for Europe on the amazon.com website. I'm not overjoyed, but it seems reasonable. So I'll keep looking up a bit and take some time to think about it, but I might give in and buy one. I'll have a look at the threads on going around geographical restrictions, but I've kind of become allergic to them when I was using my cybook (I stopped using it about a year ago), so they would have to be _very_ simple for me to consider using them.

08-12-2011, 02:19 PM	#13
foghat Evangelist Posts: 464 Karma: 1006520 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Alberta, Canada Device: Kindle PW3	^ quite easy to get around geographic restrictions with amazon. I am in Canada - there is the odd time a book I'm interested in is not available in Canada, but is in the US. On my account, I have setup a 2nd US based address. When I need to buy from the US store, I simply select the US based address under Country Settings on my Kindle Account. Simple as that. It still get charged to my canadian credit card. The one thing to note, is if you buy a book that is not in your region, do not select the 'Deliver to my Kindle' option - otherwise,after the fact, you get an email from amazon asking you to provide proof you are a citizen of the US. Just select the download and transfer via USB option and you should be fine.

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08-12-2011, 02:34 PM	#14
chlorine Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle paperwhite 2	OK, even my lazy self has to admit it does look quite simple. Thank you for the tip!