Kindle Reader

[hazelclark]

Wasn't sure where to put this but I need some help. Today I ordered some books from Amazon and was daft enough to mention it to one of my sons on the phone. Both of them have been harassing me to buy a Kindle. Twice previously I have been on the brink of buying one and again tonight I almost pressed the "buy" button. Each time, I have gone back to check which books are available in that medium, and I can't find many books that I would want. Also, the few that were available, were more expensive than the book versions. I suppose that it would be nice not to have to cart books on holiday, but since the titles are really limited from my point of view I wonder whether I should bother. In fact, neither of the books that I ordered today was available on Kindle.

I am somewhat technologically challenged in any case, (although getting better as a result of my involvement with WW1 and the Forum) and really like BOOKS. How do other members feel?

Thanks,

Hazel

[Lawsyd]

I've had a Kindle for about four years now. Regarding books about the war (or indeed any other non-fiction) there are pluses & minuses:-

The major plus is that if you read fast & read a lot you aren't weighed down with loads of books. My wife can easily read 8 or 10 novels in a two week holiday & imagine how much space they would take up in a suitcase.

The major minus is that (because of the comparatively small screen) maps &, to an extent, photographs are virtually unreadable. Also - certainly on my version of the Kindle - it is impossible to refer to an index of names / places, as there is at the back of a 'normal' book.

Hope this helps - or has it confused matters more?

[hazelclark]

I've had a Kindle for about four years now. Regarding books about the war (or indeed any other non-fiction) there are pluses & minuses:-

The major plus is that if you read fast & read a lot you aren't weighed down with loads of books. My wife can easily read 8 or 10 novels in a two week holiday & imagine how much space they would take up in a suitcase.

The major minus is that (because of the comparatively small screen) maps &, to an extent, photographs are virtually unreadable. Also - certainly on my version of the Kindle - it is impossible to refer to an index of names / places, as there is at the back of a 'normal' book.

Hope this helps - or has it confused matters more?

I was not aware that photographs and maps etc. were too small to read. That would be a problem. I thought that you could sort of make everything as big as you wanted. I can see that if one read lots of novels it would be great, but I read almost nothing but non fiction and at the moment, that largely means WW!.

So yes, that does help - thanks!

Hazel

[pebbles]

Just to confuse, I use an Android Tablet with the Kindle App. This gives me Kindle books plus other downloads such as Guttenberg Project as it seems much WW1 material is becoming available for free. So one device gives me internet access, books and much more. But I prefer a real book for deeper study and for finding that part I remember and need a memory refresh now.

[kevmc]

Hazel

My wife has a Kindle and I thought the screen was too small for me. I bought a 10" tablet purely to read books. It will also allow maps to be viewed and increased in size.

The Kindle has a MOBI file format. A tablet allows the reader to also view MOBI. EPUB, PDF etc by simply downloading a Reader application, there are many free choices.

The MOBI file limitation can be overcome by converting the files on your PC with a free programme called Calibre. So for example you obtain an EPUB file and want to view on the Kindle it can be converted.

The way to put the files on the Kindle or Tablet is by attaching them to your PC and simply transferring the files across - you are not limited to loading files directly from Amazon for the Kindle. Many EPUB, MOBI files are available on the Internet. McMaster Archive and Guttenberg usually hold a variety of files for the same document (I should say they used to as I have not checked lately). Most books that have been converted to digital ie MOBI etc can also be downloaded via Newsgroups and Torrents but that is an area needing a bit more "technology" understanding than the average users need.

I still find the Tablet better for my own reading than the Kindle. In favour of the Kindle reader ie early version, is its light weight. Should that be a likely issue I recommend a visit to a computer store to handle the Tablet. I emphasise that I am talking about a Tablet using Android and not a cut down version of PC laptop which uses Microsoft.

Kevin

[towisuk]

Hazel

My wife has a Kindle and I thought the screen was too small for me. I bought a 10" tablet purely to read books. It will also allow maps to be viewed and increased in size.

The Kindle has a MOBI file format. A tablet allows the reader to also view MOBI. EPUB, PDF etc by simply downloading a Reader application, there are many free choices.

The MOBI file limitation can be overcome by converting the files on your PC with a free programme calles Calibre. So for example you obtain an EPUB file and want to view on the Kindle it can be converted.

The way to put the files on the Kindle or Tablet is by attaching them to your PC and simply transferring the files across - you are not limited to loading files directly from Amazon for the Kindle. Many EPUB, MOBI files are available on the Internet. McMaster Archive and Guttenberg usually hold a variety of files for the same document (I should say they used to as I have not checked lately). Most books that have been converted to digital ie MOBI etc can also be downloaded via Newsgroups and Torrents but that is an area needing a bit more "technology" understanding than the average users needs.

I still find the Tablet better for my own reading than the Kindle. In favour of the Kindle reader ie early version, is its light weight. Should that be a likely issue I recommend a visit to a computer store to handle the Tablet. I emphasise that I am talking about a Tablet using Android and not a cut down version of PC laptop which uses Microsoft.

Kevin

Yes...buy a tablet, a far more versatile and useful machine, the only plus the kindle has is battery life before a re-charge is needed, the tablets due to the screen and technology involved drain the battery far quicker than the kindle...

regards Tom

[AlanCurragh]

I really don't agree that the only advantage the Kindle has is the battery life. It is much easier and more natural to read text on a Kindle than a tablet, especially in bright light (where a tablet is useless). I have both and they fulfil very different purposes. The maps/illustrations is a problem though - they don't really work that well on a Kindle.

And regarding the point made above about indexes, you can search a book (or indeed your entire collection) for a particular word. So if you had all your books on WW1 on your Kindle, you could in a matter of seconds find all the references to a particular individual or place name.

[Sue Light]

I've had a Kindle for three and a half years now and use it constantly. If you never read fiction (what a lot you're missing!), travel mainly by car and have no problem whatsoever with holding and manipulating books, then maybe give it a miss. It's not possible to reproduce certain printed items and will never replace what might be described as 'historical text books.' But great for downloading and reading old out of copyright editions from the web, most of which are fairly unsophisticated in modern terms, and for providing the pure unadulterated pleasure of fiction on the move. I've never had a tablet and for me, don't see the point - but happy with a MacBook Air when needing more flexibility on the move.

Of course, there are a lot of threads on the forum about e-readers, and I'm sure all this has been said before.

Sue

[stevem49]

Mrs M said she would never have such a thing - so I got one for her. She uses nothing else now and loves it. We also have one less suitcase to pack!

Steve M

[kevmc]

. I've never had a tablet and for me, don't see the point - but happy with a MacBook Air when needing more flexibility on the move.

.

Sue

Cost

[Sue Light]

I did say 'for me' - everyone's needs are different. Tablets aren't renowned for being able to cope with things like PowerPoint presentations etc. Or maybe someone will tell me that they are.

Sue

[hazelclark]

Thank you so much for all your replies. From all of this, in my own case, I think that a Kindle would just be a way of storing and transporting a limited collection of books as a supplement to normal books. So, it would have a place. If I understand all this correctly, I can download books from sites such as the Guttenberg Project to my computer and transfer to the Kindle? That would be a plus. The technical stuff I can probably iron out with my son who is coming for the weekend, but they (my sons) didn't really understand my requirements. The one coming today is advocating a tablet but I can't help feeling that will complicate my life further.

Thanks again,

Hazel

[paulgranger]

I've got on excess of 250 'books' on my Kindle. For a lot of them, I have no hard copy, so, yes, they are a supplement. There are many free books on Amazons site, often also available from Gutenburg, but easier to 'buy' from Amazon. Additionally, there are often cheap deals on new or recent books, usually well below hardback or paperback prices. You can read all your Kindle books on any smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC by downloading the free Kindle App. There's no need to get a tablet if all you want is an E-reader, and you've already got another computer. Regarding maps, it's true that they are smaller in a Kindle screen than on the page, but my Kindle, and I assume others, has a zoom facility. There is one major downside - it's very easy to get carried away with buying more books. Be firm and don't get tempted.

[hazelclark]

I've got on excess of 250 'books' on my Kindle. For a lot of them, I have no hard copy, so, yes, they are a supplement. There are many free books on Amazons site, often also available from Gutenburg, but easier to 'buy' from Amazon. Additionally, there are often cheap deals on new or recent books, usually well below hardback or paperback prices. You can read all your Kindle books on any smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC by downloading the free Kindle App. There's no need to get a tablet if all you want is an E-reader, and you've already got another computer. Regarding maps, it's true that they are smaller in a Kindle screen than on the page, but my Kindle, and I assume others, has a zoom facility. There is one major downside - it's very easy to get carried away with buying more books. Be firm and don't get tempted.

Yes,well I have pretty well decided. it will likely take me a while to find all the "sources" as well as the various apps. ('specially when i am not exactly sure what an App. is!!)

Thanks,

Hazel

[Glen Delvine]

Kindle for me - for what it's worth, The Kindle is good for reading through pdf archive documents without being stuck in front of the computer all the time.

I'm well stuck in to my family research now and for me a combination of library books, the odd online purchase and my Kindle is working well.

And of course not forgetting the invaluable advice and pointers of this Forum !!

[Staffsyeoman]

I bought my significant other the Kindle Keyboard not long after its issue, and it serves perfectly well. Unfortunately, it fell foul of a short drop to the floor (six inches) where the case did not protect it. I found a replacement on eBay, with the case with a built in light for less than I paid for the original. We found a repairer for the original, so now we have two. I see in the secondary market - online and in places like CEx shops (Computer Exchange) that the original Kindle Keyboard still holds quite a price, which suggests they still hold demand.

[healdav]

Thank you so much for all your replies. From all of this, in my own case, I think that a Kindle would just be a way of storing and transporting a limited collection of books as a supplement to normal books. So, it would have a place. If I understand all this correctly, I can download books from sites such as the Guttenberg Project to my computer and transfer to the Kindle? That would be a plus. The technical stuff I can probably iron out with my son who is coming for the weekend, but they (my sons) didn't really understand my requirements. The one coming today is advocating a tablet but I can't help feeling that will complicate my life further.

Thanks again,

Hazel

When you have a Kindle you can go to the Amazon site from it, and then simply type in the name of the book you want.

Many books are out of copyright and yet are still on sale from different publishers.

If you get a list of different editions of the book, scroll down until you find one that has no picture on the cover. This is invariably the free edition from Gutenberg. You can have a look at it to confirm, and then "buy" for nothing from Amazon - and a few minutes later you will receive an e-mail from Amazon confirming that you have bought it for nothing.

No need to go to Gutenberg at all.

Of course, you need to set up an Amazon account if you don't already have one. Once you have the account, a purchase on Kindle just requires you to press "Buy" and it automatically downloads and charges you.

It always pays to have a look at all editions of any book that are offered for sale as the price can vary considerably.

[CarylW]

We can now download the free books from archive.org directly to Kindle devices. At one time this had to be done via a laptop or PC by downloading the book then uploading it to Kindle readers. Now, to send a book from archive.org to any/all Kindle devices, go to the page for the book, choose the 'read online' option on the left hand side from the choice of format. Then on that page click the 'i' (for information) option which brings up the 'send to kindle' option. This brings up your Amazon sign up page, sign in, then all the Kindle devices you have registered will come up. Tick the ones you want the book sent to and then it'll download to them all, or just one if you prefer. I use a basic Kindle reader (69 quid) a Kindle Fire and my iPhone to read books on depending where I am. One thing though about reading books on a tablet such as Kindle Fire, iPad or whatever, is that it can be distracting and tempting to go off the book and check emails, surf etc. (I'm easily led astray!) So for serious reading without distraction or temptation, I use the basic reader.

[Sue Light]

Thanks Caryl - I managed it a while ago when you first mentioned it, but just couldn't remember how to do it yesterday - it's a massive improvement on dragging and dropping from the PC.

Sue

[hazelclark]

That is super advice - thanks Healdav and Caryl.

Hazel

[eairicbloodaxe]

Don't buy a Kindle, get a Kobo.

Kindle books are all rights managed so can only be read on one device. If you accidentally send a book to your pc, you're stuck.

Kobo books can be read on all your devices, phone, pc and kobo reader. All at same time.

Eink screen is exactly the same as kindle, cost is cheaper. Mine was £30!

I still prefer books though...

Regards

Ian

[Roxy]

Sorry ericbloodaxe, but that is incorrect, you can read kindle books on a number of devices - I've got my books on 4 different devices; 2 Kindles, an iPad and a PC.

I also prefer books!

Roxy

[AlanCurragh]

Agreed, in my experience Kindle books can be read on up to 5 devices

[Khaki]

I consider my books as part of my collection, so I will stick with them.

khaki

[Sue Light]

I've got both a Kindle and a Kobo Mini. I got the latter as it's extra light to put in my bag when travelling. However, Kobo can't match Amazon for price or 'deals' - Amazon undercut them on almost everything - it might be 10p or several pounds. Kobo constantly send 'deals' but they're often restricted to a relatively small number of books and even then the prices are usually similar to Amazon's normal price. I can't fault the Kobo reader itself, nor the PC/Mac App for the desktop which provides a very good online reading experience, but the price defeats me every time - I rarely bother to even check the site out now. At one time the epub versions for Kobo were slightly better than the Kindle version of free downloads, but now you can download direct to Kindle as Caryl outlined above, even that is now better on the latter.

Sue