Kindle - how, which and why ?

flaneurs_lobster

MouldyOldDough said:

Do the books remain "yours" forever - once purchased or do they disappear after a preset time ?

And is that the same when using an Android tablet with Kindle app ?

If you purchase a book on Amazon then it's yours forever. They do have other methods of accessing content (Kindle Unlimited) where you are paying a subscription for access to content (bit like their Prime Video streaming service).

Of course, these purchases exist as protected files and can only be accessed on registered devices, you can download them onto (say) a Kindle ebook reader (or a tablet or PC etc with the Kindle reader software) but you can't copy them elsewhere.

A free Amazon account should give you access to your ebook (and Prime Video) purchases forever but it's up to you if you consider this "owning" the product.

There are ways to convert protected content into pure ebook files that have no access restrictions at all and that you can store and view as you see fit. Doing this with Kindle ebooks is hard, and, of course, is against their terms.

ETA : Can someone confirm or otherwise that a Kindle reader can be used to view non-Kindle ebooks? I'd like to assume so but I've never owned one.

Glad

flaneurs_lobster said:

MouldyOldDough said:

ETA : Can someone confirm or otherwise that a Kindle reader can be used to view non-Kindle ebooks? I'd like to assume so but I've never owned one.

yes it can, there's a good explanation here
How to send books to your Kindle — even if they’re not from Amazon | The Verge

alanrowell

Amazon have daily and monthly deals on Kindle Books, many for 99p. Some are very recently published like today's "A History of Britain in Ten Enemies" by Terry Deary or "The City and Its Uncertain Walls" by Haruki Murakami
, others not so recent, you reach them by going to the main Amazon website, select Today's Deals then select Kindle

jshm2

MouldyOldDough said:

Wife is looking at Kindles

I know nothing about them

Which model do we buy ?

Do they all allow downloads from any source or are we limited to Amazon ?

Any advice before we make an expensive mistake ?

Go with Kobo instead. Kindle basically ties you into the Amazon store. 

GrubbyGirl_2

jshm2 said:

MouldyOldDough said:

Wife is looking at Kindles

I know nothing about them

Which model do we buy ?

Do they all allow downloads from any source or are we limited to Amazon ?

Any advice before we make an expensive mistake ?

Go with Kobo instead. Kindle basically ties you into the Amazon store. 

That is incorrect it absolutely does not tie you into Amazon.  There are many apps, Calibre for one, that you can use to load books onto a kindle so you are not limited to the amazon store.  And remember as an amazon prime member you get access to prime reads and you get a free book or 2 every month

flaneurs_lobster

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

jshm2 said:

MouldyOldDough said:

Wife is looking at Kindles

I know nothing about them

Which model do we buy ?

Do they all allow downloads from any source or are we limited to Amazon ?

Any advice before we make an expensive mistake ?

Go with Kobo instead. Kindle basically ties you into the Amazon store. 

That is incorrect it absolutely does not tie you into Amazon.  There are many apps, Calibre for one, that you can use to load books onto a kindle so you are not limited to the amazon store.  And remember as an amazon prime member you get access to prime reads and you get a free book or 2 every month

Those "free" books cost you an Amazon Prime membership so £100/year.

Not easy to load eBooks from your local lending library.

But £ for £, as a piece of kit the Kindle readers are better value than the Kobo equivalents.

MikeJXE

I’ve had a Kindle for many years and now have about 300 book where 99% were free

I don’t subscribe to prime either 

GDB2222

Loads of free kindle books listed here:

https://www.hotukdeals.com/tag/freebies

basketcase

Am I right in thinking that you may not be tied to reading only Kindle books, but you are tied to having some sort of Amazon device on which to read them? 

As I understand it, if I buy an e-book formatted for, say, Kobo, I can read it on a Kindle.  But if I buy the Kindle format, I can't read it on a Kobo.  I know I can read them on other devices - and I have done since my Paperwhite died - but that's not the point.  We're talking about Kindles.

Also I've been told that I don't actually own all the e-books I've bought from Amazon (as I would the paper copy).  Apparently, I only bought the licence, which is different. I didn't realise that (stupid, I know).

And, if I can't read it on a non-Amazon device and it's only a licence not the actual words, can that licence be withdrawn?

Andy_L

basketcase said:

Am I right in thinking that you may not be tied to reading only Kindle books, but you are tied to having some sort of Amazon device on which to read them? 

As I understand it, if I buy an e-book formatted for, say, Kobo, I can read it on a Kindle.  But if I buy the Kindle format, I can't read it on a Kobo.  I know I can read them on other devices - and I have done since my Paperwhite died - but that's not the point.  We're talking about Kindles.

Also I've been told that I don't actually own all the e-books I've bought from Amazon (as I would the paper copy).  Apparently, I only bought the licence, which is different. I didn't realise that (stupid, I know).

And, if I can't read it on a non-Amazon device and it's only a licence not the actual words, can that licence be withdrawn?

The calibre app that has been mentioned for putting non-kindle books onto a kindle can be used in the opposite direction to put kindle books onto a non-kindle