Question about side loading

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

While I now have the fix for this, for a while I avoided buying books from Amazon because every time the Kindle software would forcibly update itself and that was a hassle to put things back.

I have KindleForPC 1.17.1 until it no longer works. But my best solution is the PW3 I inherited.

[lovetoRL]

How do you get the reading list plug in?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by lovetoRL

How do you get the reading list plug in?

Most calibre plugins can be installed from within calibre. Open the preferences, go to the "Plugins" page and press the "Get new plugins" button. That shows the list of user plugins. You can find the Reading List plugin in the list and install it.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Well, I don't do any renaming of internal files or error fixing/checking. Nor do I care what the code is like, as long as it works on my ereaders. So I only change the things I need to, like fonts and font sizes, line spacing, margins, indents, paragraph spacing etc. That's enough for me.

I'm much the same way. The only things I do is to number the books in all of my series in the correct order, add in a space for new paragraghs and change everything to epubs. That's it, I keep it simple and only takes a minimum of time to accomplish.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Well, I don't do any renaming of internal files or error fixing/checking. Nor do I care what the code is like, as long as it works on my ereaders. So I only change the things I need to, like fonts and font sizes, line spacing, margins, indents, paragraph spacing etc. That's enough for me.

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I'm much the same way. The only things I do is to number the books in all of my series in the correct order, add in a space for new paragraghs and change everything to epubs. That's it, I keep it simple and only takes a minimum of time to accomplish.

How are you doing the above?

I start by using the calibre editor to remove eMbedded fonts, compress images, and remove unused css classes. Probably takes a minute of my time.

I then edit the metadata for series info and cover art. Another minute.

Then I do an epub to epub conversion to get line spacing, paragraph indent and spacing, ... Which takes about 30 seconds for Calibre to do.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

How are you doing the above?

First, I edit the metadata. Then I edit the file in the Calibre editor - remove unused css, fix embedded fonts, line spacing, margins, paragraph spacing, indents, delete unnecessary stuff like ads and excerpts. Then I convert the books destined for my Kindle to azw3 (those that are not bought from Amazon). For the books destined for my Kobo I do an epub conversion (either from azw3 or epub/epub - the latter because I remove hyphenation and widows/orphans from those and that's easier to do during conversion. But most of my editing is done strictly in the editor, it gives me more control over what I edit).

[cfrizz]

[QUOTE=John F;4139524]How are you doing the above?

I click on Edit Meta Data to change the title, add the series and publisher and make sure the right number for the book is there.

Then I click on Convert book, click on Layout to insert a blank line between paragraphs. Next I click on Heuristic Processing and enable it, then click on Delete Blank Line between Paragraphs Which removes the check mark and enables it to insert a blank line between paragraphs. I click ok and it converts.

[John F]

[QUOTE=cfrizz;4139649]

Originally Posted by John F

...

Then I click on Convert book, click on Layout to insert a blank line between paragraphs. Next I click on Heuristic Processing and enable it, then click on Delete Blank Line between Paragraphs Which removes the check mark and enables it to insert a blank line between paragraphs. I click ok and it converts.

Hopefully you have these set as the default, so you don't have to click on each one everytime.

I do something similar, but all I have to do is click on Convert and then OK.

[cfrizz]

[QUOTE=John F;4139756]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Hopefully you have these set as the default, so you don't have to click on each one everytime.

I do something similar, but all I have to do is click on Convert and then OK.

I didn't know I could do that, but I have now. Thanks for the tip!!!!!

[John F]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I didn't know I could do that, but I have now. Thanks for the tip!!!!!

Your welcome. It's always nice to save a few clicks in repetitive tasks.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But my best solution is the PW3 I inherited.

Have you ever actually spent any amount of time using the Paperwhite as a reader?

Sometimes I'm tempted to buy a Kindle, just to play around with it. But stuff like requiring .KFX for the nicer typesetting (and the ads, don't forget the ads) keeps me away. For my purposes, I'm not sure that even a brand new Paperwhite would be any nicer than my 2015 6" Glowlight Plus.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Have you ever actually spent any amount of time using the Paperwhite as a reader?

Sometimes I'm tempted to buy a Kindle, just to play around with it. But stuff like requiring .KFX for the nicer typesetting (and the ads, don't forget the ads) keeps me away. For my purposes, I'm not sure that even a brand new Paperwhite would be any nicer than my 2015 6" Glowlight Plus.

You can buy an ad-free Kindle, you know.

For one thing, the PW sure would be faster than the Nook. My 2019 Nook is a terrible slouch compared to my Oasis, and my Libra is not much better in that regard. The Oasis is certainly the fastest of the three.

As to the software, a Kindle is much better than a Nook and has some options Kobos don't have. Of course they lack many options Kobos do have, they don't integrate with Calibre so well and you can't tinker with them like you can with a Kobo.

But all in all, I do still like my last remaining Kindle (the Oasis).

[ZodWallop]

I don't mean to derail the thread ti Kindle vs. whoever. But to answer your message:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

You can buy an ad-free Kindle, you know.

Yeah, but the fact that you have to make that choice annoys me.

I'd be more understanding if Amazon were the underdog, but, you know.

I'd also be okay if the adware Kindle actually was offered at a cheaper price, but:

Kindle Paperwhite (with ads): $130, without: $150
NOOK GlowLight 3: $120
Kobo Clara HD: $116

What are those ads supporting, exactly?

For one thing, the PW sure would be faster than the Nook. My 2019 Nook is a terrible slouch compared to my Oasis, and my Libra is not much better in that regard. The Oasis is certainly the fastest of the three.

My Nook and Kobo seem fine. I'd say the Nook is a bit slower than the Kobo. But neither is so slow that it's unworkable.

But then, since I haven't spent quality time using a Kindle, maybe I'm living in a fool's paradise.

As to the software, a Kindle is much better than a Nook and has some options Kobos don't have. Of course they lack many options Kobos do have, they don't integrate with Calibre so well and you can't tinker with them like you can with a Kobo.

I'll give you that. Goodreads integration for instance. It's just that those aren't features I would use.

And then there's the point of this thread: sideloading. Correct me if I am wrong, but uploading AZW files means you are stuck with the same crappy typesetting Kindle has had since forever. No hyphenated words for instance.

If the above is correct, then my 2015 Glowlight is better suited for my personal needs than a Kindle.

I'm not saying they are junk. They just aren't for me. But I still do look at them sometimes.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

And then there's the point of this thread: sideloading. Correct me if I am wrong, but uploading AZW files means you are stuck with the same crappy typesetting Kindle has had since forever. No hyphenated words for instance.

For me, that's a bonus, as I detest hyphenation. I disable it in the books I sideload to my Kobo and that means extra work.

And certainly the Kindle typesetting is no crappier than the kepub typesetting on a Kobo. It was worse on the very old Kindles, but it has improved somewhat.

Also there's the Hyphenate This plugin, and I understand you can get hyphenation in your sideloaded books with this. I haven't used it.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For me, that's a bonus, as I detest hyphenation. I disable it in the books I sideload to my Kobo and that means extra work.

And certainly the Kindle typesetting is no crappier than the kepub typesetting on a Kobo. It was worse on the very old Kindles, but it has improved somewhat.

Also there's the Hyphenate This plugin, and I understand you can get hyphenation in your sideloaded books with this. I haven't used it.

Or you could simply dump justification and read ragged right. No need for hyphens and I've preferred it for decades. Until and if, an ereader properly implements micro-justification, "text-align: justified" has no place in my reading life.