Listen to Books & News: Get One Month of Audible Free

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.audible.com/ppc/thoughts' target='_blank'>http://www.audible.com/ppc/thoughts</a><br /><br /></div>Audible has a promotion on now that lets you get one month free, and we've signed up as an affiliate with them. If you sign up and stay signed up for more than two months, Pocket PC Thoughts will get a % of your subscription as a one-time payment. Audible has some cool content! I've never really listened to a book before, but I just heard a sample portion from a book and was quite entranced. It's somehow soothing to listen to a book rather than reading it...<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logo_tagline.gif" /> <br /><br />"With Audible, you can hear the most entertaining, informative and engaging digital audiobooks and content using your PocketPC. And just for PocketPC users, join and get a month of Audible service FREE. Receive two audio programs each month. Listen as often as you like – it’s yours forever. No commitment, cancel anytime!"

[rtrueman]

I year or so back, I tried out Audible. I love their content, but was highly disappointed with the quality of their software. Since then, I've seen the same type of response from others. Has their software improved? If not, that's a deal breaker. Otherwise, I'd probably see if I can re-download the stuff I purchased and start listening again. It's great in the car on long drives.

Rob

[ChristopherTD]

I have listened to a number of titles on my iPod and really enjoyed doing so. I stopped listening because they stopped selling all their titles to non-US residents - a policy they have now relaxed a little.

So I am now listening again, and all the titles I previously purchased are still available for me to download if I wish. I agree that their software is pretty flaky, but once the file is downloaded the iPod takes over and works very well.

I haven't tried listening on the PPC, because the iPod works and has oodles of storage space, but also because the PPC doesn't support the highest quality bitrate (Audible Format 4). There are some uncomfortable threads detailing the difficulties people have had making the Audible software work on PPC, and now the recent MS Reader update appears to have further upset things (you can listen to Audible titles in Reader, or could before the update).

If you can make it work for you, Audible is a good way to enjoy books!

[paris]

i had my ayes on audible for some time and i thought it would be nice to give it a try know and see if i like this. I did register just now and i found a title i liked "Getting Things Done" but i could not add it to my cart saying that "ALERT: Audible.com is not authorized to sell this title to your geographic location." Well what is that all about??? grrrrrrr

[Paragon]

No, there software stinks. (sorry but you asked) I use MS Reader and find it is much better, and it recognizes Audible. Plus you don't even have to activate it. You only need to activate your PPC with Audible.

The cost of audio books is quite high. If you are one who thinks that ebooks are expensive you better sit down and turn on your pacemaker before you check the prices. There is a lot of extra expense in producing an audio book, and they are also chosen by a slim market which makes them quite expensive. Buying a membership does bring the cost down considerably.

Dave

[paris]

how can you use MS reader to play these files?

[bcaray]

paris - I transfer the files to the PPC using the Audible desktop software and then open Reader. The books show in the library. Just tap and listen.

[mike6024]

Well, I just signed up and installed all their crazy software. It looked ok, but now each time I open MS Reader it crashes. The Audible install made me shut down Reader so I know it's their fault. :evil:

[paris]

ok,i got it to show now on my library, somehow ms reader version 2.2.1 would start and not 2.2.2. Now the new version starts and shows the audible title in the library as well. Wish it had biger controls thought

[organon]

I've been an Audible user for years. I personally can't live without it anymore. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but listening to books somehow makes an hour in Atlanta traffic seem much more bearble. My coworkers appreciate my better moods. :wink:

I currently use it with my iPod with iTunes, which is absolutely wonderful. I have used it with a PPC with much less luck. I haven't tried it recently, though. The main problem I had was that if you switched away from the program without actually closing it, it could take quite some time (many seconds to a minute or more, depending on the size of the file being played) to switch back. Closing it and opening it didn't have the same issue, which meant you just had to be careful to close Audible after each use. Not sure why. Just poor programming, I suppose. I had the same problem listening to it through MS Reader, which IMO was a more difficult interface to use anyway. As for incompatibilities with MS Reader, I really didn't have any problems, but I didn't try it with PPC 2002 or 2003. Just 2000. Sound quality is good to excellent at level 3 and 4. Stay away from lower quality recordings unless you want to be annoyed by a tinny voice for 8+ hours. I think the PPC player only supported levels 2 and 3, so go for 3.

As for cost, it isn't that bad at all, unless you compare it to checking out books at the public library (or perhaps exchanging/renting them at audio book exchanges, which may be a little bit less). I pay less because I'm grandfathered, but now it essentially it works out to $10 per book. Compare this to Barnes & Noble prices, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you don't want to compare, it works out to between a 60 and 80 percent savings. Since I used to buy my books, this is a major relief on my pocketbook. Note that their full prices are the same as those found in the bookstores, so I don't think that there is any markup based on the cost of digitizing.

Oh, and don't forget to look at subscriptions. There's nothing quite like listening to the latest edition of the Wall Street Journal on your commute!

Anyway, I'm sure it isn't for everyone, but for me, it has been a wonderful experience.

Paul

[sundown]

Another vote for Audible here. I agree their books are way expensive but if you join their Listener plan it's reasonable. I pay like $13 a month and get a book and a subscription program each month. Very happy with it.

[DarrenS]

I, too, have been an Audible listener for a couple of years. I signed on when their Light Listener for $10.95US a month. It is now $12.95US a month, but I get 2 books (any books) a month. I noticed that they no longer offer the particular plan I am on.

Their software is not the best. The desktop software is better than their PPC software. I hate their PPC software.

I love the fact that I can burn my Audible books to audio CDs and then play them in my car stereo. Great for the commute!! But I burn 12 - 15 CDs a month (2 books worth). Thankfully CD-Rs are cheap!

[Ed Hansberry]

I year or so back, I tried out Audible. I love their content, but was highly disappointed with the quality of their software. Since then, I've seen the same type of response from others. Has their software improved? If not, that's a deal breaker. Otherwise, I'd probably see if I can re-download the stuff I purchased and start listening again. It's great in the car on long drives.
To put it bluntly, audible's software stinks. See http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14194 to get Audible content to work on 2003. Activating 2002 is automatic and doesn't require all of the hokeyness.

[juni]

I think I'll pass on the PPC Thoughts offer after reading this PPC Thoughts article:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2217&highlight=audible+software

;)

[Ed Hansberry]

I think I'll pass on the PPC Thoughts offer after reading this PPC Thoughts article:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2217&highlight=audible+software
Ahhh yes. An oldie but a goodie. I can say that now with Audible Manager 4, they no longer mandate AM be installed on your device. I gave a link earlier in this thread showing how to activate MS Reader for Audible content on a 2003 device. For 2002, you should be able to activate MS Reader directly.

Audible Manager 4 is still a horrible piece of software, but I can deal with it given I only have to spend a few seconds a day actually working with it, which is basically dragging content to my iPAQ.

[weisco]

AUDIBLE ROCKS! I've been an Audible customer for several years, and am very impressed with their content. It's easy to become hooked--try it for a month during your commute or when waiting around in airports.

Since reading Ed Hansberry's comments in June about using MS Reader the software issues I used to have are gone! (I'm using T-Mobile 2002 & haven't been willing to upgrade to newest Reader yet).

The times I have contacted customer support I must have been fortunate because I reached a live person & they reset my account quickly.

Since I like the unabridged versions of books, and often choose new releases, I find the pricing Very Affordable (I have a grandfathered plan but their current subscription works out to $10/book--check out the cost of a new release hardback at your local bookstore & compare the cost!)

For those on the fence I suggest you try Audible for a month and see if you also find it a great use for a PPC.

[Paul Alivisatos]

I have been an Audible user for about three years, since I bought my first Pocket PC. It is true that the software has lots of problems, but the bottom line for me is that this is the single most useful application I have on my Poket PC. I listen to books in airports, driving, and exercising, and even while doing errands. I also have the two books a month plan at the low rate that is no longer offered, but even at the the higher rate, this is a great bargain.

Some difficulties with the software:

1.. The Audible desktop manager loads very strangely on my laptop. I have to start the program, put the laptop into hibernation, and wake it up for the program to fully load and start. I called technical support about this, but they were not abloe to resolve it, despite doing a few complete uninstall/reintall cycles.

2. It is very easy to accidentally delete a book from the Pocket PC. This has happened a couple of times while I am listeningt o a book and the pocket pc is in my shirt pocket. There needs to be an extra dialog box confirming delete.

3. It takes a very long time ( a minute?) to start when there is a large audio file.

[*Creed*]

Just an opinion to share... most of Audible's content is not exclusive, and can be obtained in other ways at little or no cost, so just recognize that you are mostly paying for convenience. If you're willing to bother, Total Recorder or some other audio capture software allows nearly all of the NPR programs to be streamed & captured, free of charge. Many current audiobooks are available on CD and can be checked out from your library. (In my city I can search the media database of 30 different branch libraries, and call and have audio, music, dvd, VHS, etc. sent to my local branch free of charge; YMMV.) I have used Audible in the past and like the concept but like so many others here, find the software to be buggy and frustrating. Their customer service was always abysmal, both by phone (can't get through) and e-mail (slow/no response or boilerplate FAQ-type answers that didn't address the specific issue presented).

Additionally, the proprietary nature of the file type bothers me- if I pay for content, I want to know that I can archive it in a format that will be easily accessible indefinitely. Sort of like the whole DRM debate, no?

A question: has the Audible support with Reader in the 2003 OS changed, or does Reader still only play the low quality/highest compressed #1-type Audible files?

[Ed Hansberry]

A question: has the Audible support with Reader in the 2003 OS changed, or does Reader still only play the low quality/highest compressed #1-type Audible files?
I've used #2 and #3 files with Reader on 2002 devices. I think the #1 was a limit only on 2000 devices. I've never tried #4. #2 sounds fine for me and I use #1 for daily WSJ downloads.

[DavidHorn]

Signed up this morning - cancelled tonight.

Their software wouldn't activate or work at all - I tried Reader and although it activated it said the the ebook was for another reader.

Oh well - it might have been nice if it worked. ;)

[Ed Hansberry]

Signed up this morning - cancelled tonight.

Their software wouldn't activate or work at all - I tried Reader and although it activated it said the the ebook was for another reader.

Oh well - it might have been nice if it worked. ;)
Another typical Audible customer experience. :bad-words: :frusty:

[DavidHorn]

Not only that, they won't even give me a refund on a book I bought.

So, even though I can't listen to it, I'm not allowed a refund. Brilliant. It's like buying a paperback that's glued shut.

[Zagleft1]

I
I love the fact that I can burn my Audible books to audio CDs and then play them in my car stereo. Great for the commute!! But I burn 12 - 15 CDs a month (2 books worth). Thankfully CD-Rs are cheap!


I haven't been having much luck with CD burning, get many sections where the skipping is so bad they are completely unlistenable; when I burn a title the Audible processing software burns it at maximum speed (32xon my current computer); it won't slow down even if I limit the speed to something slower in my cd burner options. Do you have any pointers to pass along?

8O

[asok007]

Does anyone happen to know if there are any special registry keys either on Audible's PPC or Desktop players that need to be taken out for a truly clean re-install?

Audible has run fine for the last couple years on my IPaq 3670 (even got it reactivated after the PPC 2002 upgrade), but I just got a new PPC (Viewsonic V37 from the free MSDN offer) and I can get it activated to save my life. I've gotten little help from the black hole that is their tech support. I've already done a few uninstall/reinstalls and even a hard reset, but nothing seems to be working.

My final step (if it doesn't work I'm giving up) is to uninstall both from my PPC and desktop and try a completely fresh install. I was just wondering if there were any magic registry keys that I needed to blast to make sure everything is clean (I'm suspicious that the Audible Manager might be remembering my IPaq and messing something up).

[Ed Hansberry]

My final step (if it doesn't work I'm giving up) is to uninstall both from my PPC and desktop and try a completely fresh install. I was just wondering if there were any magic registry keys that I needed to blast to make sure everything is clean (I'm suspicious that the Audible Manager might be remembering my IPaq and messing something up).
Never had any desktop issues getting the device to activate. Always device reg keys and the like. You might want to upgrade your desktop client just in case, which means uninstalling then downloading the new. Audible doesn't seem to understand that the term "upgrade" doesn't mean "uninstall" is one of the steps. :roll:

[austingeog]

"DavidHorn wrote:
Signed up this morning - cancelled tonight.

Their software wouldn't activate or work at all - I tried Reader and although it activated it said the the ebook was for another reader.

Oh well - it might have been nice if it worked.

Another typical Audible customer experience"


Not sure what is going on there. First I have to say I have had great customer service. People actually answer the phones and you get through to an operator very quickly in my experience. I do have to say this about problems with the software. First audible manager on my laptop or desktop has always worked fine as has the CD-burner option. But on my pocketpc there was always an annoying problem. I had a Jornada 545 and now an Ipaq h2210. What would happen is when you 'Xed' out of audible player (which worked fine otherwise) and did not go to running programs in the memory setting and choose stop, and turned power of, then when you turned on your pocketpc that not stopping audible player would mess up the OS. The 'fix' was for me to always make sure I stopped audible player before turning off my pocketpc. Not a huge deal and certianly not enough to stop me from liking to use audible on my pocketpc. But it was annoying. I just downloaded Pocket Plus software and viola, no problem now since the X key now is a true close of the program.

Ok so now that my software issue is resolved what about the service? I started an audible subscription years ago and had a fantastic price of being a 'light audible listener' which was any 2 books for $10 a month. I got some fantastic books. I listened to Seabiscuit a couple years ago and loved it. I also bought A Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall which is acutally read by her which is awesome. I remeber listening to a book by Noah Adams of NPR on the Applachian Trail that he narrated himself, great also. Barry Lopez is one of my favorite authors and he also narrated a set of short stories. Great. I love to use this when out walking, it is just a wonderful compliment to exercising.

In addition to books there are subscriptions that I have used. I have subscribed to Scientific American, Science Friday, and also to a program called to The Best of Our Knowledge. Now when doing this, for sure get the one year subscription, you will save a lot of money. I particularly liked Science Friday. The NPR station where I live now doesn't even carry it. But even when I lived in LA which is NPR heaven (like 6 or 7 NPR stations, take that for anyone who doesn't think LA has culture. I defy anyone to come up with an area with more NPR stations) it was great to have a subscription because I worked during the broadcast. So I simply downloaded the program put it on my pocketpc (made sure to go to programs, stop running) and enjoyed it anytime.

Another really, really neat thing about Audible is that they have kept every single thing I have ever purchased in my library. Even if I have downloaded it before I can download it again. Also over the years I had activated audible manager on computers that are now scrap so when I got my new Ipaq I had used up the alloted number of devices. No problem. I called the 800 number said can you please deactivate my previous players, she said done. I went back on to the computer and activated the player on the new computer no problem. So I HIGHLY recommend Audible to people. It is truly fantastic. My experience might not be normal but I would not trust people who had negative experiences also. Not that they didn't truly have negative experiences but don't deny yourself the chance at a great experience like mine. Also be sure to get Pocket Plus so you don't have the frustration of a running audible player to mess with a startup of your pocketpc.

[Crystal Eitle]

What I'm about to say amounts to heresy (since this is after all a Pocket PC site), but I feel compelled to point out that if you sign up for a year's subscription to Audible, you get a free Audible Otis player. I had one of these babies delivered to me and I absolutely love it.

I was originally listening to Audible content on my Pocket PC, but I hated the Audible Player software. Mostly because it took for freakin' ever to load.

The Audible Otis has 64 MB of memory, enough to hold a full audiobook plus a couple of hour-long audio programs. If you want more memory, there's a MMC card slot (note: it is NOT compatible with SD cards). Audiobooks load on to it lightning-quick, plus I don't have to worry about using up the battery of my Pocket PC. It takes two AAA batteries.

The Otis also plays MP3 files, and reportedly plays WMA files as well.

It's small, too, somewhere between the size of a Zippo lighter and a pack of cigarettes (horrible analogy, I know, especially since I don't smoke! :| ).

As for customer service, I have received absolutely stellar service from Audible. And the Otis is a great deal for free. It comes with everything - case, headphones, car cassette adapter, even batteries. I highly recommend it if you don't mind committing to a year's subscription and don't already have an MP3 player.

[austingeog]

I do my graduate research on the Texas Gulf Coast a few hours from where I live so this is really going to rock. On the audible website they list a couple of devices that hook into the headphone jack and transmit an FM signal which you can then listen to on one of 4 frequencies on your car radio. This is going to make driving a lot more pleasant. And Crystal thanks for your post....It turns out I still suck at Donkey Kong after all these years.

BTW audible has 2 devices that do this transmitting listed. One from Kima wireless and the other from irock. Both are listed as around $30. Anyone have any knowledge if they work well or not? $30 is fine but if someone knows of something cheaper that works that would be fine also :)

[austingeog]

I had let my audible listener plan lapse so I signed back up for a year and got the Otis. It is a fine product. The case is nice, top line batteries, and the player itself is great. Very small, all the features you need for audio programs, good sound quality (richer more natural human voice)compared to PocketPC (and I comparing download style 2 to download style 2), no need to use my PocketPc batteries, nor deal with audible player which I fine to be ok but still not dealing with it is nice. Books do download faster, I would say by a factor of 2 or 3 compared to going on my storage card with audbile manager and the pocketpc synced. Now if I get an FM transmitter for long drives I don't have to worry about running down my PocketPC. If you like audible content this is a good thing to have even if you have a PocketPC.

[stefanbarlow]

If I hadn't been greeted by Hillary Clinton's ugly mugg when I clicked to their site, I might not have immediately X'ed the window like it was a porn pop-up.

[Kati Compton]

Let's not get political.