The solution to all my ebook problems

[alex_beecroft]

One of the better things since sliced bread, is Calibre, which I downloaded for free this morning.  I wanted to send The Witch’s Boy to a reviewer, but he only accepted .epub files, and WB only came in .pdf or .mobi format.  Now, thanks to the magic of Calibre, I can just convert my .mobi file into an .epub file and send him that.

One of the reasons why I haven’t been on a total ebook spending spree on Amazon was that I have a Cybook Gen ereader, not a Kindle, and Kindle’s DRM prevented me reading any of their books on my ereader, even if I had paid good money to buy them. 

Kindle for PC is all very well, but I don’t want to have to take my PC with me when I’m on holiday, or going to the shops, or waiting for the bus, or any one of those places where I would normally take a book with me.  Also, to be frank, I’m just never going to sit down and read a book on the computer.  The eyestrain!  The piles!  The constant feeling that I ought to be doing something useful instead.

Now, with the aid of some Calibre plugins, available here, I can also convert kindle books (legally purchased by me) into books I can actually read on my own personal e-reader.  Shocking thought! The appalling consequences for Amazon from this are that I might actually start buying their ebooks now.  Well, I would, if only all the ones I wanted were available in my country, but I guess that’s a grouch for another day.

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