Amazon:: I don't understand the "kindle" format (solved!)

[0db]

Today I wanted to buy an ebook in kindle format, and planned to read it on my Kindle PaperWhite, but
when I clicked on "buy it now", I was presented this warning:

Sorry, you we haven't found any kindle device connected to your account. This ebook requires one of the following devices:

Kindle for Android
Kindle for tablet Android
Kindle for iPhone
Kindle for iPod Touch
Kindle for iPad
Kindle for Mac
Kindle for PC
Kindle Fire HD (1st gen)
Kindle Fire
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9''
Kindle Fire HDX
Kindle Fire HD (2nd gen)
Fire HDX 8.9 Tablet
Fire HD 7 Tablet
Fire HD 6 Tablet
Fire HD 10
Fire HD 8
Fire

So what's the point about promoting "Kindle PaperWhite" (130 euro) and "Kindle Oasis" (240 euro) if then you need a PC or a tablet to read "kindle" ebooks?!?

I am really confused 



edit:
I opened this topic to talk about the zone/region limitation.
I finally purchased the same ebook from Smashwords and got it delivered by email.

[0db]

This etextbook title is not supported on Kindle E-readers or Kindle for Windows 8 app. You can read with the free Kindle apps available on iOS, Android, PC & Mac and on Fire Tablet devices.

Amazon UK

[Monkeh]

Kindles have monochrome, low resolution screens with poor refresh rates which are not suited to all content. You haven't, of course, specified what book you're looking at..

[bd139]

I've had this a couple of times. usually reference books. I think the ass end kindles, such as the one I own, are only suitable for rending properly flowed books rather than explicit layout pages. I use an ipad for the rest of the books. The kindle gets used for fiction mostly which it's absolutely great for.

[0db]

You haven't, of course, specified what book you're looking at..

An ebook about operating system design. Nothing that requires high resolution of high refresh rates!

[Monkeh]

Well, again, it's a low resolution, slow refresh device. It's designed for a simple linear, front to back reading of plain text. Advanced formatting, fixed layouts, images, constantly returning and referencing pages are things you can't do well on these devices.

[bd139]

Still amazing little device though. Chuck it in your bag, turn your phone off and read a book undisturbed without having to lug a 2 inch thick chunk of tree with you. Has made hiking trip breaks more interesting.

[0db]

In the end, I bought the content as pdf, I sent it to my kind by email at Amazon, and this made it uploaded  for free to my PaperWhite device.

How to Send documents to your Kindle as an email attachment.

It's still a "pdf" file, but it works perfectly, and even notes and underlining work perfectly.

[0db]

Chuck it in your bag, turn your phone off and read a book undisturbed

I don't like reading on my laptop or phone. That's why I am planning to invest 240 euro in a "Kindle Oasis". My old PaperWhite is the second gen, and it's not water proof like the latest gen. I tried the Oasis and its screen is much more comfortable thank to the auto brightness and LTE support.

These things actually make the difference when you want to read outdoor or indoor undisturbed.

[bd139]

Yeah they’re interesting for sure but I’m too much of a cheap ass. I’ve got the basic one bought in Feb I think it was but without ads. This replaced my ancient one.

I’ve just worked my way through the expanse series of books on it. Probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise. Throughly enjoyed it as a device.

[Wilksey]

I have a cheap £50 Fire kindle, seems to read everything, runs Android / Fire OS, 7" or something, had it a number of years now, at least it lasts longer than the Firestick!

[Red Squirrel]

The issue with Kindle is you don't really own anything.  It's all cloud based.       So when you buy it it will be tied to your account and you will need to login with the device.  So it's probably saying that there is no device linked with the account. You never get a file that you can just save and view locally.  At least I think that's how it works?
 

[bd139]

You can use it with Calibre and load other ebooks onto it as well. I think you can rip the books off it but I haven't tried. You do have to sign in AFAIK at activation time.

The main reason I bought one is I want the cloud convenience and I don't mind paying for it. If you spend on a book it's no different to buying a theatre/cinema ticket. But you can watch it as many times as you want until the theatre/cinema burns down at least.

If Amazon pull it, I'll charge back them for every fucking transaction I made 

[Connecteur]

If you like being jerked around by virtual monopolies, Kindle is for you.
I prefer open sources.

[bd139]

I'm at less of a financial loss then when I was buying physical books. They are cheaper and easier to get rid of.

Open would be ideal but the interests of the open source community always miss the mark on quality which I value.

[Monkeh]

If you like being jerked around by virtual monopolies, Kindle is for you.
I prefer open sources.

And your open-source e-ink reader and DRM-free respository of hundreds of thousands of titles is where?

For that matter, where are your open source books? Original sources, layouts, font specs, cover graphics?

[0db]

The issue with Kindle is you don't really own anything.  It's all cloud based. 

Files (ebook and pdf) are on the cloud but there is a copy of these files on the flash memory of my Kindle PaperWhite, and if I connect my Kindle to a computer via USB, I can copy them like if was a common pendrive.

[Monkeh]

The issue with Kindle is you don't really own anything.  It's all cloud based. 

Files (ebook and pdf) are on the cloud but there is a copy of these files on the flash memory of my Kindle PaperWhite, and if I connect my Kindle to a computer via USB, I can copy them like if was a common pendrive.

They are, of course, encrypted.. Which I'm sure has been broken a few times now.

[eti]

Anyone complaining that an e-ink Kindle has "poor refresh rate" etc, is basically missing the point - a paperback also has "poor refresh rate" - wanna know why? It doesn't need one. It's like complaining "This twig is a terrible bicycle" - yeah... it's a twig, it's all you need to light a fire, not wheels and a chain.

[Monkeh]

Anyone complaining that an e-ink Kindle has "poor refresh rate" etc, is basically missing the point - a paperback also has "poor refresh rate" - wanna know why? It doesn't need one. It's like complaining "This twig is a terrible bicycle" - yeah... it's a twig, it's all you need to light a fire, not wheels and a chain.

Did it sound like I was complaning?

They have a very slow refresh - if you want to flick between pages in a reference book, that's a big problem. Hence the unsupported format for such titles.

[eti]

Anyone complaining that an e-ink Kindle has "poor refresh rate" etc, is basically missing the point - a paperback also has "poor refresh rate" - wanna know why? It doesn't need one. It's like complaining "This twig is a terrible bicycle" - yeah... it's a twig, it's all you need to light a fire, not wheels and a chain.

Did it sound like I was complaning?

They have a very slow refresh - if you want to flick between pages in a reference book, that's a big problem. Hence the unsupported format for such titles.

I wouldn't think it's a "big problem", it's a fraction of a second, around the same time it takes to flip a PHYSICAL page. People are far too spoilt "oh no, it's taking 0.000001 femptoseconds too long for my cheeseburger to arrive - I'M OFF!" lol

[Monkeh]

Anyone complaining that an e-ink Kindle has "poor refresh rate" etc, is basically missing the point - a paperback also has "poor refresh rate" - wanna know why? It doesn't need one. It's like complaining "This twig is a terrible bicycle" - yeah... it's a twig, it's all you need to light a fire, not wheels and a chain.

Did it sound like I was complaning?

They have a very slow refresh - if you want to flick between pages in a reference book, that's a big problem. Hence the unsupported format for such titles.

I wouldn't think it's a "big problem", it's a fraction of a second, around the same time it takes to flip a PHYSICAL page. People are far too spoilt "oh no, it's taking 0.000001 femptoseconds too long for my cheeseburger to arrive - I'M OFF!" lol

Well, being on my third Kindle and also having bookshelves full of dead wood.. I know it's a lot less convenient than a real book when you're flicking through looking for something specific.

The Kindle suits a particular task. Reference books are not it.

[PlainName]

I buy nearly all my light reading stuff from Amazon for use on a Nook ereader (soon to be replaced with a more upmarket brand, but not Kindle). Exceptions are reference books where being able to rifle through to quickly find a page is much simpler with a real book.

The process is: buy on Amazon, download to Kindle for PC, open with Calibre, send to ereader. Bosh - I have bother the encrypted Kindle version and the unencrypted epub (or whatever is the format du jour), so I can stuff 'em on whatever ereader takes a passing fancy. First time I get a Kindle book that can't be decrypted is the last time I buy on Amazon...

[0db]

The issue with Kindle is you don't really own anything.  It's all cloud based. 

Files (ebook and pdf) are on the cloud but there is a copy of these files on the flash memory of my Kindle PaperWhite, and if I connect my Kindle to a computer via USB, I can copy them like if was a common pendrive.

They are, of course, encrypted.. Which I'm sure has been broken a few times now.

Pdf are not encrypted, so as mostly of my paid epub files. I bought from Amazon a lot of ebook tales written by Philip K. Dick, I cannot read them on my computer because I haven't installed an application, but by opening files via usb the PaperWhite works as if it was a pen stick and with a text editor I see readable strings of text.

If they were encrypted, I should not read anything that looks like human sentences.

[0db]

What makes me  very puzzled is that when you want to buy an ebook, and you are just so lucky to have found it available for your kindle device (Kindle, Kindle PaperWhite, KindleOasis), well ... you click on "buy it now" and Amazon returns you nothing but a weird error

Sorry, this title is not available for your country region

What? Why?

The problem seems related to "rights", and especially "eBook rights" that can be messy with the country you have registered your Amazon account. I am not sure, but it has just happened for reasons incomprehensible to me, and wondering "ok, and now how can in change my country on Amazon so I can give them my money and get the content I am looking for ?", this trick seems to be the workaround.