# calibre?



## LC (Mar 28, 2012)

why would I want to use calibre?


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## SSJPabs (Mar 27, 2012)

LC said:


> why would I want to use calibre?


So you can change the format of works to something Kindle will read. EPUB is the obvious example. It also helps you easily edit the metadata for the work (author, title etc.).


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## SusanCassidy (Nov 9, 2008)

Also, some people use it to track all the books that they have, and be able to search by various tags and fields in the Calibre database.  That's too much work for me - I only use it for the occasional conversion.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I keep all my ebooks in Calibre. I use Calibre's server function to wirelessly transfer books to all my portable devices, IOS/Android, etc. Most of my elibrary is non-DRM ePub, which of course, a stock Kindle can't read. I can easily convert the ePubs to Kindle's format.

I also use Calibre to change metadata in Kindle files and sort by custom fields such as when read and genre. I can flag books to be automatically uploaded to the Kindle next time it is connected by USB.

I can also use Calibre to search for and download books on a few dozen sites via the "Get Books" function. It's a very useful function (except in the Barnes and Noble ebook store, where it finds all the printed versions also.)

Mike


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

jmiked said:


> I keep all my ebooks in Calibre. I use Calibre's server function to wirelessly transfer books to all my portable devices, IOS/Android, etc. Most of my elibrary is non-DRM ePub, which of course, a stock Kindle can't read. I can easily convert the ePubs to Kindle's format.
> 
> I also use Calibre to change metadata in Kindle files and sort by custom fields such as when read and genre.
> 
> Mike


Ditto. I've even used Calibre to choose my next book to read - occasionally I'm totally stymied because I have too many choices!

Some people add a plug-in to make it easier to create Collections - it's simpler to do on the computer than on the Kindle. I haven't tried that yet.

I didn't much see the point of Calibre when I first got a Kindle, but the more books I acquired, the more I saw the value in it - now I'd hate to think about managing all my e-books without it.

Having said all that, LC (the original poster) might not want to use it at all. Or might only want to use it if he wants to convert the occasional book.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't use it at all.


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## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

jmiked said:


> I keep all my ebooks in Calibre. I use Calibre's server function to wirelessly transfer books to all my portable devices, IOS/Android, etc. Most of my elibrary is non-DRM ePub, which of course, a stock Kindle can't read. I can easily convert the ePubs to Kindle's format.
> 
> I also use Calibre to change metadata in Kindle files and sort by custom fields such as when read and genre. I can flag books to be automatically uploaded to the Kindle next time it is connected by USB.
> 
> ...


Ditto along with managing Collections, great tool especially now that I am almost at 10,000 books. It really helps me keep track of what I have read.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't use it at all.


We'll still be your friends.  

Mike


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I receive a lot of books from authors requesting reviews. If they're in Mobi format, I load them directly onto my Kindle. I use Calibre for other formats, except for PDFs, for which Calibre is kind of iffy sometimes. For PDFs, I usually end up sending them to Amazon. The coverted file comes back in a couple of minutes, and these usually work fine.


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## machoman (May 18, 2012)

I mainly use calibre to convert epub files to mobi.


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

JimC1946 said:


> I receive a lot of books from authors requesting reviews. If they're in Mobi format, I load them directly onto my Kindle. I use Calibre for other formats, except for PDFs, for which Calibre is kind of iffy sometimes. For PDFs, I usually end up sending them to Amazon. The coverted file comes back in a couple of minutes, and these usually work fine.


I use Calibre to convert pdf to mobi a lot of the time.

Plus I often shop at Smashwords, I use Calibre to send the books to my kindle without having to connect the kindle to the computer. Easy peasy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

kiazishiru said:


> Plus I often shop at Smashwords, I use Calibre to send the books to my kindle without having to connect the kindle to the computer. Easy peasy


Calibre isn't necessary to do this.

You can just attach the file to an email sent to your 'send to' kindle address from an approved email address.

Or, even easier, download the 'send to kindle' application for PC or Mac. Once the app is set up you can send any file on your computer via the 'right click' menu. It even allows you to put a title and author on it.


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Calibre isn't necessary to do this.
> 
> You can just attach the file to an email sent to your 'send to' kindle address from an approved email address.
> 
> Or, even easier, download the 'send to kindle' application for PC or Mac. Once the app is set up you can send any file on your computer via the 'right click' menu. It even allows you to put a title and author on it.


I like to keep my files sorted in Calibre so I can see what I have, plus this way it's only 1-click send, since I can't be bothered to send actual emails 

Until a few weeks ago I have never heard of the send to kindle program but that would require more work for me since I already use Calibre as my library, so I would have to locate the folder, then the file and then send. which is longer than just sending through calibre


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

"Send to Kindle" would've been a great tool for me before I started using Calibre, and now that they've come out with the Mac version I've used it a couple of times to send book lists I've created on the computer to my Kindle(s). But at some point my library got too big to *not* use Calibre - it's so much simpler to have everything in one place and sortable by author, title, series, date added, etc. And being able to access it wirelessly when I'm home makes it all the better.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I started using Calibre not long after got my K2 because I was obsessive about having authors and titles displaying and sorting properly and so needed to change the metadata - something you still can't do directly on the Kindle.

The trouble with this is, you can't just re-download all your amended books when you get a new Kindle as the files are device specific. The more books I got, the more work I had to do every time I got a new Kindle - a DXG, then a K3. Recently I got a KTouch and I was dreading doing it all over again. But when I looked closely, only about 5% of my books really needed changing - authors sorting by first name is the most common problem - and I decided I could live with that, so I haven't used Calibre at all since I got the new Kindle.

Also, with the new (to me) Send to Kindle app on my PC, I can send and convert my personal stuff in one go and have it stored on Amazon's servers and available to all my devices and apps without having to use Calibre for that too. I also find collections much easier to handle on the Touch - no more clicking up and down pages one item at a time - so I'm no longer struggling to get the Calibre Collections add-on to work either.

So, all in all, I'm going the opposite way and phasing out my use of Calibre - all that work when I could just be reading!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Linjeakel said:


> So, all in all, I'm going the opposite way and phasing out my use of Calibre - all that work when I could just be reading!


Exactly! 

And, here's the thing: I tried Calibre early on. . . and just thought it was way too complicated. And, at that time, not particularly user-friendly.  I didn't _need_ any thing but the occasional file converted. I haven't felt the need for backing up or re-meta-data-editing or anything like that, and I long ago gave up on organization. (While DH was in the Navy we'd move every few years and every time we did I always swore I'd keep my books organized and cataloged -- it never stuck.  )

I do have Mobipocket Creator which will do a conversion if I need to, but I haven't even used it for quite some time. I mostly get my books from Amazon anyway. The few non-amazon docs that I want on the Kindle, I am usually able to get in MOBI or PRC format to start. And if not, it's just as easy to do the conversion by sending an email. The Send to Kindle applet makes that dead easy -- it is relatively new but works great -- and with the archiving happening on Amazon there's no need for me to actually _have_ the converted file on _my_ computer.

So. . . .my point (and I do have one ) is that if that's _all_ you want to do, you don't need to get Calibre to do it. . . . .It's kind of like driving a 3 penny nail with a sledge hammer -- way overkill!   BUT, if you want library management and back ups and all that other stuff, Calibre is a powerful tool.

(I note that we're having this lovely conversation but the poster who asked the question hasn't been back in two months to see it.  )

(Send to Kindle for PC is available to download at www.amazon.com/sendtokindle/pc and Send to Kindle for Mac is available for download at www.amazon.com/sendtokindle/mac. )


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> (I note that we're having this lovely conversation but the poster who asked the question hasn't been back in two months to see it.  )


LOL - nevermind - the discussion maybe useful for other members who are asking themselves the same question. The subject of Calibre and ebook cataloguing etc does come up regularly enough.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

And it was fairly new member who revived the thread.  

I use Calibre to problem solve with specific books, not for all of my books.  If I want to change metadata (not often) or change covers (not often) or something like that, I bring the book into Calibre.  Otherwise, I let Amazon maintain my library.

Somehow, Ann, I thought you would be hyper organized....

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Somehow, Ann, I thought you would be hyper organized....
> 
> Betsy


Seriously? You've seen my office, right? 

I do keep myself VERY organized at work -- mixing up clients' tax files is a MAJOR NO NO.

But at home I tend to have piles. Mind you, I know what's in every pile. I've had Ed ask where something is and I'll say something like, "go to my office and sit in the chair and reach your left hand out to the top corner of the shelving, go one slot to the right and it should be there." He does that and comes back amazed that it was right where I said it was.  Or else says he can't find it and I go do just what I told him to do and it's right there. 

I can also pretty much tell you where any of my paper books are shelved in the house -- and there are, literally, books in every room except the bathrooms. But Ed's magazines are usually in there, so that's o.k. 

Though, I admit, I do occasionally find things I've forgotten I had.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Seriously? You've seen my office, right?


No, I don't think I have. I don't think that was part of the tour of your house.

I have piles too...generally know where stuff is. The studio is being reorganized though, so I won't know where anything is...

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> No, I don't think I have. I don't think that was part of the tour of your house.
> 
> I have piles too...generally know where stuff is. The studio is being reorganized though, so I won't know where anything is...
> 
> Betsy


I probably showed it to you but you didn't realize it was an office -- probably just looked like a storage room. 

Sometimes my cleaning lady puts things away for me. I hate that.


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