Reply to: Amazon Kindle

[SueEllen]

I got one recently and have since been doing a salesman job on it and annoying my friends.

You don't need to do a salesman job you just need to show it to them in action.

That's how I brought mine. A mate got one at Xmas. I looked it and pressed two buttons, then two hours later was online buying one.

Unfortunately I brought an Amazon case which has screwed up the battery so it will have to go back this week. (Anyone wanting one they have changed the case design as it's a known fault.)

Annoying as I enjoy reading newspapers and an edited free version of The Economist on it. Plus it's now storing my library of technical PDFs and books.

[TykeMerc]

See here for a small util that helps with collections

Firmware Update Kindle Collection Manager for Windows - MobileRead Forums

Thanks for that link, I've downloaded the app and will have a tinker with it over the weekend. It looks promising.

[Clever Hans]

Oddly enough, I was going to ask the panel for a bit of a critique of the Kindle today, having had the device highly recommended to me yesterday by one of my sisters.
I used to read all the time, but latterly have almost given up as I keep forgetting my reading specs etc. and getting tired eyes from small print which causes me to fall asleep before too long.

I got one recently and have since been doing a salesman job on it and annoying my friends.

I used to read a lot of non-techie stuff, but rarely these days.

Since getting the Kindle a couple of months ago I have gone Gutenburg apetulip and read more of the classics in a fortnight than in the past two years.

Having a complete library to hand whereever I am, and reading for a couple of hours without feeling wound up/drained (as I sometimes do after 10 minutes with a netbook/ipad/other) is nothing less than a game changer.

Also, the customer service is pretty awesome - the screen went, I answered a few questions on it over the phone, they sent a replacement out same day.

Highly recommended.

[TykeMerc]

That's too complicated, just send it to <yourlogin>@kindle.com or <yourlogin>@free.kindle.com (if you have the 3G version and want to receive documents by WiFi to avoid charges) and they will even convert TXT and RTF to MOBI for you. You can even send them zipped or attach many documents/books to one e-mail.

Indeed, that works very well, but the implication of some earlier questions were that some of the data might not necessarily want to go across Amazon's radar.

Whichever way you manage your files the Kindle hardware is certainly my preferred device for reading ebooks

[Lumiere]

You can add ebooks, and numerous other doc formats to a Kindle directly without going via Amazon, there's a standard micro USB cable and attached to a PC it appears as an external drive (3Gb ish). You can copy from it too of course.

That's too complicated, just send it to <yourlogin>@kindle.com or <yourlogin>@free.kindle.com (if you have the 3G version and want to receive documents by WiFi to avoid charges) and they will even convert TXT and RTF to MOBI for you. You can even send them zipped or attach many documents/books to one e-mail.

[oracleslave]

See here for a small util that helps with collections

Firmware Update Kindle Collection Manager for Windows - MobileRead Forums

Good call, I spent some of my Friday afternoon googling and found this earlier today.Have actually just spent the last hour organising everything using this and it worked a treat. Downloaded it from here:

[Epiphone]

See here for a small util that helps with collections

Firmware Update Kindle Collection Manager for Windows - MobileRead Forums

[sasguru]

Same here, I agree on all those points.
I've tried the Kindle app on my HTC desire and I find it far less comfortable and pleasant than using the Kindle device. The battery life on the Kindle is also massively better than on my phone.

The HD is larger than the standard Desire (which I traded in after one day). 4.3 inches i think, I find it perfect for reading.
Agree the battery life is low, but as long as it lasts through the day I have not found it to be an issue

[TykeMerc]

Those are all negatives in my book
- Back-lit screen makes it harder on the eyes and hard to read in sunlight.
- Swiping the screen is more effort than touching a button
- I don't want to read a book on a screen the size of a match-book

Same here, I agree on all those points.
I've tried the Kindle app on my HTC desire and I find it far less comfortable and pleasant than using the Kindle device. The battery life on the Kindle is also massively better than on my phone.

[sasguru]

Those are all negatives in my book
- Back-lit screen makes it harder on the eyes and hard to read in sunlight.
- Swiping the screen is more effort than touching a button
- I don't want to read a book on a screen the size of a match-book

Horses for courses, but the size of the HD is more than adequate.

[d000hg]

Those are all negatives in my book
- Back-lit screen makes it harder on the eyes and hard to read in sunlight.
- Swiping the screen is more effort than touching a button
- I don't want to read a book on a screen the size of a match-book

[sasguru]

Santa got me one for Christmas and I have a few books on it. I don't know how you would organise collections on it.
The thing is it is now unused since I got my HTC Desire HD phone. The Kindle feels big and clunky after that.
The Desire is much more compact, you just swipe the screen to turn pages rather than press a button, and the fact that it is backlit means you can read it in bed without a separate light, unlike the Kindle.

[d000hg]

Oddly enough, I was going to ask the panel for a bit of a critique of the Kindle today, having had the device highly recommended to me yesterday by one of my sisters.
I used to read all the time, but latterly have almost given up as I keep forgetting my reading specs etc. and getting tired eyes from small print which causes me to fall asleep before too long. Old age creeping up I suppose. Still at least I still have most of my marbles. Now.......what was I saying?

I would heartily recommend it for anyone who isn't keen reading on a lit screen. Being able to set text size is a cool feature.

I read mine in the bath!

[Halo Jones]

the ability to make piles several feet high.

The preferred book filing solution

[doodab]

Never? A PC can already do this instantly with a million books, it's inevitable that power will end up on cheap hand-help devices

I used to think the same then I was loaned a Kindle on holiday, read a couple of books, ordered one and it arrived the day I got back home.
I've loved books for as long as I can remember and have god knows how many on my shelves, the Kindle (to my total surprise and in the face of my cynicism of the hype) has proven to be as nice to read as a book, but vastly more convenient to have especially when travelling.

Don't get me wrong, I have the kindle app on my phone and keep meaning to buy a proper one. I just like books more. I might be a bit of a hoarder.