DS Forums

 
 

Calibre


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 20-12-2013, 19:52
BeccyJayne2247
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 559

I've installed calibre on my computer so that I can try converting books to a kindle suitable format.

The few sites I've found with books I want to try and convert either ask you to complete surveys before it will download the files or just keeps having ad pop ups which slow my computer.

Could anyone suggest some places to download free books without these probs?

Thanks
BeccyJayne2247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 20-12-2013, 20:39
ironjade
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Posts: 8,651
Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks, Internet Archive. These will let you download without the need to convert: just pick the format you want.
Amazon also has a lot of free books in their Kindle Store.
ironjade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2013, 21:20
alan1302
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 6,180
I've installed calibre on my computer so that I can try converting books to a kindle suitable format.

The few sites I've found with books I want to try and convert either ask you to complete surveys before it will download the files or just keeps having ad pop ups which slow my computer.

Could anyone suggest some places to download free books without these probs?

Thanks
Amazon is the most obvious place.

What sites are you trying? Sounds very dodgy.
alan1302 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2013, 21:38
BeccyJayne2247
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 559
Just some I found in google searches. Didn't go very far. Obviously I've looked on amazon but the books I want are new so still a bit expensive so I thought I would see if I could find then free in another format then convert!
BeccyJayne2247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2013, 21:50
alan1302
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 6,180
Just some I found in google searches. Didn't go very far. Obviously I've looked on amazon but the books I want are new so still a bit expensive so I thought I would see if I could find then free in another format then convert!
We can't discuus those kind of sites on here
alan1302 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2013, 22:55
fenlander
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Posts: 1,656
There is an exhaustive list of free sources here.
fenlander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 07:09
BeccyJayne2247
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 559
Thanks for the ideas. Can't seem to find the two books I want on any of the places suggested. Perhaps they are too new?!
BeccyJayne2247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 07:53
Stig
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sandy Heath, Beds. UK
Posts: 10,379
Thanks for the ideas. Can't seem to find the two books I want on any of the places suggested. Perhaps they are too new?!
I think written works are copyrighted for 50 years. If you find relatively new books on these sites then they are illegal copies.

I personally think ebooks are a scam. I can pickup a second hand paperback for 99p on eBay or in a charity shop.
Stig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 08:19
BeccyJayne2247
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 559
Well yes, you may be able to get them cheap in a charity shop but the two books I want to read have only come out in the last two months and I've been bought a kindle so I would like to read them on there. If I can't find them free then I will either wait or pay but as I had seen lots of people say you can find e versions of most books free somewhere, that I would try that as my first option
BeccyJayne2247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 08:28
Anika Hanson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 14,219
I think written works are copyrighted for 50 years. If you find relatively new books on these sites then they are illegal copies.

I personally think ebooks are a scam. I can pickup a second hand paperback for 99p on eBay or in a charity shop.
You can't always get the books you want in a charity shop though and you don't have the convenience/benefits of using an ebook reader/reading ebooks.
Anika Hanson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 08:31
Anika Hanson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 14,219
Well yes, you may be able to get them cheap in a charity shop but the two books I want to read have only come out in the last two months and I've been bought a kindle so I would like to read them on there. If I can't find them free then I will either wait or pay but as I had seen lots of people say you can find e versions of most books free somewhere, that I would try that as my first option
ebooks usually come down in price after a while which is an option for those who don't want to pay for books on release. I'm sure if you look a bit harder you'll probably find the books you want, although it's a shame that people are not compensating authors for their work. I hope ebooks do not go the way of music downloads.
Anika Hanson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 10:09
Stig
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sandy Heath, Beds. UK
Posts: 10,379
ebooks usually come down in price after a while which is an option for those who don't want to pay for books on release. I'm sure if you look a bit harder you'll probably find the books you want, although it's a shame that people are not compensating authors for their work. I hope ebooks do not go the way of music downloads.
I was recently given a 75% off coupon from Kobo for ebooks. I looked at a few books that were on sale, but I found the paperbacks on eBay were cheaper, even including postage.
Stig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 10:27
Sniffle774
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Planet Mongo.
Posts: 19,548
Have you tired your local library ? I know some were doing eBook lending.
Sniffle774 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 10:53
fenlander
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Posts: 1,656
If the books are recently published you are unlikely to find them free on Amazon. Amazon does have some new books free or at low prices, but they are generally by little known authors who are trying to build a readership. Mainstream ebooks are often not much cheaper than the corresponding paperback edition.
fenlander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 12:55
BeccyJayne2247
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 559
My local library does have a digital lending bit but the choice of books is horrendous. I will prob end up having to buy them. One is about £5/6 on amazon whereas the actual book is £10 so it's a little cheaper.
BeccyJayne2247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 16:35
spiney2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 24,103
amazon have a good "kindle daily deal" usually several ebooks at £1each. needs kindle if course. caibre useless as it wont work on drm protected books.
spiney2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 20:21
Lurkalot
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: England
Posts: 1,449
I think written works are copyrighted for 50 years. If you find relatively new books on these sites then they are illegal copies.

I personally think ebooks are a scam. I can pickup a second hand paperback for 99p on eBay or in a charity shop.

I can pick up 25 stories like this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Christma...istmas+stories
for 39p or 25 sci fi stories or horror or whatever takes your fancy and be reading them within seconds and I dont have to go out and get wet

Did you enjoy your birthday read op ?
Lurkalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 21:45
Kaz159
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 6,388
amazon have a good "kindle daily deal" usually several ebooks at £1each. needs kindle if course. caibre useless as it wont work on drm protected books.
Calibre can solve that problem. I've converted books I bought in epub to the kindle format. I agree with paying the authors but I don't see why I should pay them twice.
Kaz159 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-12-2013, 23:08
Anika Hanson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 14,219
amazon have a good "kindle daily deal" usually several ebooks at £1each. needs kindle if course. caibre useless as it wont work on drm protected books.
Calibre does work with DRM books, you just need to make friends with apprentice alf
Anika Hanson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-12-2013, 07:24
BeccyJayne2247
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 559
I can pick up 25 stories like this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Christma...istmas+stories
for 39p or 25 sci fi stories or horror or whatever takes your fancy and be reading them within seconds and I dont have to go out and get wet

Did you enjoy your birthday read op ?
Yes thank you!! Tried to PM you back but couldn't. Thanks
BeccyJayne2247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-12-2013, 09:20
MagicCoppelia
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,649
amazon have a good "kindle daily deal" usually several ebooks at £1each. needs kindle if course. caibre useless as it wont work on drm protected books.
They also have sales on at various times of the year. At the moment they have a 12 days of Christmas sale on.
MagicCoppelia is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 22-12-2013, 09:36
Lurkalot
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: England
Posts: 1,449
Yes thank you!! Tried to PM you back but couldn't. Thanks
You're welcome.
Lurkalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-12-2013, 15:34
Anika Hanson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 14,219
Calibre can solve that problem. I've converted books I bought in epub to the kindle format. I agree with paying the authors but I don't see why I should pay them twice.
Totally agree with this statement. I think authors should be paid for their work but, as someone who has a few ereading devices I don't see why I should pay twice to read on another device.
Anika Hanson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-12-2013, 17:02
Takae
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 11,932
If you have a Amazon Prime membership (£49 per year), you get next-day delivery service at no charge and full access to the Kindle Library, which offers a wide range of ebooks - including some of latest releases - and magazines you could borrow free. I read quite a few from the Library.

More info here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.h...cId=1000659983

Prime offers excellent value if you're a regular Amazon buyer.

In any case, some ebooks via Amazon are incredibly cheap and often free. I bought Iain Banks's The Quarry for 99 pence a couple of weeks ago.
Takae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-12-2013, 20:20
Anika Hanson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 14,219
OP you could also look at the 12 days of Christmas kindle sale here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/b/ref=s9_ri_...rd_i=341689031

Lots of discounted books.

Amazon are also good at price matching with other sites. So you can also check those sites out to see if they are having a sale as amazon will usually price match. Google play are having a sale on their ebooks an I've just purchased 2 books that were on sale on google play for the same price at amazon.

You can get a lot of cheap books for your kindle. I've just spent £9.50 and I've got 6 books for that.
Anika Hanson is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 16:46.