What Can the Kindle Read?
The Kindle is a portable electronic book reader created by Amazon. The device reads a variety of specific e-book formats, and all e-books sold on Amazon.com work on the Kindle. Before purchasing one to read your vast existing library on the go, ensure all of your e-books or potential purchases are available in a matching format.
Other People Are Reading
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Documents
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The Kindle e-reader opens a number of different document formats, including those commonly used for e-books and personal documents says Amazon.com. Supported file types include .AZW, .TXT and .MOBI or .PRC files that don't have rights management settings to prevent copying. not supported are .PDF, .HTML and image files, but Amazon provides a simple software solution for converting these files into something the Kindle knows how to open. With its software you can convert any .PDF or .HTML e-books to .AZW, the Kindle's native format.
Music
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The Kindle plays music files in the .MP3 format as well as displaying documents, according to Amazon.com, making it possible to enjoy music and a favorite book with one device. No other music formats are supported by the Kindle, but many freeware conversion programs exist on the Internet for converting other files to .MP3. The format .MP3 is often chosen for multi-use devices like the Kindle because it is a commonly used format that allows for variable levels of compression to save space.
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Audible Files
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Files that come from Audible.com work on a Kindle in their natural format .AA. These files contain voice tracks covering a variety of topics, ranging from talk show recordings to lectures from famous professors. The most common use of the Audible file is for packaging audio books. Authors or voice actors read the text of a popular novel so you can enjoy it while driving, working out or anything that prevents you from looking at a page.
Converted Files
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The Kindle doesn't read files like .PDF or copy protected .MOBI, but there are other software solutions for converting these files. Some come from the maker of the Kindle itself, while others are third party developments. Removing the rights protection of a .MOBI may be illegal depending on your state's statutes on copy protection, so check before you convert them. The most common format of e-book, the .EPUB file, doesn't open on the Kindle and won't convert with the included software. You'll need a special converter if you have a library of .EPUB format books.
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References
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