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The eBooks in your HFS Digital Library may be downloadable in any of three file formats: PDF, ePub, or MobiPocket. You select this format when you purchase the eBook from the publisher's website. The eBook format you choose must be compatible with your computer, handheld device, or eReader. Free software is available for nearly all computers and handheld devices that will read all three of these formats. If you intend to read your eBook on a dedicated eReader--such as an Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, or Kobo eReader Touch--you should check that your device supports the eBook format you select.
PDF eBooks are readable on most computers and handheld devices using Adobe Reader. Some operating systems and browsers are also able to read PDF files without Adobe Reader using built-in tools. PDF eBooks are more similar to printed books than ePub and Mobi files are: the text of the book is "set" in a fixed layout on the page. This makes PDF a good format for larger screens, such as computers or tablets, but less ideal for smaller screens, such as smartphones or eReaders.
ePub files, unlike PDFs, are "reflowable" eBooks. This means that the text of the book is not in a fixed layout on the page; instead, the text can wrap and resize to be readable on many different screens. ePub files are compatible with most dedicated eReaders, with the notable exception of the Amazon Kindle.
MobiPocket is the file format best suited for the Amazon Kindle. In fact, Kindle books purchased directly from Amazon are actually MobiPocket files with Amazon's own digital rights management (or "DRM") protection added. Amazon offers free Kindle apps for most platforms (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, and others) that are capable of reading Mobi files.
In addition to desktop and notebook computers, a number of dedicated eBook devices, or eReaders, can be used to enjoy the titles in your HFS Digital Library offline. More recently, a number of tablets and smartphones are capable of functioning like eReaders with the installation of some readily available software. See our eBook Formats page for more information.
paidContent.org publishes a list of eReaders that compares these devices on their Comparing E-Readers and Tablets page. The "Native Formats" row gives information about which eReaders can handle PDF, ePub, and Mobi formats.
Of these three formats, ePub is supported by most eReaders, including the Barnes and Noble Nook and the Sony Reader. Apple iOS devices--such as the iPad and iPhone--will automatically download ePub files after installing iBook, Stanza, or Bluefire from the App Store. A detailed list of devices that support our PDF and ePub titles be found on this list from Adobe Digital Publishing.
Amazon Kindle devices do not support ePub files. (It is possible to import PDFs without DRM protection to the Kindle, but PDF is not an ideal reading format for many portable devices.) Instead, the Kindle natively supports the MobiPocket, or Mobi, format. The instructions below detail the process of transferring your Mobi purchases to your Kindle. More detailed support can be found from Amazon.
Special Kindle instructions
Download the MobiPocket format eBook to your computer. Then transfer the file to the Kindle reader by following these steps:
- Remove the electrical plug from the end of your Kindle charging cord. This will reveal a USB connector that you can then plug into any USB port on your computer, or a USB hub connected to your computer.
- Plug the other end of the Kindle charging cord into the charging port on your Kindle. Your Kindle can be on or off for this part of the process. The Kindle's charging port doubles as the data transfer port; when your Kindle is plugged into the computer you will be able to both recharge its battery from the computer's battery and transfer files.
- Wait until your Kindle automatically goes into USB drive mode and appears in your computer's system as a removable mass-storage device, just as a DVD or data CD would.
- Double-click on the Kindle's icon to open a window displaying its various folders. Locate the folder designated for the file type you want to transfer from the computer to the Kindle. Note that only certain file types-- .MOBI, .PDF, .AZW, .AZW1, .TXT, .PRC, .AA, .AAX and .MP3--are currently readable by the Kindle.
- Locate the files you want to transfer on your computer's hard drive, then drag and drop them into the appropriate Kindle folder.
- Use your computer's undock, eject or unmount function to "eject" the virtual Kindle disc once the transfer is complete.
- Disconnect your Kindle from the USB cable. It will automatically return to wherever you may have been reading before you connected it to the computer.