Kindle doubts - Can I download free epubs?

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Igor Neres

I really want to buy a kindle paperwhite, but I have some questions before. If I have one, all the ebooks I download should be from amazon? Or can I download free epubs? Cause my teacher has some files, and ebooks that are paid in Amazon and he said the could give me. Would it be illegal? Or can I download from anywhere and use USB cable?
And for people who used Paperwhite, is it really worth it? Or just the simples kindle is the way to go?

Thanks guys!

Yes, it is illegal if he bought them and they are copyrighted titles and he wants to 'share' them with you, AND if he is not a member of the Kindle Lending Library program.


Don
(Moderator)

[barryem]

Originally Posted by Igor Neres

Thanks guys for all recomendations I've been searching about this Kobo. And I'd like to have your opinions hahah I won't buy many books on Amazon. Actually, I don't want to buy any. I want to have an e-reader for three reasons: Easier to carry, beter to expand my english vocabulary and to principally to save money, downloading. Also, it's easier to find old books and classic ones.

Anyway, you guys who owns a KOBO and a KINDLE. Which one you prefer?
I won't use too much of this Amazon universe, as I see it. For example, can I see the books I transfered via USB cable in my pc Kindle and cell phone app? Will it have the same functionalities that Amazon books have?

And finally, does KOBO have the same functions Kindle have? As example, I mention the dictionary

THANK YOU , GUYS!

I have both and I prefer the Kindles although if I only had the Kobo's I'd be perfectly happy. My preference is a personal one and nothing more. This is kind of like asking if you like a Ford or Chevy better. They're both excellent. They both do pretty much the same thing with a few individual variations.

I don't agree that the text on a Kobo is better. I think it's better on the Kindle. Again, personal preference. It's excellent on both. There's nothing other than personal preference to choose between them. You might want to try to see both and decide what you like.

The Kobo does let you fine tune the fonts more. That fine tuning doesn't always work on books not purchased from Kobo unless you let Calibre help you with that. The Kindle doesn't have as many options with fonts but it has more than enough and everything always works.

One good scientific way to choose is to toss a coin. Actually that's probably more accurate than going sight unseen by what we tell you about them.

Barry

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Igor Neres

Cause my teacher has some files, and ebooks that are paid in Amazon and he said the could give me. Would it be illegal?

This is unequivocally illegal.

If the books are paid books, then they aren't released under the Public Domain or via a Creative Commons License.
(Or, they may be Public Domain but with value-added formatting or foreword or graphics, in which case you should be able to find another version on e.g. Project Gutenberg or our own Patricia Cark memorial library.)

If you want those specific books, pay for them yourself.

...

You could also share your teacher's account. Amazon allows sharing books with one other account via Family Library, or simply use the same account.
In either case, Amazon -- and the law I suppose -- assumes that anyone you (rhet.) trust with your credit card is close enough to be sharing your books with.

Some books also can be lent out a maximum of once, to anyone with an Amazon account.

These are the only two ways to legally share purchased books with another person.

...

Moderator Notice

Members are reminded to think before offering suggestions that may or may not be illegal, depending on the situation, but in this situation happened to be illegal.

The post in question has now been edited.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Igor Neres

And finally, does KOBO have the same functions Kindle have? As example, I mention the dictionary

I don't have a Kobo, but I am told by people who own both devices that the dictionaries available by default for the Kindle are much better than the ones available for the Kobo.
There are also more and better dictionaries available for purchase on the Kindle.

So if dictionaries are important to you I would suggest that you want a Kindle.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by roger64

The answer you get will vary according to the thread you are reading. This is a Kindle thread (think of the Stockholm syndrome).

I have both: a Kobo Glo and a PW3 (since early October 2015). I use the first one to read EPUB and I still use it today. I bought the second one because I read Koreader was a "native" app on it. It appears that I was totally mistaken (yes, I am guilty for this mistake because I did not look seriously for information). Now this wonderful machine has been stored for the last three months and I am awaiting a very hypothetical jailbreak.

My advice is to stay away from Kindle. They want to keep you in jail. They really mean it. Beware.

Buying a Kindle in order to read EPUB seems rather foolish to me.
If you really find converting to AZW3 to be an intolerable burden, you should have stuck with a device fundamentally meant to read EPUB.

KOReader is not as featureful as either the Kindle or Kobo stock firmware, AFAIK. (e.g. highlights and notes)
And I would be cautious about buying a device that doesn't have the capability out of the box to do what I want it to do.

[rashkae]

Getting both has worked well for me. Both of them have, at one time or other, been pitched in a junk closet in disgust.

I will say, however, the Kindles are the devices that have always 'just worked.' even if not always in the way I wanted.

[pidgeon92]

Unless the OP is really set on e-ink, they'd probably be best off with a tablet. Then they're not limited to any format and can use whatever software best meets their needs.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Igor Neres

Anyway, you guys who owns a KOBO and a KINDLE. Which one you prefer?

I generally prefer my Kobo (I like the bigger screen), but overall find it doesn't make a ton of difference for the books I read. In some ways its all in what you get used to.

Will it have the same functionalities that Amazon books have?

Sideloaded books (books you add via USB) will have the same basic functionality as books from Amazon. Where things might not be the same will be things like X-Ray and syncing between devices. Some of the syncing can be gained by using the Kindle cloud for your own books.

And finally, does KOBO have the same functions Kindle have? As example, I mention the dictionary

Both have dictionaries (not sure if one if better than the other, or which has more dictionaries although I think Kindle might). Both have methods for highlighting and note taking. Kobo's have more options if you want more fonts and adjustment of those fonts. Out of the box Kobo's are more easily modified/hackable.

[Stevex]

I came to this thread by complete coincidence, being a new user of the forum and just browsing "today's posts" in a loose moment, but I will say that I recently switched from Kindle to Kobo. While there are several reasons for this, the most important is that my main use-case is sideloading epubs from Calibre. For anyone wanting to do that, the Kobo is in my opinion, which is based on quite a bit of experience, a no brainer. Of course, no one must take my advice ;-)

[Cinisajoy]

I will say for side loading epubs without needing to convert them is easier on a Kobo.
Side loading mobi's is easier on a kindle.
Pdfs are a pain to read on any e-ink unless the pdf designer has taken the time to make sure it is very readable on an e-ink without adjustments. Note that is very time consuming and is not generally done.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Pdfs are a pain to read on any e-ink unless the pdf designer has taken the time to make sure it is very readable on an e-ink without adjustments. Note that is very time consuming and is not generally done.

The Sony DPT-S1 at 13.3" is the best ePaper device for viewing PDF (currently). But any of the others are not wonderful unless (as you say) the PDF is made for the size of the screen.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The Sony DPT-S1 at 13.3" is the best ePaper device for viewing PDF (currently). But any of the others are not wonderful unless (as you say) the PDF is made for the size of the screen.

Thanks. At least now I know there is one.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Igor Neres

I really want to buy a kindle paperwhite, but I have some questions before. If I have one, all the ebooks I download should be from amazon? Or can I download free epubs? Cause my teacher has some files, and ebooks that are paid in Amazon and he said the could give me. Would it be illegal? Or can I download from anywhere and use USB cable?
And for people who used Paperwhite, is it really worth it? Or just the simples kindle is the way to go?

Thanks guys!

I will ask a couple of quick questions.
Where do you read?
What is your budget?
Does your teacher mean that they will give you the ebooks or loan them to you?

Now if you really want a kindle,
You can convert in Calibre, your epubs.
You can also get books from other places. Most have the kindle format.
Project Gutenberg usually has at least 3 formats for their books.
Note some of their books are better to read than others. It depends on who proofread the book.
The Patricia Clark Library here on Mobileread also has several formats. Those books have been proofread very well.
Smashwords is the same way on the formats.
Also some author sites give you a choice of format unless they are exclusive to Amazon.

I hope this helps.
Contrary to some beliefs, you are not stuck buying ebooks from Amazon if you own a kindle.

Edited to add: we are now back on topic.

[JSWolf]

In order to make sure you can use most free ePub, you need to install ADE 2.0.1, register it with an Adobe ID, install Calibre, visit Apprentice Alf for the DRM removal plugin, and once installed and configured, you can remove the DRM and then you can convert to KF8 (AZW3) for your Kindle.

[pdurrant]

Discussion of the relative merits of Kobo, Kindle, KOReader, jailbreaking and hyphenation have been moved to their own thread.