Koll3ctions and Calibre Plugin problems with Touch

[strobodyne]

Is anyone else trying to use Koll3ctions or the Calibre "Kindle Collections Plugin" to manage their collections on the new Kindle Touch? 

Basically, both programs allow you to manage your collections using the file/folder structure on your computer when you connect via USB, rather than long clicking and adding everything to different collections on the touch screen itself, which I imagine will become pretty unwieldy once my library starts growing.

According to a thread on mobileread.com, the Calibre plugin doesn't work with the touch, and I've been totally unsuccessful getting Koll3ctions to work.  This is a total bummer.  First no 3G web browsing, now no third party interface solutions?

Both programs are located here, for those interested:
http://koll3ctions.sourceforge.net/
http://rjnorwich.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/manage-kindle-collections-with-calibre/

[Morf]

I've certainly read in several places (here, for instance http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,91797.0.html) that collections are handled completely differently on the Touch - the collections.json file that the old Kindles used is no longer there.

So I'm not surprised that neither of these products work at present.

I can only suggest you keep an eye on the change log pages for both, I'm sure the authors will be working on it.

Kovid Goyal, the Calibre author, is active over on MobileRead, he may post timescales for developments over there.

[webhill]

Does anyone know: if I use my K2 in conjunction w/Koll3ctions to create the collections, will my Touch be able to import the collections when I'm done?


Hillary Israeli, VMD
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[chilady1]

The Calibre Collections plug-in does not work with the Kindle Touch.  It still works with the Kindle 2, Kindle 3 (with keyboard) but according to the programmers/developers over at MobileRead, there is something (file or system, not sure) that won't allow the Kindle Collections plug-in to work with the Kindle Touch. 

This is a direct quote from the first page on MobileRead under the Kindle Collections plug-in:

This plugin does not work on Kindle Touch because Amazon changed the way the Kindle manages collections on the Touch. This cannot be fixed by modifying the plugin since the collection information is no longer accessible by users. You may want to contact Amazon and ask them to provide a way to manage your collections without having to edit them using the Kindle.

[webhill]

The Calibre Collections plug-in does not work with the Kindle Touch.  It still works with the Kindle 2, Kindle 3 (with keyboard) but according to the programmers/developers over at MobileRead, there is something (file or system, not sure) that won't allow the Kindle Collections plug-in to work with the Kindle Touch. 

This is a direct quote from the first page on MobileRead under the Kindle Collections plug-in:

This plugin does not work on Kindle Touch because Amazon changed the way the Kindle manages collections on the Touch. This cannot be fixed by modifying the plugin since the collection information is no longer accessible by users. You may want to contact Amazon and ask them to provide a way to manage your collections without having to edit them using the Kindle.

Yes. I already read all of that. I understand. My question is this: I am of the understanding that once collections exist on one device, other devices are able to import those collections. So, if I use (any third party program) to create collections on my K2, will I then be able to import them onto my Touch (or, for that matter, any other Kindle device?)

I apologize if my question was unclear.

Thanks,
Hillary

[Ann in Arlington]

If collections from another device can be imported to you're device it'll be easy to figure out.  Go to Archived Items and the top selection is Add Other Device Collections.  When you click that, it'll list the devices for which it knows about collections and any that are listed there can be imported.

[webhill]

Hey Ann,
My Touch does show me the K2 when I go into the archive and choose "import collections." I guess the only way to know if the collections created by the 3rd party software will be able to be imported is to go ahead and try it out. I was just thinking if it created them in some kind of proprietary way that other devices couldn't detect then it wouldn't work.... that's really what I was wanting to find out, before going to the trouble of doing the whole thing

[Ann in Arlington]

I haven't ever used Calibre -- has always just seemed like way more complication than I need. . . .but as I understand it that extra plug in was just so you could edit the collections off the Kindle.  So if there is a set of 'collections' listed you should be able to import it whether they were created on the Kindle or imported from the other app.

[Morf]

Hey Ann,
My Touch does show me the K2 when I go into the archive and choose "import collections." I guess the only way to know if the collections created by the 3rd party software will be able to be imported is to go ahead and try it out. I was just thinking if it created them in some kind of proprietary way that other devices couldn't detect then it wouldn't work.... that's really what I was wanting to find out, before going to the trouble of doing the whole thing

Once Calibre has created your collections file for you (the collections.json file) and got it copied to the K2 and the K2 is using it, your collections are just as they would have been if you created the collections manually. Although you created the collections in a non-standard way, the results are identical.

Therefore I would be pretty certain that you could transfer these collections from your K2 to the Touch. Not 100% positive, but pretty sure!