We got our parents new Kindles for Christmas, and I figured I'd be a very bad techie son if I didn't play with it first. You know, to torubleshoot it and shit...
good GOD the screen is incredible
Most people at work were dumbfounded by it and didn't believe that the picture wasn't a sticker.
Improvolone on
Voice actor for hire. My time is free if your project is!
My new least favorite thing is region-restricted Kindle books. If you are willing to sell a paperback of the same books to me for slightly more money, you ought to be willing to sell me the ebook. Also, there doesn't seem to be any way to see that a book is restricted in your region until you hit the purchase button.
Now I know how people outside the US feel all the time.
A little late on picking this up, but it looks like Amazon will enable book lending on the Kindle sometime in the near future. It'll still be the crippled "once per book, with a 14-day limit" that the Nook has, but it's nice to see the competition is forcing Amazon to adapt. At this rate, I fully expect epub to become a supported format sometime next year as well.
I am curious though. For all the talk the book lending feature gets on the Nook, how many of you Nook owners have actually used it? I only ever hear it discussed when people are going over tech sheets trying to decide between it and the Kindle, but never from people that are already owners.
Bionic Monkey on
0
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
You think it would just be a software update to let epub work or would Amazon add it only to the Kindle 4?
I actually know people at work with Kindles so I'll try out the book sharing with them.
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
I just had two nice old ladies come in to my library with newly purchased Color Nooks and asked about getting them connected to our eBook collection. Having never tried it with a Nook, let alone the new color one, I was a bit nervous. However it went swimmingly. After getting them accounts for the Adobe Digital editions, the program recognized both of their devices right away. They both brought in their, rather expensive, laptops so I was able to have each of them registered their devices to their laptops. After that it was easy to show them how to download the books and transfer them to the devices.
I was very surprised at the ease of doing all of this. They both seemed about average in the technology aptitude for women of their age, but they were both able to follow along and learned how to do it for themselves. They said they learned more than they did during the B&N Nook class they attended.
ok my wifes kindle (latest one) is having an issue
when she goes to put it to sleep, te kindle powers off and kind of hangs a little/takes a while to start up. plus it loses her place in her current book.
is it possibly a memory thing? i loaded a lot of books on it for her but i dont think its full
mts on
0
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
Your library has an eBook service? That is awesome.
We actually just got some partnership with Sony. They are providing Sony readers and kiosks at our libraries for patrons to download books from our site in the building. (Right now they have to do it from their laptop or at home) The eReaders can be checked out like books, just with massive late fees.
Amazon Kindle warranty service is amazing. Yesterday morning, I realized that when I accidentally stepped on my bag the night before I had stepped on the part of the bag containing the Kindle. It had fucked up the screen so only about half of it was refreshing.
Today, my brand new Kindle is sitting next to me recharging. And they linked me to a prepaid label for shipping the old one back free. Hands down the best warranty or RMA claim I've ever made.
Every time I put it to sleep, it crashes and requires a hard reset. Not awesome!
I haven't been able to find anyone who has the same symptom (crashes 90% of the time when manually put to sleep, 100% of the time when allowed to fall asleep). Has anyone here experienced/heard about a similar problem and perhaps an issue to fix it?
While I have the last generation, I definitely don't have that problem with my Kindle, and it obviously shouldn't be doing that. I'd contact Amazon and let them know what's going on. They seem to be very attentive and fast on the turn-around for anybody that's having any issues with their Kindle.
Bionic Monkey on
0
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
hey that sounds similar to whats happening with my wife's. does it go through the turn off/turn on screen (the one with the status bar)?
Once I coax it to do so, yes! I tend to follow rigorous hard reset protocol (hold the power switch on for 15 sec) but a few times I think it's gone to the screen with minimal interaction from myself (pounding buttons, etc.).
Dark Moon on
0
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
hey that sounds similar to whats happening with my wife's. does it go through the turn off/turn on screen (the one with the status bar)?
Once I coax it to do so, yes! I tend to follow rigorous hard reset protocol (hold the power switch on for 15 sec) but a few times I think it's gone to the screen with minimal interaction from myself (pounding buttons, etc.).
How does book purchasing generally work?
- You can either buy them on the Kindle itself, or you can buy them on your computer from the web site. If you buy them on the device, they will automatically download usually within a minute. If you buy them on the web site, there are two options. You can either download them to your computer, and then manually move them to the Kindle via USB, or you can tell Amazon to automatically download them to the Kindle the next time it's connected to the internet.
Who keeps the file(s) etc. and can they be re-downloaded?
- I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "who keeps the files," but the way it works is they're stored on the Kindle's internal memory, but you can back them up to your computer via USB if you like. But, they can also be downloaded usually an unlimited number of times, though I have heard of some text books and technical manuals having a limited number of downloads. Amazon keeps track of all your purchases, and you can download the books you've purchased onto any Kindle device/software that's registered to that account.
Can you buy books over wi-fi from the Kindle itself (non-3G model)?
- This I can't say with 100% certainty, since I don't have the wi-fi model, but I believe that's the case, and it never even occurred to me that it might not be until you mentioned it.
How easy is it to use for an over-sixty woman who doesn't like computers at all?
- Fairly easy, though she may need pointers the first time she does it. All you have to do is hit "Menu" on the Kindle, and choose "Shop the Kindle Store." If your internet isn't already on, it will prompt you to turn it on, and then you can just type in the name of the book or author you're looking for.
How does having multiple devices (on the same account) work? Is it even possible?
- Multiple devices on the same account is completely possible. You just have them both registered to the same person, and as long as you only buy books on the Kindle itself, the process is completely seamless. If you do buy them on the computer first, you just need to remember to buy them from the account tied to the Kindles. This is actually what my wife and I do, since she has the first gen Kindle, and I have the second. We don't read a whole lot of the same stuff, but on the occasions that we do, it's nice that both devices have access to the same library.
Linux and Kindles - can we use a Linux (Ubuntu specifically) box to transfer files etc.?
- Don't know, but transferring files is just a simple drag-and-drop like a normal USB device, so I'd assume so.
Finally; non-Amazon e-books and Kindles can make nice y/n? How?
- Generally no. TXT, PDF and unprotected MOBI are supported natively, but EPUB is not. Non-DRM EPUB can easily be converted for free using Calibre though.
Bionic Monkey on
0
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
Just as a heads up from my personal experience. I gave my Kindle 2 to my mother when I got the Kindle 3. She has never been good with technology at all. After showing her how to use it she has taken to it very well.
Can you buy books over wi-fi from the Kindle itself (non-3G model)?
- This I can't say with 100% certainty, since I don't have the wi-fi model, but I believe that's the case, and it never even occurred to me that it might not be until you mentioned it.
Linux and Kindles - can we use a Linux (Ubuntu specifically) box to transfer files etc.?
- Don't know, but transferring files is just a simple drag-and-drop like a normal USB device, so I'd assume so.
After getting a 3rd Gen Kindle from my GF as an early Christmas gift (yay), I can confirm that yes, the device works perfectly fine with Linux (Ubuntu specifically) as it does show up like a normal USB drive.
Dark Moon and MTS, you may want to look into this. It sounds just like what your Kindles are doing.
Ah, that makes sense. Much appreciated.
I rang them a while back. Took 5 minutes and I've got a $60 credit to buy the lit case. They're also not making me ship the old case back. I'm mildly annoyed that the case doesn't work but the excitement of getting the lit case (which I couldn't justify the cost of before) is overshadowing the mild annoyance. Looks like my grandparents are getting a Kindle for Christmas after all!
Dark Moon on
0
Mr_Rose83 Blue Ridge Protects the HolyRegistered Userregular
How does book purchasing generally work?
- You can either buy them on the Kindle itself, or you can buy them on your computer from the web site. If you buy them on the device, they will automatically download usually within a minute. If you buy them on the web site, there are two options. You can either download them to your computer, and then manually move them to the Kindle via USB, or you can tell Amazon to automatically download them to the Kindle the next time it's connected to the internet.
Who keeps the file(s) etc. and can they be re-downloaded?
- I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "who keeps the files," but the way it works is they're stored on the Kindle's internal memory, but you can back them up to your computer via USB if you like. But, they can also be downloaded usually an unlimited number of times, though I have heard of some text books and technical manuals having a limited number of downloads. Amazon keeps track of all your purchases, and you can download the books you've purchased onto any Kindle device/software that's registered to that account.
Can you buy books over wi-fi from the Kindle itself (non-3G model)?
- This I can't say with 100% certainty, since I don't have the wi-fi model, but I believe that's the case, and it never even occurred to me that it might not be until you mentioned it.
How easy is it to use for an over-sixty woman who doesn't like computers at all?
- Fairly easy, though she may need pointers the first time she does it. All you have to do is hit "Menu" on the Kindle, and choose "Shop the Kindle Store." If your internet isn't already on, it will prompt you to turn it on, and then you can just type in the name of the book or author you're looking for.
How does having multiple devices (on the same account) work? Is it even possible?
- Multiple devices on the same account is completely possible. You just have them both registered to the same person, and as long as you only buy books on the Kindle itself, the process is completely seamless. If you do buy them on the computer first, you just need to remember to buy them from the account tied to the Kindles. This is actually what my wife and I do, since she has the first gen Kindle, and I have the second. We don't read a whole lot of the same stuff, but on the occasions that we do, it's nice that both devices have access to the same library.
Linux and Kindles - can we use a Linux (Ubuntu specifically) box to transfer files etc.?
- Don't know, but transferring files is just a simple drag-and-drop like a normal USB device, so I'd assume so.
Finally; non-Amazon e-books and Kindles can make nice y/n? How?
- Generally no. TXT, PDF and unprotected MOBI are supported natively, but EPUB is not. Non-DRM EPUB can easily be converted for free using Calibre though.
Can you buy books over wi-fi from the Kindle itself (non-3G model)?
- This I can't say with 100% certainty, since I don't have the wi-fi model, but I believe that's the case, and it never even occurred to me that it might not be until you mentioned it.
Linux and Kindles - can we use a Linux (Ubuntu specifically) box to transfer files etc.?
- Don't know, but transferring files is just a simple drag-and-drop like a normal USB device, so I'd assume so.
After getting a 3rd Gen Kindle from my GF as an early Christmas gift (yay), I can confirm that yes, the device works perfectly fine with Linux (Ubuntu specifically) as it does show up like a normal USB drive.
that might be it, but my wifes case doesnt have the metal hooks, i think. her's has been better but if it acts up more i told her to try without the case
How easy is it to use for an over-sixty woman who doesn't like computers at all?
- Fairly easy, though she may need pointers the first time she does it. All you have to do is hit "Menu" on the Kindle, and choose "Shop the Kindle Store." If your internet isn't already on, it will prompt you to turn it on, and then you can just type in the name of the book or author you're looking for.
Id like to note that you can administer the kindle via the website if you like. I am doing that for my parents and it works fine. They tell me they want a book and I buy it and send it to thier kindle. I tell them to wait and boom they have it loaded and are off.
In terms of ease of use my 50+ year old mom and 60yr old dad havent had that many problems with it. My dad is less techie than my mom and he loves it. He said it was awesome because he can read again without headaches.
Jubal77 on
0
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
Seriously. The Black Library finally offering their books for ereaders is the greatest thing ever. I have a book shelf full of Warhammer 40k books, I really don't have the desire to find space for more of them but I want to keep reading them to fulfill my neat for pulp sci-fi.
Seriously. The Black Library finally offering their books for ereaders is the greatest thing ever. I have a book shelf full of Warhammer 40k books, I really don't have the desire to find space for more of them but I want to keep reading them to fulfill my neat for pulp sci-fi.
Yes, it is very nice. I've actually been holding off on buying any new BL books until they appear in digital form. I see on their site that they are slowly expanding the selection of ebooks. Woo.
However, you have to buy from them. No buying from Amazon.
My Kindle is in a Family, where my brother-in-law is listed as the "owner" or whatever (there are five of us in the Family).
If I purchase a book online from the Black Library, will I be able to USB it over to the Kindle? I haven't tried to do so yet, but I see a couple of books in the digital listing that I actually want now.
Seriously. The Black Library finally offering their books for ereaders is the greatest thing ever. I have a book shelf full of Warhammer 40k books, I really don't have the desire to find space for more of them but I want to keep reading them to fulfill my neat for pulp sci-fi.
Yes, it is very nice. I've actually been holding off on buying any new BL books until they appear in digital form. I see on their site that they are slowly expanding the selection of ebooks. Woo.
However, you have to buy from them. No buying from Amazon.
My Kindle is in a Family, where my brother-in-law is listed as the "owner" or whatever (there are five of us in the Family).
If I purchase a book online from the Black Library, will I be able to USB it over to the Kindle? I haven't tried to do so yet, but I see a couple of books in the digital listing that I actually want now.
IIRC, their free books from the launch of the digital service were available in mobi format. If their paid books are the same you shouldn't have a problem.
JHunz on
Gamertag: JHunz. R.I.P. Mygamercard.net
0
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
Seriously. The Black Library finally offering their books for ereaders is the greatest thing ever. I have a book shelf full of Warhammer 40k books, I really don't have the desire to find space for more of them but I want to keep reading them to fulfill my neat for pulp sci-fi.
Yes, it is very nice. I've actually been holding off on buying any new BL books until they appear in digital form. I see on their site that they are slowly expanding the selection of ebooks. Woo.
However, you have to buy from them. No buying from Amazon.
My Kindle is in a Family, where my brother-in-law is listed as the "owner" or whatever (there are five of us in the Family).
If I purchase a book online from the Black Library, will I be able to USB it over to the Kindle? I haven't tried to do so yet, but I see a couple of books in the digital listing that I actually want now.
Okay this is what you do.
Make an account on BL's website.
Buy an eBook from their site.
It will then give you a page with download links to the book in either .Mobi or .Epub. Download the .Mobi version.
Plug your kindle into your computer and open the documents folder.
Drag the downloaded book from your computer to the kindle.
Enjoy.
You can go to your account on the site and view your purchased books and redownload them if needed.
I am so excited. Only 3 days 'till I get my ereader. I know it's a refurbed Sony one, but I can't wait!
We must be in the same boat - my Nook will be wrapped up under the tree for me. What makes it more frustrating is the fact I've already opened it, registered it, and updated it. I lucked out that a coworker was thinking about buying one so the wife let me bring it in one day. It's been taunting me from its box ever since!
Lindsay Lohan on
0
joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
Kill your wife. Enjoy your reader.
joshgotro on
does it?
0
BobCescaIs a girlBirmingham, UKRegistered Userregular
I am so excited. Only 3 days 'till I get my ereader. I know it's a refurbed Sony one, but I can't wait!
We must be in the same boat - my Nook will be wrapped up under the tree for me. What makes it more frustrating is the fact I've already opened it, registered it, and updated it. I lucked out that a coworker was thinking about buying one so the wife let me bring it in one day. It's been taunting me from its box ever since!
japan ordered it and it came in the post and I was very good and didn't open the box or anything. Christmas day I will be playing with it and ignoring the in-laws as everyone tries to show japan's Mum how to use a Kindle.
Posts
good GOD the screen is incredible
Most people at work were dumbfounded by it and didn't believe that the picture wasn't a sticker.
I told her that would be acceptable, but not a requirement. I mean, I can get Wi-Fi damn near anywhere.
Now I know how people outside the US feel all the time.
I am curious though. For all the talk the book lending feature gets on the Nook, how many of you Nook owners have actually used it? I only ever hear it discussed when people are going over tech sheets trying to decide between it and the Kindle, but never from people that are already owners.
I actually know people at work with Kindles so I'll try out the book sharing with them.
I was very surprised at the ease of doing all of this. They both seemed about average in the technology aptitude for women of their age, but they were both able to follow along and learned how to do it for themselves. They said they learned more than they did during the B&N Nook class they attended.
when she goes to put it to sleep, te kindle powers off and kind of hangs a little/takes a while to start up. plus it loses her place in her current book.
is it possibly a memory thing? i loaded a lot of books on it for her but i dont think its full
We actually just got some partnership with Sony. They are providing Sony readers and kiosks at our libraries for patrons to download books from our site in the building. (Right now they have to do it from their laptop or at home) The eReaders can be checked out like books, just with massive late fees.
Today, my brand new Kindle is sitting next to me recharging. And they linked me to a prepaid label for shipping the old one back free. Hands down the best warranty or RMA claim I've ever made.
Every time I put it to sleep, it crashes and requires a hard reset. Not awesome!
I haven't been able to find anyone who has the same symptom (crashes 90% of the time when manually put to sleep, 100% of the time when allowed to fall asleep). Has anyone here experienced/heard about a similar problem and perhaps an issue to fix it?
Once I coax it to do so, yes! I tend to follow rigorous hard reset protocol (hold the power switch on for 15 sec) but a few times I think it's gone to the screen with minimal interaction from myself (pounding buttons, etc.).
Yeah call Amazon.
- How does book purchasing generally work?
- Who keeps the file(s) etc. and can they be re-downloaded?
- Can you buy books over wi-fi from the Kindle itself (non-3G model)?
- How easy is it to use for an over-sixty woman who doesn't like computers at all?
- How does having multiple devices (on the same account) work? Is it even possible?
- Linux and Kindles - can we use a Linux (Ubuntu specifically) box to transfer files etc.?
- Finally; non-Amazon e-books and Kindles can make nice y/n? How?
(These are the questions I was given, I can ask for clarification if needed)Any answers gratefully received.
Nintendo Network ID: AzraelRose
DropBox invite link - get 500MB extra free.
- You can either buy them on the Kindle itself, or you can buy them on your computer from the web site. If you buy them on the device, they will automatically download usually within a minute. If you buy them on the web site, there are two options. You can either download them to your computer, and then manually move them to the Kindle via USB, or you can tell Amazon to automatically download them to the Kindle the next time it's connected to the internet.
Who keeps the file(s) etc. and can they be re-downloaded?
- I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "who keeps the files," but the way it works is they're stored on the Kindle's internal memory, but you can back them up to your computer via USB if you like. But, they can also be downloaded usually an unlimited number of times, though I have heard of some text books and technical manuals having a limited number of downloads. Amazon keeps track of all your purchases, and you can download the books you've purchased onto any Kindle device/software that's registered to that account.
Can you buy books over wi-fi from the Kindle itself (non-3G model)?
- This I can't say with 100% certainty, since I don't have the wi-fi model, but I believe that's the case, and it never even occurred to me that it might not be until you mentioned it.
How easy is it to use for an over-sixty woman who doesn't like computers at all?
- Fairly easy, though she may need pointers the first time she does it. All you have to do is hit "Menu" on the Kindle, and choose "Shop the Kindle Store." If your internet isn't already on, it will prompt you to turn it on, and then you can just type in the name of the book or author you're looking for.
How does having multiple devices (on the same account) work? Is it even possible?
- Multiple devices on the same account is completely possible. You just have them both registered to the same person, and as long as you only buy books on the Kindle itself, the process is completely seamless. If you do buy them on the computer first, you just need to remember to buy them from the account tied to the Kindles. This is actually what my wife and I do, since she has the first gen Kindle, and I have the second. We don't read a whole lot of the same stuff, but on the occasions that we do, it's nice that both devices have access to the same library.
Linux and Kindles - can we use a Linux (Ubuntu specifically) box to transfer files etc.?
- Don't know, but transferring files is just a simple drag-and-drop like a normal USB device, so I'd assume so.
Finally; non-Amazon e-books and Kindles can make nice y/n? How?
- Generally no. TXT, PDF and unprotected MOBI are supported natively, but EPUB is not. Non-DRM EPUB can easily be converted for free using Calibre though.
Yup, you can indeed.
After getting a 3rd Gen Kindle from my GF as an early Christmas gift (yay), I can confirm that yes, the device works perfectly fine with Linux (Ubuntu specifically) as it does show up like a normal USB drive.
Ah, that makes sense. Much appreciated.
I rang them a while back. Took 5 minutes and I've got a $60 credit to buy the lit case. They're also not making me ship the old case back. I'm mildly annoyed that the case doesn't work but the excitement of getting the lit case (which I couldn't justify the cost of before) is overshadowing the mild annoyance. Looks like my grandparents are getting a Kindle for Christmas after all!
Fantastic!
Thanks guys, I'll pass this all along.
Nintendo Network ID: AzraelRose
DropBox invite link - get 500MB extra free.
Id like to note that you can administer the kindle via the website if you like. I am doing that for my parents and it works fine. They tell me they want a book and I buy it and send it to thier kindle. I tell them to wait and boom they have it loaded and are off.
In terms of ease of use my 50+ year old mom and 60yr old dad havent had that many problems with it. My dad is less techie than my mom and he loves it. He said it was awesome because he can read again without headaches.
EDIT: Looks like there's all of 6 of them on the Amazon.com marketplace.
Yes, it is very nice. I've actually been holding off on buying any new BL books until they appear in digital form. I see on their site that they are slowly expanding the selection of ebooks. Woo.
However, you have to buy from them. No buying from Amazon.
My Kindle is in a Family, where my brother-in-law is listed as the "owner" or whatever (there are five of us in the Family).
If I purchase a book online from the Black Library, will I be able to USB it over to the Kindle? I haven't tried to do so yet, but I see a couple of books in the digital listing that I actually want now.
Okay this is what you do.
Make an account on BL's website.
Buy an eBook from their site.
It will then give you a page with download links to the book in either .Mobi or .Epub. Download the .Mobi version.
Plug your kindle into your computer and open the documents folder.
Drag the downloaded book from your computer to the kindle.
Enjoy.
You can go to your account on the site and view your purchased books and redownload them if needed.
i love this shit
We must be in the same boat - my Nook will be wrapped up under the tree for me. What makes it more frustrating is the fact I've already opened it, registered it, and updated it. I lucked out that a coworker was thinking about buying one so the wife let me bring it in one day. It's been taunting me from its box ever since!
japan ordered it and it came in the post and I was very good and didn't open the box or anything. Christmas day I will be playing with it and ignoring the in-laws as everyone tries to show japan's Mum how to use a Kindle.
- Since the Nook is running Android, is it possible to use Android-based eReader apps as well?
- Does anyone here know much about XMDF files? It's the format widely used in Japan for eBooks. Initial Googling didn't turn up much beyond that.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/14/nook-color-getting-android-2-2-and-market-in-january-current-ha/
Not sure what the status is of the regular nook