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

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Under Calibre/Preferences/Import-Export/Adding books: my default conditions are:


Is this what you are referring to?

?

that is what I was thinking of , yes, but it's not a feature I have ever used. It seemed a possible explanation of why you sometimes get 2 book formats, yet I always only get one. e.g. maybe if your default output is mobi, then a mobi gets created when an azw is added, or even that but the other way around? just speculation unless someone is curious enough to test it.

[speedlever]

Originally Posted by cybmole

that is what I was thinking of , yes, but it's not a feature I have ever used. It seemed a possible explanation of why you sometimes get 2 book formats, yet I always only get one. e.g. maybe if your default output is mobi, then a mobi gets created when an azw is added, or even that but the other way around? just speculation unless someone is curious enough to test it.

That is the default setting afaik. It's yours not checked like mine?

[cybmole]

I do not use an auto add folder, do you ?.
What is the exact workflow that leads to two formats added?

[speedlever]

Not to my knowledge. Would that not be defined in the screen shot posted just above your post? I do have a defined folder that Calibre imports to.

Regarding the workflow, I don't know how to be more precise than I've already been. I simply hit the Add Books button, then point the resulting window to the AZW file that was received from Amazon and hit open. This imports it into Calibre (and de-DRMs and converts it in one fell swoop).

Ask me a question if there is any area unclear.

[cybmole]

I'm stumped then.. if when you say "received from amazon" I take it you mean "received into Kindle for PC documents folder" , then I did that same workflow with the sample version of the book & got only one format in calibre.
so unless the full book & the sample are different, which is possible.... [ if you could be bothered to test with the free sample, yourself, we'd have a test that others could also do ]

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by victorhooi

Is this the original KEF8 file that was part of the dual-format MOBI, or is it the old-style MOBI component, that's been then converted by Amazon into KEF8?

Once again -- the former.

Also, the cover images being gone - is that an Amazon bug that happens on newer devices that download the KEF8 version?

It is an Amazon bug that affects all KF8 Personal Documents downloads, but not MOBI (and of course not purchased Kindle books).

And is there any way to get Send-to-Kindle to send to Books, and not Docs? (I tried setting Personal Tags to [EBOK], but it still goes to Docs).

No. Amazon receives the EBOK you emailed, and adds the PDOC tag. It is quite thoroughly done.

Originally Posted by cybmole

logically, it's the latter, because if you send only the new format they reject it. To be sure would require making up a test book with features that we know render differently in the new & old formats, then sending that...
I think their pipeline accepts only certain formats( KF8 is NOT one of them) , then it goes into a device specific convertion & output stage.

but ask the resident Mr know-it-all who says there's nothing to debate here

Logically, things happen which follow precedences, or match logistical rules. This is becaus logic is inherently based on logic.
Logic doesn't mean "I assume, because I don't know, so why not".
Logically, it is the former, since emailing a MOBI doesn't result in any conversion, and doesn't result in KF8 sent to newer devices.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Here's my Amazon ebook purchase routine, best I can describe:
1) buy book on Amazon and send to my PC (not to my PW2014). I do this because I like to keep my own library of ebooks and keep the ebooks in separate folders defined by the source.

2) I find the new d/l in my Amazon ebook folder (typically by the time of day since the titles do not yet exist in human readable form)

3) import into Calibre via the Add Books button.

4) email to my PW2014 from Calibre via rt click the book in Calibre and choose connect/share/email to [my kindle.com email address].

Err, possibly stupid question, but... why are you emailing a purchased book back to Amazon? It is already in your cloud...

But perhaps you are changing (fixing) the metadata first.

[BetterRed]

Sorry - but I can't help thinking this reads like you're all sending the meat you bought yesterday back to the butchers so he can move it from your freezer to your fridge - do you get him to cook it too.

Any rational person thinking of buying a Kindle who read this this thread, would stop thinking about it, toot sweet

BR

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Any rational person thinking of buying a Kindle who read this this thread, would stop thinking about it, toot sweet

BR

kindle is fine if you just want to read books on it.
and email to kindle is 99% of the time, not the best way to sideload it.
I had a specific one-off need to send books to my daughters kindle while she was in hospital, 100+ miles away, and this was the only viable route for us.
So when it didn't work I got very cross and wanted to look under the bonnet ( which is when it all goes opaque). Amazon are not forthcoming on what goes on behind the scenes/under the bonnet, and their format / file extension naming conventions are beyond a joke

Me, I read books in an epub app - much less hassle ,
but I have to admit that the send ( any web page)-to-kindle feature , via one click on an icon in chrome browser is awesome. it delivers an almost instant + ad -free readable web page rendition. Just don't ask what format it is or where the actual file lives inside of the kindle

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Once again -- the former.

.....

I cant be bothered with this anymore, i'ts becoming too tedious for words, but if you examine the detailed tests posted by others while you were away they don't all back up your assertions.
and you have still to get beyond " I'm right because I'm always right" and present your own factual evidence, in the form of a reproducible experiment.

( google the difference between scientific method and papal bull if you still don't get it )

but I no longer care, so excuse me while I take my meat back to the butchers.....

I am, as of now, out of this thread.

[speedlever]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Err, possibly stupid question, but... why are you emailing a purchased book back to Amazon? It is already in your cloud...

But perhaps you are changing (fixing) the metadata first.

Not stupid at all. Just part of my workflow because I don't send the purchased book to my PW2014. I send it to my K4PC (I like to keep my own de-DRM'd library of ebooks). When I import the newly purchased ebook into Calibre, it imports , converts, and strips DRM and then I email the newly imported book from Calibre to my PW2014 via my @kindle.com address.

It's probably a convoluted way to do things, but it works for me. Is there a better way (to have a de-DRMd library on my PC and send the books to my PW2014)?

I have K4PC set to receive my Amazon ebooks in a specified folder (via Tools/Options/Content). When I import into Calibre, I simply point the book import tool to my Amazon folder, select the new ebook, and then import the book into Calibre.

[speedlever]

Originally Posted by cybmole

I'm stumped then.. if when you say "received from amazon" I take it you mean "received into Kindle for PC documents folder" , then I did that same workflow with the sample version of the book & got only one format in calibre.
so unless the full book & the sample are different, which is possible.... [ if you could be bothered to test with the free sample, yourself, we'd have a test that others could also do ]

I had the sample earlier. I don't know if I still have it or not. I'll try to remember later to bring the sample in via my process again and see what I get.

Hold on, I just found the sample in my Calibre library. It shows as MOBI only. (from about 3 years ago)

I don't think that tells us anything. Should I delete that file and try it again to see if anything has changed with the new installation of Calibre?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Not stupid at all. Just part of my workflow because I don't send the purchased book to my PW2014. I send it to my K4PC (I like to keep my own de-DRM'd library of ebooks). When I import the newly purchased ebook into Calibre, it imports , converts, and strips DRM and then I email the newly imported book from Calibre to my PW2014 via my @kindle.com address.

It's probably a convoluted way to do things, but it works for me. Is there a better way (to have a de-DRMd library on my PC and send the books to my PW2014)?

I have K4PC set to receive my Amazon ebooks in a specified folder (via Tools/Options/Content). When I import into Calibre, I simply point the book import tool to my Amazon folder, select the new ebook, and then import the book into Calibre.

Generally, this workflow makes sense.
Some devices put Walled Garden books into protected storage that can not be accessed via the side-load port.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Not stupid at all. Just part of my workflow because I don't send the purchased book to my PW2014. I send it to my K4PC (I like to keep my own de-DRM'd library of ebooks). When I import the newly purchased ebook into Calibre, it imports , converts, and strips DRM and then I email the newly imported book from Calibre to my PW2014 via my @kindle.com address.

It's probably a convoluted way to do things, but it works for me. Is there a better way (to have a de-DRMd library on my PC and send the books to my PW2014)?

I have K4PC set to receive my Amazon ebooks in a specified folder (via Tools/Options/Content). When I import into Calibre, I simply point the book import tool to my Amazon folder, select the new ebook, and then import the book into Calibre.

Ah -- I download and store all my books in calibre too, but if I am going to download them to my Kindle Touch over WiFi I download the original store copy -- it's in the cloud too.

The calibre copies are for backup, other devices (assuming I get one, I still mainly read on my KT), reading on my PC (rarely, but sometimes I want to copy out a quote), etc.

Also, I personally like cleaning up the title/author/series metadata and and fixing the title based on plugboards -- which I then sideload to my Kindle, although some people will email the cleaned-up copy to their Kindle.
This makes sense for them, as they want the book to have a nice-looking title, and for that book-with-the-nice-looking-title to sync.

If all you are doing is:
download ==> DeDRM ==> calibre ==> email to Kindle Cloud ==> download to Kindle
then I would suggest skipping to the last step. Who cares if the copy you are reading has DRM? Surely the important thing is calibre has a DeDRMed copy???

[speedlever]

Fair enough. I agree it doesn't matter what is on my PW. But I must be missing the obvious when you say skip to the last step. My goal is to have a de-drmd copy in my Calibre Library and a copy on my PW. What exactly do I skip?

Amazon to my pc
Pc to Calibre
Calibre to my PW via the Amazon cloud