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July 17, 2008 9:00 AM PDT

Download free 'Into the Wild' MP3 audiobook from Borders

by Rick Broida

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.
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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (7 Comments)
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by dascha1 July 17, 2008 10:12 AM PDT
Awesome, before I commit, whose voice can I choose from? Thanks.
Reply to this comment
by repete_7 July 17, 2008 10:34 AM PDT
Doesn't work on Mac. Tried on my son's PC and got a file with .odm extension that couldn't be opened with any program already installed. Why not just a plain old MP3 that could be used on Mac/PC/Linux? No DRM doesn't help if you need a specific platform and extra software to play it.
Reply to this comment
by rickbroida July 17, 2008 10:45 AM PDT
If you read the post a bit more closely, you'll see that I noted you need OverDrive Media Console to leverage those ODM files, and that currently it's a Windows-only utility.
by skimike4 July 17, 2008 1:46 PM PDT
I borrow audiobooks from my hometown library, and burn them into iTunes. Doesn't hurt to check before you buy online.
Reply to this comment
by rickbroida July 17, 2008 1:52 PM PDT
Great point! Some libraries even offer digital audiobooks you can download without taking a trip to the actual library.
by Mattaaron July 18, 2008 10:09 AM PDT
Its not DRM free.
Reply to this comment
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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The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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