Converting EPUB's for Kindle Paperwhite - AZW3 or MOBI?

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

For no reason I can discern, it also allows you to choose "new MOBI"... which is AZW3, making it just a touch obsolete.

I wonder if that is because such files are accepted by Amazon as email attachments (at least I think they are) so would be relevant to those who only want kf8 but also use the email capability (which does not work for azw3).

[speedlever]

Originally Posted by theducks

Old and New are on the Conversion OUTPUT settings


Calibre is like Ogres, it has layers

Originally Posted by eschwartz

MOBI is the old mobipocket mobi7 format.
AZW3 is the new mobipocket mobi8 format.

MOBI has the option in Conversion Output settings to switch between regular MOBI, and dual MOBI which contains an additonal AZW3 component inside. For no reason I can discern, it also allows you to choose "new MOBI"... which is AZW3, making it just a touch obsolete.

Ah ha. Right you are! So based on that, I chose both in the output options, then went back to behavior and changed preferred output format back to mobi.

That being said, there was an interesting warning in the output options page about new or both mobi file types. Not sure how to interpret that warning:

Originally Posted by itimpi

I wonder if that is because such files are accepted by Amazon as email attachments (at least I think they are) so would be relevant to those who only want kf8 but also use the email capability (which does not work for azw3).

Well, since I prefer to email my ebooks to my PW, should I change the output options from both to new?

[Agama]

Originally Posted by speedlever

As of this posting, does it still make a difference which output format I choose? I generally prefer to email my ebooks from within Calibre vs side-loading).

AZW3 can be edited within calibre for tweaking of your ePub conversions, and for me this is very useful.

If a wired connection is inconvenient then you may be able to use calibre's content server to transfer wirelessly. It certainly works well on Android via a web browser and Kindle does have a web browser so it should work.

[cybmole]

If you email new mobi format to kindle address, it is rejected. I detailed this in another thread

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by itimpi

I wonder if that is because such files are accepted by Amazon as email attachments (at least I think they are) so would be relevant to those who only want kf8 but also use the email capability (which does not work for azw3).

I already said new MOBI will be rejected. dual-MOBI will work.

To reiterate:
Amazon will only accept formats on their list of accepted formats. AZW3 is definitively NOT on that list.
new MOBI is a renamed AZW3. That will work approximately as well as renaming a .mp4 to .mobi and expecting it to go through.

You can fool Amazon by smuggling a KF8 (AZW3) section in with the MOBI.

Originally Posted by speedlever

That being said, there was an interesting warning in the output options page about new or both mobi file types. Not sure how to interpret that warning:

That warning is for people who have a device older than the Kindle Keyboard -- the first device to support the AZW3 format, albeit via the latest firmware update.

Well, since I prefer to email my ebooks to my PW, should I change the output options from both to new?

See above, under emailing MP4 files.

[cybmole]

I spent 30+ minutes on phone with amazon re this. their front line CS are clueless as amazon have not documented what happens. I ended up emailing them with the explanation after lots of testing. My thread is in calibre - conversions subforum.

to reiterate: you can convert to one of 3 options: mobi: old, mobi: both, mobi: new.
but when you email that output file to send-to-kindle address - "new" is stripped out. so if you email mobi: both then only "old" gets through., if you email mobi: new only, you get an error email.
Also, you cannot email azw(3) to kindle address as it is not an allowed extension.

when you email "both" you don't get to "fool" amazon you just get to waste time & bandwidth by creating an email of the large mobi: both file, only for 1/2 of it to be discarded en route, check file size sent & compare with file size on device.

PS one advantage of the email route is that it also places a copy in your amazon cloud folders, though you can do that yourself if you have cloud folder + app on your PC

there are other methods which will put mobi: new aka azw on your device e.g. via usb or caiibre companion if it's a tablet.

there's lots more fun stuff explained on other threads which address why does my book appear as a document, and why is my cover not displayed correctly on carousel. all are fixable.

[eschwartz]

There are numerous reports from owners of E-Ink Kindles that .azw3 is sent to supported devices.
.mobi is sent to unsupported devices.

It is entirely possible the Kindle Fire gets no love.
I would be shocked if K4PC got it.

Can you confirm from a more knowledgeable standpoint that this is no longer the case?.

You can forget Amazon CS, they never know anything.

[cybmole]

Well send to k paperwhite failed for us, as well as KF hdx. That's 2 for 2. Cannot speak for voyage. Test with what you have, report back

[cybmole]

Ps . All I know for sure is that file size received is much smaller than file size sent, with the "both" setting. It could be they filter out old, not new, but if that were so i would expect send new to work ?

[cybmole]

i suppose the definitive test of what gets forwarded by Amazon would be to bring a copy back from various devices to PC, via USB then inspect the file(s) to determine what flavor of .mobi is contained.
I would not know what to look for, though, & am not that fussed.
For me it was a one off requirement to quickly email a few books to my daughter's new paperwhite, it's not something we plan on doing regularly. Then "quickly" devolved into 2 days of hassle & testing.....
To get stuff to my own KF, I'm good with CC, and with the send to kindle chrome extension for web articles.

I reason that what amazon choose to forward is device independent, as they also add a copy to cloud; & cloud storage setup, is per account , not per device , I think. In my cloud drive folder I see only a generic my send-to-kindle docs, not a specific my send-to-kindle fire hdx docs

[eschwartz]

Mystery solved then.
I already said they send .azw3AZW3

I don't know why, ask them....

Really simple test: go ahead and bother to actually check the filetype/contents before scaremongering.
calibre can do it for free.

[cybmole]

Contradicting yourself or just confused ?
If we are discussing the send to kindle via amazon email....
Send book.azw to kindle email is not allowed
Send book.mobi is partially allowed , file arrives in cloud and on device as book.azw but it was you who explained elsewhere that amazon add .azw to all files and that it is meaningless. I strongly suspect that inside that .azw is old format mobi code.

What do you dispute ?

[speedlever]

Thanks all for the good discussion.

Ok. To summarize, change the Output Options back to mobi: old. Leave Behavior output set to mobi. All should be good.

My convoluted workflow is to have Amazon send my purchased book to my PC (to the folder of my choice). I then import the new book into Calibre and then send it to my PW2014.

Where I encountered email issues was trying to send some old books in my library (that weren't in the partial collection Amazon had from my old K3) after initially setting up Calibre. I'm not sure what happened there, but I got around that issue by sideloading the ebooks in question. The old Calibre installation had no problem emailing ebooks to my K3. [shrug]

Next to see how it plays out down the road with my current revised settings. (I don't recall my Calibre settings from the old installation).

[eschwartz]

That will work, yes. Granted, super-super special newfangled coding won't convert, but it's probably not worth the hassle of caring.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by cybmole

Contradicting yourself or just confused ?

Oh? Pray tell...

If we are discussing the send to kindle via amazon email....

Was anything else ever suggested?

Send book.azw to kindle email is not allowed
Send book.mobi is partially allowed , file arrives in cloud and on device as book.azw but it was you who explained elsewhere that amazon add .azw to all files and that it is meaningless. I strongly suspect that inside that .azw is old format mobi code.

What do you dispute ?

What does the actual file extension have to do with the price of tea in China, or indeed anything else? I stand by the actual words I said.