Now that you've got a Kindle eBook Reader, it'll be useless unless it is loaded with content. If you are like me, you would probably have some ebooks on hand, some of which are not natively supported by the Kindle e.g. LIT (Microsoft Reader), ePUB.
Don't fret! Although the Amazon Kindle can only support some formats natively (Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively), there are softwares available that allow you to convert whatever ebook you have to be compatible with the Kindle. 2 good examples are listed below.
Calibre ebook software:
This is an excellent software available on multiple OS platforms that allows you to convert ebooks into nearly any format that is compatible with a whole range of ebook readers (Sony, Barnes and Noble's Nook etc.) For a full list of the formats supported, please refer to here.
- Go to the download page
- Click on your preferred version (Windows, Apple OS X, Linux or Portable) depending on the Operating System you are using. Portable version allows you to run it without installing it on any PC.
- Run the installer and follow the instructions.
- During the installation, if you are prompted for which eBook reader, Select Kindle 1 - 4.
How to use Calibre?
I'm not going to run into really detailed steps here as it is well documented on the site.
Some basic steps to use calibre:
1. Hook up your ebook reader to your PC/Mac (usually via USB cable).
2. Start up the Calibre program. The screen looks something like that below (the screenshot is from Calibre's Demo Page):
5. If conversion is required, the program will ask if you want to convert it to the format supported, Click Yes if prompted.
6. To know if the action has completed, check if Jobs: 0 at the bottom right corner of the screen. If there are Jobs pending, Jobs will not be 0.
7. Eject / Disconnect your Kindle eReader, the eBooks you selected should be listed in your Kindle eReader Library.
# For Kindle readers, the program converts the ePub format into MOBI format.
I'm not going to run into really detailed steps here as it is well documented on the site.
Some basic steps to use calibre:
1. Hook up your ebook reader to your PC/Mac (usually via USB cable).
2. Start up the Calibre program. The screen looks something like that below (the screenshot is from Calibre's Demo Page):
3. Click on Add books button on the top left menu bar to add the ebooks you want to add to the eReader and the calibre library
4. Select/Highlight the ebook entries listed in your Calibre Library and click Send to Device button.5. If conversion is required, the program will ask if you want to convert it to the format supported, Click Yes if prompted.
6. To know if the action has completed, check if Jobs: 0 at the bottom right corner of the screen. If there are Jobs pending, Jobs will not be 0.
7. Eject / Disconnect your Kindle eReader, the eBooks you selected should be listed in your Kindle eReader Library.
# For Kindle readers, the program converts the ePub format into MOBI format.
For detailed screens and the video demo, you can refer to their Demo page on how to use the program.
They also have a useful help page that you can refer to.
The good news is Calibre is "donate ware". Meaning you can download and use it for free. It is entirely up to you if you want to donate money (via Paypal) to support the further development of the product.
K2pdfopt
I have encountered instances where the original PDF ebook is A4 or letter sized and if you just copy these files to your Kindle 6 inch reader, the words are too small to read.
Enter K2pdfopt, which is a nifty software that helps to resize PDF (or DJVU) format ebook files to fit the 6 inch ebook format i.e. make the words bigger for better readability on your ebook reader.
Enter K2pdfopt, which is a nifty software that helps to resize PDF (or DJVU) format ebook files to fit the 6 inch ebook format i.e. make the words bigger for better readability on your ebook reader.
To get the software,
1. First, start up your internet browser and go to this LINK:
2. Click on the Download link on the left side menu bar.
3. Enter the 3 digit capcha code on the left
4. Now click on the version for your computer /laptop OS e.g. Windows 64-bit
5. There is no installation required. When the file prompts you to save, Save to your Computer desktop.
Simple steps to run the software:
1. Just drag your PDF or DJVU file and drop it on the K2pdfopt icon on the desktop and it will begin the process.
2. A command window will pop up and prompt for options, just type ENTER or RETURN to run with default settings.
For specific instructions on how to get started, customising the output etc. please refer to this link.
5. There is no installation required. When the file prompts you to save, Save to your Computer desktop.
Simple steps to run the software:
1. Just drag your PDF or DJVU file and drop it on the K2pdfopt icon on the desktop and it will begin the process.
2. A command window will pop up and prompt for options, just type ENTER or RETURN to run with default settings.
For specific instructions on how to get started, customising the output etc. please refer to this link.
An FAQ page is also available for you to refer to. This software is freeware i.e. free to download and use.
Some things to note by using this software:
1. The file size of the resized pdf file generated will be much larger than the original file. (MBytes vs Kbytes)
2. You will not be able to select a word (to highlight, to add a note or find a definition ) when you use it on your Kindle as the resized file is actually compiled into a graphic format (bitmap) PDF.
#Practical Tip: If this isn't enough, Amazon has a page which lists some resources on how and where to get free ebooks for the Kindle
Hope the tips are useful so far! Have fun with your Kindle and Read on ! :)
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