Can I add books to my Kindle through an iPad?
February 6, 2014 7:50 PM   Subscribe

Can I, through some combination of adapters and usb-to-lightning cables, transfer data from an ipad to a kindle?

I am just about ready to trade in my laptop for an ipad but the one function I need a computer for is to rent library e-books and transfer them to my laptop via usb. For some reason, those ebooks need to be transferred via usb and not over wireless. Is that possible with an iPad?

Details:
Kindle is an old keyboard model.
iPad would be a new iPad Air.
Kindle has a female micro usb port.
iPad has a female lightning port.
posted by thewestinggame to Computers & Internet (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
You may be able to do something with the camera connection kit and a USB cable, but it is designed for importing images onto the iPad.

However, the iPad doesn't even have a file manager so I'm going to say no, not without jailbreaking or some other roundabout hack.
posted by wongcorgi at 8:36 PM on February 6, 2014


Are you sure you need to sync via USB? At least in my library system with Overdrive, that's no longer the case. All Kindle books can be synced over wifi (this is recent, last few months).
posted by wsquared at 9:51 PM on February 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


Could you do this by actually going to the library every now and then? YMMV as to the desirability of it, but if you only need a real computer for that one thing, sometimes a good solution is finding a way to borrow someone else's computer.
posted by Sequence at 11:06 PM on February 6, 2014


OverDrive has long had the capability to work with Amazon to push out ebooks over wifi. Unfortunately, owing to publisher restrictions, some books from some publishers are required to be transferred over USB. This is pure cussedness on the part of the publisher and not a technical barrier of any sort.

I would suggest, since the unlocking of the file is done by Amazon, that you just take your kindle+cable to the library or to a friend's house. I don't know of any way that you'll be able to transfer them via the iPad.

That said, if you're open to using the iPad as your ereader, OverDrive has an app (free) that you can install and check out and read books through.
posted by clerestory at 11:20 PM on February 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


What kind of data?

On the 'manage my kindle' page on Amazon there are instructions on how to send documents to your kindle via email. It works well for pdf's, though I prefer to view those on a pad.

There is also a kindle app for the pad. You can share documents quite easily between them using the app using wifi, without needing any cables or ports or third computer.
posted by kanewai at 1:59 AM on February 7, 2014


If you use the kindle app for the iPad or laptop your complete kindle library is available to download. This also includes material through Overdrive. In overdrive you would just choose kindle and the file confirmation is done via amazon website. You return your library ebooks via the "manage kindle" page. I have been able to read my kindle library ion multiple devices. My reading set up is iPad, iPhone, MacBook and windows 7 desktop.

If you are asking about stand alone files that do not have an Amazon record, then that is a different process.
posted by jadepearl at 4:40 AM on February 7, 2014


Apologies, you have to get the books via USB? Are you willing to remove the DRM of the files?
posted by jadepearl at 5:10 AM on February 7, 2014


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