Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

No, not if it has 5.18.5 or above.

On Windows, there's a way to do it with the Kindle for PC, but it's more complicated and time-consuming than using an eink Kindle.

It's not that time-consuming and is currently my preferred method.

I am planning to automate the command line parts, which are not that complicated once it's set up. You do not even need a physical Windows machine; I'm running it in UTM on my Mac, Windows Pro 11 licenses are less than $15.

Also there are a few formats and books not available for Kindles, but Windows app can get them all.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by tomsem

It's not that time-consuming and is currently my preferred method.

I am planning to automate the command line parts, which are not that complicated once it's set up. You do not even need a physical Windows machine; I'm running it in UTM on my Mac, Windows Pro 11 licenses are less than $15.

Also there are a few formats and books not available for Kindles, but Windows app can get them all.

It's my preferred method too, but going by various questions and answers at Github, people have been having issues with it. Not everyone is skilled with computers. I'm not really either and it took some time for me to set it up correctly.

[bellereads]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

No, not if it has 5.18.5 or above.

On Windows, there's a way to do it with the Kindle for PC, but it's more complicated and time-consuming than using an eink Kindle.

I would say it's a little time consuming the first time to get everything figured out as anything would be. To make it easier in the future I've put a shortcut on my desktop to a text file that has the command line prompt. Also right next to it is a shortcut to the command prompt screen.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by bellereads

I would say it's a little time consuming the first time to get everything figured out as anything would be. To make it easier in the future I've put a shortcut on my desktop to a text file that has the command line prompt. Also right next to it is a shortcut to the command prompt screen.

Yes, I do it much the same way.

[lkmiller]

Also there are a few formats and books not available for Kindles, but Windows app can get them all

There are a few books also not available for Kindle for PC anymore precisely because they would be DeDRMable with this method (expensive textbooks and a few others).

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

There are a few books also not available for Kindle for PC anymore precisely because they would be DeDRMable with this method (expensive textbooks and a few others).

I can use older version of PC app for print replica unless it is recently published. I haven't tried it with latest version, and will confirm your assertion which will inform my future purchases.

I had issue with fixed layout AZW3 (maybe all AZW3) and new version. Need to create GitHub issue for that.

It annoys me that Scribe is not supported for print replica textbooks. Not as a practical matter, I have very few, but it's such an obvious use case for students. Maybe publishers will open it up with the more hardened DRM and more restricted annotation and sharing features (no handwriting, as export for personal documents can export full copy of books).

[lkmiller]

Shortly after Satsuoni's method came out, Amazon cut off the ability to download the type of books I'm talking about to anything but the latest Kindle for Mac and mobile apps. In other words, they won't download to any app/device where DRM removal is possible at this time.

[bustacap]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Shortly after Satsuoni's method came out, Amazon cut off the ability to download the type of books I'm talking about to anything but the latest Kindle for Mac and mobile apps. In other words, they won't download to any app/device where DRM removal is possible at this time.

app method still works.
do the types of books you want have samples and do they have the same restrictions so i could test?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by bustacap

app method still works.
do the types of books you want have samples and do they have the same restrictions so i could test?

Many expensive textbooks published by Pearson are only delivered by Amazon to specific platforms with stronger DRM. Some examples are:

Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach

On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamental

In the descriptions of those books it states "This title is only available on select devices and the latest version of the Kindle app. Please refer to the supported device list before purchase." The first shows Kindle for PC as an option and the second does not.

I cannot test it as I do not want to purchase those books. However I believe that neither will download on that platform.

I tried to use the "Send a free sample" button but for some reason it is not working for me on those books. I always get a screen stating "We couldn’t find a registered device in your Amazon account that supports reading this title" even though I have Kindle apps registered on my account that should be supported according to the "Available on these devices" link.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Many expensive textbooks published by Pearson are only delivered by Amazon to specific platforms with stronger DRM. Some examples are:

Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach

On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamental

In the descriptions of those books it states "This title is only available on select devices and the latest version of the Kindle app. Please refer to the supported device list before purchase." The first shows Kindle for PC as an option and the second does not.

I cannot test it as I do not want to purchase those books. However I believe that neither will download on that platform.

I tried to use the "Send a free sample" button but for some reason it is not working for me on those books. I always get a screen stating "We couldn’t find a registered device in your Amazon account that supports reading this title" even though I have Kindle apps registered on my account that should be supported according to the "Available on these devices" link.

You can download the sample directly with the app(s) that support the format (noting that the macOS and Windows apps don't support kindle store browsing for some reason), and it will get added to your Kindle library. The web listing is defective, and should logically allow adding to library, as it's not any sort of DRM loophole. There's not even a preview option, which is also at least stupid you want someone to consider purchasing.

And when I try to download the sample to non-current Kindle for PC I get 'not supported for this platform' and does not download, as with all content published after 'D(rm hardening)-Day'. The app will allow you to delete the sample from library.

[bustacap]

Originally Posted by bustacap

app method still works.
do the types of books you want have samples and do they have the same restrictions so i could test?

the method doesnt seem to work with samples in general (not specific to these books), so i cant test it anyway.. :P

[lkmiller]

Satsuoni themself had a book of that type. They reported it working back around the time they first released their original key extractor. Very quickly they reported that they could no longer download it with Kindle for PC at all. Checking listings of Pearson textbooks at that time, I saw that they no longer had Kindle for PC as a supported device. Whereas previously it just stated you needed the latest version of either the desktop or mobile apps. So these books never worked with noDRM's DeDRM. Amazon stopped making them available to Kindle for PC in response to Sats method.

[xyzzy_foo]

The Sats method should be applicable to Kindle for Android as well.

So, it's a foolish decision, but then again, who would want the KFX files for expensive textbooks?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by tomsem

You can download the sample directly with the app(s) that support the format (noting that the macOS and Windows apps don't support kindle store browsing for some reason), and it will get added to your Kindle library.

That worked. Thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by tomsem

And when I try to download the sample to non-current Kindle for PC I get 'not supported for this platform' and does not download, as with all content published after 'D(rm hardening)-Day'.

Oddly, the samples for two books I posted give different results when I try to download them to Kindle for PC 2.8.0. On Cooking, which does not list K4PC as an allowed platform, gives the error "This title's format is not compatible with your device" as I expected. However, Human Physiology, which shows that it is allowed on K4PC in the product info, gives the error "Your Kindle app requires an update to view this content."

I am definitely on the latest version of K4PC so this might be an indication that a new release is in the works. Or it could just be a glitch at Amazon.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

The Sats method should be applicable to Kindle for Android as well.

So, it's a foolish decision, but then again, who would want the KFX files for expensive textbooks?

You need a desktop OS. Android is not that.