Download free 'Into the Wild' MP3 audiobook from Borders
Who says there's no such thing as a free MP3 audiobook?
(Credit: Borders)To help kick off its new MP3 audiobook download service, Borders is offering Jon Krakauer's spellbinding Into the Wild free of charge through July 19. You do need to sign up for a Borders Digital Audiobooks account, but it's free to do so, and that's the only catch.
Well, actually, there's one more: To access the book (and any others you purchase), you have to install something called OverDrive Media Console (currently Windows-only--grrr). It's basically a download manager that organizes your audiobooks and generates multipart MP3s (which you can then copy to any portable player using the software of your choice--iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.--or burn to CDs).
Big, big kudos to Borders for hopping on the no-DRM bandwagon. I love audiobooks nearly as much as I love e-books, but I rarely listen to them anymore because of all the DRM hassles. The new store is also offering 15 popular titles for $9.95 apiece between now and July 22. Other books are priced about the same as their CD counterparts, which is a bit disappointing.
Although I haven't heard the audiobook version (or seen the movie), I read Into the Wild many years ago and loved it. Definitely worth a listen.
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog. 
- by Mattaaron July 18, 2008 10:09 AM PDT
- Its not DRM free.
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- by rickbroida July 18, 2008 10:59 AM PDT
- Please clarify. The books are in unprotected MP3 format. I don't see any DRM to speak of.
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