Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Destroyer]

I'm looking into getting a kindle and will mainly be torrenting books. Are there any formatting, file incompatibility problems I should be aware of?

[tek75]

Yes, and it was one of the reasons why I chose not to get a Kindle (I got a Sony PRS-950 instead). The Kindle uses a proprietary file format (can't remember the name) and won't be able to read e-books from most stores outside of Amazon. It also won't work with books borrowed from online libraries. As far as the books you've gotten from torrents, you'll need to check their formats. If they're in formats like ePub or LRF, they're not going to work (I also don't think PDFs work with the Kindle, but I'm not 100% sure about that).

From what I've read, there is a program called Calibre that may allow you to convert files and give you greater access with the Kindle, but I'm not really familiar with that. A site that you may want to look through for information is mobileread.com, which has a pretty expansive forum for all kinds of e-readers.

[Morticae]

I have a Kindle, and all of my books (a lot) are torrented.

The only issue is file format, but it's hardly an issue. It takes me about one minute to load up the proper program that converts the book for me, then I drag it onto the Kindle and am ready to go.

I often use Mobipocket Creator and it pumps out an unencrypted PRC file which I then put on my Kindle. I've heard of the program Calibre, but haven't found the need to look into it.

[Destroyer]

Excellent help! I will research this stuff today.

Can you comment on the readability of your ereaders? I have used demo models of Kindle, KOBO and a tiny Sony model. The 5 inch sony was too small! The kindle and kobo seemed about equal for e-ink readability. Any problems using them for hours at a time?

I liked the keyboard on kindle, but wonder how much I would use it...

I've definitely decided to get an ereader, now I've just got to decide which one.

[derp]

The Kindle is the best of the current e-readers by a significant margin. It does use a proprietary format, .azw/.mobi, but it is easy to convert epub and other files to it via Calibre (takes just a few seconds). PDF support is still a bit shaky on the kindle, as it will read them but won't let you resize text or fit to the screen properly by default. You can manage this by fiddling with the PDFs in calibre usually, but it's not perfect. If you're interested in reading only PDFs you should shop around a bit, but I'm not really up to speed on the PDF reading capabilities of other e-readers.

I have nothing but torrented ebooks on my Kindle (3rd gen) and I haven't had any issues. Also, the Kindle's e-ink tech is fantastic and is perfect for reading for long periods of time.

Here's the link to calibre: http://calibre-ebook.com/

[tek75]

Personally, I prefer my Sony (the 950, which has an ample 7-inch screen) to the Kindle, but I agree that e-ink is the way to go. Everyone's different, but for me, I haven't gotten any of the eye strain I've experienced with LCD screens.

When I was first checking out the different models, I was a bit taken aback by the reverse image "flash" that happens when you turn pages, but I got used to it within a few minutes, after which point it doesn't even register with me anymore.

Whichever model you get, I'd recommend e-readers for anyone who loves reading, especially considering how hard it is to find a good selection of English books in Korea.

[Morticae]

[nstick13]

I second the recommendation for Calibre. Been an awesome application for me.

[gillod]

Download Stanza- It'll convert almost anything into a Kindle friendly format. PDFs tend to have formatting errors, but they're perfectly readable.

[Caffeinated]

I use Calibre with my Sony Reader with a touchscreen (useful for making notes with the stylus or onscreen keyboard) and it has had no problems with the torrented books it has run nto.