With eReaders, most of that is gone.
Traveling light is no longer an issue.
It’s a special kind of freedom that tastes particularly sweet.
But an eReader is not all fun and games.
Much of that is simplified if you chose Amazon’s Kindle as your partner in crime.
Buying books online and getting them on your rig is as easy as ever.
Before Kindle, I fell in love withCalibre.
Calibre vs Kindle Applications
Kindle isn’t without cross-platform compatibility.
As you may know, Amazon hasKindle applicationsfor multiple platforms.
Before we start tweaking Calibre, it’s a good thing to compare these applications with Calibre.
Calibre is a powerful library management tool.
It packs quite a punch.
you might use Calibre to automatically download covers and metadata.
Add to this Calibre’s ability to process otherwise incompatible files for your Kindle.
For library management of all kinds, the Kindle applications just don’t measure up.
As an eBookreader, too, the Kindle applications are a far better choice.
Calibre is clearly meant to manage eBooks, not to peruse them, and makes a miserable eBook reader.
by synchronising the latest page read.
Whole directories can be added by selecting the option from theAdd bookscontext menu.
you could download eBooks you’ve purchased through Amazon to your system and similarly add them to Calibre.
Here you’ll see a list of your purchases.
In the rightmost column, selectDownload & transfer via USBfrom theActionsmenu.
In most cases, you’ll want to convert the eBooks to the old MOBI format.
Select one or more eBooks in your Calibre library that you wish to convert.
This allows you to change to cover image, metadata and other instance-specific data before conversion.
In the next screen, tweak the conversion configs if necessary and press OK.
It’s important that you have selectedMOBIor another Kindle-compatible file format in the top right corner.
If not, select it in thePage Setuptab.
After you’ve pressedOK, Calibre starts running the conversion job.
Clicking this will give you more information, as shown below.
This way, your books will appear wirelessly on your Kindle whenever you have access to the internet.
Even if you don’t have a 3G Kindle, these books will arrive over Wi-Fi just the same.
ChoosePreferences -> Run welcome wizardto get started.
When you arrive at the screen pictured above, you could enter the details for email delivery.
The easiest way to do this is by using a freeGmailaccount.
Otherwise, use themail server informationfor your email provider.
Press theUse Gmailbutton and slide in your details.
Calibre will then fill the rest of the form for you.
You don’t need to change any of these options.
PressTest emailto validate and pressNextto finish.
To avoid spam, you’ll only receive documents from certain white-listed email addresses.
jump in toAmazon.comand go toYour Account -> Manage Your Kindle -> Personal Document controls.
At the bottom of this page, add the email address Calibre will be sending from.
After whitelisting the email address, you might start sending eBooks to your Kindle over email.
SelectSync and Check for Itemsif it hasn’t appeared on your rig after a few minutes.
Calibre can take care of general eBook management and conversion, if you’re willing to forego Collections support.
Wirelessly transferring those eBooks is just cherry on the cake.
