Audible Content on Kindle

jacksonunit · 03-07-2008, 08:09 AM

I’d be interested in others experience with Audible content on the Kindle. I decided to try it out last night. Not really because I’m a big audo book fan but because it is something my expensive little toy can do.

My first issues are with the service itself. I got the audible download manager and file player (why are these two different apps?) and found two things I thought might be interesting; Spalding Grey’s “Monster in a Box” and an episode of “A Prairie Home Companion” by Garrison Keillor.

It was a five star PITA to get Grey’s monologue all the way to the Kindle and I never was able to get the Keillor piece over because Audible wants to serve it up as an iApple iPodcast iTem rather than an aa or mp3 file and since I’d rather spend all of eternity swallowing shards of broken glass than to install an Apple product on my computer, I decided to try a non-apple “podcatcher” that took twenty minutes to download and install and still didn’t work. The next one I got was so full of adware that my virus software went apesh!t so I gave up and found a nice soft spot on the wall to beat my head against.

I started to listen to the Spalding Grey deal but the battery gave out after about five minutes. I’m not real sure how much I had before I started listening but I’m thinking you should buy the extra battery if you plan on listening to much audible content on the Kindle.

On a positive note, I really like the Audobook playback interface screen. It’s well thought out and functional but with a nice clean layout. Good job Amazon.

aj

shawnlg · 03-07-2008, 09:03 AM

I have purchased audible books in the past, but not yet for the Kindle. What I do is get audible books from the library, rip them to MP3s and then play them through TotalRecorder and have it split the book into 30-minute sections. Since you see every mp3 file as a separate book on the kindle, you can't put and play audiobooks directly as mp3s. Instead, I put 30-minute chunks there and delete them as I finish them.

Not as flashy as an iPod, but it works. And yes, it does eat up battery life compared to just reading.

I'm hoping a future software update will improve the mp3 experience, or at least let me have folders so I can play audiobooks more easily.

sheureka · 03-07-2008, 01:59 PM

I've been an Audible.com subscriber for years - and have hundreds of books stored in my library at Audible. I have arthritis and holding books for any length of time has been difficult for me for several years, so Audible was a lifesaver for me. I recently canceled my subscription because I don't have the problem holding the Kindle, and am doing my reading that way again. I didn't have any difficulty using the Audible manager and registering my Kindle with it on the computer - but Audible has always had pretty clunky software.

I had used an iPod before for Audible books and am very happy to only have to carry one device. I did buy an extra battery for the Kindle, and also occasionally use a Socket Mobile Power Pack for the Kindle and my phone so power hasn't been an issue for me. Even with the Kindle there are situations where I much prefer Audible books - i.e., I get distracted much more easily on a plane reading than I do listening. And it's easier to ignore other passengers when I have earplugs on! - sheureka

03-07-2008, 08:09 AM	#1
jacksonunit Sand Bender Posts: 107 Karma: 35218 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: San Antonio, Tx Device: Kindle1/iPhone/iPad/Droid/KindleDX/Kindle 3G/Kindle Touch/Kindle Fire	Audible Content on Kindle I’d be interested in others experience with Audible content on the Kindle. I decided to try it out last night. Not really because I’m a big audo book fan but because it is something my expensive little toy can do. My first issues are with the service itself. I got the audible download manager and file player (why are these two different apps?) and found two things I thought might be interesting; Spalding Grey’s “Monster in a Box” and an episode of “A Prairie Home Companion” by Garrison Keillor. It was a five star PITA to get Grey’s monologue all the way to the Kindle and I never was able to get the Keillor piece over because Audible wants to serve it up as an iApple iPodcast iTem rather than an aa or mp3 file and since I’d rather spend all of eternity swallowing shards of broken glass than to install an Apple product on my computer, I decided to try a non-apple “podcatcher” that took twenty minutes to download and install and still didn’t work. The next one I got was so full of adware that my virus software went apesh!t so I gave up and found a nice soft spot on the wall to beat my head against. I started to listen to the Spalding Grey deal but the battery gave out after about five minutes. I’m not real sure how much I had before I started listening but I’m thinking you should buy the extra battery if you plan on listening to much audible content on the Kindle. On a positive note, I really like the Audobook playback interface screen. It’s well thought out and functional but with a nice clean layout. Good job Amazon. aj

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03-07-2008, 09:03 AM	#2
shawnlg Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Kindle	I have purchased audible books in the past, but not yet for the Kindle. What I do is get audible books from the library, rip them to MP3s and then play them through TotalRecorder and have it split the book into 30-minute sections. Since you see every mp3 file as a separate book on the kindle, you can't put and play audiobooks directly as mp3s. Instead, I put 30-minute chunks there and delete them as I finish them. Not as flashy as an iPod, but it works. And yes, it does eat up battery life compared to just reading. I'm hoping a future software update will improve the mp3 experience, or at least let me have folders so I can play audiobooks more easily.

03-07-2008, 01:59 PM	#3
sheureka Member Posts: 10 Karma: 54 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bisbee AZ Device: Kindle	I've been an Audible.com subscriber for years - and have hundreds of books stored in my library at Audible. I have arthritis and holding books for any length of time has been difficult for me for several years, so Audible was a lifesaver for me. I recently canceled my subscription because I don't have the problem holding the Kindle, and am doing my reading that way again. I didn't have any difficulty using the Audible manager and registering my Kindle with it on the computer - but Audible has always had pretty clunky software. I had used an iPod before for Audible books and am very happy to only have to carry one device. I did buy an extra battery for the Kindle, and also occasionally use a Socket Mobile Power Pack for the Kindle and my phone so power hasn't been an issue for me. Even with the Kindle there are situations where I much prefer Audible books - i.e., I get distracted much more easily on a plane reading than I do listening. And it's easier to ignore other passengers when I have earplugs on! - sheureka

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