Free Kindle e-book question...
Trickster999
Posts: 1,639 Forum Member
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Am I right in my thinking that you can only read free content on your Kindle (I have the Amazon one) if you pay the £7.99 subscription charge?
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Trickster999
Posts: 1,639
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a) Amazon Unlimited Kindle was created for those who liked the Kindle Owners' Lending Library service in Amazon Prime, but didn't like or want the rest of Amazon Prime's services.
For what it's worth, I gave Kindle Unlimited a try not long ago. While the idea is great, it isn't as good as I expected. For a comparison between those two services:
Kindle Owners' Lending Library (through Amazon Prime)
- allows you to borrow 1 eligible book or audiobook (only the ones with 'Kindle Owners' Lending Library' icon) any time.
- you can't borrow another book until the borrowed book is returned.
- you can have the borrowed book on your Kindle as long as you like. I once forgot to return mine until a year later.
Kindle Unlimited
- allows you to borrow up to 7 books and/or audiobooks (only the ones with 'Kindle Unlimited' icon) per month from Amazon.
- when you borrow those books, you can only have them for one month. Some can be rolled over to the next month, but some will be automatically returned. It depends on each book.
- browsing for eligible books is surprisingly tough. You can restrict search results to Kindle Unlimited eligible only, but it's erratic as not all are actually eligible. I found this so irritating that I ended the one-month trial.
b) you don't have to subscribe to either Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime to read a free book on your Kindle. You can download free books to your Kindle from Amazon (e.g. Amazon Top 100 Free Books) or a legit site elsewhere, e.g. http://kindleclassics.blogspot.co.uk or this list of Kindle-friendly sites. It's a good idea to download a book management program like Calibre to keep track of your free ebooks. It's free.
c) you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library to read on your Kindle. Most libraries in this country offer those you can borrow (often up to 8 ebooks/audiobooks any time) at no charge through OverDrive (https://www.overdrive.com).
But yes, you don't have to subscribe to Amazon Prime or Unlimited Kindle to read a free book on your Kindle.
Frankly, using your local library's Overdrive service is much better than Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited. Some books do have a waiting list (each library have a limit on how many users can access each ebook), but there are other ebooks you could borrow from your library while you wait for your turn to read that book (it usually either alerts you that it's ready to be downloaded or it'd be automatically sent to you - this depends on each library).
Hope this helps.
If you are talking the local library service for audiobooks and ebooks then yes you can.
Most libraries also offer the latest magazines now too (zinio is used for them).
I have used this on iOS, Android, PC and web browser for a few years now.
Overdrive is the method that borrows the book from the library and allows you to read/listen/share and of course borrow and return.
Not used a kindle, but my library setup demos show it used the same way, the app link to the overdrive app;
http://www.amazon.com/OverDrive-Media-Console-Library-Audiobooks/dp/B00850NK6I/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1377781340&sr=1-1&keywords=overdrive
The epubs are drmed. They do have many in pdf too.
Audiobooks are in mp3 and wma so no drm and so you can easily burn to disc and/or copy to a new folder.
Nice thing is overdrive provide apps for all device types; iOS, Android, Chrome web store, windows phone, PC desktop, MS 8/10 store app, all amazon devices, nook and Mac.
There is some adobe digital edition tied into overdrive for the PC and Mac use, but just an add on to the overdrive app.
Tons of help and videos demoing it all here, http://help.overdrive.com/#videos
Its a great service, very reliable and has a huge collection of ebooks and audiobooks.
No thats ebooks in the kindle format. The UK libraries only offer pdfs and epubs (its an EU restriction) and its the epub that you use with the overdrive app on a kindle.
Asked someone yesterday who has a kindle in the UK and they have no trouble using the ebooks epubs via their UK library service (same county library as me) with the overdrive libraries app.
Are you sure? The Overdrive app requires Android. That might work on a Kindle Fire but it won't work on a Kindle ereader.
Just asked, it is a kindle fire they have.
Forgot how basic original kindles were, that they could not do this. Forgot that they now run android. Sorry, looking further it looks like you could be right Stig.
Glad I have android and iOS, just grab an ebook or audiobook from anywhere and it works, and so easy to just share across all your devices. I often buy books from Amazon, apple and google store as well as get free/classic ones from the web and of course the library service in all formats. with no hassles.