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Travelfish guides for Kindle and other ebook readers

kibatonic

newbie
Posts: 2

Hi Travelfish people,
first of all, thank you for this great website!!

I'm planning to travel to South East Asia for 6 weeks from beginning of March on and instead as I did the few times before when I had a chance go on holiday, I'm not going to carry 2kg+ in printed books with me, but instead will use my 6" Kindle 3.

And now I found your Free Guides feature... OMG, what a great idea! That's the perfect addition to my Kindle, just create books for all the destinations I'm planning to see, beam them to the Kindle and I'm done.
Now, the Kindle can of course display PDF documents, but viewing a A4 sized page on a screens that's not even A6 isn't much fun, even when I change to orientation to horizontal.

So, my question or rather request is: Is there a chance that you offer an option to create the guides in other formats? Depending on the system that you use for compiling the PDF documents it shouldn't be much of an issue. I'd really like to see that feature, and I'm sure there's a lot of other people who'd be happy about it as well.

Mark

P.S.: If there's already a good way to convert the books to an ebook friendly format that can handle the PDF guides, let me know - the converters I tried couldn't handle (among other things) the two column layout.

P.P.S: If you need help implementing the feature, let me know, I'm working in Software Development for more than 10 years now and have some experience with XSLT/FO etc.

#1 Posted: 31/12/2010 - 01:13
somtam2000

admin
mahout
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Hi kibatonic.
I've not seen a kindle before, so is difficult to test, how does it go with plain text? I mean if I made a file that had all the contents of the PDF guides but just in a long text file, would a Kindle read that?

Cheers

#2 Posted: 4/1/2011 - 08:26

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iPhone Apps for Southeast Asia
boxee

beach masseuse
Posts: 90
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@kibatonic
that is a great idea , i have just bought my self a kindle , its a gread bit of kit , as when i was traveling through thailand there was some places where i could not get a english book , and same as u i did not want to carry more then a few books in my back pack at one time , now i can carry 1000s all on this small device.

@ somtam
a bit off topic , but is there a way you can follow a post , with out having to make a contribution to it , ie like on facebook have a LIKE button , so that you are notified when there is a reply

danny

#3 Posted: 4/1/2011 - 20:57
kibatonic

newbie
Posts: 2

Hi somtam,
I just sent you am pm with some ideas

Cheers,

Mark

#4 Posted: 4/1/2011 - 23:56
ContraKindle

motodop
Posts: 21

Great Post,
I just got a K3 as well and am heading to Thailand in Jan for 6 weeks for the first time. I have been searching for Kindle reviews on LP & RG and am gearing my guidebook purchase for the latest edition. I am heading to Chiang Mai immed., so the Bangkok books are relatively useless. Anyone have suggestions? Thanks in advance.

#5 Posted: 5/1/2011 - 10:42
busylizzy

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Boxee - you can subscribe to a thread to follow replies by logging in down at the bottom of the thread (like you were going to make a post). When the page is refreshed, you will see a green diagonal banner across the top right corner that says 'Subscribe to thread'. Click on that and you will receive email notifications each time a new post is made.

#6 Posted: 5/1/2011 - 16:34

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As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.
boxee

beach masseuse
Posts: 90
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thanks for that Lizzy

#7 Posted: 5/1/2011 - 17:12
busylizzy

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Hey Somtam - just wondering if you took this Kindle idea any further. I'm considering getting one, and thought putting TF guides on would be a bonus!

#8 Posted: 18/6/2011 - 06:03

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As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.
arenal

backpacker
Posts: 12

Hi,
I have the same situation here, and as these kindles are getting more popular more people will need to have your guides in an ebook compatible form. Hope we can get them soon!
and thanks for all the great work

#9 Posted: 27/11/2011 - 08:09
frasmc

motodop
Posts: 29
frasmc

I have been travelling for 7 weeks now using the Travel Fish guides in .pdf format on my Kindle with a 6" display and it has been fantastic. Reading the large .pdf files on the small screen can be a bit of a challenge, but I got used to it pretty quickly and am now able to find the info I want quickly and easily using the zoom and scrolling.

That said, if the free guides also were available in plain text then using the Kindle with Travelfish would be even more fantastic!

#10 Posted: 27/11/2011 - 08:24

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busylizzy

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I spent a bit of time trying to convert the PDF guides to a suitable format for the Kindle but the conversion programs weren't successful. I wasn't as patient as you in dealing with the need to scroll back and forth across the page though.

I have it on good authority that Somtam is now a bit more familiar with the Kindles.
Here's hoping that he will look at adding a small feature to the guides to allow us to save it into Kindle format. (WIth maps, of course!)

#11 Posted: 27/11/2011 - 16:10

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As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.
somtam2000

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mahout
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Yes, I now own a Kindle. Thanks busylizzy for the demo in Auckland

We're looking at something more Kindle-specific in the coming months. Not sure about the maps though.

#12 Posted: 27/11/2011 - 16:37

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iPhone Apps for Southeast Asia
busylizzy

under-employed
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Wahoo! Which one did you get? Hope you waited for one of the touch screen ones...

I guess I had better start thinking about my next trip then in anticipation of the all-singing, all-dancing Kindle guide. There is hope for the trees yet....

#13 Posted: 27/11/2011 - 17:10

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As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.
boxee

beach masseuse
Posts: 90
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u know i think the kindle fire touch screen will be a nice cheap tablet , but it misses the point of what a book reader should be

tablets are not easy on the eyes for reading (the fire does not have the E ink screen )

i am sure the kindle fire battry will not last 3-4 weeks , (i just had a holiday in thailand for 2 weeks , and did not charge it once )

also i love the way my kindle fits into my pockets , easy when travelling , not always having to get it out of my bag

#14 Posted: 28/11/2011 - 23:44
busylizzy

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Agree with you about the fire being a tablet... but the other two touch-screen versions have e-ink, don't they, and I think page turning is improved? It took me awhile to stop trying to scroll pages when I got my Kindle Keyboard.

#15 Posted: 29/11/2011 - 00:47

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As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.
boxee

beach masseuse
Posts: 90
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sorry lizzy with all the hype about the kindle fire i did not know there were other touch screens coming out
i will look up now

#16 Posted: 29/11/2011 - 05:13