# Kindle Fire



## hondapa (Oct 24, 2012)

I've owned a Touch for nearly a year. Only interested in reading books. This week I purchased a Kindle Fire on E-Bay. I received the Fire with a battery charger. Nothing else. No instructions. I researched the internet and discovered how to operate the Fire to a certain degree. Since I did not receive a USB cord with the Fire, I am using the USB cord from my Touch. Not sure whether I should purchase a USB cord for the Fire ?? Are they any 
different ?? The problem I am having is downloading EBooks from the Calibre software on my computer to the Fire. I have never had any problem downloading EPUB and MOBI files to my touch, but using the same process - I am not having any luck downloading these files to the FIRE and I do not know why. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. It probably is something very simple, but since I haven't been able to download a FIRE manual from the internet - I do not have a clue. I'm thinking seriously of listing the FIRE on E-Bay for sale and maybe buying another Touch.  Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Here's a link to the manual:

http://kindle.s3.amazonaws.com/Kindle_Fire_Users_Guide.pdf

The Fire only comes with a charger. The USB cord is not included, but any micro-USB cord works (including the one that comes with the Kindle Touch.

I can't help you with the Fire and Calibre, but I'm sure someone else will be able to. I don't use my Fire for books, only movies and games.

I'm going to move this over to the Fire Talk board so that you'll get better responses.

~Luv


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I can't really help either but the thing you have to realize is that the Fire is a completely different animal than the Touch.  The eInk devices are readers first.  I don't even know what operating for sure it's built on, but I'm thinking it's Linux/Unix.  

The Fire, on the other hand, is an adapted android based device.  Much of what it does it does differently than the eInk kindles.  It, even more than the eInk devices, is designed to have a symbiotic relationship with the Amazon ecosystem -- books, apps, etc.  

Personal items can be loaded; they have to go into the right folders, but I've never done it via a USB connection -- as my Fires are registered at Amazon, I just send anything I want to them wirelessly via Amazon.  Which has the added advantage of providing me a back up to the cloud.  And I don't need to worry where to put them because they go the right place automatically. 

We do have folks here, though, who have loaded personal stuff. . . . .no doubt someone will be along soon who can be of assistance.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

Regarding Calibre - was the content you're trying to upload from Calibre purchased from Amazon? If so, the book files probably have DRM and were coded to your Touch when you downloaded from Amazon. You'll have to re-download them specifying your Fire as the device (you DID register your Fire at Amazon, right?). You'll probably want to start another library in Calibre for the Fire. Also, consider starting a library for your non-DRM books, so you don't download them every time you get a new device. If I could figure out how to include a picture, I could show you the steps for this.

Finally, remember that the Fire doesn't work with ePub files natively, you'll need to download an app for that.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Calibre doesn't recognize the Kindle Fire.  There were some posts about this in Mobileread forums, and I think you can get plug-ins to make it work, but I wasn't able to do this last month when I tried.

You can drag and drop your book files from computer to Kindle Fire via USB connection; or 
you can get the Send to Kindle application (download) from Amazon (which Ann told us about).  Once you have this on your PC (I think there may be a mac version as well), you can right click on a book file and choose Send to Kindle.  It will ask you which kindles on your account you want it sent to.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

mlewis78, Shhhhhhh. Not so loud. My Calibre doesn't know that it isn't supposed to recognize the Kindle Fire and has been uploading to it very happily as long as I've had my fire.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

HappyGuy said:


> mlewis78, Shhhhhhh. Not so loud. My Calibre doesn't know that it isn't supposed to recognize the Kindle Fire and has been uploading to it very happily as long as I've had my fire.


It must be a special relationship.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

HappyGuy said:


> mlewis78, Shhhhhhh. Not so loud. My Calibre doesn't know that it isn't supposed to recognize the Kindle Fire and has been uploading to it very happily as long as I've had my fire.


Mine too - well at least since Calibre was updated to recognize the Fire. Now the Fire HD might not be recognized yet.

At any rate, check the Calibre FAQ here for connecting via USB (and do remember that you'll need an app for reading ePubs, as Happy Guy mentioned). http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq.html#how-do-i-use-app-with-my-android-phone-tablet-or-kindle-fire-hd

Better yet, connect wirelessly. Directions here: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq.html#id4 It's my favorite way - and if you use Aldiko as an epub reader app you can create a direct link to your Calibre library within Aldiko. You can do the same with your eInk Kindle.


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## Zero (Jan 27, 2011)

Meemo said:


> Mine too - well at least since Calibre was updated to recognize the Fire. Now the Fire HD might not be recognized yet.
> 
> At any rate, check the Calibre FAQ here for connecting via USB (and do remember that you'll need an app for reading ePubs, as Happy Guy mentioned). http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq.html#how-do-i-use-app-with-my-android-phone-tablet-or-kindle-fire-hd
> 
> Better yet, connect wirelessly. Directions here: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq.html#id4 It's my favorite way - and if you use Aldiko as an epub reader app you can create a direct link to your Calibre library within Aldiko. You can do the same with your eInk Kindle.


How did you get Calibre Companion installed on the Fire? I was thinking of buying it on Google and then side loading it....but am not sure if that works. Is that how you did it?


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't use Calibre Companion - I just get to my Calibre library via the browser.  When I started connecting wirelessly, I don't think Calibre Companion was even an option.  Sorry that's not much help.

I see that it's in the Amazon App Store but not compatible with the Fire - it would be compatible with my rooted Nook Color but I'm too cheap to pay $2.99 to see how it works and if it would work on my Fire.


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## Zero (Jan 27, 2011)

Meemo said:


> I see that it's in the Amazon App Store but not compatible with the Fire - it would be compatible with my rooted Nook Color but I'm too cheap to pay $2.99 to see how it works and if it would work on my Fire.


LOL, me too  I didn't want to pay $2.99 unless I knew it worked.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

I do use Calibre with the Fire HD. I connect to my computer via USB to upload books. I totally forgot you upload by WiFi - never done it. Nope, unless there's a plugin for it I don't see a way to connect directly to the Fire HD via WiFi. And as mentioned, Calibre Companion isn't rated as compatible with the Fire HD.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I can connect my Fire HD to my Calibre library through the browser for transferring books to the Kindle app - just choose the book & mobi format and it'll download.  What I'm having a bit of trouble with is "seeing" it in the Books (Kindle) app - I can open the book from the notifications bar or from ES File Explorer and it opens in the Kindle app - but so far the one I've tried isn't visible in the Carousel or the Books app - even though it does open in the Kindle app.  I'm still playing with that since I just got the Fire.  What I have been able to do is bookmark it as a "favorite" within ES File Explorer to open it easily that way.  

Or I can connect directly from the Aldiko app for ePubs, PDFs etc using the "My Catalog" feature in Aldiko.  (In Aldiko go to "Store", then select the Menu at the bottom of the page then select "My Catalogs" from that menu, tap the "+" sign at the top right and type in the URL info for your Calibre library.)

It's not real efficient for loading lots of books at a time, but I don't keep lots of books on my Fire at a time anyway so connecting wirelessly works well for me.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

DOH!  Figured it out - I was moving the downloaded book to eBooks and Books folder - needed to move it to KINDLE folder (must remember to scroll down. )  Then it shows up under Docs.  Or Books.  I tried two books, one showed up in each place.  Go figure.  But they did show up!

And as an Oh-by-the-way - I did try connecting by USB and Calibre didn't recognize my HD.  In fact my laptop didn't recognize it.  Apparently that might be a Mac issue.


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