Amazon Kindle goes international

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

You can still use a Kindle PID with sites that use OverDrive servers to encrypt the ebooks (unless this has changed also.) Then you would have to kindle fix it.

Or, as you said, you can just buy it for your PC's PID and liberate it.

Has someone confirmed that any standard Mobipocket formatted dictionary can be set as the default dictionary on the Kindle?
BOb

If this is possible, I would kill to change my Kindle default dictionary to the Chambers (only in DRM'ed Mobi) - after liberating it of course. Not willing to spend the bucks yet if it won't work.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

If this is possible, I would kill to change my Kindle default dictionary to the Chambers (only in DRM'ed Mobi) - after liberating it of course. Not willing to spend the bucks yet if it won't work.

When my Kindle arrives, I'll try it. I use the Chambers dictionary on my Gen3.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

If this is possible, I would kill to change my Kindle default dictionary to the Chambers (only in DRM'ed Mobi) - after liberating it of course. Not willing to spend the bucks yet if it won't work.

Yes, it can be done. I've converted a standard English-German dictionary into DRM-free .mobi and set as my default dictionary. No modification whatsoever needed. Just stripping from DRM and setting as default. Works like a charm.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by barrow

Hi! I'm new here and have a question regarding the comparison of the Kindle with other e-book readers.

It seems that the Kindle offers INSTANT dictionary look up for words in the document that you are reading. From what I gather, no other e-book reader offers this function?

This creates the potential for language translation. I'm learning French at the moment. If I load a French-English dictionary onto my Kindle, then change the default dictionary to it (which you are able to do), then when I am reading French e-books on my Kindle, I can get instant English translation of those words of which I am unsure of in French.

This is an invaluable feature that seems unique to the Kindle. Or are there other e-book readers where I could also do this? Please advise me if so, because I am no expert but if there are other readers that can perform this kind of language translation "on the fly" then I may be more interested in them.

Sony 600 has the same "on the fly" dictionary lookup. Even a bit more conveniently via touchscreen/pen.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Yes, it can be done. I've converted a standard English-German dictionary into DRM-free .mobi and set as my default dictionary. No modification whatsoever needed. Just stripping from DRM and setting as default. Works like a charm.

That's great to know! I always thought the dictionary had to formatted in a specific way.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

That is not correct. The Sony 600 has a dictionary as does the Jetbook, the CyBook Gen3 and I think the CyBook Opus. I'm pretty sure the iLliad and DR1000 do also, but I'm sure someone here can confirm or deny that.

BOb

iRex for example does it differently. On iRex you "leave" your book and switch to the dictionary. On Kindle or Sony 600, you see the instant lookup "on the fly" in the footnote of the text. You either switch to dictionary then or just check the instant lookup.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, that is incorrect. The Opus is most certainly an eInk device.

One thing worth noting: although the Kindle IN THEORY allows you to change the dictionary, there are NO replacement dictionaries currently available for it. That, at least, was the position a couple of months ago; I don't know if it's changed since.

You can use the DRMed Mobipocket dictionaries. Strip them from DRM and then set them as default. I've done so with German-English dictionary. Works flawlessly. And of course, there are tons of .prc dictionaries for purchase.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by barrow

Thanks Harry. You're right, the Kindle does let you change the default dictionary, so in effect there are already "replacement dictionaries" in foreign languages. However, making this change does not allow the new dictionary to be the "lookup dictionary", that thing you do "on the fly" when picking a word in the text. So in effect, it doesn't really allow you to change dictionary at all.

You can only ever use the lookup function in English.

For the record, I don't deny the right of Amazon to make it English only if they choose. It is their company, their language, their product, they can do whatever the hell they want. Good luck to them!

Interesting that the European produced (is it french?) Cybook offers multi-dictionary/language support, but the equivalent Amazon and Sony products from the States do not.

Sorry, but that's wrong. You can add for example standard .prc dictionaries (stripped from DRM and ported to DRM-free .mobi), set them as default and the default one is used for lookup.
Just checked to make sure. Kindle 2 uses my German-English dictionary for lookup.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

To clarify, I was referring to commercially published dictionaries. Is there any commercially published "big name" dictionary that you can buy, and install on the Kindle as a replacement for the supplied English dictionary? I was under the impression that there were none, but I would be happy to be wrong about that!

All the commercial .prc dictionaries. You can strip them from DRM like any other .prc file.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

That's great to know! I always thought the dictionary had to formatted in a specific way.

I guess it's working so great, because it's .prc, which is the same as .azw so it already seems to be the format Kindle is expecting.

[LucasCorso]

Originally Posted by barrow

If you wouldn't mind Lucas, that would be wonderful. I'd love to see what you mean.

Here there are three pictures while using a Romanian dictionary on my Kindle.
The first one is when I choose the default dictionary. Then, while reading a Romanian book I can see the short definition (but only ASCII), and pressing Enter will display the dictionary page with that particular word. So it's working fine, as you can see...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

All the commercial .prc dictionaries. You can strip them from DRM like any other .prc file.

That's very good to hear. Thank you for confirming it.

[poohbear_nc]

Thank you too - very much! Will try it out! Woo Hoo!

[whiteorca]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

This message needs to go to Amazon.com
Use the "kindle feedback" link.

They need to hear more like this so they'll know why people are canceling/not buying.

I also cancelled my order within minutes of placing it, after I got over my "I gotta have it!" moment, and moved everything to my wishlist, pending final decision. Sadly, I didn't filled the feedback box... but if I had, I would have argued that since I've been using sony readers since the PRS-500, (and my ebook collection is quite substantial at this point), what stayed my hand in this purchase was, precisely, the fact that I just couldn't port my library into the new device, as I did before with my 505, and are not about to re-download/reconvert all those books.

I think that one of the major drawbacks that Kindle has had since it was launched is it's poor format selection (including the nigh ubiquos .PDF's). That vs. wireless downloading anywhere has me sitting on the fence on this one.

[amjbrown]

Woah!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...kindle-charges

40% more for non-US customers.

Gulp.

amjb