Firmware Update Kindle adds Page Numbers (and more)

[Daermond]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Thanks Donna.

I just tried a sample: uploaded a book I already have on my K3 via calibre and email... no page numbers and it was duplicated on my K3 (it was already a prc file, so maybe that wouldn't work).

I deleted another book and then sent it to my K3 via calibre/email. No pages there either. It was originally an epub book converted to mobi.

I'm probably really good at choosing exceptions.

For the page numbers needed an .apnx file with the same name as the .azw ebook file. These file is downloaded automatically when you buy a book from amazon which have these file generated by amazon.
If you use non amazon .mobi file normally there isn't such a file. You have to generate one. There is an application somewhere in Mobilrread's Calibare forum. Here is it: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=18
These application is for generate yourself the .apnx file based on the paper book page numbers and the mobi files locations data. When you generate the .apnx file you need to upload it in the same folder via USB where the mobi file is on the kindle with the same name with .apnx extension like the mobi file. (if the mobi file is my_book.mobi then upload the generated file with the name my_book.apnx).
The other automatic way is the Calibre at least v0.7.46. If you have a mobi file, it does not matter where it is from, add it to calibre. Connect the Kindle via USB. When the Kindle is connected via USB Calibre will recognize it, and you can upload ebooks via Calibre. Right click on the book and chose Send to device. And Calibre will send the mobi file and generates the .apnx file ad uploads .apnx file too. So you will get page numbers.
Calibare use a Device interface plugin to recognize and upload files to devices, for Kindle also. These Device Interface plugin (Kindle 2/3 Device Interface) do the .apnx file generation. So if you convert something to mobi the .apnx file will not be created just when you upload mobi files via calibre.
Calibre's Kindle 2/3 Device Interface plugin have 3 modes related to .apnx page number file generation. One is disabled, second is a fast and not so accurate that (it is the default) which will mark every 2300 charachter as a page if I good remember, and the third is a bit slower (a few second at a normal book) but more accorate mode which use an algorithm to detect pages more accurately. You can enable or disable these options in the Calibre --> Preferences --> Plugins --> Device Interface plugins --> kindle 2/3 Device interrface duble click on the plugin and you will get the customization option.
When you send the mobi file to kindle via e-mail then Calibre does not use the kindle 2/3 device interface plugin, so it will not generate any page number file and so it sends only the mobi file.

Here is the tread abut Calibre and Kindle Page numbers. Read it trough formore specific answers:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...hlight=ApnxGen
And thanks for user_none for the calibre plugin.

The kindle uses the .apnx file data to determine which physical page are you reading.

[speedlever]

Thanks for the expanded info, Daermond. I am using 7.46. I understand now why calibre page numbers only come via side-loading.

Those calibre plug-ins are wonderful.

[DMSmillie]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Thanks Donna.

I just tried a sample: uploaded a book I already have on my K3 via calibre and email... no page numbers and it was duplicated on my K3 (it was already a prc file, so maybe that wouldn't work).

Apologies speedlever - just realised I was a touch inaccurate in what I said, there. I guess it might be possible to have duplicate books with the same file name, but different file extensions (.mobi and .prc for example) - I'm not 100% sure on that, but your experience would tend to bear that out. However if the main part of the file name was the same, the name of the page number file would be an exact match, so whichever one was loaded second would overwrite the existing version.

[Daermond]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Ah ha. Thanks for that clarification. No worries then.

I prefer to use email/wifi for my book transfers to the K3. I don't like to put unnecessary charge cycles on the battery.

Ignore these post I just misunderstood the documentation.
So what is below it is not true!

When you plug in your Kindle via USB it will not charge the Battery unless the kindle is ejected from USB mode via Safely Remove Hardware option of windows. There is an option in Calibre under the device menu to Eject kindle.
It does not Carge the Battery in USB Drive Mode. (How the text says when you are in USB Drive mode.
You can read more here under Using Kindle while Charging via Kindle Micro-USB Cable section:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...75590&#battery

[Daermond]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Thanks for the expanded info, Daermond. I am using 7.46. I understand now why calibre page numbers only come via side-loading.

Those calibre plug-ins are wonderful.

Your welcome. I just try to clarify it for you and for other people.
May it help peoples to understand how the page numbers on Kindle works, and they don't need to ask for help.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by Daermond

When you plug in your Kindle via USB it will not charge the Battery unless the kindle is ejected from USB mode via Safely Remove Hardware option of windows. There is an option in Calibre under the device menu to Eject kindle.
It does not Carge the Battery in USB Drive Mode. (How the text says when you are in USB Drive mode.
You can read more here under Using Kindle while Charging via Kindle Micro-USB Cable section:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...75590&#battery

Just to clarify, the behavior may be different depending on your operating system. On my Vista 32 laptop the only option that takes it out of USB Mode and keeps it charging is Eject from Explorer - ejecting from calibre does nothing and "safely remove hardware" doesn't work unless I eject it first.

[DMSmillie]

Originally Posted by Daermond

When you plug in your Kindle via USB it will not charge the Battery unless the kindle is ejected from USB mode via Safely Remove Hardware option of windows.

I'm sorry, but that just isn't true. When I charge my Kindle, I plug it into the USB port on my PC, then simply leave it sitting there. I don't eject it. But it still charges without any problem.

The point about using "Safely Remove Hardware" is to be able to read books etc on your Kindle while it's plugged in and continuing to charge the battery. It isn't that you have to eject it in order for it to start charging.

[speedlever]

Originally Posted by Daermond

When you plug in your Kindle via USB it will not charge the Battery unless the kindle is ejected from USB mode via Safely Remove Hardware option of windows. There is an option in Calibre under the device menu to Eject kindle.
It does not Carge the Battery in USB Drive Mode. (How the text says when you are in USB Drive mode.
You can read more here under Using Kindle while Charging via Kindle Micro-USB Cable section:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...75590&#battery

Not to hijack the thread, but from the link above, it sounds like just connecting the Kindle via USB will charge the unit, whether or not it is ejected. When I connected my K3 just now via USB, the light came on yellow for a brief time and then changed to green (I had just topped it off a few hours ago.)

Note the last sentence in this paragraph from the link above: "You can charge your Kindle by connecting it to your computer via the Kindle micro-USB cable or by connecting it to a wall socket using the Kindle micro-USB cable and the Kindle power adapter plug appropriate for your country. The light on your Kindle next to the USB socket will appear yellow when charging and change to green when Kindle is fully charged."

Relative to the thread title, I have two books on my K3 with apnx extensions. Yes, I have sync'ed and checked for new items.

But it's no big deal to me if I have page numbers or not. I know now that books bought outside of Amazon I need to sideload if I want pseudo page numbers. Books bought from Amazon need to come directly to my Kindle via wifi. Thus, books that can have page numbers will have them, either directly (from Amazon) or indirectly (via calibre/USB).

Edit: I see two others responded while I was typing my msg!

[Daermond]

Originally Posted by DMSmillie

I'm sorry, but that just isn't true. When I charge my Kindle, I plug it into the USB port on my PC, then simply leave it sitting there. I don't eject it. But it still charges without any problem.

The point about using "Safely Remove Hardware" is to be able to read books etc on your Kindle while it's plugged in and continuing to charge the battery. It isn't that you have to eject it in order for it to start charging.

It is true I have just misunderstanding the documentation.
Sorry for the false information.
Thanks for the correction.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by DMSmillie

Of course not! Why on earth should they spend time, effort and money creating a free "add on" for something that never brought them any money in the first place?! Page numbers are not even available for all ebooks available on Amazon - they've created the additional page number file for many thousands of ebooks, and are continuing to create more, but for them to create the file, first there has to be a print version of the ebook, and second, i would imagine they have to have access to that print version in an digital format.

I disagree!

Having page numbers is a huge advantage to the user. Because I'm a user 1st, not an Amazon executive (even though I'm a big fan of Amazon) I would expect that feature in all ebooks, regardless of the platform.

Do you have page numbers for your pbooks, right? The same is also possible for ebooks as well. More money in order to do the change? Agree, but that's why I'm paying, as a user, when I buy an ebook, which sometimes is even more expensive than the regular pbook.

So ... still happy with my Kindle but was expecting more with this firmware upgrade and still waiting for the DXG firmware upgrade as well. One of the reason I bought an iPad, almost same price and handles PDFs in a wonderful way.

Hope Amazon won't start changing its usual good customer service just to keep himself alive and be a solid contender in the current tablet and e-reader war. At the end, just the customer (you and I) will take the hit, not Amazon.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by jocampo

I disagree!

Having page numbers is a huge advantage to the user.

I disagree.

But, seriously, while it's obviously important to enough users that Amazon added it, to me it's like having extra page numbers at the bottom of a paperback book that correspond to some hardcover edition of the book.
I'm still open to being convinced that page numbers offer any advantage at all to the majority of users beyond "I'm used to seeing page numbers so I want to see them" but I just can't see it.

By the way...Under 3.1, has anyone seen the 'ranged locations' like '302-318 of 4050' as mentioned previously?

In the few days I've been reading with 3.1, I've been pressing menu now and then to check, and I have not seen them. Just a coincidence, or did they simplify the location display?

ApK

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by ApK

I disagree.

But, seriously, while it's obviously important to enough users that Amazon added it, to me it's like having extra page numbers at the bottom of a paperback book that correspond to some hardcover edition of the book.
I'm still open to being convinced that page numbers offer any advantage at all to the majority of users beyond "I'm used to seeing page numbers so I want to see them" but I just can't see it.

By the way...Under 3.1, has anyone seen the 'ranged locations' like '302-318 of 4050' as mentioned previously?

In the few days I've been reading with 3.1, I've been pressing menu now and then to check, and I have not seen them. Just a coincidence, or did they simplify the location display?

ApK

An example ...

Teacher: please open the book on page 21
Student: hmmm... I wonder which page is page 21 ... hmmm...

So for students who replaced or would like to replace their heavy text books for their corresponding ebook versions, having a page numbers is a plus. And one of the reason why PDFs are still a valid format and so common for technical documents.

[DMSmillie]

Originally Posted by jocampo

I disagree!

Having page numbers is a huge advantage to the user. Because I'm a user 1st, not an Amazon executive (even though I'm a big fan of Amazon) I would expect that feature in all ebooks, regardless of the platform.

So you expect Amazon to provide you with a page by page mapping between your ebook and its print version, regardless of where you got the ebook from?! That simply doesn't make any sense. Why on earth would you expect them to spend money creating such page mapping files for ebooks they don't sell, for ebooks you didn't buy from them?!

That's like expecting a shop that has a "buy 1 get 1 free" special offer to give you one for free because you bought one at the shop down the road.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by DMSmillie

So you expect Amazon to provide you with a page by page mapping between your ebook and its print version, regardless of where you got the ebook from?! That simply doesn't make any sense. Why on earth would you expect them to spend money creating such page mapping files for ebooks they don't sell, for ebooks you didn't buy from them?!

That's like expecting a shop that has a "buy 1 get 1 free" special offer to give you one for free because you bought one at the shop down the road.

Do you expect page numbers on your pbook when you buy? ...

I truly understand your position, but is more a company's position than from user's standpoint. As a user, it will be an extra feature that I can enjoy and use.

At the end, page numbers is more a mobi issue, than a Kindle issue, which of course we all suffer in some way because Kindle uses a modified version of mobi.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by ApK

By the way...Under 3.1, has anyone seen the 'ranged locations' like '302-318 of 4050' as mentioned previously?

In the few days I've been reading with 3.1, I've been pressing menu now and then to check, and I have not seen them. Just a coincidence, or did they simplify the location display?

ApK

I noticed it too. It seems to now show just the first location on the screen instead of the range of all the content on the screen.