FREE/BARGAIN - Audiobooks - 2015

[koland]

Originally Posted by cadele

I have received an email from Audible saying that if you use 4 credits by 24 June (4 credits in 4 days) you will get a $10 voucher.

link?

[cadele]

Originally Posted by koland

link?

Sorry, koland. The link for audible.com is http://www.audible.com

The email was just for using four credits by 24 June. It wasn't one of their sales for a particular group of books, so I hadn't included a link.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by silverraven

Just remember, CDs degrade rather quickly. I have had them degrade to be unplayable in a years time. I totally understand the convenience though, I wish they were more reliable.
S

You can buy "archive grade" CDs. One brand that I am aware of is Verbatim, but there are others. Just be prepared for sticker shock--they run around $2 apiece. Ouch!

Or, at least, I think that there are other brands. There were 10 or 15 years ago when I last thought about using archive grade CDs. I just now checked a couple of online computer supplies stores and there weren't all that many options.

I wonder if the quality of ordinary grade CD's has improved over the last decade or so, and that explains the (apparently) reduced number of available archive grade CD's now. Anyway, like another Mobilereader or two who replied to your message, I have never known an ordinary grade CD of mine to degrade to the point of being unusable. To get scratched and be unusable, yes(!); to degrade, no.

You might be interested in knowing this. There is a difference in how the CD's are "burned" by companies producing music and/or audiobook CD's on one hand, and how things are "burned" by us on our personal computers on the other hand. Companies use equipment which creates physical pits in the metal foil beneath the plastic part of the CD to create the string of 0's and 1's making up digital information. Our computers print (if memory serves me accurately) the 0's and 1's onto the disk; therefore, it is easier for the digital information to be corrupted. The upshot: our commercially-produced CD's will be good for a longer time than our home-produced ones, all other things being equal.

[silverraven]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

You can buy "archive grade" CDs. One brand that I am aware of is Verbatim, but there are others. Just be prepared for sticker shock--they run around $2 apiece. Ouch!

Ouch indeed! at that price I'll just buy another external hard drive to back everything up on!
I am very very careful with both my CDs and DVDs. But, I have had a few that just died sitting in their cases, both CDs and DVDs that I have burned. Maybe it's just my luck that it has happened. I've never claimed to have good luck!!
What's that old saying "If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all". That's me!!
S

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by silverraven

Ouch indeed! at that price I'll just buy another external hard drive to back everything up on!
I am very very careful with both my CDs and DVDs. But, I have had a few that just died sitting in their cases, both CDs and DVDs that I have burned. Maybe it's just my luck that it has happened. I've never claimed to have good luck!!
What's that old saying "If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all". That's me!!
S

Then I'm a very, very, very lucky man.ha.

Two other suggestions:
1. Buy a major brand. No generics/no-names. At least that was what the experts said 10 or 15 years ago.
2. Make sure that you keep the CD's out of direct sunlight and within the recommended temperature range. Plastics can degrade in a hurry if you don't do this.

Yes, maybe you just had bad luck. Please don't play the lotto. ha.

[AnemicOak]

I started downloading and converting my Audible stuff, but there's just too much of it at this point (844 titles) so I haven't gotten very far and am not overly enthusiastic about doing it. It'd be great if there was a quick way to actually remove the DRM instead of re-recording it via the analog hole.



Here's what the US National Archives has to say about recordable optical media.

4. What is the significance of different colors for CDs/DVDs?

The color of a CD/DVD indicates its quality. It is best to look for a gold or silver CD/DVD - look at the color from the underside of the disk, not the top. In addition, to assure the highest quality of a CD-R, look for those manufactured using phthalocyanine dye with gold or silver reflective layers. Do not use Azo- or (plain) cyanine-dyed media. For DVD-Rs, purchase double-sided/single-layer with a gold reflective underside. To assure you're using the highest quality CD/DVD and/or to avoid pitfalls in purchasing the correct type, refer to the source references in FAQ 15, below.

6. How long can I expect my recorded CDs/DVDs to last?

CD/DVD experiential life expectancy is 2 to 5 years even though published life expectancies are often cited as 10 years, 25 years, or longer. However, a variety of factors discussed in the sources cited in FAQ 15, below, may result in a much shorter life span for CDs/DVDs. Life expectancies are statistically based; any specific medium may experience a critical failure before its life expectancy is reached. Additionally, the quality of your storage environment may increase or decrease the life expectancy of the media. We recommend testing your media at least every two years to assure your records are still readable.

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt...media-faq.html
http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/faqs/optical.html

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I started downloading and converting my Audible stuff, but there's just too much of it at this point (844 titles) so I haven't gotten very far and am not overly enthusiastic about doing it. It'd be great if there was a quick way to actually remove the DRM instead of re-recording it via the analog hole.

That would be great.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I started downloading and converting my Audible stuff, but there's just too much of it at this point (844 titles) so I haven't gotten very far and am not overly enthusiastic about doing it. It'd be great if there was a quick way to actually remove the DRM instead of re-recording it via the analog hole.

Isn't that what the aaxtomp3 program does, as discussed in the audiobooks forum here?

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Isn't that what the aaxtomp3 program does, as discussed in the audiobooks forum here?

Yes. I've used that and it converts to MP3 in a fairly short time. It does convert to a single big file, and I haven't had much luck finding something "for dummies" that breaks it into meaningful pieces (e.g., by chapter). But I'll admit to giving up easily. I was more interested in making sure I had a DRM-free backup than actually figuring out how to break that backup into smaller pieces.

[tubemonkey]

And from where did he disappear to, tubemonkey is broken. Very bad foot injury. In hospital (one week so far). Will require continued impatient care and rehab. So I'll be out of commission for quite awhile. I'll pop in every now and then, but really haven't been in the mood for posting.

Keep the bargains coming

[Barbara1955]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

And from where did he disappear to, tubemonkey is broken. Very bad foot injury. In hospital (one week so far). Will require continued impatient care and rehab. So I'll be out of commission for quite awhile. I'll pop in every now and then, but really haven't been in the mood for posting.

Keep the bargains coming

Get Well Soon!!

[koland]

Originally Posted by cadele

Sorry, koland. The link for audible.com is http://www.audible.com

The email was just for using four credits by 24 June. It wasn't one of their sales for a particular group of books, so I hadn't included a link.

Odd, they usually include a link to the exact offer (not the home page). That link can be used to see the terms, expiration date and sometimes to check progress on these deals.

it also lets those with enough credits see if they are eligible for the offer (if you can see the page, generally you are; if not, you aren't).

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

And from where did he disappear to, tubemonkey is broken. Very bad foot injury. In hospital (one week so far). Will require continued impatient care and rehab. So I'll be out of commission for quite awhile. I'll pop in every now and then, but really haven't been in the mood for posting.

Keep the bargains coming

Here's hoping you feel better soon.

[piperclassique]

You might be interested in knowing this. There is a difference in how the CD's are "burned" by companies producing music and/or audiobook CD's on one hand, and how things are "burned" by us on our personal computers on the other hand. Companies use equipment which creates physical pits in the metal foil beneath the plastic part of the CD to create the string of 0's and 1's making up digital information. Our computers print (if memory serves me accurately) the 0's and 1's onto the disk; therefore, it is easier for the digital information to be corrupted. The upshot: our commercially-produced CD's will be good for a longer time than our home-produced ones, all other things being equal.

See, now I have learned something from this discussion! My day has not been wasted.
Could anyone let me know if my zip drive discs are likely to last longer, if so I will start using them again.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by piperclassique

See, now I have learned something from this discussion! My day has not been wasted.
Could anyone let me know if my zip drive discs are likely to last longer, if so I will start using them again.

I've no idea how long the discs will last, but my main concern would be the drives. Can you still get zip drives? If not, I wouldn't use them for anything long-term. The drive could fail at any time, and if replacements aren't available, then the discs are no use.