The Sword and Laser discussion

How many of you are using Whispersync? What are your opinions/experiences? It's been around long enough to get some serious feedback.

When you use Whispersync, do you put audiobook, the Kindle version, or both on your GoodReads shelf?

I'll answer my own questions.

I have tried to go back and forth between audio and e-book with mostly negative results. It's just much easier to either read or listen to a book. However, as much as I don't like having two editions of one book, I've run in to several instances where I get a book through Kindle's Daily Deal then find the audiobook is $1.99-#3.99. I end up getting both the audiobook and the Kindle book for less than either separately. I got a few Kindle editions of classics for free and was then able to get the Audible editions for $1.99. Score!

As for my shelf, I put whatever edition I end up spending more time with.

I don't use WhisperSync for text because it rarely properly takes me to my last read location.

I don't use WS for Voice because I don't use the Audible app because I've been fine with just the default iOS Music app for my audiobooks until recently. That said, that may change now that iOS 7 routinely loses my place in audiobooks. There are a LARGE number of books I've bought in audio and Kindle (and sometimes print too) and it's silly not to capitalize on the feature if I can.

I've had no success with whispersync for text. In two years of reading in the kindle app on IOS and Android devices it never seems to work for me. Once it did and I was so excited thinking I'd finally found the solution. I was wrong.

Since I've had a bad experience I've never been tempted to try it for voice.

I mostly use it when it means i can get both audio and ebook for less then audio alone.

It's kind of hit or miss as to whether it works. I've only tried a few. Some switched seamlessly between audio and text and others don't.

I listen to Audible books using the app on my Galaxy S4 and I read Kindle books using the Kindle app on my Nook. The biggest impediment to it is that I have to make sure that I sync my Kindle books when I'm home whether or not I'm going to read them just then. My Nook only uses wifi and I don't have a wifi connection at work or at the gym or any of the other places I would normally read text.

I use 2 actual Kindle devices and regular WhisperSync doesn't work...so I'm not optimistic about WS for voice.

I don't use Whispersync since I don't have an actual Kindle, but I do get quite a few books from Amazon when they have freebies or the 1.99/.99 sales. I then love when Audible offers me the audiobook for the same price so I end up getting that too.

I just never know when or in what format I will want to read a book, so if I can get two versions for less than the cost of a paperback, I don't mind.

I really only use it for text, since I've always finished listening to the audible book on what ever device I started with. Nowadays that is my iPhone. The text to text sync works pretty good for me, between my iPhone and gen 1iPad. The only time I have problems is when I've been reading on the plane, and I forget to wake up the kindle app once I have Internet again. I would hope this would be less of a problem with ios7 since in theory this could be done in the background, but my old iPad will forever be ios5. It can also be a bit of a pain for reference books, where I'm just looking something up on whatever divide I have at hand. The other thing is I've had way better luck with WS then I have with apples own iBooks app syncing.

I've read/listened to about 15 books so far and haven't had any trouble with the whispersync working both ways. I really love it. I have the kindle app on my galaxy 7" tablet and use audible on my android phone.

I have noticed when you open/close either app you need to be where your wireless internet/3G can pick up the signal from the apps so that it saves it to the cloud. Then when you open the other app it will sync.

I only get the audible when it's a really good bargain or when I have a credit though because audiobooks are too expensive for me on their own.

I don't update my shelf very often - lazy - but I just choose the book when I do.

I've had no problems syncing text between my android devices, sadly I can't comment on Whispersync for Voice as it's still not available in the UK.

I used Whispersync for "Among Others" and it worked pretty good. I read most of it on my Android phone, but would switch to audio on my drive home.

It synced up most of the time, but I would rewind a minute so I remembered where I was.

Christopher wrote: "I mostly use it when it means i can get both audio and ebook for less then audio alone."

Me too. With Kindle Daily Deals you can get both for less than an Audible credit.

I've never used Whispersync for audio but it works well for text. I typically use my Kindle at home or the software on my work laptop. As long as I remember to turn on the wifi on my Kindle I've had zero issues.

Don't forget that kindle syncs to the farthest position. So if you had glanced ahead, you have to reset your position in the kindle management site.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fio...

I use it for both and it syncs very well. I have to remember to push the button to sync the audiobook, but the e book syncs automatically. Though I used to have issues before

I'm surprised so many people have had problems. I've never used the voice option because I don't really want to switch back and forth, I just use read and listen to separate books. But between my many kindle devices over the years and my android phones and the occasional ipod touch I haven't had any real problems with whispersync unless I'm out of internet range when I start/stop reading.

I've certainly had the occasional problem, but most of the time my devices sync seamlessly.

I use whisper sync daily to switch between text and audio on my paper white and iPod touch. Now and again I have to manually sync, but it usually works really well. As someone with a long drive to work, this feature is my favorite.

It works most of the time for me.

I just used Whispersync to read and listen to Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I listened to it with the Audible app on my Galaxy S3 and read it in the Kindle app on my iPad and my S3.
For any having issues with the syncing, are you downloading the full audio file or the multi-part file? The app has a warning that the multi-part file could result in sync issues. It recommends using the single large file for Whispersync.

Whispersync tends to be my choice if the book is huge, ie over 500 pages

I'm not an audible subscriber but I have lots of issues getting my Kindle and Kindle apps (PC and iPad) to sync just the text edition of books. It's especially annoying if the book I'm reading (e.g. Discworld) doesn't have chapter numbers.

I have a Kindle, iPad, iPhone and the audiobook app and Whispersync has always worked flawlessly between them all. I never even knew people had problems with it until now

You can unset the furthest page at the kindle management site.

When I switch the appendix it will ask me if I want to sync to the last location - say no and it will take you back to the page you were on before. Or you can book mark the page and tell it to return to the bookmark. I find the later works well when I am syncing between my kindle and phone.
HTH

I'm currently in my third book read / listened using whispersync for voice (Wizard's First Rule). Using such feature has become a relatively cheap way of reading faster.

It's kind of tricky to make the whispersync for voice work seamlessly, though: when I advance with the Audible version, I have to switch to the Kindle App in my phone for it to reflect the position and then do the same with the whispersync for text to reflect that in my Kindle.

When advancing in the Kindle, I usually have to play the text immersion for it to reflect the furthest page in the Audbile app. Kinda messy.

I use the WS for text between my Kindle and Android phone all the time and it has never once steered me to the wrong position. I am surprised to hear that others are having difficulties with it.

I have not tried the Audible to text WS.

I've read\listened to maybe 25 books now without any problems. I am careful though to always close audible and Kindle properly, when connected to wireless or 3G, so the signal goes through. Then when I open whichever it syncs up. But I also don't close the apps when in an appendix or anything

I've used whispersync for voice on the entire Iron Druid Chronicles series by Kevin Hearne, Nexus, Crux, and Zoo City. I haven't had a problem with it! Once in a while the whispersync is thrown off, but not too often. When I open my Kindle I notice a few seconds delay while it contacts the server and finds my latest position.

I think whispersync for voice is a big selling point to make me want to buy the book, especially if the audio is discounted. I can continue to enjoy the book in the car or on a walk and can finish much faster. I am currently reading Code Name Verity and desperately wish that whispersync voice was available on that novel.

So, after a lot of complaining about Whispersync between my Kindles earlier in the thread, I've found that it works just fine with Whispersync for Voice between the Audible app on my iPhone and my Kindle Paperwhite.

I've used it to read a fair few books, including this month's pick, A Wizard of Earthsea

How are you liking the paperwhite?

Tamahome wrote: "How are you liking the paperwhite?"

LOVE it. It's exactly what I want for reading, especially in bed. It's light-weight, easy on the eyes, quick. I wished I'd gotten one sooner.