Kindle Fire and Mac

james14 · 02-02-2017, 09:19 AM

I have a KF HD 2nd generation model. I want to connect it to my Mac running El Capitan. I want to copy books to the KF. I did install the Android file transfer and it does open the KF. However, there is no content which I know it is not true because I have book on the KF. There is a whole bunch of folders and no content expect some files. I am trying to find the location of this book so I can copy other books to that same location. In the File Transfer app, there is a section called BOOKs. Within BOOKs there is a folder called ACW and there is a bunch of files with .ACX extension. I don't know what these files are. I looked in DOCUMENTS as well and there is nothing there. I guess I will try to connect the KF to a Windows 7 computer and see what that does.

I have a Voyage and I connected it to the same Mac using the same USB cable. The Mac will mount the Voyage as a disk drive and I can view all of the books. I would have thought the same idea applies to the Kindle Fire. It should mount a disk and I can copy books over to the KF. I don't know what is going on or how to fix it. Yes, I am using the OEM usb cable.

So I connected the KF to a Windows 7 computer. I get the same folders and there is no content in these folders. The KF connects to the computer as a Media device rather than an external drive. The computer lists the KF as a portable device and under OTHER devices there is an exclamation point. If I go to try and update the drive, it comes back saying there is no driver. Again, I know there is a book on the KF but I can't find this book when I connect the KF to the computer.

jhowell · 02-02-2017, 09:31 AM

See these instructions from Amazon for transferring books to a Fire tablet. Bascially you copy them to the "Books" or "Documents" folder.

This is NOT the same place that books downloaded directly from Amazon appear on the device. The Fire is different from e-ink kindles that use the same folder for both downloaded and sideloaded books.

(Personally I prefer to email my books to my Amazon account. That way they are automatically delivered to my multiple devices and reading locations are also kept in sync between them.)

james14 · 02-02-2017, 10:16 AM

Just so I am clear, you said "This is NOT the same place that books downloaded directly from Amazon appear on the device. The Fire is different from e-ink kindles that use the same folder for both downloaded and sideloaded books". When I download a book directly from Amazon, the KF treats these books differently than if I manually copy a book to the KF. When I do copy a book to the KF, which format would be best to use, AZW3 or Mobi? Of course, I want title, cover, page numbers, etc.. all to look the same as if I downloaded the book directly from Amazon.

When I do copy the book, is there a difference of location, BOOKs or DOCUMENTs? I am guessing that since it is a book, I would copy it to the BOOK folder.

jhowell · 02-02-2017, 10:43 AM

The Amazon page I linked in my previous post indicates which file formats should go into either the "Books" or "Documents" folder.

My Fire tablet is newer than yours and I don't sideload books directly so I don't know which features will or will not be available for sideloaded books.

Generally KF8 (.azw3) format will have better formatting then MOBI, but some other features, such as cover thumbnails, may possibly work better in MOBI. You will have to try it and see.

Also I think that page numbers, which require a separate .apnx file, are unlikely to work when sideloaded on a Fire tablet. Again, either try it yourself or perhaps someone with more knowledge will comment.

Dr. Drib · 02-03-2017, 04:58 AM

Moved to the Kindle Fire sub-forum.

Don
(Moderator)

Little.Egret · 02-03-2017, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhowell

See these instructions from Amazon for transferring books to a Fire tablet. Bascially you copy them to the "Books" or "Documents" folder.

This is NOT the same place that books downloaded directly from Amazon appear on the device. The Fire is different from e-ink kindles that use the same folder for both downloaded and sideloaded books.

(Personally I prefer to email my books to my Amazon account. That way they are automatically delivered to my multiple devices and reading locations are also kept in sync between them.)

Fires may also have a "Kindle" folder in which you may put both books and documents.

02-02-2017, 09:19 AM	#1
james14 Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2014 Device: Kindle Fire HDX	Kindle Fire and Mac I have a KF HD 2nd generation model. I want to connect it to my Mac running El Capitan. I want to copy books to the KF. I did install the Android file transfer and it does open the KF. However, there is no content which I know it is not true because I have book on the KF. There is a whole bunch of folders and no content expect some files. I am trying to find the location of this book so I can copy other books to that same location. In the File Transfer app, there is a section called BOOKs. Within BOOKs there is a folder called ACW and there is a bunch of files with .ACX extension. I don't know what these files are. I looked in DOCUMENTS as well and there is nothing there. I guess I will try to connect the KF to a Windows 7 computer and see what that does. I have a Voyage and I connected it to the same Mac using the same USB cable. The Mac will mount the Voyage as a disk drive and I can view all of the books. I would have thought the same idea applies to the Kindle Fire. It should mount a disk and I can copy books over to the KF. I don't know what is going on or how to fix it. Yes, I am using the OEM usb cable. So I connected the KF to a Windows 7 computer. I get the same folders and there is no content in these folders. The KF connects to the computer as a Media device rather than an external drive. The computer lists the KF as a portable device and under OTHER devices there is an exclamation point. If I go to try and update the drive, it comes back saying there is no driver. Again, I know there is a book on the KF but I can't find this book when I connect the KF to the computer.

02-02-2017, 10:43 AM	#4
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,038 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	The Amazon page I linked in my previous post indicates which file formats should go into either the "Books" or "Documents" folder. My Fire tablet is newer than yours and I don't sideload books directly so I don't know which features will or will not be available for sideloaded books. Generally KF8 (.azw3) format will have better formatting then MOBI, but some other features, such as cover thumbnails, may possibly work better in MOBI. You will have to try it and see. Also I think that page numbers, which require a separate .apnx file, are unlikely to work when sideloaded on a Fire tablet. Again, either try it yourself or perhaps someone with more knowledge will comment. Last edited by jhowell; 02-02-2017 at 11:54 AM. Reason: typos

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02-02-2017, 09:31 AM	#2
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,038 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	See these instructions from Amazon for transferring books to a Fire tablet. Bascially you copy them to the "Books" or "Documents" folder. This is NOT the same place that books downloaded directly from Amazon appear on the device. The Fire is different from e-ink kindles that use the same folder for both downloaded and sideloaded books. (Personally I prefer to email my books to my Amazon account. That way they are automatically delivered to my multiple devices and reading locations are also kept in sync between them.)

02-02-2017, 10:16 AM	#3
james14 Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2014 Device: Kindle Fire HDX	Just so I am clear, you said "This is NOT the same place that books downloaded directly from Amazon appear on the device. The Fire is different from e-ink kindles that use the same folder for both downloaded and sideloaded books". When I download a book directly from Amazon, the KF treats these books differently than if I manually copy a book to the KF. When I do copy a book to the KF, which format would be best to use, AZW3 or Mobi? Of course, I want title, cover, page numbers, etc.. all to look the same as if I downloaded the book directly from Amazon. When I do copy the book, is there a difference of location, BOOKs or DOCUMENTs? I am guessing that since it is a book, I would copy it to the BOOK folder.

02-03-2017, 04:58 AM	#5
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,348 Karma: 59447733 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	Moved to the Kindle Fire sub-forum. Don (Moderator)