Sideloading MOBI files to Kindle for iPad?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Hitch

UPDATE on this, for those who are interested:

n.b.: you can no longer use Dropbox or email for any azk files. If you're converting files commercially, or want to see how your file will really look on an iOS device, you have to a) make the .azk and then b) sideload it the hard way (USB-->iTunes) to K for iOS as per this thread. Don't assume that the mobi's you sideload to K4iOS look ANYTHING like the azk files; they don't.

It's a giant PITA. I lived and died by Dropbox, here at Booknook.biz, and now I have to go through all this brain-damage. But, FYI!

Hitch

So the Kindle app stopped announcing itself as a handler for .azk files?

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by jswinden

No, .azk is Amazon's KF8 type file solely for the iPad. AFAIK they can only be sideloaded and not emailed.

I would not actually call it s KF8 file but it is the equivalent of that file in its capabilities. It is described in our wiki AZK so you can read about it there. As generated in Kindle Previewer it is a JSON collection of files that are zipped together. The file is created by selecting an iOS device in the latest Kindle previewer. The created file contains both the ePub source files renamed (if you start with an ePub) and the resultant compiled versions. I have yet to receive one directly from Amazon so I am not sure exactly what they strip out.

Dale

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

So the Kindle app stopped announcing itself as a handler for .azk files?

I believe it never announced itself. I think this is a bug and at some point Amazon will release a Kindle app that will announce itself as the handler.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

So the Kindle app stopped announcing itself as a handler for .azk files?

Assuming you mean the KPreviewer, not so's you would notice, as they say in the vernacular. It still looks, to the unknowing, like it will display an iOS view, but then, kablammo!--you are advised that an .azk is being generated "here," "here" being a link to a local folder (the same folder as the source file).

And then, gods help you if you're a DIY'er without an iPad, you got bupkus for seeing the accursed thing. Fortunately, we of course have one of the little paperweights here, but man...as I said, it's a PITA. And the mobi-->K4iOS is an unreliable preview, I'm sorry to say; you have to use the .azk to really see what the final product will look like.

n.b.: have absolutely NO idea if the online/upload previewer works in this area, either.

Hitch

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Assuming you mean the KPreviewer, not so's you would notice, as they say in the vernacular. It still looks, to the unknowing, like it will display an iOS view, but then, kablammo!--you are advised that an .azk is being generated "here," "here" being a link to a local folder (the same folder as the source file).

And then, gods help you if you're a DIY'er without an iPad, you got bupkus for seeing the accursed thing. Fortunately, we of course have one of the little paperweights here, but man...as I said, it's a PITA. And the mobi-->K4iOS is an unreliable preview, I'm sorry to say; you have to use the .azk to really see what the final product will look like.

n.b.: have absolutely NO idea if the online/upload previewer works in this area, either.

Hitch

... In response to your statement that you cannot email/dropbox stuff to Kindle4iOS.

Which seems an interesting way of shooting themselves in the foot. Then again, I believe Kindle4Android doesn't tell the system it can handle .mobi files, either. You cannot open .mobis from Dropbox, say, and open in the Kindle app.

I dunno, they seem to be doing a lot of weird stuff lately. The only guarantee is that buying the book from then will work, maybe that tells us something?

[Caleb666]

Does anyone know how to sideload AZW3 files to the Kindle Reader app?
When I try to open them through Safari I don't see Kindle Reader in the "Open in..." list, so I guess it's not registered as a handler.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Caleb666

Does anyone know how to sideload AZW3 files to the Kindle Reader app?
When I try to open them through Safari I don't see Kindle Reader in the "Open in..." list, so I guess it's not registered as a handler.

You can't. The iOS Kindle App doesn't support the KF8 format.

[Caleb666]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You can't. The iOS Kindle App doesn't support the KF8 format.

That's.... weird. I bought an eBook from Amazon a while ago that Kindle for PC downloaded as AZW3, and it is accessible from the iPad iOS app.

Although I can't be certain that Amazon sent the iOS app an AZW3 file. It might've sent a MOBI file instead.

Anyway, the tech support told me the following:

I understand you want the Kindle app for iPad to support sideload transfer of AZW3 files.

Please be advised that at this time, the option to sideload AZW3 files from your PC to your Kindle app for iPad is not yet supported. However, you can still access these files on your Kindle for iPad by sending these files from your PC to your Kindle for iPad via your "Send-to-Kindle e-mail address."

[DaleDe]

The iPad equivalent of AZW3 is AZK as described in our wiki. Kindle previewer can make an AZK that will sideload from iTunes to your iPad. There are few in our eBook uploads that I placed there. Any mobi would be mobi7 not 8.

Dale

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Caleb666

That's.... weird. I bought an eBook from Amazon a while ago that Kindle for PC downloaded as AZW3, and it is accessible from the iPad iOS app.

Although I can't be certain that Amazon sent the iOS app an AZW3 file. It might've sent a MOBI file instead.

Anyway, the tech support told me the following:

Caleb:

It's accessible from your CLOUD. What's there isn't necessarily the same file as what x-ferred to your Kindle for PC app--and in fact, I'd bet real money that it isn't. That's why KindleGen makes various file types, to address different readers and tablets. That's why Amazon expressly asks you to which of your registered Kindle devices/readers you are transferring the file. Moreover, they don't want you to be able to x-fer a file from one device to another without them knowing it, basically; otherwise, DRM-wise (or not, and folks, don't wanna get in some big long DRM/anti-DRM argument here, please!), you could be x-ferring your AZW3 file to John Doe's iPad, right?

So: just tap the cover in your K4iOS app OR Kindle Cloud Reader and download the file that way. It will work just fine.

Hitch

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Caleb666

That's.... weird. I bought an eBook from Amazon a while ago that Kindle for PC downloaded as AZW3, and it is accessible from the iPad iOS app.

Although I can't be certain that Amazon sent the iOS app an AZW3 file. It might've sent a MOBI file instead.

Not weird at all: that's exactly what happened. Amazon's servers send each device or app the format that it supports.