To make the transition to EBooks... help for a digital noob

[LongGone]

As a big fan of actually holding a paperback novel in my hands while reading, it seems I'm having to wait longer and longer for BL to release something that isn't a limited edition, a hardback, or an eBook... and most of the other two come out in eBook form anyway. I've got 30ish HH novels (the last being 'Vengeful Spirit' or 'Vulkan Lives', can't remember which), and a bunch of Gaunt's Ghosts, Space Marine Battles, etc., in paperback on the shelf, and it seems like everything that's come out since I picked up the last one in January has been eBooks, eshorts, e-whatevers and hardbacks. For a long time I didn't mind waiting the 10+ months it took for novels to go from hardback -> premium paperback -> paperback, but now there just seems to be a lack of paperback items in general... Or maybe I just suck at navigating my way through the labyrinth that is the BL website. 

 

Anywho, the decision has been made to step out of the stone age and make the transition to eBooks. The plan is to slowly get digital copies of everything I have, plus getting all the new stuff I'm missing out on now. Now, being a simple man who rarely uses his electronics to their full potential, I'm at a loss as to which form of eBook I need for my Kindle, Epub or Mobi? Once I have the necessary form of book, how does one take it from the laptop to the tablet? Even more importantly, if I decide to get a new Kindle (which will happen in the next year most likely) will the titles transfer like they will with anything I buy from Amazon, or do I need to keep them all on an external drive for safekeeping? 

 

Any guidance/commiseration the ladies and gents of the B&C could give me would be much appreciated!

 

*sheds a tear and pours one out for the small forest that went into making my library of books*

[Grotsmasha]

When you purchase from BL you can download both .epub and .mobi, so download both and see which works. Also, any purchases are bound to your account, meaning you can re-download them in either format at anytime. I personally keep a backup on my PC rather than re-downloading everytime.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[NovemberIX]

There is an application called calibre that I can recommend downloading as well. It can act as not only a library and reader on the pc, but can also transfer said books onto various and sundry reading devices in an iTunes inspired fashion.