pdf to Kindle

[maryanjo]

Is there mac software for converting pdf files to Kindle files. I'm getting a Kindle and preparing my online books that I've downloaded from gutenberg.org. If it can do plain text files too, or word or other types of text files then that would be even better. Apparently, the Kindle does a pretty bad conversion of pdf but I want a better one.

[Solitare]

I believe Gutenburg.org has files optimized for the Kindle ready for download already - and there is ePub, a more universally recognized format.

You might wish to return to the website to check before looking around for software to convert the .pdf to a Kindle-friendly format.; both Kindle & ePub documents are smaller than a similar .pdf file.

If this is a scanned book converted into a .pdf file - sorry, nothing comes to mind.

[maryanjo]

After reading a bit more I am rather drawn to the Kobu ereader because overall it's more versatile. It reads EPUB files. So, I'd like to find a program that will allow me to convert my pdf and text files into epub files. It also has to be able to read EPUB files too. Kindle files are only Kindle-friendly, but EPUB files are interchangeable between all ereaders. I need to experiment a bit with converting as I'd like to convert my own writings to ebooks.
Has anyone looked into this at all? I would like it also to be FREE.... but if it's cheap I'd consider that too.

[Solitare]

Wikipedia has an article that lists some of the ePub programs & conversion programs in it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPUB

It is basically a modified xml format, and if you are into coding, you might be able to do it manually using the samples there.

Apple's iWork suite, "Pages" supports the ePub format for obvious reasons - they would like Authors to submit their work for sale via iBooks.

Both Amazon and Apple have 'how-to' worksheets for their respective Kindle / iBook formats. I have examined both formats briefly - but have yet to find the time & stories to submit through those channels.

A third option, which I have used to produce regular books via .pdf is lulu.com - that is, if you are looking to sell or distribute your work. They print books on demand, and offer the option of selling and distributing work via .pdf. They make very good calendars & photo-books too (Christmas is coming you know ) My own 'store' can be found here:

http://stores.lulu.com/jh603

As for converting existing .pdf files into a .epub or text format, the only thing that comes to mind is selecting the entire document, and copy and pasting it into a text editor of your choice - assuming that the text is not a scanned image. You will get the text - but it will require a ton of editing & review, so this trick is not very practical unless you are dealing with a really _LONG_ .pdf file without images and you don't with to retype the darned thing. Maybe they will come up with something in the future - after all, ePub and Kindles have only been around a few years, and .pdf are still widely accepted and used.

Your initial post only indicated you wanted to convert books for your own private use on the Kindle - are you looking to publish your own work?

[maryanjo]

Thank you Solitaire, that was very informative and it gives me food for thought. I have found Calibre which looks ideal. I just have to get to grips with how to use it, i.e. getting it to do contents etc.
As for my use ... I want to do everything. I want to buy books, download free ebooks, convert books I have downloaded from various sources and publish my own work too. That is the most exciting for me. My initial want was for a Kindle, then I heard about the Nook, and then Kobo. I just need a basic dedicated book reader and I don't want all the things that an ipad can do. If I needed an ipad I'd buy one. I would love to have all my favorite books on one device and be able to distribute my own work. The only drawback to the kobo is that it can't play audiobooks. Now that's another thing I'd like to do. Only the Kindle (I think) does that ... maybe the Nook.

[Solitare]

Sounds like you're planning to do a lot there

I will point out that Amazon.com has a program to let you read Kindle Books directly on your Mac - and PC -

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...cId=1000464931

And they have an app that lets you read books on the iPhone / iPod touch - and you can buy audio books via iTunes for less than buying them via Amazon - and there's the iUniversity that has plenty of courses, and a few stand-alone apps that have short public-domain stories, before the iBook & eBook apps came along - so you might want to consider an iPod Touch as a catch-all, rather than an iPad (okay - I'm an iPod Touch junkie )

The price might be comparable to the gadget you're considering, especially if you visit the Apple.com store and check out the deals in the refurbished section.

[Foxnew]

http://www.2epub.com can convert pdf to mobi also, but all converters do a pretty bad conversion of pdf, due to the nature of pdf format. pdf is for printing, not for reading.

[Solitare]

Well, a .pdf can be read on a computer easily enough - but its strength is in reducing huge native file of photos, text and graphics into something small enough that can be transmitted via the web as a file for printing or viewing. Its strength is in print, without a doubt.

The Kindle and other e-readers try to keep their price down by limiting the onboard flash memory - which means that a slightly modified text file trumps a .pdf file in terms of size - a simple text file might be 2 K in size, while if you rendered it as a .pdf it might be 10K/20K because font files would be included, along with other data - not a huge difference, but very big in terms of bandwidth - it all adds up you know.

[maryanjo]

I have bitten the bullet and bought a kobo. It hasn't arrived yet. Overall it is a good buy, although the proof is in the pudding as they say. It has the e-ink screen so not tiring on the eyes, it has an sd card slot (up to 32 gig ... much more than I'll ever need), ability to borrow books from the local library. I'd do that much more now. Wifi to buy and download books. It comes with 100 classic books (unfortunately not ones you can choose yourself. Probably Treasure Island or some such classic). The iPod touch is fine for what it does but it's too small to read books on. I need something that is the size of a paperback and easy to curl up on a sofa with. Laptops are ok for a while but they tend to get hot after 20 minutes. So that's my rationale. I can't wait. I hope it comes before Thanksgiving Day, but I doubt it now. Hurry up Mr. Postman!

[Solitare]

Please advise us how well it works

In my corner of the world, e-Readers are still something of a rarity in the wild - And because I'm the local 'techie' I get quizzed all the time about this sort of thing.

[maryanjo]

Sorry for not getting back in ages.
I love the Kobo and it does the job and more. I like the sd card expansion slot which the Kindle doesn't have, but then it's not absolutely necessary.
I found it best to reformat the pdf files in order to display properly. It doesn't take long and it's worth it. I'm beginning to enjoy reading again.
The best settings for text files is height 6" x 4.5" wide (then save it again as a pdf). I bought a case for the kobo as these ereaders are quite vulnerable to damage if you drop them. The Kobo has a quilted rubber back and that helps. Most people I talk to are getting Kindles though, but I'm happy with the Kobo.

[new_user]

The native format of the kindle ebook reader is .mobi. You can create .mobi files from any PDF document here http://www.mobi-to-pdf.com/. However, the result quality will depend on your PDF.