The FREE Mobipocket Reader Software and how to use it to convert files for your Kindle.
Creating a .rtf (rich text format) file or .txt (text) file is the first step in having a personal file to put on your Kindle. If your end result is a text file (.txt), no conversion is necessary. Drag that file to the Documents folder on your Kindle and it will be readable the moment you disconnect the USB cable and turn your Kindle on to the Home page. An rtf file needs to be converted to something the Kindle can read just as easily. If you are doing anything that requires more than plain text, like adding images, .rtf files are what you need because they allow for a little more elaborate formatting. This is where the FREE Mobipocket Reader software can be a valuable tool in your arsenal of Kindle helpers.
Installation:
Download the installation file for this software directly from the Mobipocket site to your computer. If you are reading this on your Kindle, go to mobipocket.com with your main computer, then click the red Software tab at the top of the page (last on the right). When you get to the software page, click once on the red Download button underneath the description of the Mobipocket eBook Reader on the left side of the page. You will then be taken to the real download page where you can click the red Download button (on the right side of the page) for the last time and actually download your software for your computer with either Vista or XP. A windows dialog box for downloading will appear asking if you want to save the file or run it. Choose to Save it on your Desktop (if possible) so it will be easier to find. This would be a good time to write down the file name too, in case you need to hunt for it after the download is complete. The name of the file I downloaded was mobireadersetup.msi. A .msi file is a special Windows install file, along the lines of an exe file. The file is 5.3 Mb, not too large for an average/fast connection, so it won't take long to download.
Don't worry about downloading or installing (unless you want to) the Mobipocket eBook Creator yet... it is great software too, and I will certainly be writing more about it in the future. I haven't played with the Mobipocket Publisher Edition yet, but when I do, you can be sure I will share the experience with that too. You need the Reader for sure, and it does basic converting really well.
Double click the file you download to begin the installation process. Say yes to all the defaults. It is perfectly safe and does not contain any spyware or malware of any kind. Say yes to any permissions Windows asks you for and complete the installation.
Using Mobipocket Reader to Convert personal files:It is a drag and drop operation and the skills you need are resizing windows (not letting them fill the screen) and dragging your completed .rtf file from one area (your desktop or wherever you have the file you created) to any empty area in the book list side - right side - of the Mobipocket Reader software window. To drag a file, left click on it and while holding down the left mouse button, drag it to the destination. When you get there, let go of the mouse button.
The Mobipocket Reader is a great reader for your PC. It will display your books and let you go through the pages very nicely. It will even remember your place if you need to walk away for a while. It is also a great way to organize books you get from places other than Amazon (like Manybooks.net). Anything you can open or read with the Mobipocket Reader, you can copy and read on your Kindle.
My favorite files for dragging and dropping to the Mobipocket Reader are .html files. These are actually web page files, text with coding in it. You can rename these files (change the extension) to .txt files and then send them to your Kindle and they should work fine. But sometimes (I don't know why) they just look better after dragging them to the Mobipocket Reader and letting it convert them to .prc files. Sometimes it will even retain a clickable table of contents, if there is one in the html file, as well as any images included in the folder the html file is in. It won't hurt to try it both ways and see which you like best.
What happens when you drag a file into the Mobipocket book area is interesting. You will see a status message at the bottom of the main window telling you what it is doing. When it is finished converting the file, the "book" or your personal document will open in Mobipocket book form for you to read on your PC screen. You can tuck the original file (.rtf) away in its permanent folder if you want, for later updating. Mobipocket has created a nice, neat little .prc file in a special folder named My eBooks in your Documents folder. This is the file you will want to drag to the documents folder on your Kindle. If you update your rtf file, you will need to drag it into the Mobipocket software again to create a new prc file.
The key is the special My eBooks folder. Find it in your Documents folder and make friends with it, because anything you open with your Mobipocket Reader will have a permanent copy in this folder. For every file name you see with .prc at the end of it, you will see another file with the same name and .mbp for the extension at the end of the file name. These files are tiny and contain things your Reader uses like any bookmarks, the last page you read, etc, and do not have to go to your Kindle. Send the .prc file only. Your Kindle will make its own mbp file the first time you open it on your Kindle to read it.
Whew! A lot of information shared today. Hope it inspires you to go book hunting!
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If you have a question, please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) with your question. I have no way to answer or get more information from you to give you a decent answer if you just comment. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a valuable resource to anyone who reads it.
