Allegedly.....

[speakingtohe]

Quote:
Originally Posted by amward
When I tried to buy an ebook from Amazon they wouldn't sell me one unless I registered my Kindle, which I don't have. Talked to the help desk man and he said I had to buy a Kindle if I wanted to buy Amazon ebooks. So bad luck to them, they've missed out.

Then that particular help desk person was an idiot. You can download Kindle for PC, Kindle for Mac, Kindle for iPhones or Kindle for Androids. All of which are free and all of which will allow you to purchase/download e-books from Amazon.

Or possibly the purchaser went about the purchase process wrong. Amazon sold me an ebook without a kindle or kindle for PC.

Well it was a free ebook, but they would probably have taken money without too much argument.

Helen

[amward]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

You should be able to register Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac. This is the usual way for non-Kindle owners to get access to Kindle ebooks.

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Then that particular help desk person was an idiot. You can download Kindle for PC, Kindle for Mac, Kindle for iPhones or Kindle for Androids. All of which are free and all of which will allow you to purchase/download e-books from Amazon.

I thought there must be a way but wasn't interested enough to pursue it. However I did ask the question "So if I don't have a Kindle I can't buy Amazon ebooks?" and the answer was "No". So what does that say about their help desk? Wonder how many other people he's put off?

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by amward

I thought there must be a way but wasn't interested enough to pursue it. However I did ask the question "So if I don't have a Kindle I can't buy Amazon ebooks?" and the answer was "No". So what does that say about their help desk? Wonder how many other people he's put off?

I can't imagine he was at the Kindle help desk. Although its sad that that would make a difference.

I'm now curious....Would you be willing to try something? Please find an e-book on Amazon and see if you have any "Deliver To" options under the "Buy Once click Button". If you do, using the drop down arrow, is there a "transfer via computer" option?

Please & Thank you.

Oh and here is the Free Kindle Reading App page, if you are interested.

[Ron.]

I think you only have the transfer via computer option if you own a kindle.

[Ron.]

Originally Posted by amward

I thought there must be a way but wasn't interested enough to pursue it. However I did ask the question "So if I don't have a Kindle I can't buy Amazon ebooks?" and the answer was "No". So what does that say about their help desk? Wonder how many other people he's put off?

If you do not have a kindle or any of the kindle apps what good would buying a kindle book be, you could not open it. The kindle or kindle app decrypts the DRM so you can read the book.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

PDF isn't all that helpful on a 6" ereader of any brand.

True enough. Far better to convert it to a format that is compatible with whatever system your reader uses. I've tried reading pdf's on Kindle. Either the text is too small or if you can enlarge it you get 1/3rd a page at a time (landscape mode). Far better to convert pdf to Kindle compatible or to an epub depending on the individual ereader device.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Ron.

I think you only have the transfer via computer option if you own a kindle.

That's what I was wondering. Thanks.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Then that particular help desk person was an idiot. You can download Kindle for PC, Kindle for Mac, Kindle for iPhones or Kindle for Androids. All of which are free and all of which will allow you to purchase/download e-books from Amazon.

My point exactly.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

PDF isn't all that helpful on a 6" ereader of any brand. You are much better off with native mobi or epub.

Kindle and Adobe DRM books are easily read on computers, phones, tablets -- in fact, many devices with the sole exception of the vendor's own devices. Even the Nook Color, sold as is, can only read Nook epubs (which, presumably, will be Amazon's tablet model -- Kindle only); but iPad and Android tablets have apps to read Amazon, Kobo, Nook books (and Sony now has an Android app as well, I believe).

Unless the PDF is formatted for a 6" screen. PDFs can be set to what ever size you want, just most distillers default to 8.5"x11"

[dwig]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Or possibly the purchaser went about the purchase process wrong. Amazon sold me an ebook without a kindle or kindle for PC.

Well it was a free ebook, but they would probably have taken money without too much argument.

Helen

It wasn't that the book was free; your success was because it lacked DRM.

It is impossible for Amazon to deliver a DRM encumbered book without your having a registered Kindle device or app. Each DRM'd AZW ebook is locked to a particular Kindle, whether device or app installation.

Even two different Kindle for PC installations can't share files even if they are both registered to the same Amazon account. Each must download their own individualized copy from Amazon's server.

[amward]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

That's what I was wondering. Thanks.

So you don't need me to do anything?