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How to read Epub on your Kindle

Mike Cane found a video today that shows someone reading an Epub ebook on their K3. It turns out I know the people who did it, and yes, they are actually reading an Epub ebook. I’m still in the middle of finding out how they did it, but it doesn’t matter. While I was trying to figure out how they read Epub on the Kindle I came up with a whole other solution.

I can tell you how_ you_ can read Epub on your Kindle. I used Ibis Reader, a browser based Epub reading app. It currently only supports DRM free Epub, and it requires an active web connection, but it might be useful to you.

Here’s how I did it

Visit the Ibis Reader website and create an account. Find a bunch of the free ebooks you’d like to read and add them to your bookshelf. You’re going to want to do this from your computer because the process will go a lot faster.

Open the browser on your Kindle. Go to the Ibis Reader website (ibisreader.com) and login. Open one of the ebooks.

The print is tiny, I know. Move the zoom window to the upper right corner and zoom in. The first thing you’ll want to do is increase the font size to one you’re comfortable with. After that, move the cursor to the "no distractions". This will reflow the text to fit the browser window, or in this case the text will be as wide as the Kindle screen (but still hang off the bottom).

Before you start reading, move the cursor to the right until you find the "continue" button. It’s ther, trust me. Leave the cursor on the button and forget about it for the moment.

You’re ready to start reading. You use the page turn buttons to advance the text, and they d-pad to go to the next section.

It’s not terrible useful to me, IMO. But it is an interesting curiosity. And I’m pretty sure someone will find a practical use that suits them.

Enjoy.

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Comments


Tom Semple September 16, 2010 um 6:52 pm

Article mode works with ibisreader.com also.

I had hoped I’d be able to read ePub on my Kindle by pointing the browser at an (exploded) ePub stored on Kindle itself, using one of the Javascript libraries, but it turns out that 'file://…" is not supported.

Of course this is all just playing around – non DRM ePub generally converts well to native Kindle format so anything else is not really practical.

I think it would be nice if Amazon added ePub to the list of formats it converts via the @kindle.com conversion/delivery service, however.


A second, better way to read Epub on your Kindle (video) September 17, 2010 um 10:36 am

[…] I showed you how to read Epub on your Kindle. I’ll admit, using Ibis Reader isn’t a very clean solution, but it was an interesting […]


Jag Venugopal September 17, 2010 um 12:33 pm

Instead of doing all this, how about using Calibre to convert the EPUB to MOBI format and then loading it on the Kindle? Works really nice for non-DRM’ed titles.

Nate the great September 17, 2010 um 3:00 pm

No argument here.

Spartacus December 10, 2010 um 5:27 pm

Thank you sir. It worked.


Save Posts as EPUB Ebooks! November 13, 2010 um 3:31 pm

[…] If you’re new to this or don’t have an e-reading device, you might want to download Adobe Digital Editons for reading .epub files on your Mac or PC. (I use this app for testing or reading downloaded EPUBs from other sources.) You Kindle users aren’t left out, either. While the Kindle doesn’t yet support the .epub format, there is a workaround. […]


DK December 7, 2010 um 11:54 am

Check out CALIBRE
for E-book management and Conversion


Elen March 1, 2011 um 7:46 pm

Check Epub to Kindle converter: http://www.epubkindle.com


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