Downloading Kindle ebooks to MacBook Air - Page 2

pidgeon92 · 03-08-2014, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paieye

I installed Kindle for Mac, and downloaded 3 books from Amazon. Each is shown as being formatted in AZW.
I imported all 3 into my Calibre library.
I successfully converted 1 to MOBI, and uploaded it to the Kindle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paieye

After adding the books to my Calibre library, I checked to see what the format was. expecting it to be MOBI. To my surprise, Calibre showed the format to be ePUB. I therefore converted them to MOBI.

These two quotes don't match up. You downloaded the all of the books from Amazon? In the first quote, you said they were AZW. In the second quote, you said ePub. Amazon doesn't sell ePubs, and calibre isn't going to convert a file without you either telling it to do so, or your uploading it from calibre to an ePub reader.

paieye · 03-08-2014, 03:40 PM

Rather than explain the apparent inconsistency, may I say what has just happened ?

I found the 2 Amazon Kindle books in my Downloads folder. I added them to my Calibre library. I checked to see that both had AZW-extensions. I uploaded both to my Kindle. I then checked that they had been uploaded. In the right-hand pane of Calibre, I opened each book in the Kindle library, and found that I could read it. I ejected the Kindle, found the book, and tried to read it. No luck -- "Unable to open item" again.

paieye · 03-08-2014, 03:56 PM

I think that I have now found a way around all this. When buying the ebook from Amazon, specify download to Kindle for Mac. Once purchase completed, go back to Kindle Bookshop and specify download for transfer via USB (or whatever it says). Copy the downloaded file into the Kindle's documents-folder. All is now well, save that Calibre does not detect the book that I have just bought in the main memory of the device.

My thanks to you all for your patience and help.

pidgeon92 · 03-08-2014, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paieye

I think that I have now found a way around all this. When buying the ebook from Amazon, specify download to Kindle for Mac.

If you are only going to be reading the book on the Paperwhite, you should download it for that Kindle, not for Kindle for Mac. If there is DRM on the book, you will be able to upload it to the Paperwhite, but you will not be able to open it.

paieye · 03-09-2014, 03:21 AM

The reason for downloading it to Kindle for Mac was to have a copy in the computer, in case that should be wanted.

eschwartz · 03-09-2014, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paieye

The reason for downloading it to Kindle for Mac was to have a copy in the computer, in case that should be wanted.

Then you must apprentice yourself to alf.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Much more likely the book has DRM on it, so the Kindle PW cannot read the book.

Kindle DRM applies per device/app, NOT per account!!

google "apprentice alf" for more details. (Mobileread policy forbids in-depth discussion/guides to DRM removal, so if you have any questions, ask them at the place you get the tools from.)

pidgeon92 · 03-09-2014, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paieye

The reason for downloading it to Kindle for Mac was to have a copy in the computer, in case that should be wanted.

But you can download a copy specifically for the Paperwhite via USB from your Manage My Kindle page and store that in Calibre. That's what I do with my Kindle ebooks. Alternately, you can download the books directly onto the Kindle, then add them to Calibre from there.

I do agree that liberating the ebooks via the tools is a best practice.

paieye · 03-09-2014, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

But you can download a copy specifically for the Paperwhite via USB from your Manage My Kindle page and store that in Calibre. That's what I do with my Kindle ebooks. Alternately, you can download the books directly onto the Kindle, then add them to Calibre from there.

I do agree that liberating the ebooks via the tools is a best practice.

I did not follow that procedure because I was afraid that there might be something about it that would prevent me later from using Calibre (or other software) to reformat the books as ePub or whatever else I might find convenient.

pidgeon92 · 03-09-2014, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paieye

I did not follow that procedure because I was afraid that there might be something about it that would prevent me later from using Calibre (or other software) to reformat the books as ePub or whatever else I might find convenient.

Nope. It all works just fine. Obviously the DRM must be stripped to change the ebook to a different format, or to read the ebook on a device other than that specific Kindle.

eschwartz · 03-09-2014, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paieye

I did not follow that procedure because I was afraid that there might be something about it that would prevent me later from using Calibre (or other software) to reformat the books as ePub or whatever else I might find convenient.

On the contrary, you cannot reformat the book until you use the procedure!

I use it on all my books, to keep them safe. I can now reformat them all for whatever device I need.

paieye · 03-09-2014, 03:43 PM

Thank you for that reassurance, I shall follow your advice.

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03-08-2014, 03:40 PM	#17
paieye Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Amazon Fire	Rather than explain the apparent inconsistency, may I say what has just happened ? I found the 2 Amazon Kindle books in my Downloads folder. I added them to my Calibre library. I checked to see that both had AZW-extensions. I uploaded both to my Kindle. I then checked that they had been uploaded. In the right-hand pane of Calibre, I opened each book in the Kindle library, and found that I could read it. I ejected the Kindle, found the book, and tried to read it. No luck -- "Unable to open item" again.

03-08-2014, 03:56 PM	#18
paieye Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Amazon Fire	I think that I have now found a way around all this. When buying the ebook from Amazon, specify download to Kindle for Mac. Once purchase completed, go back to Kindle Bookshop and specify download for transfer via USB (or whatever it says). Copy the downloaded file into the Kindle's documents-folder. All is now well, save that Calibre does not detect the book that I have just bought in the main memory of the device. My thanks to you all for your patience and help.

03-09-2014, 03:21 AM	#20
paieye Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Amazon Fire	The reason for downloading it to Kindle for Mac was to have a copy in the computer, in case that should be wanted.

03-09-2014, 03:43 PM	#26
paieye Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Amazon Fire	Thank you for that reassurance, I shall follow your advice.