Handling Files through USB, Managing Your Documents

connected but returns right to where you were when you disconnect the USB cable. Before you disconnect the cable, make sure there is no USB activity by checking the USB activity indicator on the bottom of the Kindle cursor bar. If the cursor is showing, there is activity occurring and you should not unplug the cable.

Tip: It is always best to use your computer to unmount or eject your Kindle before disconnecting the USB cable. Consult your computer manual for details on how to properly disconnect a USB storage device.

8.2 Handling Files through USB

Both Macintosh and Windows users can manage Kindle ﬁles through the USB connection. When your Kindle is plugged into your computer, Kindle and any inserted SD memory card appear as removable mass storage devices in Windows Explorer or as a drive in the Mac OS Finder.

Managing Your Documents

When Kindle is connected to your computer, you will see three directories or folders. The one called "documents" contains all of your digital reading materials like books, newspapers, your "My Clippings" ﬁle, etc. The "Audible" directory is for your audiobooks, and "music" is for your MP3 ﬁles. You can add Kindle compatible ﬁles to these directories, and you can copy, move, or delete the ﬁles that are already there. The computer ﬁle formats that you can read or listen to on your Kindle are listed below:

•Kindle (.AZW, .AZW1)

•Text (.TXT)

•Unprotected Mobipocket (.MOBI, .PRC)

•Audible (.AA)

•MP3 (.MP3)

Tip: Mobipocket ﬁles must have no Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection applied to be readable on your Kindle. If you purchased a Mobipocket ﬁle from a Mobipocket retailer, you will not be able to open the ﬁle on your Kindle.

Transferring Your Clippings

Your clippings are stored in a ﬁle called "My Clippings.txt," which is located in the "documents" directory. If you want to copy the clippings from your Kindle to your computer so you can edit them, e-mail a passage to a friend, or just archive your clippings, you can drag and drop the "My Clippings.txt" ﬁle onto your computer. Clippings and other annotations are described in more detail in Chapter 3.

8.3 Converting and Transferring Your Documents

In addition to reading commercially available materials, you can have Amazon convert your personal documents into a Kindle compatible format for reading on your Kindle. You can have the converted ﬁles sent directly to your Kindle for a small fee or to your default Amazon e-mail account for free.