Kindle in Europe? & DRM

mogwai · 07-31-2010, 10:28 AM

Hey, I am seriously thinking of getting the new Kindle Wi-fi. The price is just too good to pass up. But I'm still left wondering about one major issue for me : will I have to pay import fees to get it shipped to Belgium, and if so how much?

And also what's this with the amazon protected drm? Does this mean I can only put up books I've purchased from the Kindle store? Because I tend to read a couple of mangas a year which I often download free because they were translated by some people on the internet. I also have quite a collection of eBooks already that I got from all over the internet. Will I be able to read these files?

GeoffC · 07-31-2010, 10:45 AM

Someone with a Kindle will be along shortly, eager to answer your question .... in the meantime mogwai

Welcome to mobileread ....

thinkpad · 07-31-2010, 10:47 AM

Hi and welcome

Amazon will sort out all the VAT questions when you order from abroad so everything is paid in advance, if that includes custom fees I'm not sure.

You can certainly put up non drm books on the Kindle that doesn't originate from Amazon but they need to be in a format readable by the Kindle, one such format is the mobipocket format.

If you've got a lot of stuff in the .epub format you can convert the files with Calibre to .mobi and then transfer them to your Kindle.

Look here for more info on formats supported:

Quote:

The original Kindle supported only unprotected Mobipocket books (MOBI, PRC), plain text files (TXT), topaz format books (.tpz) and Amazon's proprietary DRM-restricted format (AZW). Version 2.3 firmware upgrade for Kindle 2 (U.S. and International) added native Portable Document Format (PDF) support.[25] Earlier versions did not fully support PDF, but Amazon provided "experimental" conversion to the native AZW format,[63] with the caveat that not all PDFs may format correctly.[64] It does not support the EPUB ebook standard. Amazon offers an email-based service that will convert JPEG, GIF, PNG and BMP graphics to AZW.[65] Amazon will also convert HTML pages and Microsoft Word (DOC) documents through the same email-based mechanism

mogwai · 07-31-2010, 11:06 AM

Hm, I actually have quite a lot of PDF. Is it smart to go for a Kindle then, or should I consider something else? But basically this is the only eReader available here that does not cost over €250, a price which is too high for just an eReader in my own opinion.

thinkpad · 07-31-2010, 11:11 AM

I guess it depends on what size/format the PDF:s come in. A4 PDF:s is not so easily read on the smaller Kindles. If you got a lot of larger PDF:s it's probably better to go for the Kindle DX or go for a Tablet if you want colour support but than again you're looking at a price tag larger than €250.

For leisure reading I find the Kindle 2 size to be perfect but if you read a lot of research/academic papers that comes in a A4 size it gets to tiring to read on the smaller screen. Computer literature with a lot of coding examples also gets very hard to read when the text needs to be wrapped on the next line.

GeoffC · 07-31-2010, 11:13 AM

If you have mainly PDF files, then this thread may give you something to ponder on ... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90992.

PDF doesn't (on many occasions) readily and neatly convert to other formats ....

mogwai · 07-31-2010, 11:25 AM

Hm, I also like the smallness and portability of the new Kindle. I travel a lot, and soon I'll also be travelling to Switzerland for 6 months so... Also, I have no trouble reading small fonts though so I don't know if this would be a huge problem once again.

I'm also a little befuddled over the conversion that's necessary. First of all that's seems pretty circuitous, and second do I need to pay for that? I read it somewhere, but I'm pretty sure that if you just e-mail the file to your PC there's no cost, right? Just checking.

thinkpad · 07-31-2010, 11:27 AM

GeoffC is right as for A4 PDF reading I wouldn't recommend a 6 inch device. As stated in the thread GeoffC provided currently the most capable reader on the market for PDFs is the iPad (if you can live without the e-ink display).

Taken from the thread:

Quote:

No matter how capable the 6" inch reading a graphical pdf on that size is an excercise in compromise. I moved up to a kindle DX and that was sublime comared to my Kindle 2, My Sony 600, my bebook etc. Now I am using an Ipad and I can not even imagine thumbing through my letter size pdf's on my Kindle DX (which i just sold). If it has to be E-ink i reccomend the Kindle DX if you are open the ipad is for the best PDF reader

GeoffC · 07-31-2010, 11:29 AM

There should be no necessity to do any converting of format (unless the chosen book is only available in a format your reader cannot read - in which case that's another story altogether).

You can purchase books from a store (fictionwise/booksonboard - two I use), download to your PC, and then to the reader. Kindle may have a different path of action, but may be similar ....

GeoffC · 07-31-2010, 11:30 AM

Its a bit of a long thread, but there may be other points of view in this one .... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49817

thinkpad · 07-31-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogwai

Hm, I also like the smallness and portability of the new Kindle. I travel a lot, and soon I'll also be travelling to Switzerland for 6 months so... Also, I have no trouble reading small fonts though so I don't know if this would be a huge problem once again.

If you're travelling the 6 inch reader is ideal, for me when travelling the DX becomes to big.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogwai

I'm also a little befuddled over the conversion that's necessary. First of all that's seems pretty circuitous, and second do I need to pay for that? I read it somewhere, but I'm pretty sure that if you just e-mail the file to your PC there's no cost, right? Just checking.

You wouldn't have to convert PDFs this is a format that the Kindle reads without any conversion. And you're right about the e-mail option, you can choose to download it to your PC avoiding the transfer charge.

ProfCrash · 07-31-2010, 11:33 AM

I have had a Kindle for two years. I have yet to look for a book that I wanted in ebook form that I could not put on my Kindle easily. I have never used Calibre. There are a large number of stores that sell books formatted for the Kindle and sites like Gutenberg have the books formatted for Kindle.

The only downside to buying a book outside of Amazons website is that they are not archived for you by Amazon. This really isn't a issue since you can save the books on your computer to put back on your Kindle if you delete them.

Finally, collections allow you to sort your books into folder of your choosing. This reduces the need to delete books from your Kindle since you don't have to flip through a large number of pages to find what you want to read.

mogwai · 07-31-2010, 11:42 AM

The iPad seems intolarably useless to me. Though I secretly want it, it's too expensive for me to drag everywhere. I would also absolutely hate that I could easily browse the internet. So though the pdf and other things do seem tempting, I'm sure the iPad is not for me.

I think if the PDFs really don't work properly I'll just buy or find a different version of the book. But I checked and most of my PDFs are about +/- 612 x 792 while the Kindle has a 600 x 800 res. I don't know if my logic is correct but it seems as if that would not give a lot of problems.

The Kindle still seems incredibly tempting because of the price, the eInk and the simplicity to me.

thinkpad · 07-31-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

I have had a Kindle for two years. I have yet to look for a book that I wanted in ebook form that I could not put on my Kindle easily. I have never used Calibre. There are a large number of stores that sell books formatted for the Kindle and sites like Gutenberg have the books formatted for Kindle.

I agree that finding a book in the Kindle format isn't a problem. Converting through Calibre arises when you already have a lot of books in the .epub format or another format not readable by Kindle.

thinkpad · 07-31-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogwai

The iPad seems intolarably useless to me. Though I secretly want it, it's too expensive for me to drag everywhere. I would also absolutely hate that I could easily browse the internet. So though the pdf and other things do seem tempting, I'm sure the iPad is not for me.

I think if the PDFs really don't work properly I'll just buy or find a different version of the book. But I checked and most of my PDFs are about +/- 612 x 792 while the Kindle has a 600 x 800 res. I don't know if my logic is correct but it seems as if that would not give a lot of problems.

The Kindle still seems incredibly tempting because of the price, the eInk and the simplicity to me.

I've never regretted buying a Kindle and use mine daily.

07-31-2010, 10:28 AM	#1
mogwai Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	Kindle in Europe? & DRM Hey, I am seriously thinking of getting the new Kindle Wi-fi. The price is just too good to pass up. But I'm still left wondering about one major issue for me : will I have to pay import fees to get it shipped to Belgium, and if so how much? And also what's this with the amazon protected drm? Does this mean I can only put up books I've purchased from the Kindle store? Because I tend to read a couple of mangas a year which I often download free because they were translated by some people on the internet. I also have quite a collection of eBooks already that I got from all over the internet. Will I be able to read these files?

07-31-2010, 11:11 AM	#5
thinkpad David Posts: 1,808 Karma: 8916183 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Norway Device: Kindle, E.Edge (sold), Irex Iliad (retired)	I guess it depends on what size/format the PDF:s come in. A4 PDF:s is not so easily read on the smaller Kindles. If you got a lot of larger PDF:s it's probably better to go for the Kindle DX or go for a Tablet if you want colour support but than again you're looking at a price tag larger than €250. For leisure reading I find the Kindle 2 size to be perfect but if you read a lot of research/academic papers that comes in a A4 size it gets to tiring to read on the smaller screen. Computer literature with a lot of coding examples also gets very hard to read when the text needs to be wrapped on the next line. Last edited by thinkpad; 07-31-2010 at 11:20 AM.

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07-31-2010, 10:45 AM	#2
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Someone with a Kindle will be along shortly, eager to answer your question .... in the meantime mogwai Welcome to mobileread ....

07-31-2010, 11:06 AM	#4
mogwai Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	Hm, I actually have quite a lot of PDF. Is it smart to go for a Kindle then, or should I consider something else? But basically this is the only eReader available here that does not cost over €250, a price which is too high for just an eReader in my own opinion.

07-31-2010, 11:13 AM	#6
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	If you have mainly PDF files, then this thread may give you something to ponder on ... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90992. PDF doesn't (on many occasions) readily and neatly convert to other formats ....

07-31-2010, 11:25 AM	#7
mogwai Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	Hm, I also like the smallness and portability of the new Kindle. I travel a lot, and soon I'll also be travelling to Switzerland for 6 months so... Also, I have no trouble reading small fonts though so I don't know if this would be a huge problem once again. I'm also a little befuddled over the conversion that's necessary. First of all that's seems pretty circuitous, and second do I need to pay for that? I read it somewhere, but I'm pretty sure that if you just e-mail the file to your PC there's no cost, right? Just checking.

07-31-2010, 11:29 AM	#9
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	There should be no necessity to do any converting of format (unless the chosen book is only available in a format your reader cannot read - in which case that's another story altogether). You can purchase books from a store (fictionwise/booksonboard - two I use), download to your PC, and then to the reader. Kindle may have a different path of action, but may be similar ....

07-31-2010, 11:30 AM	#10
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Its a bit of a long thread, but there may be other points of view in this one .... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49817

07-31-2010, 11:33 AM	#12
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I have had a Kindle for two years. I have yet to look for a book that I wanted in ebook form that I could not put on my Kindle easily. I have never used Calibre. There are a large number of stores that sell books formatted for the Kindle and sites like Gutenberg have the books formatted for Kindle. The only downside to buying a book outside of Amazons website is that they are not archived for you by Amazon. This really isn't a issue since you can save the books on your computer to put back on your Kindle if you delete them. Finally, collections allow you to sort your books into folder of your choosing. This reduces the need to delete books from your Kindle since you don't have to flip through a large number of pages to find what you want to read.

07-31-2010, 11:42 AM	#13
mogwai Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	The iPad seems intolarably useless to me. Though I secretly want it, it's too expensive for me to drag everywhere. I would also absolutely hate that I could easily browse the internet. So though the pdf and other things do seem tempting, I'm sure the iPad is not for me. I think if the PDFs really don't work properly I'll just buy or find a different version of the book. But I checked and most of my PDFs are about +/- 612 x 792 while the Kindle has a 600 x 800 res. I don't know if my logic is correct but it seems as if that would not give a lot of problems. The Kindle still seems incredibly tempting because of the price, the eInk and the simplicity to me.