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Surface Pro and Kindle Reader

Anonymous
2013-08-13T17:46:27+00:00

I had no problem downloading the Kindle app to my Surface Pro.  However, I was not able to move the newpaper or magazine subscriptions to the Surface.  I called Amazon/Kindle and the tech told me that the reader for newpapers and magazines did not work with Windows 8.  I will try getting the backwards compatibility feature of IE to open the app with windows 7, but I wanted to find out if there is a fix for this issue either in the pipeline or at least being thought about?  Also, is this an Amazon issue or a Microsoft issue?  I'd like to know which company to pester about this going forward.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-08-13T21:27:53+00:00

    This is a program that you can try on your Surface Pro.  Calibre.  Web link: http://calibre-ebook.com/

    It is a freeware ebook management program that has a built in converter.  It gets updates all the time and what you can do after installing it on your Pro is to import the ebook into it and then hook up your Kindle Reader to it.  It should recognize it and be able to send the ebook over to the Kindle in the proper format.

    Check their web site for details and it does get updates all the time with newer drivers for ebook readers.  Potentially, it can import ebooks from any source and output to a device in the proper format for it.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-04-26T01:27:54+00:00

    You have to check with the magazine sources and what formats they are in.  The Calibre program is under constant development even though fully functional but does not support everything.

    Some companies have their own particular apps in order to eliminate 'bootlegging'.  That means that the files will be specially encrypted and only those apps can open them.

    If you have a Surface RT or Surface 2 tablet, you can forget about installing anything other than what is in the Store.  The RT line; the plug has been pulled on them but there are a few apps appearing to support the platform.  That only means it took longer to develop the app than expected and they finally got them out.

    Most of the magazines I have seen require their own particular app to load them.  Those apps generally support Android and iOS for the computer platforms and a few ebook readers out there which are Android based.

    You have to check with the distributor of those magazines or the magazines themselves to find a solution.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-07-29T00:40:26+00:00

    Though it may be a little off topic, probably should be mentioned.  I migrated from an iPad/MacBook Pro to the Surface 3.  Was having difficulty finding how to download all of my books I had purchased, via Kindle App, on my iPad to my Surface.  

    1.  Press book image and slightly swipe downward.  You'll see the check mark ghosted in the upper right hand corner, then let go.  Book should highlight, with a check.
    2.  At the bottom of the app window, you'll see in the lower left hand corner an icon for "download book".  Select it and book will download.  

    Presto.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-08-13T23:15:30+00:00

    You can try it.  It was designed for ebooks.

    I think that Amazon has been thinking about using Calibre in a server capacity maybe in the future to eliminate compatibility problems between readers and file formats for ebooks.

    I don't recall a mention of newspapers and magazines but those may be in ebook format which is actually nothing more than a modified HTML format.  Calibre doesn't cost anything and you can download it and try it.  If it doesn't work, it can be uninstalled.

    You may be able to use Calibre as the download manager with Amazon.  You will need to go through the documentation for it.

    I think it would be worth a shot and could eliminate the problems people have with ebook readers as well.  That feature is built into Calibre also (reading the books).  The program first came out for Linux and is how I came across it.  It is now available for all platforms except for iOS and the Surface RT.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-08-13T21:56:14+00:00

    thanks for your reply.  I have no problem now reading books with the Kindle app on my Surface Pro.  The problem is limited solely to newspapers and magazines.  If the app you cited above also fixes that issue, then it sounds like I'd have to download the newspaper issue that I wanted to read, from the Amazon website, and then use the calibre app to open the file.  Is that right?

    JAS

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