The Kindle Kollection: Three Early Books about the Kindle

by Bufo Calvin



Introduction

Is it time for nostalgia for the early days of the Kindle?

This special collection combines three of my early books about the Kindle.

Why combine them?

Well, to be honest with you, some of the material is outdated. So many things have changed! We no longer have the "little silver thingy" that told us what line we were selecting. We can move sideways! Our Kindles have learned to speak to us, play a multitude of games, and with the Kindle Fire, show us movies.

I've been writing about Kindles and e-publishing for years now, and I continue to do so. My blog, I Love My Kindle , has been one of the top ten selling blogs of any kind in the Kindle store for quite some time.

I've been trying to figure out what to do with these. I think as you read them, you'll see that they still have quite a bit of value. I feel bad if people get them, though, expecting them to be as up-to-date as my blog and my later books. I've noticed that I'm getting more returns, and I'm guessing that the fact that the books talk about things that only apply to Kindles three or more generations ago is part of it.

So, I'm combining them all at a low price.

I used to manage a brick-and-mortar bookstore, and honestly, this would have been a "remainder" when I was doing that. You know, those bargain books that cost you a few dollars. I've gotten some great buys that way, and I hope you find this collection is worthwhile. If you think it isn't worth what you paid for it, you can "return" it for a refund. Amazon (at the time of writing...and for more than four years) has a generous return policy on Kindle books. Just contact them at

http://www.amazon.com/kindlesupport

within seven days of purchase.

Why am I telling you that?

Honestly, because I think it will help you. I'm hoping you find the combination of humor, concepts, and resources worth your money, but if you don't, I understand. I'd rather have you get your money back and perhaps you'll spend it on one of my newer writings: either my blog, or one of my other books.

Note: while these are the original books, they aren't the original versions. I've repeatedly updated my books, to make them more valuable to the readers. You are getting the benefit of those updates.

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yestermonth...

Bufo Calvin
December 11, 2011


ILMK! (I Love My Kindle!)

Being an Appreciation of Amazon's E-Book Reader, with Tips, Explanations, and Humor


By Bufo Calvin


Sixth edition:: May 28 2009

NOTE: HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT

ILMK! is optimized to be read on a Kindle. This is different from reading something on paper. The Kindle has search capability, and ILMK! has been designed to take advantage of that. So, you may not find yourself reading it from beginning to end, but jumping ahead to the "good stuff", and bookmarking tips for future reference. It also has links to Internet sites where you can get additional information.

A note on hyperlinks: I have generally made the links active, but they won't all work on your Kindle. For example, I may link to a funny video. If you click on a link on the Kindle and it doesn't work, try it on your computer. I've grouped them together at the end, and you can use My Clippings to transfer it to your computer if you don't feel comfortable typing it into your browser (like Internet Explorer). If you do follow a link, you can use the back button (on your right side of the Kindle) to get back to ILMK!

You may also notice that some of the hyperlinks have my "referrer code" at the end. I am an Amazon Associate (you can be too), and it doesn't affect your price at all. If you use the link and buy the product, Amazon rewards me. If you use the link to get to Amazon and then buy something else, I may also get rewarded (depending on what you get). However, I want to assure you, I won't put anything in here for that reason. :) If it's here, it's here for a reason organic to what you are reading. I just wanted to be up front about it...

Tags Used in ILMK

You can type one of these when you are reading ILMK, then flick your 5-way to the right (on the Kindle 2 and, presumably, the KDX) and click the 5-way.
That will bring up a clickable list of the "articles" that match that tag.

On the K1, first hit the Search key, and then type.

kexplanation : These are explanations of why things are the way they are in the Kindle. They may be speculative, but should help put things in perspective
ktrick s: These are tricks you can do with your Kindle. It's the cool stuff, which may or may not be useful
khumor : Funny stuff
klimericks : Specifically, limericks about the Kindle. They will also be tagged as khumor
kriddle: Punny riddles about the Kindle: They will also be tagged as khumor
kreference : Reference information, like Amazon links
khowto : Instructions on how to accomplish tasks


Introduction: Why I Love My Kindle!

I've always loved books. I was a bookstore manager for years. My books have always gotten a big bedroom than my child. :) I like the way they look, and smell, and feel.

I didn't think I'd like an e-book reader. Before I got the Kindle, I thought it could never be the same. It's not: it's better.

Okay, some of you are gasping right now. E-books better than paperbooks (or "p-books", as I like to call them). For me, yes. Don't get me wrong, I still love my p-books. I'll go in my library at home, and just sit and bask. So, what makes the Kindle books better?

* Adjustable font size
I've gotten to a point where it makes a difference. Some p-books are, honestly, too hard to read comfortably. Especially in dim light.
* Portability
This is a big one for me. I used to always have two books with me, whereever I went. Plus, I might have an "emergency book" in the car, or my laptop case. I did not want to get caught without one. Now, I can have literally a thousand with me, and access to hundreds of thousands more. Also, let's not get started on what happens when we move!
* Searchability
I do use this. I'll go back to an old favorite, and be looking for a particular quotation or story. With an e-book, I can find it, clip it, and send it to somebody
* Free books!
I wrote another whole Kindle item about this: Free Books for Your Kindle . There are literally thousands of free books you can get, directly from Amazon as well as from other sources. Many of them are books I do want to read: classics and pulps. Contemporary publishers also some promotional free titles, and some authors choose to distribute them that way.
* Cheap books!
Your typical book is cheaper as an e-book than a p-book. There are also many books that are only a couple of dollars (or less) that would cost you several times that in paper...even at library sales.
* Invulnerability
You can annotate, clip, highlight, and bookmark an e-book and not hurt it at all. I never did that to p-books, but it's nice to be able to do.
* Replacability
I think its great that I can simply download the book again if something happens to it! While people think that books will last forever (and I have ones that are more than one hundred years old), that's simply not true. Fire and/or liquids can destroy a p-book, and then you are are out of luck.

Those are just a few reasons. I'm sure find more of your own! So, let's get into the fun, and I'm sure you'll love your Kindle, too!

=========================================
khumor: Plea from a paper book
 Original publication: Kindle forum (Plea from a paper book )
May 8 2009

Plea from a paper book

"Look, we need to talk. Strike that...you've been talking enough to that Kindle already! And it talks back!

I just feel like...when we first got together, I thought it would be forever. When you bought me that mahogany bookshelf, and those sweet heart-shaped bookends, I thought that meant we had a commitment.

Now...well, you never take me anywhere any more. I don't know when I even last left this shelf (which feels like a mahogany prison now, by the way). It's not that I'm angry, it's just that...

Well, what am I supposed to do? I can't make myself younger! As soon as something more modern came along, you dumped me. Okay, so that hussy is smarter than I am! It's not my fault! She's more adaptable...yeah, like you'd admit to =her= that your eyesight isn't as good as it used to be!

What about the history we have together? That trip to the beach...those nights in bed...that cute little mustard stain on page 75. She's not a =real= book! She'll never smell like me! You can't be happy with a...thing like that!

So, come on back. What does she have that I haven't got? Pick me up...see what a =real= book feels like, not some skinny little cold metal floozy who keeps falling asleep on you! I'm here right now: I'm sure you can find those reading glasses again: they make you look so distinguished by the way, dear.

I know, I know...I guess it was inevitable. Don't judge a book by its cover, right? I'm sure she's perfectly nice. She's perfect in every way, according to you! Sorry...just, every once in awhile, could you dust me off and take me to the family room? You know, just for old time's sake?

Please?"
=======================================

kexplanation: Over There: The Amazon Kindle Outside the USA

Over There: The Amazon Kindle Outside the USA

Buying a Kindle Outside the US

There are people from around the world anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Kindle in their countries. The market would clearly be there, so the obvious question is "Why doesn't Amazon sell the Kindle outside the US?"

It's not as simple as it might seem at first (but then, what is? ;) ). Clearly, Amazon has the ability to sell to foreign countries. At the time of writing, they have six international sites: Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK. All of these areas could be significant potential markets.

Register Hardware (a British tech website) reported on February 10 2009 that Amazon had confirmed with them the desire to sell the Kindle outside the US, but could not give a date (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/02/10/kindle_2_international_launch/ ).

The main reason seems to be one of legal and licensing. There could be restrictions on sending the device itself. There are restrictions on electronics being sent outside the US. For example, Amazon says it can not ship cellphones and computers to APO/FPO (Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office) addresses (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=468634 ).

On Amazon's page about international shipping (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=596184&qid=1241298834&sr=1-1 ), it indicates that books are generally not restricted. There may be, though, more specific restrictions on electronic downloads of copyrighted material to other countries. I have seen reports of specific titles refusing to download themselves to a Kindle that was overseas due to "geographic restrictions". I presume it is recognizing the country from which the request originated, based on the ISP (Internet Service Provider). I had rarely seen it, until somebody reported running into it repeatedly in a middle Eastern country.

Amazon addresses the issue here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200316870&#intl .

kexplanation: Using a Kindle Outside the US

Using a Kindle Outside the US

So, you set up your Kindle with the appropriate US credentials and now you are going on a trip. You could just load up a thousand books on it before you went...even at a book a day, that's going to last you more than three years. :) But wait, you say, it won't stay charged that long! Nope, but it will probably last a week if you aren't using the Whispernet (which you won't be outside the US). Fortunately, the charger that came included will work without a converter. Like a lot of cellphones, it can take a range of voltages, from the 100 v of Japan through the 120v standard of the US on up to 240v of Kenya. :) You may need an adapter, just so it fits in the holes, but you shouldn't need to convert. Oh, and the Kindle 2 charges through the USB plug (when you attach it to a computer), so that's another option.

What is you do decide you want to download something new? You can do that, even from the Amazon store. You won't have the Whispernet, so no wireless downloading. However, you can buy books through a computer, download them to a computer, and then transfer them to your Kindle's documents folder using your USB cord. It won't be the instant gratification of the wireless, but it will work. I'll explain how to do that, but let me note that there is a catch for your periodical subscriptions (magazines and newspapers). Generally, people get their subscriptions through the wireless. Subscribe to a newspaper like The New York Times , and it will automatically be in your Kindle in the morning. Well, your paperboy (or girl) can't deliver outside the US (he's not allowed to cross the border without his mother). So, you'll have to pick up your copy in your archives, like going down to the newspaper office to get it. You can only have the current copy plus six back issues, without doing something fancy. If you don't pick up your newspapers at least once a week, you are going to miss some issues. Fortunately, it isn't seven days, it's seven issues, so you'll have seven weeks with Time Magazine , or more than six months with Reader's Digest .

=========================

khowto: How to Save Individual Issues of Periodicals
kreference: How to Save Individusal Issues of Periodicals

How to Save Individual Issues of Periodicals

1. On either the K1 or the K2, you can copy a file on to your computer using your USB cord. It can only be read on that specific Kindle when you put it back in your Kindle's documents folder.
2. On the K2, you can click Menu when you are reading a periodical, and you'll see a choice to Keep This Issue

----

 kreference: Shopping without Using the Wireless
khowto: Shopping without Using the Wireless

Shopping without Using the Wireless

NOTE: THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR A PC, NOT A MAC

 1. Go to the Kindle Bookstore
2. Find a book
3. Choose the Kindle for which you want to buy the book (if you have more than one Kindle on the account, you'll see the choices). Don't worry...if you do have more than one Kindle, you'll typically be able to send it to the others (up to six devices on one account) for no extra charge
4. Once you've bought the books you want, go to Your Account at Amazon
5. On that page, you'll see Digital Content, Manage Your Kindle...click on that
6. Scroll down a bit, and you'll see Your Orders
7. You can search by author or title
8. Find a book you want, and you can choose computer under Download/Send to...
9. It will ask you for which Kindle you want to download it: I'd recommend you make a folder for each Kindle on your computer so you can keep things straight. The file will only work on the Kindle for which you download it
10. It will ask you where you want to put it (in the folder you made)
11. Connect the USB cord that came to with your Kindle to your computer. You made need to take the power plug off first...it just pulls off. The USB cord has a big and a small end. The big end goes in your computer, with the "Vulcan fork" (it's actually a wiring diagram) side facing up
12. Plug the small end of your USB cord into the bottom edge of your Kindle, Vulcan fork facing up
13. Your Kindle will go into USB mode, and its screen will tell you that (with a Vulcan fork diagram)
14. Open your computer's Windows Explorer. You can use the Windows button (four wavy squares to your left of the alt button to your left of the spacebar on your computer keyboard...usually)
15. You should see the Kindle as a "drive", and it will usually be labeled as Kindle
16. Click the plus box next to your Kindle drive: you should see folders, including a documents folder
17. Drag the files from the folder on your computer into your Kindle's documents folder
18. "Safely remove" your Kindle. There is usually an icon (a little picture) somewhere near the clock on your computer. It looks like a grey rectangle with a green arrow on it. Click on it, and you'll be given a choice to safely remove a USB Mass Storage Device. When you select that, your Kindle should go back to showing you a normal screen. If you leave it plugged in at this point, it is still charging
19. Remove the USB cord from your Kindle
20. Remove the USB cord from the computer

Your book should now show in your home screen. :)

========================

kriddles 1
khumor

Kriddles1


Q. What will the owners of the new, larger DX call the K1 and K2?
A. Munchkindles

Q. How do readaholics pay their monthly bills?
A. By the Kindle of their teeth

Q. What do you say to someone who has to spend all day on the KDX reading work materials?
A. "All work and no play makes Jack a Kin-dull boy"

Q. Who lives on E-Skull Island?
A. Kindle Kong

Q. What dance do you do when Amazon sends you your new e-book reader?
A. The Kin-Kin

Q. What will be the next country to get Amazon's e-book reader?
A. Kin-ada.

Q. Who lived happily ever after with Prince e-Charming?
A. Kindle-ella

Q. what do they call the new gold-plated Kindle?
A. The Kin Midas

Q. What did the Little Engine say when it learned to read?
A. "I think I Kin, I think I Kin..."

Q. What does the bumper sticker on Jeff Bezos' car say?
A. Practice random acts of Kindleness

=========================================

khumor: With apologies to Edgar Allan Poe
With apologies to Edgar Allan Poe

Original post: Amazon 2 forum: April 8 2009 (With apologies to Edgar Allan Poe )

----
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
As I reached to slide to sleep mode, suddenly I found my hand slowed
As if driving up a steep road, driving with a heavy load
"I can't seem to move it forward, as if some Kowboy had 'whoa'd,
It's a fluke and nothing more."

Suddenly, a wheel was spinning, a face appeared, and it was grinning
I gasped and nearly dropped my m-edge, dropped it on the hardwood floor
I shook my head, I couldn't take it; wasn't sure if I would make it
Then that voice: speakers of portent - portent I would know the score
Then the robot quirkily intoned words that shook me to the core
Quoth my Kindle: "READ SOME MORE."

"I need sleep!" I firmly stated, yet I found I hesitated
Reading - reading how it drew me like it never had before
So I sat there, pushing buttons, appetite of sev'ral gluttons
Bestsellers, public domain, 'til I think I filled up my brain
"Tis some magazine I've never even purchased at the store"
"I need to get up early!" I heard myself again implore
Quoth my Kindle: "READ SOME MORE."

My eyes opened and I woke up; knew I dreamt my Kindle spoke up
So I dragged myself off to what had become my bedtime chore,
Although fact is what it did seem, I knew it was just a weird dream
So as I brushed my teeth, I felt safe behind my bathroom door
I kept my head beneath my covers, as I sailed to Morpheus' shore...
Quoth my Kindle: "READ SOME MORE."

----

==============================

kexplanation: My Own FAQs: The Pithy Version

My Own FAQS: The Pithy Version


I originally posted this at Amazon on February 22, 2009. I have updated it there from time to time, and that version has been stripped of some useful links, in order to not conflict with Amazon's posting guidelines. I wanted to gather some answers to questions that were, well, being frequently asked. :) I didn't find Amazon's own Kindle FAQs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200316870 ) sufficient. I later realized that having complete FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) makes sense for a help desk for a company's employees to use, it doesn't make as much sense for a company to use for its customers. Amazon is (I believe) very interested in finding out what there customers want. FAQs are largely passive: you give out information, you don't get it back. By having your customers ask questions (yes, over and over again), you can get a better sense of their desires. My original posting is at http://tinyurl.com/bufokindleFAQS although it will eventually disappear from there, unless people post to the thread (make comments or ask questions). At the time of writing, it is at 50 posts.

----
My own Kindle FAQs: the pithy version
I know I tend to be lengthy in my answers (I was once diagnosed with a sunburned tongue ;) ). I also know I'm answering the same questions in multiple threads. So here, with no further ado, is my pithy (no more than seven word) unofficial answers/opinions to some of those questions.
1. Why would anybody pay that much money for a Kindle or upgrade to a Kindle 2?
A. Because they want to
2. Why does Amazon charge that much for e-books?
A. Because people pay it
3. Why doesn't Amazon sell the Kindle in other countries?
A. Legal, licensing, and cost: they want to
4. How can I find books by price/author/language...?
A. http://www.jungle-search.com/US/kindle.php

5. How can I find the free books from the Kindle store?
A. With public domain:
http://tinyurl.com/FreeKindleStoreBooks
Without:
http://tinyurl.com/freekindlestorebookswithoutPD

6. Can I read books when I don't have access to the Whispernet, like when I am traveling? Can I get more books abroad?
A. Yes. Download to your computer and transfer
7. How can I add Kindle books to my wish list?
A. http://www.amazon.com/gp/wishlist/get-button/

8. Where are the buttons/what formats does it read/what does it do/How do I...?
A. http://s3.amazonaws.com/kindle/Kindle2_Users_Guide.pdf

9. How can I search these forums?
A. Use Google: search term, then site:www.amazon.com forum
10. Where can I see a Kindle/hear the voice?
A. http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Generation/dp/B00154JDAI/bufosweirdworld

11. How can I organize my books by topic?
A. Annotate then search
http://tinyurl.com/TagsInK2

12. Where can I write to a publisher to say I want a Kindle version of a particular book/tell them how I feel about text-to-speech?
A. http://www.publishers.org/main/Membership/member_02.htm

13. Can I download ebooks from a public library?
A. Depends on library: may require Kindle hack
14. How can I tell if my library has a particular ebook?
A. http://www.worldcat.org

15. Are there textbooks for the Kindle through the Kindle store?
A. Yes: http://tinyurl.com/dcsvkq

16. Can I use my Kindle on an airplane?
A. It's up to the flight crew
17. Has the Copyright Office said anything about text-to-speech? Amazon says it is legal: is there support for that?
A. Yes and yes .
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/docs/fedreg-notice-final.pdf

18. Where can I find some Kindle-friendly sites I can visit with the web browser?
A. http://cantoni.mobi/

19. How big is the largest text size on the Kindle?
A. Roughly font size 20
20. Where can I see what people are talking about/get help/ask questions about the Kindle on Amazon?
A.
http://tinyurl.com/Kindle1AmazonForum
http://tinyurl.com/Kindle2AmazonForum
http://tinyurl.com/KindleCommunityAmazonForum
http://tinyurl.com/eBookForum
http://tinyurl.com/AmazonEbookReaderForum
http://www.amazon.com/tag/kindle2/forum/bufosweirdworld
http://www.amazon.com/2-Year-Extended-Warranty-Kindle-2/forum/Fx8K5S3V834TCX/-/1?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B001P81618

22. How do I get to the female voice/change the "read aloud" speed on the Kindle 2?
A. When reading, click text size button
23. How do I pause the voice?
A. Spacebar
24. How do I reach Kindle Customer Service if I don't have access to a computer?
A. In the US: 1-866-321-8851
Outside: 1-206-266-0927
25. How do I get my Kindle to open to the last page I was reading?
A. Home before off or sleep
26. Is Bufo your first name?
A. Yes.
:)

----


=============

khumor
klimerick
Your Kindle may soon change your life
If you have a husband or wife
You'll just sit there and read
And pay them no heed
Which can lead to more marital strife

==============
kexplanation: Why your favorite books aren't available for the Kindle...yet

In the Well: Why your favorite books aren't available for the Kindle...yet


"Every book ever printed in any language, all available within sixty seconds: that's the goal of Kindle. That's the vision."
Jeff Bezos on the Charlie Rose show February 26 2009

That's not just the vision, that's the dream, isn't it? It's what we as readers really want, right? Oh, as collectors , we enjoy the hunt. Scouring used bookstores, library sales, maybe E-Bay (if you don't consider that cheating), trading with other collectors...the thrill of discovery.

As readers, though, we want it all and we want it now (and increasingly, we want it for free). Maybe that wasn't the thought before we had the internet, which we saw as endless. However...some of us, even back then, pictured an equally infinite library, with book upon book upon book.

You get your Kindle, and you excitedly look for that book you've always wanted to read or you want to read again. You want to fill in the gaps or start a new series. You want to read that first hand account of that 19th century explorer. You want that obscure fanzine. You want to start through the hundred greatest books and then develop your own list.

Well, if that's why you bought the Kindle, you might be disappointed.

Oh, they are adding lots of books every day: the growth is phenomenal! It tends, though, to be books in a certain time frame. You're familiar with a bell curve, right? A little at the beginning, a lot in the middle, and a little at the end. The opposite of that is a well curve . That's a lot at the beginning, a little in the middle, and a lot at the end. That's what you'll see with e-books (as of this writing). There are a lot of books available that were published in the United States before 1923. There are a lot of books that were published after, oh, 2004 or so. The ones in the middle? Not as many.

Why is that? Why are there the later books, but not the first book in a series?

The answer has to do with what it takes to turn a book into an e-book. There are two main factors: technical and licensing/legal.

Licensing/Legal

The pre-1923 books are there because of an important part of copyright law called "public domain". Copyright allows the authors to control (within limits) the works they create. They commonly sell the rights to publishers. Copyright law, though, recognizes that after an amount of time (which has been revised several times) the right expires, and the control falls to the public: the book falls into the "public domain". Basically, all books first published in the US prior to 1923 are in the public domain. That means anybody can copy them and sell them. There are no contracts to arrange.

Hobbyists have been "digitizing" public domain books for years, often making them available for free. The mother of all such sites is Project Gutenberg , founded in 1971. PG texts (which are available in a variety of formats) are the source documents for quite a few versions that you see on other sites. Remember that the text in the original book is up for grabs, so once an e-book is out there (assuming there is no new added material), anybody can take it and try and sell it or give it away. That's why you see so many versions of the same classics in the Kindle store.

Books published after 1923 in the US are a lot trickier. The work could have fallen into the public domain due to a clerical error, or because the rightsholder didn't renew the copyright. I find this chart from Cornell useful to get an idea of it: http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/public_domain/ . Works published between 1950 and 1963 in the United States can be searched online at the Copyright Office at http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First . If you can't find it there (and it was first published in the US between 1950 and 1963), it is reasonable to assume that it is in the public domain. It's not a guarantee, and I suggest you try different variations on the name and title. You can pay the Copyright Office to do a search, which is more thorough.

Starting in 2005 or so, e-books regularly became part of contracts between authors and publishers. At the same time the contact was signed to allow the publisher to make a paper version, a contract would be signed for an e-book (and maybe an audiobook and so on). New books from major publishers have that cleared. If the contract didn't include e-books, the publisher has to go back to the author and negotiate that new element. That can be time consuming and labor intensive, and therefore costs money. Fortunately, we can be sure that standard e-book contracts now exist, which wouldn't have been true in, say, 1966. Amazon, by the way, has no more right to turn a book into an e-book than you do. :) That seems to be a common misconception: it's up to the rightsholder, who may be the author (or the heirs of the author) or the publisher.

Technical

 E-books require special formatting, even more so for the Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 (presumably, less for the Kindle DX). The pictures should be a particular size. Tables can be a challenge. People now expect some interactive features, like Tables of Contents and the conversion of footnotes to endnotes. So, even if the rightsholder already has an electronic file, there is some work to do.

If the book is not in an electronic form, but only is available in paper, that's a much bigger challenge. There are two main approaches:

1. Use OCR (Optical Character Recognition), in which the books are scanned and then software tries to recognizes the letters
2. Have a person type it into the computer

The first method is notoriously flawed. Google has a patent on a special overlay technique they use to digitally flatten the pages to make it easier to read. You may think a page is flat already, but when you open a book, the place where the two pages come together in the middle (the "gutter") has a considerable curve. If you are willing to tear the book apart, you wouldn't need the digital flattening, but many people (understandably) don't want to do that. The software is also far from perfect, even with a flat page. Spots and wrinkles, for example, are often interpreted as letters or punctuation. If any kind of non-standard font is used (which is common in older materials), the software will make its best guess, but it is often wrong.

The second method is also prone to error, although human error.

After the book is converted, it should be proof-read against the original (to make sure names are spelled correctly, for one thing), and ideally laid-out properly.

All of this takes time and effort and again, therefore, money.

Why not start from the first book in a series?

 We just went through the two biggest obstacles to converting a book you want to convert. Let's assume that those two can be solved for a particular book. Are there reasons why a rightsholder would choose not to convert a book? For example, if you could do the first ten books in a series, why not do them all, or at least start with the first one? Well, I think publishers believe that e-books may cut intop the paperbook sales. We've just recently heard a figure that Kindle books now represent 35% of the sales for Amazon (presumably, only of books available in k-book and p-book (paperbook) form. That suggest that releasing an e-book could cut into your sales of the paperbooks. Still, the e-books may be more profitable. Many books are now coming out at the same price for a hardback and for a k-book (although Amazon typically discounts the k-book more). Presumably, an e-book (with lower production and shipping costs) is more profitable at the same price.

I think the issue is that in the case of more popular books, more has been invested. Books are printed in a "run", not on demand. For the first book in a popular series, let's say the publisher has 30,000 in stock. The twelfth book might only have 5,000. When the twelfth book dwindles down, a decision will be made: is it worth doing another print run, doing just an e-book conversion, or both? It's going to take longer for the popular books to get to that decision point. You also don't want to jeopardize your relationship with the brick and mortar bookstores: they will still be part of the business for a considerable time to come.

I think in the next couple of years, we'll start to see massive conversion of the "backlist". Jeff Bezos has said they are working from the bestsellers backwards, but I don't think it will quite run that way through the entire backlist. One other thing: I've started to find books that originally came out in paper, that are now only available in e-book from major publishers. I think we'll start to see more of that for the backlist as time goes on. Also, if the rights reside with an author, the author may choose to simply publish the book rather than sell the e-book rights to a publisher.

In a very few cases, the author may actually not want the book to be published as an e-book. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, is the most famous example. Just as paperbacks were once disdained by the literati, the same has been true by some people for e-books. That feels like it is fading to me. The Kindleers seem to be real readers, and very respecting of books. The key thing that will make the difference, though, is the access an electronic book gives to the disabled (both those with visual impairment and those with debilitating conditions, like muscular sclerosis). Especially in the case of Harry Potter, the books were difficult for some people to manipulate. I'm aware of cases of people having to have the books torn apart to be able to manage them.

====================================

khumor : The Happy Little Bookworm
First: The Happy Little Bookworm
in the Amazon Kindle Community
May 27, 2009

The Happy Little Bookworm


Once upon a time, there was a happy little bookworm. All of its life, it had loved to read. One day, a box arrived at the bookworm's home.

"Oh, joy!" said the bookworm. "My Kindle is here!"

The bookworm was so excited, it couldn't wait to show it to everyone.

As it wriggled down the road (for bookworms don't have feet...just footnotes), it came upon Mr. Goat.

"Good morning, Mr. Goat!" said the little bookworm.

"What's good about it?" snapped the grumpy old goat.

"I got my Kindle!" smiled the bookworm.

"What did you pay for that thing?" the goat said with a sneer.

"Three hundred fifty-nine dollars." said the little bookworm.

"Three hundred and fifty-nine dollars? That is much too expensive" sniffed the goat.

The bookworm just smiled and went on its way. The goat was still unhappy, and some day, you will understand why goats want to be that way.

The bookworm went over a bridge. Bookworms usually don't like things that are abridged, but it was so happy, it didn't mind.

The bookworm found a troll under the bridge.

"I got my Kindle!" said the little bookworm happily.

"No you didn't" said the troll "and if you did, it isn't a Kindle."

That is because trolls always disagree with you.

The bookworm shrugged and went on its way. Bookworms do not have shoulders like you and I, so when they shrug, it wiggles and jiggles from their heads to their toes. "But" you say "do bookworms have toes?" That, my dear, is a question for my friend, Anna Tomy. You must ask her.

So, it went. Everyone the bookworm found had something different to say.

"It doesn't have a booklight...how will I read in the dark?" said Grandma Owl.

"It doesn't have folders" said the green snake. Snakes are very fond of folding, and even fold themselves into different shapes.

"It has a very slow web" said the spider.

Finally, the bookworm came to a sign, with a very fierce-looking woman standing guard. Do you know what fierce means? It is not a very nice thing, and is not something little children need to know.

"I got my Kindle!" said the happy little bookworm.

"One...um" said the woman.

The bookworm was puzzled by this. Have you ever said "um" when you could not remember a thing? Perhaps, thought the bookworm, the woman was trying to think of something.

"I like my Kindle" said the bookworm.

"Two...um" said the woman, looking a little less fierce.

"I like to read on my Kindle." said the bookworm.

"Three...um" said the woman, smiling a little bit.

The bookworm decided it liked the woman. It knew what fierce meant, of course...bookworms know everything.

"I think I know what you want to know. I would like to talk to other people who like reading on their Kindles, too."

"Four...um" said the woman.

"Forum?" said the bookworm.

"Forum" said the woman, smiling.

Now that may not mean very much to you, but the bookworm knew. A forum is a place where people get together and talk about things, like your dining room table.

Suddenly, there was a bright shining room, with a rainbow in sixteen shades of gray. In this room were many creatures with their Kindles. They were all smiling at the little bookworm.

"I got my Kindle" said the happy little bookworm.

"We got our Kindles, too" said all the creatures together, for indeed, they had.

The bookworm found itself a very comfortable chair, like the fluffiest lap in the world, and began to ask questions. Even though it had been happy before, it was now happy in a group, which is the best kind of happy there is.

The moral of the story? Other people can not make you unhappy, that is something only you can do.

THE END

========================================

ktrick : Getting to your notes online

"I'll make a note of it!" How to get to your notes online

You know how you can clip things in your books on the Kindle? I use that for little quotations, but you could actually use it for notes if you want. Basically, you see something you want, and click Menu - Add a Note or Highlight. Then you click the start of it, go to the end of it, and click again. Simple, right?

At the time of writing, Amazon has just made these notes available to you online! This is going to make it much easier to copy and paste it into an e-mail, for example. It only works with books you get from Amazon, by the way. You can make notes in other books, but you won't see them here. Here's the site:

http://kindle.amazon.com

You''ll be asked to log-in with your normal log-in. When you do, you may need to sort by Title (just click on title) twice to get them all to show up. You can see books with highlights and notes, and open those notes. You can also rate the books here.

==========================================

khumor
klimerick

A tax cheat came up with a swindle
He said he'd adopted his Kindle
And here comes the pun
(You knew there'd be one)
He deducted his kith and his kin-dle


====================================

kexplanation
Why the Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 don't show you page numbers

Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard: Why the Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 don't show you pages numbers, but the Kindle DX will...sort of


You're reading through a book on your Kindle. You suddenly realize you don't know if you're a quarter of the way through, or halfway through, or what! You don't have that convenient visual cue of the right side of the book getting thinner and the left side getting thicker. Even worse, your book club wants discuss pages 100-200 this week. Why don't the K1 and K2 show you page numbers?

The answer is actually simple, and due to one of the advantages of your device. If you want to, you can make the text size bigger or smaller by using the Aa button. What difference does that make? Well, it's going to change the number of words shown on a screen. Bigger text, more pages. If your text size is twice as big, you are going to need twice as many screens to show it all (ignoring images and such). If I read on size 2 and you read on size 4, we're not going to be the same number of screens into the book when the shocking twist happens. How can we synchronize our watches...er, pages?
Currtion 100 is location 100, regardless of text size. This actually makes more sense, given the flexibility in text size that makes Amazon accessible to people with different levels of visual acuity. If one of us was reading a large print paper edition and one of wasn't, we'd be on different pages.

That's logical, but it is different than a paperbook, and I think some people found it disconcerting. Between the K1 and the K2, Amazon changed the way this information is shown to you.

The K1 shows you a progress bar at the bottom (little dots that fill in as you get further into the book), numbers that represent how far you are into the book (the big 7 means 70% and so on), and the locations shown on your page.

The K2 shows you the percentage you are into the book in your bottom left, the locations shown on this page, and the total locations.

My guess is that showing somebody "52%" was clearer than having the dots just past the number 5.

If you are and someone else are using the same Kindle edition of the book, it's easy then to get to the same location. While in a book, you can hit the Menu key and say, "Go to location".

What happens if you are using a Kindle edition, and someone else, like the book club or your class, is using a paper edition?

The first problem is that the editions may actually be different. For example, the rights statement (at the beginning of the book, usually) may be a different length, because they have different things to say. A lot of Kindle books don't have the same images.

However, you can get pretty close. You need to know the number of pages in the paper edition: the Amazon site normally shows that (although not on Topaz format books in the Kindle store. It then becomes simple math...yes, don't get scared, it is simple and you can do it on a calculator. :)
Current location divided by number of locations multiplied by number of pages
Your current location is shown in the middle of your K2 screen at the bottom, the number of locations is shown on your bottom right.

Let's say you are on location 50 of a 200 location book that has 100 pages. The math looks like this:

(50/200)*100=25

Don't worry about the parentheses when you are using your calculator. :)

Again, that will get you a pretty close number to a page number.

CITING A KINDLE EDITION

Could you then use this page number as a citation in a paper? That would be up to your professor. There are groups that actually decide these things. The MLA (Modern Language Association) is one of the premier sources of this, and at time of writing, they hadn't really made a statement on it, to my knowledge. The format they have for e-books doesn't quite seem to fit. I would expect something will be released eventually. One complication: books in the Kindle store can be updated with no indication made. I think that the date the book was downloaded will have to be included in a citation.

WHY WITH THE KINDLE DX BE DIFFERENT?

The situatio will be the same with the DX for converted files. The difference is that it is going to be display unconverted .pdfs (a popular format from Adobe). Those are going to be pretty much a one page to one page display, so the KDX will show you the percentage you into the .pdf, the page your are on, and how many total pages. So, for .pdfs only, it will uses pages, not locations.

============================

khumor
kriddles 2

Kriddles 2


Q. After turning it around several times to write notes or use the next page button, what did the left-handed reader call the Kindle DX?
A. The "Tin Dizzy"

Q. What do the much smaller Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 call the Kindle DX?
A. "Sir."

Q. Why did the Kindle cross the road?
A. It didn't: it got what it needed through the Whispernet

Q. Which state has the most e-book readers?
A. Kindle-tucky

Q. Who is the greatest e-Jeopardy champ of all time?
A. Kin Jennings

Q. What did one Kindle 1 say to the other?
A. Sadly, nothing...K1s can't talk

Q. What did Playskool name its kiddie e-book reading chair?
A. The "Sit 'N Kin"

Q. What do e-romance fans read?
A. Harlekindles

Q. What does Bob Dylan (or Manfred Mann) say about the Kindle?
A. "Come all without, come all within...you ain't seen nothing like the mighty Kin!"

Q. What does Dylan say about the Wikipedia access on the Kindle?
A. "The answer, my friend, is blowing in the Kin"

Subset: authors rebranded for the Kindle:

Charles Dickindles
Rudyard Kindling
Kin Follett
Stephen Kindle
Alexander Pushkindle
Terry Goodkindle

Oh, and did you know there actually is a Patrice Kindl? :)

=================================

ktrick
Playing minesweeper on the Kindle

Kablooie! Playing minesweeper on your Kindle

"Does it play any games?" The answer is yes! You know, after you've read those three thousand books you've downloaded, you may need something else to do. :)

From the homescreen, do Alt+Shift+M. (The shift is the up arrow). Minesweeper will open, and you can change the difficulty by hitting the menu key.

Don't expect this to be an Xbox game. It's very simple graphically.

In case you haven't spent hours playing this on a Windows based machine already, the concept is pretty easy.

There are hidden mines. You click on a square, and one of two things happen. You click on a mine and blow up, or you get to see a number. The number tells you how many squares around that one have mines. That's where the skill part comes into it, although there is luck involved as well.

If a square is in the middle of the grid, it has six squares around it. If you see a number six, don't click on any of the squares touching it! Clicking on one mine ends the game. If you see the number one, that's good information. Five of the squares around you are safe: only one has a mine. How do you know which one?

Ah, that's where it gets interesting! It's by combining the information you get from the other squares. Let's say you've already cleared all the squares around the one you click except one. If you reveal a one, you know that the one square touching it that you haven't clicked has a mine. You can mark squares you think have a mine by using your M key.

You win when you have clicked on all of the squares except the mines...good luck!

khumor: The Kindle Encounter (a Star Trek parody)
First: With the popularity of the new Star Trek Movie...
a thread started in the Amazon Kindle forum by Crodley
May 24 2009
Second: Star Trek parody: The Kindle Encounter
a thread in the Amazon Kindle forum
May 25 2009

The Kindle Encounter (a Star Trek parody)

Captain's Log: stardate 20090524.5

A remote probe has detected a weak signal in the KDX quadrant. Starfleet Command has asked the Enterprise to investigate. Our sensors have indicated a small, previously unknown planetoid as the source.

Science Officer Spock has identified the signal as being eerily similar to a type used on Earth in the early 21st century.

I am leading a landing party, consisting of Spock, my Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy, and Security Sub-chief Camisa Roja.

Also in our group: Historian 3rd Class LOLie Poster, an expert in internet era culture. While she has never been on a field mission before, I believe her expertise may prove helpful.

EXTERIOR: WE SEE THE LANDING PARTY MATERIALIZE ON WHAT APPEARS TO BE A TYPICAL 21ST CENTURY AMERICAN SMALL TOWN STREET. THERE IS NO MOVEMENT, NO SIGNS OF LIFE. SPOCK IS USING HIS TRICORDER.

Kirk: Have you identified the source of the signal, Spock?
Spock: Uncertain, Captain. It appears to be a non-localized carrier throughout this entire area.
Kirk: That doesn't help us much.
Spock: I shall continue scanning.
Kirk: Bones?
McCoy: Well, Jim, I'm picking up quite a few life signs, but they're very faint. I'd say there's something in every one of these buildings, but I don't what it is. I guarantee you, though, we've got company.
Spock: On further analysis, I've found the signal is not entirely consistent. At irregular intervals, the signal is stronger in different domiciles.
Scotty: It's just a short burst, and then it's gone.
LOL: Captain, if I may make a suggestion?
Kirk: That's why you're here, historian.
LOL: The generalized signal may be an Internet of some kind, while the short bursts would be people downloading information.
Scotty: Aye! Like a data transporter!
Spock: While your analogy is imprecise, Mr. Scott, it does convey the essence of what I can determine with the data we have accumulated so far.
Kirk: Well, gentlemen, let's see if we can't get Mr. Spock some more data. Phasers on stun: it's time we see whose at home.
McCoy: I don't think we'll need the phasers, Jim. These life signs are about as a sleepy as a Kentucky hound dog on a mid-summer day.
Kirk: It pays to be prepared. Historian Poster, pick a building.
LOL: These all seem to be single-family dwellings...there could be people in any of them.
Spock: A burst of activity is just completing...there.
LOL: That could mean a download has just finished.
Kirk: Then that's our first stop. Phasers drawn.

INTERIOR: AN ENTIRELY WHITE ROOM, WITH BROWN CARDBOARD BOXES STACKED EVERYWHERE. A BLOBBY HUMANOID IS SEATED IN A WHITE CHAIR, WITH A SMALL DEVICE WITH A SCREEN PROPPED ON A PLATFORM NEARBY. MCCOY IS EXAMINING THE HUMANOID WITH A MEDICAL TRICORDER.

Kirk: Is he alive, Bones?
McCoy: If you mean is he breathing, yes. His vitals are all below normal limits, but they are there. It's his mental activity that concerns me. It's there, but it never seems to change.
Spock: That would suggest, doctor, that he is in an altered state of consciousness.
McCoy: I know what it means, Spock, but whether he's sleeping or in a coma or communing with my Great Aunt Tille, I can't tell you.
Kirk: Can you wake him up?
MCCoy: I could, but I don't know what it would do to him.
LOL: Captain?
Kirk: What is it, Lieutenant?
LOL: I think he may be on-line. I've read about it, but I've never actually seen it before.
Kirk: Perhaps you'd care to enlighten the rest of us?
LOL: Oh, sorry, Captain. After receiving information from an Internet, a user...that's what they called them back then...would have to interface with it in some way.
Kirk: How long would that take?
Spock: Based on my analysis of the accumulation of dust in this room, I would say he has been in this condition for approximately two hundred and twenty-seven Earth years.
Scott: But didn't that energy burst just happen? It hasn't been more than two centuries!
Spock: Correct, Engineer. Logically, he is not processing the most recent emanation.
LOL: That's right. They could keep getting information even though they haven't finished the last one. It could even be an automatic update.
Kirk: Update to what?
LOL: I would say that device on the table.
Kirk: Scotty?
Scott: Aye. It's some kind of a receiving console.
Kirk: Can you get it going?
Scott: That I can, Cap'n. She's set up for universal voltage...I'll have her going in a jiffy.

SCOTTY WORKS ON THE UNIT. THE FACE OF EMILY DICKINSON APPEARS ON THE SCREEN.

Roja: Captain, look out!

ROJA FIRES HIS PHASER, WHICH BOUNCES OFF THE SCREEN AND HITS HIM IN THE CHEST. HE SCREAMS AND SLUMPS TO THE FLOOR. MCCOY RUNS TO HIS SIDE.

McCoy: He's dead, Jim.
Kirk: I knew his second cousin twice removed.
McCoy: Knew her, or knew knew her?
Kirk: Now is not the time, Bones. Dammit, that thing just killed my crewman!
Spock: I would say not. It appears to have passively reflected the phaser blast.
Scotty: It has a shield? That wee thing?
Spock: Not a shield as we know them, engineer. It does, though, have some kind of screen protector.

LOL IS CRYING HYSTERICALLY

Kirk: Pull yourself together, Historian! I need answers!
LOL: Sorry, Captain. Yes, Mr. Spock is right. They often had some kind of film over the screen. But that was to protect it from scratches! This...this is horrible!
Kirk (hugging LOL): Thank you, Lieutenant. That's what I needed to know. Thanks to you, we won't be using our phasers again.
LOL: Thank you, Captain.
Kirk: Jim.
LOL: Jim.

Spock: If Mr. Scott would assist me, I believe we can induce it to reveal its contents.
Scott: Aye. If we reverse the polarity, and cross circuit to B...
Spock: I believe this switch may accomplish that same task.
McCoy: It looks like a list of book titles.
Kirk: Pick one, Bones.
McCoy: I'm a doctor, not a librarian!
Spock: It may be unwise to open them on the device. While I am sure Mr. Scott has done his typically commendable job, the device may not be able to take reactivation after this long a period in stasis.
Scott: Aye, Cap'n. I canna hold her together much longer.
Kirk: Then we'll take it with us. Enterprise, six to beam up.

INTERIOR: THE ENTERPRISE BRIDGE. SPOCK AND SCOTTY ARE WORKING AT A COMPUTER STATION. THE DEVICE FROM THE PLANET IS CONNECTED VIA A CABLE. KIRK STANDS NEARBY.

Kirk: Gentlemen?
SCOTTY SHRUGS AND LOOKS AT SPOCK
Spock: We have failed to open any of the books.
Kirk: what's wrong?
Spock: My analysis indicates that the books are keyed only to be used on that device. Despite Mr. Scott's best efforts, we have been unable to supply sufficient power to it. We are in a quandary: we can neither power the device for which they are intended, nor open them on another device. Logically, there are no other alternatives.

Scotty: Reading Klingon is one thing. Hacking DRM...that's hard.

Kirk: Thank you for your efforts, gentlemen. I guess we'll just have to "close the book" on this one.

EVERYONE LAUGHS. END CREDITS

==========================================
khumor: Amazon announces Kindle designs for specialized markets

JKN: Amazon announces Kindle designs for specialized markets


Original posting: April 23, 2009 Kindle 2 forum (JKN: Amazon announces Kindle designs for specialized markets )

----
Amazon announces Kindle designs for specialized markets
(JKN)
April 22, 2009

Internet retailing giant Amazon.com has announced development of several new versions of its popular Kindle, an electronic book reading device.
In a news release, cEO Jeff Bezos said, "We're very happy with the performance of our Kindle 2 for the casual reader. Sales have exceeded our expectations, and the response has been great! Based on customer feedback and our own analysis, we have decided to expand the line into other markets."
Below are the models announced today:
1. Kindle Biz ($999), a model with a larger display and native .pdf conversion
2. Kindle Kollege ($999) similar to the Kindle Biz, but available in different "hip" designs
3. Kindle Kids ($199), a model without onboard ordering, a plexiglass screen, and a rubberized exterior
4. Kindle Espanol ($399): similar to the Kindle 2, but with a Spanish keyboard and a Spanish version of the Kindle 2's text-to-speech feature
5. Kindle Kronicle ($2499): a 27" diagonal screen mimics a typical newspaper. Waterproof design allows it to be used as a birdcage liner
6. Kindle Kitty ($99): designed for use by cats, the sleep mode pictures feature various prey animals. The device in incapable of downloads, but can meow and is impregnated with a synthetic catnip aroma
7. Kindle Me ($99): the e-ink screen has been replaced by a mirror. Narcissistic users simply speak to the device and gaze at their own reflections
8. Kindle Kopyright ($399): to afford complete copyright protection, the device can not display the content in any way, including text-to-speech and visual representation. The USB access has been eliminated. Users purchase books through a computer and have it sent to the device via e-mail
9. Kindle Kro-Magnon ($199): The 22 pound device is made of stone and comes with the Kindle logo carved into it. Instructions are included for making dyes out of berries to paint scenes onto the slab
10. Kindle Konspiracy ($666): This device proves everything is true that the internet has said.
* Prices rise automatically every day, and are always higher than the paper equivalents
* It cancels your account without warning (including unrelated credit cards)
* e-ink fades to illegibility in sun (or shade)
* jumps to random spots in the book
* teleports to different places in the house, making it difficult to find
* Text-to-speech is Mushmouth from Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
* Any book requested (or purchased) more than 100 times is removed from sale
* Battery drains excessively in or out of sleep mode
* Device freezes unexpectedly, dropping to a surface temperature of 28 degrees fahrenheit
* Home button replaced with joy buzzer
* Whenever you buy it, a new and better version is put on sale the next day
=============
The JKN (Just Kidding Network): bring you untrue information for your amusement whenever we feel like it

=========================================

ktricks: Secret Information Screens in the K2

Secret Information Screens in the K2

On the K2, go to your home screen...you'll want the wireless on for these tricks. You can turn it on in the Menu button, if necessary. Then click the Menu button, and choose settings.

Now type 411.

It will tell you a bunch of stuff that won't mean much to you, but it's excited that that the server is up. :)

Now hit back.

Now type 611.

You'll get a lot of information about the network. It includes a latitude and longitude. If you put that into something like Google maps, I think you'll know the location of your nearest cell tower (although that's just a guess). :)

===========================================

khumor
kriddles

Kriddles 3


Q. What was my favorite ride at Disneyland?
A. Kindle-anna Jones

Q. What did George Michael name his Kindle?
A. Careless Whispernet
Special watching TV in Kindleland edition:

Q. What did Cartman say when the Apple Netbook was released?
A. "Oh my g*d, they killed Kinny!"

Q. Who played Kin-ton Harper on Mama's Family?
A. Kin Barry

Q. What Joss Whedon series stars Eliza Dushkindle?
A. Kindlehouse

Q. Where do Adam and Eve use their Kindles?
A. The Garden of Readin'

Q. Who wrote the Kindleholic's classic, The Habit?
A. J.R.R. Tolkindle

Q. In the Charles Dickindles classic, Oliver Twist, what did Oliver say when he was only allowed to download ten books a day?
A. "Please sir, Kindle I have some more?"

Q. Who plays Sookie Stackhouse on TV?
A. Anna Pakindle

Q. What do they call pancakes in Kindleland?
A. Kriddle cakes

Q. Who is the most feared villain in all of Kindleland?
A. The Kindler ("Kindle me this, Batman...")

Q. Who did Mr. Miyagi make wipe off his e-book reader screen?
A. The Karate Kindle

============================



kexplanation: Kindle on Airplanes

Taking Flight: Kindle on Airplanes


Okay, so you are settled into your seat, and the flight crew asks everybody to turn off your electronic devices. Does that count the Kindle? How about when you are cruising? Will the Kindle's Whsipernet interfere with the plane's navigation?

The bottom line on this is that it is up to the flight crew. I'd always follow their instructions, and I recommend you do the same. I'm a big stickler for following the rules, much to the dismay of my coworkers when we go to lunch. They have to deal with me crossing at the crosswalk and waiting for the WALK signal. There is, though, clearly real danger when flying, expecially during take-off and landing. That's the hard part...literally. The ground and all those pesky buildings and such are much harder than the fluffy clouds...you really don't want to make a mistake around them. If something does happen, the crew needs you to be alert, and not worried about saving your Kindle (even if Oberon did make a stunning life jacket for it ;) ).

What if you forgot and left the Whispernet on? Is your plane going to end up in the wrong place, or worse, get confused about what is up and what is down? Most people seem to think that is why they want you to turn off your cellphones, and I think that the airlines don't mind that thought. It probably increases compliance.

Is there actually a risk? Logically, it seems unlikely. If turning on your cellphone, or your Kindle, was actually a risk, do you think they would let you have them in the cabin with you? Imagine this:

"Certainly, sir, you can have that nitroglycerin...just don't drop it."

or

"Take this plane to Maine, or I download this Stephen King!"

It just seems very unlikely. Why do they do it then? I think they just want you to pay attention, and not be distracted. You might wonder why they don't ask you to put down your p-books (paperbooks) as well? I've been on flights where they have done just that...at least, during the safety instructions. If you did have to abandon the aircraft, would you be more worried about the Kindle (or Nintendo DS) in your hand or your in-flight magazine? I think the former.

Summing up: I would follow the flight crew's instructions, even though I don't think the plane is at risk from your device...it's more from your relationship to the device in an emergency.

========================================

khumor: Conversations at a K2 Party

First: 1st Annual K2 Party, K2 forum (1st Annual K2 Party ), March 29 2009

Conversations at a K2 Party


"What did you think about that part at location 342?"

"I totally had to use the dictionary! I can never remember which 17th century carriage is which."

"I'm telling you! She put the same skin on her Kindle for this party just to spite me!"

"Stay out of that room! There's a bunch of kids in there having their Kindles read different books out loud at the same time! It was driving me nuts!"

"I'm telling you, we should just stop inviting J.K...she never comes to these things. It's too bad, she's missing all the fun."

"Have I shown you the picture of my dog reading my Kindle? Doesn't he look classy in grayscale?"

"Quiet down, everybody! Tom wants to read you a message Grandma just sent me."

"Is that the new arrival?"

"Anybody have a headphone splitter? We want to listen to this podcast."

"1...2...3...download! I win!"

EDIT (I had to add a few ;) ):

"I love that book! It's a real button-pusher."

"She used to be so egotistical, but she's gone to a new location."

"I want to make sure we're all on the same location on this decision."

"Don't judge a book by its cover image."

Of course, the most common dialogue at a Kindle party:

"..."

That's a bunch of people sitting in a room reading to themselves... ;)

=========================================

April 1st Kindle News Round-up


khumor: April 1st Kindle News Round-up


 I originally posted this one in the K2 forum as April 1st 2009 (http://www.amazon.com/April-1st-Kindle-News-Round-up/forum/Fx2EGRL42MHF15D/Tx2OLGT1FCHUZU8/1?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B00154JDAI )

----
AFD News round-up:
KINDLE IMPLANT EDITION ANNOUNCED
Plans are under way to produce an implantable version of Amazon's Kindle e-book reader. Users will be able to access the Whispernet to instantly absorb the content of any of the books in the Amazon Kindle store...
--------------------------
AUTHORS GUILD HAS NEW CONCERN WITH AMAZON KINDLE
The Authors Guild released a new memo declaring that "interpreting and understanding" create new versions of books, and therefore may be copyright infringements. A spokesperson for the authors' group said, "There must be one hundred interpretations of what Gravity's Rainbow actually means. Each one of those is a derivative work, and therefore the author deserves royalties on each new version..."
---------------------------
SONY E-BOOK READER SCORES "SCHOOL DOODLES" LIBRARY
Following up on its successful deal with Google Books, Sony has obtained millions of doodles created during school classes by bored students. "These doodles put us way ahead in content count..."
------------------
BEZOS DISCUSSES "EVERY BOOK EVER WRITTEN" STRATEGY
Jeff Bezos addressed a group of users who were disappointed that Amazon had not yet digitized "every book ever written" as has been the stated goal. According to attendees at the private conference, Bezos said the online retailer has a two-pronged approach.
"First, we have to stop any more books from being written. It's clear that we are unable to make any real progress while authors continue to write. We're looking into an incentive program, and have discovered that keeping them busy on our forums can significantly slow their output.
Secondly, we found out that the number of books that already exist is staggering. So, we plan to develop time travel, and go back to prevent the books from being written in the first place. We've been told that we can effectively delay the written word by hundreds of years if we introduce television during the Cro-Magnon period. While the technical challenges seem daunting, I'm confident that the issues can be resolved..."
============
Happy April Fool's Day! :)
Bufo Calvin
Author, Free Books for Your Kindle
http://tinyurl.com/BufoKindleFAQs

===============================================

kexplanation: Self-Publishing for the Kindle

You Oughtta Be in E-Books: Self-Publishing for the Kindle

Have you written the great American novel? Do you want to publish that fourth grade paper on Sweden? You can do it with Amazon's DTP (Digital Text Platform)! You do have to get it in an e-book form, but that's not too hard. Anything that will put it into HTML will work, and Microsoft Word (if not too complicated a document) is okay.

Then, you can go to the Digital Text Platform (https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin ). You may want to do that on your computer, because you'll have input to do that would be hard to do on the Kindle. It will have information there, but the basic set up is that you upload a file, write a desciption, and set a price. Amazon will put it in the Kindle store (it can take a few days). You'll get 35% of the price you set for it, even though Amazon will discount it. That's a really good deal, compared to what a publisher would give you. It might seem funny that Amazon gets the lion's share, but they do a lot . They collect the payments, deal with refunds, list it with the other Amazon books, deliver it, and so on. There is even a help forum: I got some particularly good help there from Michael R. Hicks, who wrote In Her Name . I wouldn't have gotten my first Kindle book up properly without him. That's a really good read, by the way. :)

==============================

kexplanation: The Amazon Discussions/Forums for the Kindle

Let's Talk: The Amazon Customer Discussions/Forums for the Kindle


Discussions Overview

Amazon hosts discussions and forums for their customers on a wide variety of topics. What are they? They are places that customers can post their opinions, swap stories, and so on. Since roughly February 2009, I've spent a lot of time. I've learned a lot, shared a lot, and had a good time. :) I had been posting and organizing extensively on the Sci Fi Channel 's late, lamented wiki, the Scifipedia. When they decided to shut that down, I was looking for another creative outlet. I'd been a Kindle owner for quite a long time at that point, and happened to stumble on to the forums (initially, the one for the Kindle 1). I found some great resources there, and some great humor as well. Kindling Kowboy especially stands out, but there were many. I found I could contribute to the conversations as well. I also noticed that there were several other discussions on Amazon that were about the Kindle. I read and posted on those as well.

Being Deleted


I was having fun. I never read the guidelines for posting, a true anomaly for me (I read the laundry tags every time I wash something...even if I washed it before. I actually do read the manuals...cover to cover). I didn't realize you weren't supposed to put in "referrer links" (links to items for sale on Amazon, in this case, for which you get a cut if somebody buys it). I also was signing my name as:

Bufo Calvin
Author, Free Books for Your Kindle

Well, on April 7, 2009, I received an e-mail from Amazon informing that I was in violation of the guidelines, and that if I continued, my posting privileges could be revoked. They also had started deleting offending posts.

I was really upset...not because I didn't think they had the right, I did. I was madder at myself for not having read the guidelines: I had no desire to break the rules. I was also concerned because quite a few of my posts, I had been told, had solved problems for people. So, I went back through the 1023 posts in the Kindle 2 forum, editing my posts to remove what I thought were the problems. I also worked on some of the other forums. Anyway, that's what happened, and I've tried to be careful since. :)

Why Does Amazon Do the Forums?

Clearly, people like them, and it's nice to give people something they like. :) Being nice, though, is kind of a hard thing to justify at a meeting of the board. Oh, not that there is anything wrong with it, but it's a little hard to put down on a balance sheet. :)

khowto

Seek and Ye Shall Find...Maybe: Searching the Forums


There are many wonderful and helpful people on the forums, and your question may have been answered there already. In fact, there is a good chance it has been answered many times...sometimes, many, many times. :) I think it's to Amazon's advantage to have people ask the questions repeatedly. If they gave us an easy way to search, you could find the questions and answers, and they wouldn't be able to easily count how many times the question was asked. It's a more valuable market research tool for them if it has a lot of input. Easier searching=less input.

That means you have to go outside of Amazon to search the forums. The best method I've seen is to use the "Amazon Kindle Forum Search" at the Kindle 2 Rules blog:

http://kindle2rules.com/amazon-kindle-forum-search/

This fan-created search does a very nice job of finding forum threads. It's not perfect, but it's better than the alternatives. :) Your Google-powered searches will open in a second window, and can be refined there.

The other choice is to use Google yourself. Google allows you to limit a search to a specific site. Searching a single forum works fairly well. The most active forum as I write this, can be searched like this:

search term site:www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Generation/forum/

Replace "search term" with whatever you want to find. It will work okay, but not as well as the one from Kindle2Rules. For one thing, it isn't real time. It seems like Google must cache (store) it in some way before it is searched. It also seems to confuse the actual topics with references to other topics.

The problem is that there are so many forums talking about the Kindle at Amazon. You can use a less specific search like this:

search term site:www.amazon.com forum

and you'll get more answers, but they may have nothing to do with the Kindle. Adding Kindle to your search request can help, but it will also exclude some answers you might want.

Of course, you could always flip through 41 pages... :)

Fortunately, you can search ILMK, and you may find your answers here. :)

----

================================

khumor
klimericks
Two Kindles discussed while they tarried
The people byT whom they were carried
"Their faces don't change,
They've no visual range,
But their voices? Incredibly varied!"

================================

kreference: The Kindle's Text-to-Speech

Giving literature a voice: The Kindle's Text-To-Speech


The biggest, flashiest change in the Kindle 2 was the the new locations indicator...just kidding, it was the text-to-speech. Yes, that's right: it can actually read your books (and magazines and newspapers and work stuff) out loud to you. They don't need any special preparation: as long as it's been downloaded to the Kindle and it's text the Kindle can read it (see exception below). However, don't expect James Earl Jones or Jim Dale. It's pretty robotic, but certainly understandable. The voice is created by Nuance, the same company that does Dragon NaturallySpeaking, a popular program that goes the other way...it turns what you say into text in a computer. A lot of people don't like it: while it doesn't read phonetically (it knows the difference between "Kansas" and "Arkansas"), it still makes a lot of mistakes. I started a whole discussion about "Tomisms " and at the time of writing, there have been more than fifty posts. It doesn't just reel off the words, there is some reasonable variation, although it doesn't know where to get excited. As I explained in my discussion, A Road Trip with Tom , its delivery reminds me of an NPR newscast.

Why use it, then? It's a great way to access the information in the car, among other things (I've also listened while vacuuming). It works very well for me for non-fiction: I've listened for many hours. It's a good way for me to review curricula, or to listen to popular non-fiction. I listen to fiction on it as well (The Brothers Karamazov, for one), but I think most people have trouble doing that. It can be pretty funny to hear it say, "hee hee" for a laugh, or read emotionally charged dialog. As you can imagine, some people have listened to it reading... intimate scenes, just for fun.

There is a controversy, which I've addressed in another article called The Disabled Deserve to Read . Random House decided to block this text-to-speech access in its e-books. The issue has to do (according to them) with authors' rights and the potential impact on the audiobook market. After careful research, I believe that it is legal for Random House to block the access in the Kindle editions (provided there are other editions of every one of their e-books that can "read aloud"), but that it is a bad decision that disproportionately affects the disabled. For that reason, I am boycotting all Random House products while this policy is in place. For more information, see my article (I am going to use my proceeds to buy Kindles for non-profits).

===============================

ktricks: Keyboard Text-To-Speech Tricks

Keyboard Text-To-Speech Tricks

Shift+Sym: starts or stops TTS
spacebar: pauses or resumes TTS (note: while paused, you will not be able to use your prev or next page buttons)
Home: Takes you back to home and gets you out of TTS

================================

khumor: If e-books were first...

If e-books were first...

First: K2 forum, April 17 2009
If e-books were first...

Eric: "Hey, Paul, what's that?"
Paul: "It's the latest thing. It's a paper book."
Eric: (showing his Kindle to Eric and imitating Crocodile Dundee ) "That's not a book. =This= is a book."
Paul: "Ess-atch-atch-atch. Very funny."
Eric: "So, what do you have on there?"
Paul: "I'm reading The Stand."
Eric: "What else?"
Paul: "That's it. It's just the one book."
Eric: "Is it frozen? Did you call Customer Service?"
Paul: "No, it's supposed to be like that."
Eric: "What happens when you want to read something else?"
Paul: "You buy another one."
Eric: "What a rip-off! What did it cost?"
Paul: "Twenty-four dollars."
Eric: "Twenty-four dollars?! I've =never= paid that much for a book! Why does it cost so much?'
Paul: "Well, it's made out of paper."
Eric: "What's paper?"
Paul: "I don't know exactly. It comes from trees."
Eric: "Trees? Like, it's a leaf or something?"
Paul: "I don't think so. I think they mash the trees up or something."
Eric: "Gross. Is it sticky?"
Paul: "No, not really."
Eric: "Where do they get the trees?"
Paul: "I don't know."
Eric: "Let me see it. Whoa, this thing is frickin' heavy! How do you hold it?"
Paul: "You get used to it. They sell stands and stuff for them."
Eric: "Where are you going to keep it?"
Paul: "Well, I don't really know. They sell shelves for them."
Eric: "You're not putting those things in the apartment! It's bad enough I've got to live with my brother, but you're taking up enough room with those...what do you call them, BVDs?"
Paul: "Those are antiques."
Eric: "Yeah, whatever. So, I've always wanted to read this. Make it bigger."
Paul: "You can't."
Eric: "What do you mean, you can't? Just push the button."
Paul: "No buttons. That's what size the letters are."
Eric: "That's discriminatory! How am I supposed to read those little things?"
Paul: "They sell ones with bigger text. I saw this one for thirty-five bucks."
Eric: "Well, =that's= sold me..."
Paul: "They're expensive. They don't need that many people to buy them."
Eric: "Definitely a niche product. It still doesn't seem fair. I'll tell you what: shoot me a copy and I'll read it on my Kindle."
Paul: "I can't do that. I'm not allowed to send it to anybody."
Eric: "But we're on the same account!"
Paul: "That doesn't matter. I only get one license. I can sell this one to somebody else, though."
Eric: "Good luck with that."
Paul: "Ha, ha. Hey, you got mustard on the page!"
Eric: "So what? Hit Alt+G."
Paul: "I can't, man. You messed it up permanently."
Eric: "Call Customer Service. Maybe they'll send you another one or reset it or something."
Paul: "Can't. Once I buy it, they don't service it."
Eric: "This is never going to catch on."
Paul: "I know. I just love gadgets..."

==================================

khowto: Finding Books on Your Kindle
kreference

Tag! Finding Books on Your Kindle

One of the most oft voiced complaints is that the Kindle doesn't have folders like your computer does. All of the books and other objects are just in there, which can make it hard to find what you want. It's sort of like keeping all your books in one big box (or dumpster, depending), and having to dig for them when you want them. You could have a lot of things to dig through...literally thousands on the Kindle DX.

There are a couple of built-in things that can help, and I have a suggestion that a lot of people have liked as well.

The first thing you can do is...not keep so many books on there. :) If you bought them from Amazon, they'll store them for you in the archives (which is easy to reach wirelessly or through your computer). Think of Amazon as your library (I have one...don't you? ;) ), and your Kindle as the backpack you use when you go out...a really big backpack. :) You only need to have the books with you that you want on that trip. If you get stuck when you are out, you can turn on the wireless (in your Menu) and go to the Archived Items title in your homescreen. Select it, and you can download a book from there...in less than a minute. :) That's on the K2, by the way...it's harder on the K1. To put something back in the archives, go to your homescreen. Scroll to the item you want, and then flick to your left. You'll be asked if you want to "remove from device". If it isn't an archived item, it will warn you.

Secondly (on the K2), you can easily choose a subset of items to see. On your homescreen, flick up, then flick to your left. You can choose to just display Personal Docs, Subscriptions, Books, or All Items.

Third, you can sort. It's similar to choosing the subset. On your homescreen, flick up, then flick to your right. You can choose to sort by Most Recent First, Title, or Author. That won't always work properly, though. The book may file the author by first or last name, for example.

The fourth thing is to search for the title or the author. From the home screen, just start typing. Flick right to select "search my items", then click your 5-way. You'll get a clickable list of all the places whatever you typed shows up on your Kindle. There could be a lot of matches, though.

Fifth, and this is a minor one, you can jump. If you have your Kindle sorted by most recent first, and your are on the homescreen, you can type a number. If you click, you'll jump to that page in your item list. :) If you are sorted by author or title, you cna type a single letter from the homescreen, and click to go to titles or authors that start with that letter.

Tags
The more sophisticated and customizable way is to create tags in your books. This occured to me on March 9, 2009, and I posted it to the forum here: http://tinyurl.com/TagsInK2 . I'm not saying somebody else didn't come up with it, too. :) Your Kindle will search the notes you create, and give you a clickable list of where it has found them. What you do, then, is add a note to each of your books, with whatever tags you want. I recommend you give them a unique name: like kmystery or kromance, rather than just "mystery" or "romance". Othewise, when you search, you'll find the word wherever it is in your books. Be creative: you can use kread, or kfunny, or kgreat. :)

To add a tag:

1. Open the title
2. Hit Menu - Add a Note or Highlight
3. Type your tags
4. Save your note

To find the books later (on a K2):

1. Go to the homescreen
2. Type your tag
3. Flick right, and choose to search your items

That's it. :)

=============================

khumor: With apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein

With apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein

First: K2 forum, April 11 2009 (With apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein )

IiiiiiiiiiiLove my Kindle, where the print comes poppin' on the page

I can read some hack, and then jump back
To read whatever is the rage!

IiiiLove my Kindle, Ev'ry night my e-reader and I
Sit alone and read at amazing speed
While the books come whizzin' through the sky!

My freebies are public domain
So I'm reading the classics again!

And when I say
I'm a kindler, I'm okay!
I'm only saying
ILMK: love my Kindle
Love my Kindle, okay!

============================

kreference: Backlighting and Booklights

Can You Read the Kindle in the Dark? Backlighting and Booklights


I have to admit, this is one of my favorite questions. It shows the hybrid nature of the Kindle: is it a book, or is it an electronic device? People who approach it as an electronic device expect it to be backlit, like a cellphone or computer. In that case, it's perfectly reasonable to be expect to be able to read it under the covers or at a dimly lit bus stop. People who approach it like a book know the answer: you need a light. One of the big attractions of the Kindle is its "e-ink" display screen. People have compared it to an Etch A Sketch , and that's not a bad description of how it looks (if, you know, Leonardo da Vinci used an Etch A Sketch). One reason why reading a book on a computer isn't that popular is that the backlighting bothers a lot of people after awhile. In a very minor way, it's like being in an interrogation room in an old TV show, and having the officers shine a light in your eyes. Also, lights burn up a lot of energy (after all, it basically is energy, right?) One reason why the Kindle can last so long between charges is that it takes no energy to display the image once it is "drawn", unlike a computer or a cellphone. So, not having it backlit is a good thing, in my opinion.

I do carry a booklight with me for my Kindle. I use this one: LED Clip Light which is ninety-nine cents from Amazon. I got mine from Half Price Books for a couple of dollars apiece, and bought several. I know a lot of people like the Mighty Bright Light .

======================

khumor: President Names Secretary of State Nominee

President Names Secretary of State Nominee

January 10, 2088
Washington City, Columbia, USA
President-elect Ellen Turing, the nation's first Robotic-American Commander-in-Chief, has nominated Robert T. ("Robby") Robot to serve as her Secretary of State.
Robot is expected to be confirmed, despite opposition from the Flesh First movement. With his ability to speak 188 languages (along with their various dialects and sub-tongues), space veteran and former U. N. Ambassador Robot is especially qualified to negotiate directly with heads of state from around the globe.
With the previous nominations of Susan Calvin as Secretary of Health and Human Services and Thurman Cutler as Attorney General, this latest announcement is in line with Turing's campaign promise of a fully "silcar" (silicon/carbon) Cabinet.
"While we can't say that this ends roboticism, the new Cabinet will show that entities of different physical origin can work together effectively," said Universal News commentator Max Headroom.
In her nomination press conference, Turing credited the pioneers of the Robotic Rights movement for the opportunity to make this ground-breaking announcement.
The Robotic Rights movement began in 2062, when Rosie, a domestic engineer in the employ of Jane and George Jetson, was arrested under the Author's Guild Act for reading a bedtime story to Elroy Jetson. The story became a national sensation when it was used as the basis of a number one song by pop star Jet Screamer. "The Tale of Rosie Sparks" became the unofficial theme song of the movement, and was performed at the inauguration by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist Jesse McCartney.
(APUPIREUTUBE)

----

Just some fun explanation here. I made it as though Washington, D.C. had become a state. Ellen Turing is a pun on Alan Turing. Robby the Robot is from Forbidden Planet. Susan Calvin (no relation ;) ) and Thurman Cutler are from I, Robot. Max Headroom was a TV icon in the 1980s. Jet Screamer actually was a character on the Jetsons. Oh, and the news service? It's as though several majors had merged into one in the future: AP, UPI, Reuters...and YouTube. :)

=======================

khumor
klimerick

=========================

kreference: An Introduction to Finding Free Books for Your Kindle

An Introduction to Finding Free Books for Your Kindle


One of the best things about the Kindle is the ability to get free books for it. My average download from Amazon is less than eighty cents, and I've gotten free books from many other sources as well. This is just an introduction: if you want the in-depth, please consider purchasing Free Books for Your Kindle . However, I did want to give you a taste. :)

You can find the free books from Amazon here:

A. With public domain:
http://tinyurl.com/FreeKindleStoreBooks
Without:
http://tinyurl.com/freekindlestorebookswithoutPD

The classics will be in the public domain books, the contemporary promitional titles will be in the second link. If you are looking for recommendations, try this discussion:

Public Domain Recommendations
First posted February 11 2009

and this one:

A Million or so Kindle books available now: where to get them and how
Started by T. Beck on on December 20 2007. This venerable discussion has 956 posts at the time of writing.

I also recommend http://www.gutenberg.org , http://www.manybooks.net , and http://www.FeedBooks.com

================================

klimericks: A Note on Klimericks

A Note on Klimericks

The limericks in ILMK! (I Love My Kindle) first appeared in a thread in the Kindle 2 forum ( Kindle Limericks - Not for the humor impaired ), started by Red Adept on April 30 2009.

=================================

kriddles: A Note on Kriddles

A Note on Kriddles


The riddles in ILMK! (I Love My Kindle) first appeared in a thread I started in the Kindle forum ( "Kin"versation: punny Kindle riddles ) on May 9 2009. Other Kindleers have made contributions there that tickled my "punny bone", and you may want to check them out. :)

Kindle Blogs

kreference: Kindle Blogs

* A Kindle World (http://kindleworld.blogspot.com )
More than just words, Andrys' blog brings you pictures (including one of Tom Glynn, the real voice of the Kindle), extensive linking, and a helpful sidebar.
* The Kindle 2 Fansite (http://kindle2rules.com/blog/ )
This one has had some fascinating features. It has the best search tool I've seen for the forums, and a video of a Kindle getting a bath!



========================

kreference: Kindle Videos

Non-Kindle Friendly Links



Note: the following links will not display well on your Kindle. :) These are primarily videos, and you would need to put the link into a web browser on your computer to view them properly. You can re-type them, or, "clip" this section, and then copy and paste from the My Clippings.txt file. Let me explain that one. :)

khowto

Making a clipping (for the Kindle 2):

1. When this page is displayed, hit your menu key
2. Select Add a Note or Highlight
 3. Use the five-way to get to the beginning of the list
4. Click the five-way
5. Move the five-way to the end of the list (you'll see it highlighting)
6. Click the five-way

khowto

Copying from your MyClippings.txt file (for a PC)

1. Plug your USB cord (included with the Kindle) "Vulcan fork" side up (the one with the diagram) into your computer
2. Plug the small end of your USB cord "Vulcan fork" side up into the bottom edge of your Kindle
3. Open your Windows Explorer: you can use the Windows key (four wavy squares to your left of the alt key to your left of the spacebar on your computer's keyboard) and the letter "E" simultaneously
4. You should see your Kindle showing a drive (it should be labeled Kindle). Click on the Kindle drive on your computer
5. On your right side of your screen, you'll see the documents folder. Double-click on that
6. You'll find a file named My Clippings.txt (not .mbp)...it will look like a piece of paper with lines on it
7. Double-click the My Clippings.txt: it will open into Notepad (a program that is part of Windows)
8. You can now copy and paste one of the URLs into the address bar of your browser

THE LIST (begin clipping here)

* http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10105
This is a fifty-six minute interview from February 26 2009 with Jeff Bezos on The Charlie Rose show in which they discuss Amazon and the Kindle
* Talking Gadget Theatre from DVICE: Blade Runner, starring the Kindle 2 and iPod Shuffle
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/04/talking-gadget.php
* Talking Gadget Theater II: The Kindle 2 and iPod Shuffle perform Wrath of Khan
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/04/talking-gadget-1.php
* Talking Gadget Theater Strikes Back: The Kindle and Shuffle do Star Wars
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/04/talking-gadget-2.php
* The Kindle 2 Reads the Classics (humor from Jimmy Fallon. Note: contains language some may consider inappropriate): http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2009/03/the-kindle-2-reads-the-classics/
* The Amazon Kindle 9XXXD
http://mashable.com/2009/05/19/amazon-kindle-9xxxd/
* The Kindle 3 Supports a New Kind of Reading
http://mashable.com/2009/05/26/kindle-3-parody-video/


=============================

kreference: Amazon Links

Amazon Links

* Kindle product pages (where you can buy them and see information about them): Kindle 1 (no longer sold new directly from Amazon), Kindle 2 , Kindle DX
* Kindle User Guides
* Kindle Store
* Amazon Kindle Discussion Forum (I highly recommend this as a place to ask questions. It now combines all the forums)
* AmazonKindle (where you can see the notes you make and rate the books you've read online)
* Discussion Guidelines
* DTP (Digital Text Platform) https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin
* Amazon Associates (sign up free to get referral fees from Amazon)

=================================

Other Works by the Author Available for the Kindle


Free Books for Your Kindle
This is a best-selling guide on how you can find and get free books for your Kindle. :) I list a number of sites, and how to get the books. Note: this is not the free books themselves...apparently, some people have been confused about that.


The Disabled Deserve to Read

This is an article about the text-to-speech controversy. I am personally boycotting Random House (at the time of writing), because of their announced intention to block the currently available text-to-speech. I do allow that document to be distributed for non-commercial purposes. If you buy it through Amazon, I am using my proceeds to buy Kindles for non-profit organizations.




===

Free Books for Your Kindle by Bufo Calvin

Free Books for your Kindle

by Bufo Calvin


---

Introduction



If you're like me, you love your Kindle. You think it's great that you can buy books, newspapers, magazines and blogs almost instantly from Amazon.

But you want more. You're the kind of person with 10,000 books on shelves in your home (and that's not counting what's in boxes). Your library got a bigger room than your kid did. Your friends have vowed never to help you move again.

While having the latest books available to you is great, you want to take advantage of being able to carry 150 books (or more) around with you. You want to be able to read those classics on your list while waiting to check out at the grocery store. You want to be able to have books you've already read on your Kindle, so you can search them easily, and make notes without messing up your paper copies.

In other words, you want free stuff. After all, it would typically cost hundreds of dollars to put even a hundred books on your Kindle from the Kindle store.

Well, you're in luck. Your Kindle can read text files without conversion. I'm going to tell you where to find them and give you two ways to get them on your Kindle. With just a little time and effort, you can be walking around with a 100 books in your pocket.

---

Putting Books on Your Kindle

Let's talk about the different ways to get a book on your Kindle. I'm going to talk about this first, because it affects what you are going to do once you find the books you want. There are four basic ways to get a book onto your Kindle:

1. Get it through the Kindle store

2. Get it from a different site that downloads directly to the Kindle

3. Get it somewhere else and use your Kindle's USB cord to transfer it to your Kindle from your computer

4. Use an SD card (this method is only effective on the first version of the Kindle, the K1)

The Kindle store (at time of writing) has over 7000 free books. Most of them are older books, but some are promotional titles.

You can find them by using these link:

http://tinyurl.com/freekindlestorebooks

If you want to see just the promotional titles, use this link:

http://tinyurl.com/freekindlestorebooksnopd


Oh, and don't forget the free samples of books. That lets you get a chapter to see if you like it. Reading just the first chapter of Steven King's Duma Key or Steven Levitt's Freakonomics may seem weird, but it's kind of like seeing the trailers before you see a movie (which is often my favorite part of going to the movies). It's a nice bite-size chunk while you're eating lunch.


---

The USB cord method is free and not too difficult: it's a lot like using a thumb drive.

Chapter 8 (page 76) in your Kindle User's Guide details this, but it is easy. First, turn on your Kindle. Second, plug the USB cable that came with your Kindle into a USB port on your computer. Then, plug the USB cable into the port on the bottom edge of the Kindle. Your screen will change to show that you are in USB drive mode. While you are in this mode, you can not connect to the Internet or read materials, but don't worry, you won't be here long.


Note: do not disconnect while the USB activity light is on. Ideally, use the ''safely eject hardware'' feature on your computer before you disconnect your Kindle.

Open Windows Explorer (you can just right-click your Start Menu and choose Explore) or use the Mac OS Finder. You should see your Kindle listed as a ''removable mass storage device'' or as a drive. All you have to do is drag the .txt files you downloaded earlier from the folder you created on your computer into the ''documents'' folder on your Kindle. You can drag several at once, if you want, by using either CTRL+click to ''cherry pick'' the ones you want, or SHIFT+click to pick a bunch of them that are next to each other.

Disconnect your Kindle from your computer (wait until the USB activity is out). Remember, it's best to use the ''safely eject hardware'' feature on your computer. If you do this with the K2 (the second version of the Kindle), your Kindle can continue to charge while you use it for reading.

That's it! The books will show up on your Kindle Home Page.


---

NOTE: THIS NEXT TIP ONLY WORKS WITH THE K1 (THE FIRST VERSION OF THE KINDLE)

The third method (the SD card) does require you to spend something, but it is the easiest. Besides, you might already have an SD card lying around from your digital camera. It's about the size of a quarter, and it will say SD on it. You can get them from Amazon, but even a Longs or a Walgreens will have them.


All you have to do is put it into your computer. You may have an older computer that requires a card reader, but I'm guessing if you have a Kindle, your computer will have an SD port. The only trick here is to create a folder on the SD card named ''documents''. If you don't do that, then the Kindle can't find the books you downloaded.


With the SD card in your computer, you can download the books directly into the documents folder. You should see it as a drive or device when you go to save the book.


Once you get the books onto the SD card, you put the SD card into the Kindle. Turn the Kindle off first. Remove the back cover, and you'll see an SD port. Put the card in until it clicks (you'll know). Turn your Kindle back on. The books you downloaded should show up on your home page. You can read them right off the card, or copy them on to your Kindle's memory. To do that, go to your Kindle home page, choose the Menu, and select Content Manager. Click on the title you want to move to your Kindle memory and you'll be given that choice.


===========

Types of Files

There are four basic types of files for free e-books, at least as far as what you have to do to read them on your Kindle.

1. Mobipocket
2. Compatible
3. Convertible
4. Experimental

The first one (Mobipocket) will go directly on your Kindle when you click on it. That's the easiest one: no SD card or cable required. It's very much like buying a book at Amazon the Amazon Kindle site.

Compatible files include: .azw (the Amazon format); .txt (which is commonly available); and unprotected .mobi or . prc files. That unprotected part is important: when you buy a book, it may include Digital Rights Management code. That is designed to protect against pirate (illegal) copying. Generally, free public domain books will not have DRM, but others might.

Convertible files can be sent to Amazon and changed into files your Kindle can read. This can be done for free by e-mailing them as an attachment to your Kindle's free e-mail address ( KindleName@free.kindle.com), in which case they will be sent to the e-mail address you designate. For 15 cents per meg, you can have them sent directly to your Kindle by e-mailing them to KindleName@kindle.com. You can get (and change) your Kindle's e-mail address on the Manage My Kindle page in the Your Account section at http://www.Amazon.com/manageryourkindle.com . Convertible files include Microsoft Word and HTML as well as a number of picture formats.

Experimental files are not supported by Amazon, but worth a shot by trying the conversion techniques above. For example, a . pdf may come out looking fine. The biggest problem I've heard about is it not doing the tables and illustrations very well. I've also ended up with a large font when I've converted, but I could certainly read and enjoy the book. You can also try converting them yourself.

With the Kindle DX, .pdf files are compatible files. However, they do not have the same interactivity as other files.


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Where to Find Free eBooks


Shortly before the release of the K2 in 2009, Amazon added thousands of free books to the Kindle store. As of this writing, the vast majority of these are public domain books, which are typically older. There are usually a few promotional titles that may be new.

You can search for these books with these links:

http://tinyurl.com/FreeKindleStoreBooks (includes both newer promotional titles and the public domain older titles)
http://tinyurl.com/FreeKindleStoreBooksWithoutPD (only the promotional titles)

Don't be afraid of the links. :) I created those with a site called Tiny URL, which just makes for easier to remember URLs (Universal or Uniform Resource Locators...basically, website address).

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The gold standard for e-texts is http://www.gutenberg.net . This non-profit site has over 20,000 free eBooks, just at its main site. It has public domain books in many languages, is easily searchable, and works well technically.


Let's say your child needs to read William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for school. You can download it from Project Gutenberg as a text file (153 kb, a fairly small file).


On the other hand, you want to re-read A Princess of Mars , by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan. You go straight to PG's Science Fiction bookshelf: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Science_Fiction_%28Bookshelf%29 . While there, you pick up a little ''Doc'' Smith, or Lester Del Rey. Ooh, they have the play that invented the word ''robot'', R.U.R. (by Karel Capek), so you get that, too.


There are lots of other bookshelves as well, including Biographies, Detective Fiction, and Psychology. You can see them here: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Category:Bookshelf .

From the Art of War to an Illustrated History of Furniture to Ibsen (in Norwegian), yes, Gutenberg is definitely your first stop.


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How to Download from Project Gutenberg


All you have to do is click on the book title. The simplest thing is to download the plain text file with no compression from the main site. Just click where it says ''main site'' in the row labeled ''Plain text'' where compression says ''none''. The file should open for you in Internet Explorer (assuming that's the browser you use). Go to File-Save As. Under File name, you'll probably see a number already highlighted in blue. Just start typing (you don't have to click in the box) to change it to a name you'll recognize (probably the name of the book). Check that the File type says ''Text file (*.txt)'', and the encoding type is probably fine. If you are using an SD card, save it to a ''documents'' folder on the SD. The first time you do it, you may have to use the Create New Folder button in this window (it usually has an asterisk on it…''hover'' your mouse over the buttons, it will probably tell you what they are). Create a folder named ''documents''. If you are going to use your USB cable, create a folder on your computer, and name it ''Kindle'' (or whatever you want). You could name it ''documents'', but that might be confusing on your laptop or desktop. Click Save.


Steps:


1. File-Save As


2. Rename the file


3. Click Save

You can also browse to Gutenberg using the Kindle web browser, and choose the Read Online option.


===========

Other Sites


While not having the selection of Gutenberg ,FeedBooks (http://www.feedbooks.com ) has some other advantages. It's been optimized for your Kindle. The first step is to go to the main site and set up a free account. You'll probably find it easier to do that on your computer than on your Kindle. It took several hours for them to send me a confirmation e-mail, but then I was set.


Then, you'll go to ( http://www.feedbooks.com/mobile/ ) on your Kindle. The nice thing is that you'll be able to download books directly to your Kindle, without using your SD or cable.


Once you sign in, you can find the book by Title, Author, Type, and so on. Type is like the bookshelves at Gutenberg: Fantasy, History, Science Fiction, etc.


When you select, you'll see a choice to dowload it for Mobipocket/Kindle. That will do it! You'll find it on your Kindle homepage.

Another option is to periodically download their Kindle catalog at http://www.feedbooks.com/kindleguide . Do that directly from your Kindle, and it will show up in your homepage like a book. Don't forget to bookmark it: you'll want to come back to get updated versions. It will have a Recently Added section, a Top Downloads section, and the books in alphabetical order (last time I checked). Books that start with the word ''A'' are filed under ''A''. One advantage is that you can use your Kindlesearch to find the titles you want. One thing that is a bit clunky is that you have to delete the catalog before you can download a new version of it, since it always has the same name. Use your Content Manager (locatable in the Menu from your homepage) to do that on a K1, or just locate it in the homescreen and flick left on a K2 or Kindle DX.


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Similar to FeedBooks, Munseys.com (http://www.munseys.com/joomla/ ) has a section for the Kindle. These are also MOBI books, so they will go directly onto your Kindle. There is a good variety, however, the search options are limited.


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Yet another Kindle friendly site is ManyBooks (http://mnybks.net ). Again, you'll be downloading the MOBI version.


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The World Public Library (http://worldlibrary.net/ ) has over half a million documents for members and about 75,000 for the public. However, it's a bit more complicated because the member books are .pdfs (Portable Document Format files, like you would read with Acrobat). There's an easy, if not 100% reliable way around that. Download the file, then e-mail it to your Kindle. Your Kindle's e-mail address is in your Manage Your Kindle page at Amazon. You can e-mail it directly to your Kindle (the instructions are there) for ten cents, or e-mail it to your computer for free and then transfer it to your Kindle. It's pretty easy, though: send it as an attachment to your Kindle's e-mail address to have it show up on the Kindle, or send it to ''name''@free.kindle.com (where ''name'' is your Kindle's name) to have it sent to the e-mail address you registered with Amazon. It may take hours, from what I've seen. You can add more e-mail addresses from which you can send in Manage Your Kindle as well.


The .pdf part is unsupported by Amazon at this point. They don't guarantee it will work, but it looked fine when I did it.


---

You know your Kindle will go to Wikipedia, right? Well, Wikipedia has a site with free ebooks called Wikisource (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Main_Page ). It's fairly searchable, but it's not as easy to save the books for your Kindle as it is from PG. For one thing, some of the titles require you to click on a different link for each chapter (this is pretty common at ebook sites). When you click on a title in Wikisource, it will usually open on your screen. Do CTRL+A to select everything on your screen (or drag over just the part you want). Do CTRL+C to copy it. Open the Notepad application on your Windows based computer (go to your Start Menu and you'll find it under All Programs-Accessories in most versions). Click in the file and do CTRL+V to paste. Click Save. Save it to your Kindle folder, and give it the name you want. You may get a warning about Unicode: if you click okay, you'll still get a readable version. You may get some extra garbage from the other things that were on your screen if you CTRL+A, but you'll get into the material quickly.


Steps

1.Find the book


2 CTRL+A to select All


3.CTRL+C to copy


4.Open Notepad


5.CTRL+V to paste


6.Rename if necessary, save to Kindle folder you created (if using USB) or to the documents folder you created on your SD card


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The University of Virginia also has many free ebooks at in its Electronic Text Center http://etext.virginia.edu/ebooks/ . Find the book you want. Open the ''web version''. Go to File-Save As, and choose to save it as text to your Kindle folder.


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Literature.org http://www.literature.org/ is a more focused site, with authors you probably know. However, it does tend to be one of those ''chapter a file'' sites, so it may not be the most convenient way to go.


---

Here's an interesting specialty site: The Internet Sacred Texts Archive (http://www.sacred-texts.com/ ). It may stretch your definition of ''sacred'' a bit, including UFOs, vampires, Richard Shaver and Charles Fort. It's an unusual collection, but is typically a file-a-chapter site, similar to Wikisource.


---

Since digitizing has gotten easier, many specialty organizations make public domain literature available on their sites. For example, I'm the Education Director for a 501(c )3 non-profit called OPUS (the Organization for Paranormal Understanding and Support). We've begun to make books available about UFOs, ghosts, and more. See our site at http://www.opus.net.org .


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There are lots of other sites, some of them require registration (like http://www.wowio.com/ , and there are also sites where you will pay. Go to your favorite search engine (I like http://www.dogpile.com , but you may prefer Google, Yahoo, or one of the others). Search for ''free ebooks''. Be careful, though, because some of the results you get may not be free.


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Your Own Documents


Don't like the books out there? Write one of your own! Or, you know, read that twenty page report somebody sent to you are work. Chapter 8.3 of your Kindle User's Guide will tell you how to send a document to Amazon for them to convert for use on the Kindle. They can be in Microsoft Word, Structured HTML, and several other formats. You have the option to have the converted file sent to your computer for free, or to you Kindle for ten cents. If you have it sent to your computer, you can use the USB cable as described above to transfer it to your Kindle.


---

A Great Gift!


NOTE: THIS TIP WORKS BEST FOR THE K1 (THE FIRST VERSION OF THE KINDLE)

Sure, you can give a Kindler (people who use a Kindle) an Amazon gift certificate, and the Kindler can apply it to her or his account. That's a great way to go for those new titles. If you want to actually give them a book (or a hundred books), put the text files on an SD card. You can get an SD card from under $10, and they hold a lot of books. If the average book is 500 kb, and your card holds 1 gig, you can get about 2000 books on one card! You can then give that as a gift. Carefully pick ones that match the recipient's taste, or grab a bunch at random. It's like a mix tape…a ''lit mix'', if you will. You can even write a little note (or a poem, if you are so inclined) to be on the card. You can use the Notepad application, and just remember to save it in the documents folder you create on your SD card.

For K2 owners , the newer version, they will use the USB cord to transfer the files from the SD card to the documents folder on their Kindles. This requires a little more savvy, but isn't too hard.

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The Site-Clopedia

Here's the newest feature in Free Books for Your Kindle (introduced in version 5, May 8, 2008)! I've now started to list enough sites that I thought a ''seed catalog'' version would be good. I'm going to keep this simple: Name, URL, approximate number of titles, searchability, registration requirement, filetypes, and whether or not they have an ''alert'' system (via e-mail or RSS) so you can be sent something when they post new items. Well, that might not sound simple to you, but I'm a data kind of guy. :)

Mobipocket Sites

Click on a title to download it directly to your Kindle.

Name: Amazon

URL: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?rs=154606011&page=1&rh=n%3A154606011&sort=price

File count:

Searchability:

Alerts:

Comment: This is the search at Amazon's Kindle page, sorted by price. It doesn't seem to always be reliable, but the first book is often free. Remember that you can also download samples of many books for free.

======

Name: Baen Free Library

URL: http://baen.com/library/titles.htm

File count: tens

Searchability:

Registration: Optional

Alerts: What's New page (http://baen.com/library/new.htm )

======

Name: Boys Books

http://www.boysbooks.org/wiki/index.php/Books .

File count:

Searchability

Registration:

Alerts:

======

Name: Diesel Books

URL: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin/category/download-free-mobipocket-ebook-titlesearch

File count: hundreds

Searchability

Registration:

======

Name: FeedBooks

URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/mobile >

File count: Thousands

Searchability: Indexes, can search within downloadable Kindle Download Guide with Kindlesearch

Registration: Optional

Alerts: RSS http://www.feedbooks.com/rss/ Recent page: http://www.feedbooks.com/mobile/recent

Special features: can download current ''catalog'' at http://www.feedbooks.com/kindleguide . Clicking on a book allows the download.

======

Name: Free Kindle Books

URL: http://www.freekindlebooks.org/

File count:

Searchability: Indexes

Registration: no

Alerts:

Special features: conversions from Project Gutenberg books to mobipocket files…just an easier way to get some of the PG books onto your Kindle.

======

Name: Manybooks.net

URL: http://mnybks.net/

File count:

Searchability: Indexes, can search within index (search for authors in Authors)

Registration: No

Alerts:

======

Name: Munseys

URL: http://www.munseys.com/joomla/

File count: Thousands

Searchability: Indexes, simple title search

Alerts: New books page: http://www.munseys.com/site/new

======

Name: Tor

URL: http://www.tor.com

File count: One (at a time, changes weekly)

Comment: Sign up here, and they will send you a link to a new free e-book each week. That book has also been appearing for free at Amazon, but just for that week.

==========

Compatible Sites

Can be read when transferred to the Kindle via cable or SD. May require copy and paste first.

======

Name: Fictionwise

URL: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/freeBooks.htm?cache

File count: tens (without registration)

======

Name: Free Online Novels

URL: http://www.free-online-novels.com/index.html

File count:

Searchability:

Alerts:

Comment: appears to all be original material, files in HTML.

======

Name: Goan Wap

URL: http://goanwap.com/ebook-0-0-0.html

File count:

Searchability:

Alerts:

Comment: older children's books, like The Hardy Boys , in HTML.

======

Name: Internet Sacred Texts Archive

URL: http://www.sacred-texts.com/

File count: Hundreds

Searchability: Good

Alerts: RSS (http://www.sacred-texts.com/rss/new.xml ), e-mail

======

Name: Archive.org

URL: http://www.archive.org/details/texts

File count: Hundreds of thousands

Searchability:Very good

Alerts: RSS (http://www.archive.org/services/collection-rss.php?mediatype=texts )

======

Name: Literature.org

URL: http://www.literature.org/

File count:

Searchability: Indexes, Google

Alerts:

Comment: Intended for on-line reading, usually chapter-a-link. Does allow download of the source text files in at least some cases.

======

Name: Project Gutenberg

URL: http://www.gutenberg.net

File count: Tens of thousands

Searchability: Good

Alerts: RSS (http://www.gutenberg.org/feeds/today.rss )

======

Name: University of Pennsylvania Online Books Page

URL: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

File count: Tens of thousands listed

Alerts: RSS (http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/newrss.xml ), New Listings Page (http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/new.html )

Comment: Appears to be more of a search engine.

======

Name: University of Virginia

URL: http://etext.virginia.edu/ebooks/

File count: Thousands

Searchability: Supposedly has a full text search, but I haven't gotten it to return anything.

==========

Experimental Sites

E-mail to your Kindle for conversion, may lose something in the translation

======

Name: Wowio

URL: http://www.wowio.com/index.asp

File count:

Searchability:

Registration: Yes, and it can be a bit tricky. You need to authenticate your identity. You can do this with an e-mail address, but only certain ones work. I had to reconfigure my preferences to be able to receive the confirmation e-mail.

Alerts: RSS (http://www.wowio.com/users/Rss.asp )

======

Name: World Public Library

URL: http://worldlibrary.net/

File count: Hundreds of thousands

Registration: Required to access vast majority of books which are in .pdf. Has search capability for html files (approx 75000)

---

Late additions:

http://pejome.com

Makes the Gutenberg.org books look nicer...on the fly. I've tested it from my Kindle, and it has worked fine. One slightly odd thing: time a user requests a book, it will be converted (for eveybody later, I believe). If it says it's being converted, give it about thirty seconds, then click the provided link. After that, it is very quick. It showed up properly in the homescreen, and included the cover.

http://www.freekindlebooks.org/MagicCatalog/magiccatalog.html

This one offers an off-line catalog, similar to the FeedBooks one. It took a good minute or two to download.

---

Addenda

Detailed File Transfer Instructions (from your computer to your Kindle)


Here are more detailed instructions on moving a book to your Kindle that you have downloaded from another site from my title, Frequently Asked Kindle Questions:

1. Download the file to a place you can find it again. You could have a folder for ''Kindle transfer'', but that's just for convenience

2. Connect the big end of the USB cord that came with your Kindle to the computer, with the diagram side (the ''Vulcan fork'') facing up

3. Connect the small end of the USB cord to your Kindle, again, Vulcan fork side up. Your Kindle should go into ''USB mode''. It will show the Vulcan fork on the screen

4. Go into your Windows Explorer on your computer (These instructions assume you are using a PC, not a Mac). You can use the Windows button (four wavy squares next to your alt key next to your spacebar usually) + E. If you don't see that key (it's possible you don't have it), you can right-click on the Start menu and choose Explore

5. You should see your Kindle as a ''drive'' (it normally says Kindle). Drag the file from where you saved it into your Kindle's documents folder. If you don't see the documents folder, click the little ''plus box'' next to your Kindle drive

6. ''Safely remove'' your Kindle. In the bottom right corner of your computer screen (near the clock), you will typically see a grey rectangle with a green arrow. You might need to click a right facing chevron (like an arrowhead without the stick) to see it. You may see a choice for a USB storage device. After you click on that one, it should show you a choice for the Kindle. If it tells you the Kindle can not be stopped at this time, don't disconnect it. If it won't let you safely remove, you can shut down the computer. When the Kindle shows you the regular screen, it is safe to disconnect.

7. Your Kindle should come out of USB mode (and show you a normal screen). If it's a K2 or a KDX, it will be charging

8. You will see the title in your homescreen

9. Disconnect the small end of the USB cord from your Kindle

10. Disconnect the large end of the USB cord from your computer

This is from my Author Central page :

Why free?


Free Books for Your Kindle has been, by far, my most successful title to date. When people ask me about my Kindle, I always mention all the free books. Clearly, it's one of the best things about the Kindle.

However, some people are suspicious of ''free''. I've seen variations on that classic question: what's the catch?

There are three main reasons why a book will be offered free:

1. Public domain

This is the most common reason e-books are free. Copyright law has specific limitations built into it, the most significant one is that there are typically time limits. It varies by jurisdiction (usually a country) and it's changed over time (it's been getting longer in the US). When a book is in the public domain, the public owns it. Anybody can do whatever they want with the material, including selling it.

They don't need anybody's permission. They don't need to pay royalties.

That's why there might be a hundred editions of Romeo and Juliet. This is true in paper, too, by the way, but it's easier to publish an e-book than a p-book (paperbook).

Why do people go to the effort to put out a free e-book of public domain material?

Some of it is simply altruism. Michael Hart's Project Gutenberg is an example of this. It's the grandparent of all free e-book sites, and in fact, other sites use PG books as source material. It's a volunteer effort with no advertisements on its website or in its books.

Other people may do it for the glory, to entice people to get non-free books, or to sell advertising (at the site that has the free books, or, hypothetically, in the book itself).

Books first published in the US before 1923 are in the public domain...in the US. Thousands of the free books in the Kindle store fall into this category.

Books (and other materials) published after 1922 in the US may fall into the public domain if the publisher didn't do something it could have done: published it without proper notice (although that's not longer necessary); or failed to renew an expiring copyright.

2. Promotional titles

As I write this, there are about fifty free promotional titles in the Kindle store. A promotional title is offered by someone who could legally charge for it (and may have done so in the past and may do so in the future). There are a couple of main reasons for doing this.

The first is to promote the sale of other books. For example, a publisher might offer the first book of a series for free, hoping that someone will go on to buy the other books (which won't be free). Many of the promotional titles fall into this category.

Similarly, a publisher may be hoping a reader of a free book may buy other books by that author or from that publisher.

The second reason is to raise the profile of that book when the publisher does start charging for it (again). ''Word of mouth'' has traditionally been an important way to promote books. Someone reads a book, and then tells other people about it. Publishers have given ''galley'' copies to bookstore employees before the release of a book, for example, so that those employees will recommend those books to their customers. While movie studios have been more likely to ''give away'' their product (through free screenings) to promote word of mouth, publishers have done that as well.

In the internet world, word of ''mouth'' includes customer rankings and reviews on websites (notably Amazon itself). I've personally positively reviewed a book that I would never have read if it wasn't free...not because it was free, but because it was good. People seem to be influenced by ratings and reviews: not just the content, but the number of reviews.

If you want to support a title in the Kindle store, reviewing it is a great way to go. I always recommend you be honest and specific.

Another thing that happens when you download a free book is that it moves up in the ''sales''. As I write this, 7 of the top ten ''sellers'' in the Kindle store are free titles. That raises the visibility of the book. It also lets a publisher later promote it as a ''Kindle bestseller'' when they do start charging for it.

3. Waived rights

Some authors simply choose to give specific books away for free. It may be more important to them to get the book out there than to make money for it. I do that with the Disabled Deserve to Read: I specify in that title that it can be reproduced for non-commercial purposes. Amazon doesn't allow Digital Text Publishing independent authors to set a price of zero, which makes some sense to me (since they have costs involved in processing sales, returns, and customer service). However, I've sent out a number of free copies through other channels, and allow those people to reproduce and distribute them (for non-commercial purposes).

You may hear the term Creative Commons in connection with books which are under copyright protection, but for which the author allows free distribution. This is a particular organization that helps people use licenses for some things (for example, requiring attribution) while waiving other rights.

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Acknowledgments

I'd like to especially to thank Michael R. Hicks (http://www.kreelanwarrior.com/ ), author of In Her Name , a superior science fiction novel available on the Kindle. He answered a question I posted, which enabled me to correct some HTML coding I had done. Without it, this article would not have posted to Amazon and you wouldn't be reading it. :) . My appreciation also goes to the participants in Amazon's Kindle Forum . I have found out a number of useful and interesting things there, and have been able to help some people as well. Thank you also, for purchasing this article.

Other Works by the Author Available for the Kindle


Frequently Asked Kindle Questions

This simple to use guide provides answers to questions like:

* Does it work internationally?
* Can I share Kindle books?
* How do I organize my books?
* Does it play any games? (Yes!)

Get the most out of your Kindle.

ILMK! (I Love My Kindle!): Being an Appreciation of Amazon's E-Book Reader, with Tips, Explanations, and Humor (Revised Edition)

Looking to have some fun with your Kindle? ILMK has parodies, riddles, limericks, explanations and more...all about the Kindle! The revised edition includes The Happy Little Bookworm, The Kindle Encounter (a Star Trek parody), and Quoth My Kindle: Read Some More.

The Disabled Deserve to Read

This is an article about the text-to-speech controversy. I am personally boycotting Random House (at the time of writing), because of their announced intention to block the currently available text-to-speech. I do allow that document to be distributed for non-commercial purposes. If you buy it through Amazon, I am using my proceeds to buy Kindles for non-profit organizations.

Note: This is the second version of ILMK. While the original version did see six revisions, I did determined that it was worth putting this one out as a new item, to make it available to people who had bought the first one. In my understanding of the current arrangement, Amazon does not allow people to purchase a Digital Text Platform book again when it is revised, if it retains the same ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number). Therefore, if I do not make this a separate version, they can not purchase it (even if they want to do so). One driver for this was the inclusion of The Happy Little Bookworm, which got gratifyingly positive reactions on the Amazon Kindle forum. This version is significantly expanded in other ways as well.

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Contacting the Author

My Amazon Author Central page has a forum (and a blog). Please feel free to address questions or comments to me there.

Bufo Calvin at Amazon Author Central

IF YOU ENJOYED FREE BOOKS FOR YOUR KINDLE, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO RATE IT AT AMAZON. I'D APPRECIATE REVIEWS AS WELL...JUST SAY WHAT YOU THINK. :) THANK YOU!


Copyright 2009 Bufo Calvin



Frequently Asked Kindle Questions

By Bufo Calvin
Second edition, April 24, 2011

Introduction to the Updated Edition


You know one of the problems with questions and answers? They both keep changing. I originally published this back on June 20, 2009.

A lot of things have changed since then, as I track in my ILMK E-Books Timeline . Some of the answers I gave that were right back then have changed...thankfully, generally due to Amazon improving the situation.

I keep things very timely in my blog entitled, I Love My Kindle. I often post there several times a day.

I hate to just go back and wipe out the old answers with new ones, though.

So, what I've decided to do for you is reproduce the new answers first...the ones from the blog. I'll follow that with the entire text of the old version of the Bufo's Frequently Asked Kindle Questions. If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave me a comment on my About page at I Love My Kindle . If you don't want me to publish your comment for all the world to see, please tell me so within the comment.

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: Special Editions

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: Special Kindle for PC edition

November 12, 2009

Q. What is Kindle for PC?

A. It’s software that you download to your computer that enables you to read and buy Kindle store books

Q. What does it cost?

A. Nothing, it’s free.

Q. Do I have to have a Kindle to use Kindle for PC?

A. No. You can get it and use it whether or not you have a Kindle .

Q. Are there any other requirements?

A. You do need to have an account with Amazon, but that’s easy to set up. These are the current system requirements:

Kindle for PC can be used on any PC running Windows XP with Service Pack 2+, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.

That means that is does not currently work with Windows 2000 or earleir, Macs or Linux computers. Amazon has said that a Mac version is coming soon.

Q. Is there a negative to using Kindle for PC?

A. If you do move a book to your Kindle for PC’s homescreen, that will count as a "device license" used. Device licenses are set by publishers, and are most commonly six. See this earlier post .

Q. If I already own a Kindle, will I be able to read the books I bought from the Kindle store for that using Kindle for PC?

A. Yes. It’s just another device on the account. All books in your Amazon Archives are available to all of your devices.

Q. How about books I got for an iPhone or iPod touch.

A. Yes.

Q. Will they look different?

A. Yes. They may be bigger and clearer. Color pictures will show in color.

Q. Are the text size options the same?

A. No. You have more options in Kindle for PC. On the Kindle, you have six text sizes, with the largest being about font size 20. On the Kindle for PC, you have ten font sizes, with the largest being roughly equivalent to size 72. You can also adjust the number of words per line. These functions are in the Aa button on the toolbar. Just like with the Kindle, you’ll see a preview before you make your choice. The reset to default only affects the Words per Line.

Q. Words per Line?

A. You can adjust the number of words per line, down to a minimum of one. This is also affected by text size. On a large text size, you may not see a word on the minimum setting. What you will be doing is adjusting the text area (making the margins larger or smaller), and the text will "word wrap" accordingly.

Q. Does the text-to-speech work?

A. No. Windows Narrator, an included text-to-speech in Windows program, also does not work on books in Kindle for PC.

Q. Can I annotate like I do on my Kindle?

A. No. Currently, the only option is to bookmark and go to notes and marks. You can not add new notes or highlighting. There is a bookmark button on the toolbar which will add or remove a bookmark. Alt+B, which works on the Kindle, does not work in Kindle for PC.

Q. If I made notes on my Kindle, do they show in Kindle for PC?

A. Yes. You can select to see all notes and marks, or any one of these three: Notes, Highlights, Bookmarks.

Q. Can I navigate to my bookmarks, notes, and highlights?

A. Yes, by clicking on them in the Notes & Marks pane. To activate that pane, click the button in your top right corner of the screen.

Q. How do I change pages?

A. If you move your mouse to the margins, you’ll see an arrow pointing ahead or back you can click.. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard: up or left to go up a page, down or right to go forward a page. If you have a scroll wheel on your mouse, you can also use that to scroll smoothly through the pages.

Q. Are there other ways to navigate?

A. There is a Go To button on the toolbar. Click on it, and you’ll get options like Cover, Table of Contents, Beginning, and Location…depending on how the book is formatted. You can click Go To Location and select a specific location. Hitting the Home key on your keyboard will take you to the top (probably the cover): the End key will not affect anything. The Back button on the toolbar will take you back to where you were last in the book.

Q. Can I navigate within a line?

A. No.

Q. Does the dictionary work?

A. No. None of the lookup functions, including search, are available at this time. You can not select individual words.

Q. Do hyperlinks work?

A. Yes! They will open in another window. That means you can go to video and audio from a Kindle link and view them on your computer.

Q. Can I copy and paste?

A. No.

Q. Can I use the Print Screen button on my computer to get a "screen grab"?

A. Yes, like you can do Alt+G on the Kindle. You could then paste it into an e-mail or a Word document. The text would not be text, but an image. Copyright restrictions may apply.

Q. Will I see page numbers?

A. No, it will be the same as it is on a K2. In the bottom left of the screen, you’ll see the percentage you are through the book. In the bottom middle, you’ll see the range of locations currently shown on the screen. In the bottom right, you’ll see the total number of locations for this book.

Q. Will it sync with my Kindle? Will it know what page I was reading last?

A. Yes, it should. In the Go To menu, you’ll see a choice to Sync to Furthest Page Read. This is probably subject to the same vagaries as it is going between two Kindles.

Q. Is there anything else I can do while reading the book?

A. That seems to be about it for now. If you find something else, let me know.

Q. What can I do on the Home screen?

A. You’ll see "thumbnails" (small pictures) of the covers of the books you moved to the Home for this Kindle for PC. Those are the ones that are using a device license. For each title, you’ll see a cover picture (if available…if not, you’ll see an Amazon placeholder), the title, the author as entered by the publisher, and the progress bar of dots showing how far you are into the book.

Q. What can I do with those pictures of the books?

A. If you double-click a book, it should open to where you last were in the book. If you right-click it, you’ll get a number of Go To options, as well as the option to Remove from Device. If you do that, it will go back to the archives.

Q. What if the title is too long to read?

A. Just "hover" you mouse over it (don’t click on it). You’ll see what is called a "screen tip" with the full title.

Q. Can I change the display to just a list of titles?

A. No.

Q. Are there folders?

A. No. You will have three buttons at the top so you can sort by Most Recent, Title, or Author. The latter two are according to the metadata in the book.

Q. What does the button that says Archived Items do?

A. Click on that, and you’ll be taken to the archives. Those archives are available to any device on your account (until you hit your device limit for that title). It will only show you books ("titles") you got from the Kindle store. If you right-click a title, you’ll be given a choice to Go to Last Page Read, Go to Beginning, or Add to Home. Any of these will add it to your Home, using a device license.

Q. I have a lot of titles: can I search for one in the archives?

A. No. You can use the scroll wheel, the scroll bar, the arrow keys on your keyboard, and the page up and page down keys.

Q. Why does the number next to Archived Items change?

A. That’s the number of books you have in your archives that are not on this device. As you move a book to the Home screen, you’ll see that number decrement (get smaller). That doesn’t mean the title isn’t available to other devices. The number of titles show in the archives will differ on the different devices if you have a different number of titles locally on the device. The number of Kindle store books on the device plus the Archived Items should be the same.

Q. Can I get to my Personal Documents that I’ve put on the Kindle on Kindle on PC?

A. Not through the archives. That only backs up books you buy from the Kindle store.

Q. Can I get to my subscriptions items, like magazines, newspapers, and blogs?

A. No. Subscriptions items are keyed for only one device.

Q. Can I subscribe to them to go directly to my Kindle for PC?

A. Not currently.

Q. Can I read items from other sources than Amazon in Kindle for PC?

A. Yes! If you go to FeedBooks.com , for example, and choose to download a free book in Kindle format, choose Open, it will open it using Kindle for PC. It will appear in your Home screen, and you can go to the Last Page Read. It will not be in your Archives for other Kindles, and your annotations and such will not be backed up for you at Amazon.

Q. Can I shop in the Kindle store from Kindle for PC?

A. Yes. You’ll see the same thing you would if you went to Amazon on your computer and got to the store that way. You won’t see it like you would see it on your Kindle.

Q. Can I change the name of my Kinde for PC?

A. Yes. Go to the Manage Your Kindle page . Locate the PC you want to change, and click Edit Info.

Q. What future improvements are expected?

A. In an unusual move, Amazon does list expected future improvements. You can see those in the Menu. Currently, they list:

  • Annotations
  • Searching
  • Zooming and rotating the images

Q. If I want to make other suggestions for changes, can I do that?

A. Yes. The e-mail address is kindleforpc-feedback@amazon.com

Q. What files formats are sent?

A. They appear to be .prc files. The "attendant information" files are .mbp. Your computer will tell you they are "Kindle Content", most likely.

Q. Does that mean I can read other prc files with Kindle for PC?

A. If they are not protected, probably. Put them in the Kindle Content folder in your documents. This has not been tested.

Q. So why would I spend a couple of hundred dollars on a Kindle if I can get this for free?

A. The Kindle’s e-ink screen, small size, and long battery life make it better suited for long-term reading.

Q. I’m ready to get it. Where do I go?

A. Here .

Q. What if I have more questions?

A. Amazon’s help pages for the Kindle for PC are here . You can also leave me comments.

This is based on my first examination, and questions I’ve seen being asked. If you have any other tips or questions, please let me know. I may add to this over time.

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog .

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special software update 2.3 version

November 28, 2009

This is a special software update 2.3 edition of Frequently Asked Kindle Questions.

Q. What is the software update 2.3?

A. Amazon sends out software updates from time to time for the Kindle. This is an update that was made available November 24, 2009.

Q. What does it do?

A. That depends on which Kindle you have:

Kindle 2 International

  • Longer battery life when using Whispernet
  • Native PDF (and option to convert)
  • Manual screen rotation
  • Words per line adjustment

Kindle 2

  • Native PDF (and option to convert)
  • Manual screen rotation
  • Words per line adjustment

Kindle DX

  • Better "cropping" (reducing the outer edge white space) for pdfs
  • Converting a pdf is now possible
  • Auto-time out to go to sleep mode extended to twenty minutes from five minutes

Kindle 1

  • Unaffected by this update

All affected Kindles

  • New sleep mode pictures
  • Minor other changes, like a splash screen that says "opening"

Q. How do I know if I have it?

A. You can always check your software version by going to Home-Menu-Settings, and look in your right corner of the device. If it starts with anything besides 2.3, you haven’t gotten it yet.

Q. Are there disadvantages in getting it?

A. The only thing I’ve heard is the Kindle running more slowly, but that has not been widely reported

Q. Will I get it automatically?

A. If you have Whispernet connection, eventually.

Q. Can I get it manually?

A. Yes. Go here . You’ll find the appropriate file for your Kindle, and instructions.

Q. What might I do wrong installing it?

A. Make sure you pick the right file for your device. It’s not good to try and install the wrong version. Make sure you put the file in the "root" directory of your Kindle. That means you just put it on the Kindle, not into one of the folders.

Q. I’ve installed a hack…do I need to remove it first?

A. Yes. The "hacks" that are out there (unauthorized modifications of the Kindle software…one popular one changes the fonts and another allows for personal sleep mode pictures on Kindles other than the Kindle 1) will block updates. I do not recommend using them, because the violate your Amazon Kindle Terms of Service. For more information, see this earlier post .

Q. How does it extend my battery life?

A. Currently, this is apparently only true for the Kindle 2 international. What it does is manage the battery use better when using the Whispernet. It supposedly has no impact when the Whispernet is not used. This leads me to speculate that it limits its attempts to contact the network (which is part of what uses the battery). It would attempt to connect when told to do that by you, but may not do so as much as it was doing before.

Q. Will that make it harder to connect to the internet?

A. This is only speculation, but it may make take a bit more time. Once connected, it should be the same.

Q. How much will it extend the battery?

A. Battery use is affected by a number of factors, including temperature. With the Whispernet on, Amazon now says it is "up to seven days". The "up to two weeks" life without using the Whispernet remains the same.

Q. What does "native pdf" mean?

A. Portable Document Format (pdf) is a popular type of file from Adobe. Native reading means that the device (the Kindle 2 and Kindle 2 international) will be able to read the file without having it converted to another format.

Q. Does mean that reading a pdf on a Kindle 2 international will be the same as reading it on a computer?

A. Not exactly, but it will be pretty close.

Q. What will be different?

A. The most obvious thing is screen size. A six inch diagonal screen is pretty small for most pdfs. You also won’t be able to select text, and a really complicated pdf may not look right (but most will look okay).

Q. How do I put the pdf on my Kindle?

A. You’ll attach the Kindle to your computer using the incuded pdf cable. You’ll put the pdf into your Kindle’s documents folder. For details, see this earlier post .

Q. Can I e-mail it to my Kindle?

A. Yes. If you e-mail it directly to the Kindle, you’ll be charged fifteen cents a megabyte rounded up in the US, and ninety-nine cents a megabyte rounded up for US customers outside the US. See that previous post for information.

Q. What is the conversion option?

A. Before this update, the Kindle 2 and Kindle 2 International could have the file converted by Amazon. The Kindle DX could not have a pdf converted by Amazon. Now, all three devices have the option to have the document read natively, or converted to AZW (the main Amazon Kindle format).

Q. Why would I convert it?

A. A native pdf is treated pretty much like an image file. This limits what you can do with it. You can’t add notes or highlights, you can’t search, you can’t use the dictionary, you can’t increase the text size, and you can’t use text-to-speech.

Q. Why wouldn’t I convert it?

A. Tables and columns will look better in an unconverted pdf. You’ll also get page numbers.

Q. How do I convert it?

A. When you e-mail it (either directly to your Kindle or to your free Kinde address), put

convert

in the subject line.

Q. I heard there was a probem with the conversions not happening.

A. There was initially. It’s working now.

Q. After I convert it, how do I find it?

A. It will say "pdf" to your left on the homescreen. Some people are saying it does not appear at the top of the homescreen when first entered. If this happens to you, try Home-flick up-flick left. Change the filter to "Personal Documents". You’ll probably be able to find it then…open it. Change the filter back to All Items. It should be at the top.

Q. What about the manual rotation?

A. The Kindle DX has been able to change the way the screen display from "portrait" (taller than it is wide) to "landscape" (wider than it is tall). This can help with reading smaller text. It was able to do it with an inclinometer: it could sense when the Kindle was turned on its side. With the update, the Kindle 2 and Kindle 2i can also do this. Hit the Aa key: you’ll see options. You can display the image four different ways. Notice that the display will stay this way until you change it: if you go back to the homescreen when it is landscape, it will stay landscape. The 5-way controller will react properly, but the menus may be sideways to your current orientation.

Q. What does "words per line" do?

A. When you hit Aa in a text document (not an unconverted pdf), you’ll get the option to change the margins. You can leave it at default, make it lower, or lowest. How many words you get will depend on your text size setting. This is similar to a feature in the Kindle for PC app. If you choose fewer words per line, the margins will get bigger, and therefore fewer words will fit.

Q. Was the User’s Guide updated reflect these changes?

A. Yes. It should be in your archives, or you can read it online (and download it, if you like) here .

Q. Where can I get more information?

A. Amazon has created a help page here .

If you have additional questions or things you found, feel free to let me know.

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog .

Before you get a Kindle…

January 20, 2010

Before you get a Kindle…

A lot of people are thinking about getting Kindles (or other EBRs…E-Book Readers). We get expect the number of people e-books to increase tremendously in the next few years. That may be on tablets, but a lot of it will be on EBRs.

I see people ask questions after they get them, so I thought I’d take this post to address some of the things you might want to know and/or do before you get one.

Q. Does it matter which EBR I get?

A. Yes. One of the important considerations is if you know anybody else who already has one, and if you might want to share books. The big three aren’t really compatible with each other. If you buy a Kindle and a friend has a Sony or a nook, that’s going to complicate things.

Q. Which one is the best?

A. That’s going to be a bit subjective, although I do like the Kindle the best. I’ve analyzed the three of these, and they each have advantages and disadvantages. This previous post gives you an overview of the three, and links to more comprehensive analyses.

Q. Should I buy one now or wait for the next generation?

A. My feeling is that it’s worth buying it now, generally. I’ve certainly gotten my money’s worth out of my K1 and K2…if there’s a next generation Kindle soon, I won’t feel bad about it. None has been announced, by the way.

Q. If I’ve already bought books from Amazon in paper, will I have to buy them again in e-book form?

A. Only if you want them as e-books. There’s no reason you can’t have both, of course. You won’t get a discount for buying them again, and there are some good reasons for that. Let’s say you paid $4.95 for the paperback three years ago. That was a fair deal at the time, right? Amazon has to pay the publisher when you download the e-book…and that might even be more than what they got from you for the paperback. The publisher might offer you a discount, but that’s up to them (and unlikely).

Q. Are all the Kindle store books $9.99?

A. No, many of them are less expensive, some are more. What Amazon says is that New York Times Bestsellers and most new releases are $9.99…unless marked otherwise.

Q. Are e-books always cheaper than p-books?

A. No, but they usually are…it’s rare when they aren’t.

Q. Will I save money with a Kindle?

A. It depends on your book buying habits, but probably. If you only get books from the library, then you won’t. Take a look at how much money you spent on books last year. That will give you a good idea. It’s nice that you can get so many free books (although that’s particularly older books). The more you books you buy, the better the Kindle is for you economically.

Q. I heard Amazon can remove your books…is that true?

A. They did that in one widely-publicized instance with an unauthorized edition of books by George Orwell. They have promised they wouldn’t do the same thing again…and even stated it in a legal settlement. They actually compensated people more than what customers had paid for the book…customers could make a profit on the deal.

Q. How do I know if Amazon has the books I want for the Kindle?

A. Check the Amazon website. You can choose to search for Kindle books. However, many of us have taken this as an opportunity to broaden our reading horizons. Books are being "Kindleized" very quickly…the US Kindle store has more than quadrupled the number of titles in just a couple of years.

Q. What Kindle should I get?

A. There are two models currently available. One is $259, and one is $489. The more expensive one has a bigger screen…that’s the main difference.

Q. I’ve heard you can only get books from the Kindle store for the Kindle…is that true?

A. Nope. You can get books from lots of sources. The Kindle can only read books with Digital Rights Management (DRM) on them that come from the Kindle store, not from other sources. DRM is code that most publishers insert into e-book files to control the use of the file. It generally won’t be on books that aren’t under copyright, and some publishers release without it.

Q. Can I loan/share my Kindle store books with other people?

A. Yes, if they are on your account. Otherwise, no. Putting people on your account can work very well, though.

Q. Can I read Kindle books on my computer?

A. Yes, with a free "app" from Amazon. Otherwise, no.

Q. Can I read Kindle books on any other devices?

A. Yes. You can read them on the iPhone and iPod Touch, currently, as well as on PCs (with the app) and Kindles. Mac and Blackberry apps are coming soon.

Q. How many Kindles have been sold?

A. Amazon doesn’t release that information, but the Kindle has been the #1 selling item at Amazon.

Q. I’ve heard the Kindle reads books to you. Is that like an audiobook?

A. No, it’s a "robotic" sounding voice. Think of it as another way to access the information in the book, not as an entertaining adaptation, like an audiobook performed by professional actors. You can hear a sample of it here:

Tom Demo at A Kindle World blog

Q. What happens to my Kindle books if Amazon stops making the Kindle? Will it be like beta videotapes?

A. No. The beta versus VHS thing was hardware. Different e-book formats are a matter of software. I’m confident that we would have the ability to read our Kindle store books (perhaps through conversion) even if Amazon went under (knock virtual wood).

Q. Won’t I miss the feel of a "real book"?

A. You get used to it. I actually prefer it now. I love paperbooks, but this is easier. For more information, see this earlier post .

Q. I want to know more about it, like the technical specs. How can I get more info?

A. Start with the Kindle product page . You can go to Kindle Support from there, and even read the User’s Guide. I also recommend the Amazon Kindle community . You can ask questions there, and they will get answered very quickly by users. You can also leave comments on this post for me.

Q. What do I do after I get my Kindle?

A. See this earlier post .

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog .

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special Agency Model edition

April 6, 2010

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special Agency Model edition

Q. What is the agency model?

A. It’s a new arrangement between publishers and booksellers.

Q. How does it work?

A. Rather than publishers selling copies of books to booksellers, and booksellers selling them to customers, publishers are selling the books directly to customers.

Q. So, I’m going to buy my books directly from Simon & Schuster and Macmillan?

A. Yes, but you’ll do it through stores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The booksellers will process the sale, but you’ll really be buying it from the publisher.

Q. I can just shop through Amazon for my Kindle just like I did before, then?

A. Yes.

Q. If that’s the case, why does it matter to me?

A. Some publishers have publicly stated concerns about the $9.99 price point Amazon was using for many New York Times bestsellers and current releases. Since the publishers are now setting the price you pay, prices have gone up in many cases.

Q. But Amazon can still discount them, right?

A. No. Amazon is just processing the sales for the publisher. Under that system, Amazon can not charge a different price.

Q. Won’t places like Apple and Barnes & Noble just undercut Amazon then?

A. No. They are also under the agency model. The price will be the same at all the bookstores under the agency model.

Q. Wait…so I can’t shop around for a better price?

A. No. Books under the agency model will cost the same, regardless of your "sales channel". Whether you pay for them through Amazon or Apple, you are buying from the publisher.

Q. Isn’t that illegal price-fixing?

A. No. Price-fixing is when "like entities" get together and decide on a price. If all the gas stations in your town, regardless of brand, got together and decided to charge ten dollars a gallon, that would be illegal. You wouldn’t have any choice what to pay.

Q. But I won’t have any choice what I pay in the agency model, right?

A. Not for a specific book from a particular publisher. But you could buy a different book. If one publisher charged $25 for all new e-books and another one charged $12.99, you could choose to buy the e-books from the second publisher.

Q. But if I wanted a specific book, like the latest book in a series I’m reading, I’d pay the same price wherever I got it?

A. Yes.

Q. What stops the publisher from charging me $100 for that book?

A. Competition with other publishers. You might stop buying a particular author and switch to another one.

Q. What if all the publishers charge $100 for a book?

A. They can’t get together and decide to do that. That would be illegal price-fixing. They would also lose sales.

Q. Are all the publishers part of this agency model thing?

A. No. Five of the six biggest publishers in the US are part of it. Random House has not signed with Apple, and it is a very large publisher. In addition, many smaller publishers and independent publishers are still under the old "wholesale model".

Q. Will their prices go up as well?

A. That’s the same situation it was before. The small publishers and Random House will suggest a price to Amazon and the other retailers, but Amazon can discount it if they want to do that.

Q. Does the agency model affect paperbooks as well?

A. No.

Q. Why not? If the publishers want it for e-books, why not for paperbooks?

A. The process is different, which presumably makes it different legally. With a paperbook, the retailer (Amazon, for example) buys the copies from the publisher, and owns them. They can do whatever they want with them, including selling them to customers. With e-books, you are dealing with licenses to read the book on a certain number of devices.

Q. Is that the same reason I can’t sell my e-books after I buy them from the Kindle store?

A. Yes. When you buy a copy of a paperbook, you own that copy. When you buy an e-book, you are actually buying a non-transferrable license.

Q. But I can loan books with my nook, right?

A. If the publisher allows it, and with several other restrictions. Not all publishers allow it.

Q. So, paperbooks will still be cheaper at some places like Costco, and may still be discounted at Amazon?

A. Yes.

Q. I noticed I was charged sales tax when I bought a Kindle book. That’s never happened before. Is that part of the same thing?

A. Yes. If your state collects sales tax on e-books, and the publisher has a physical presence in your state (a building or a sales force), Amazon (as a sales agent) can be compelled to collect sales tax for that state.

Q. Wait…how can the publishers tax me?

A. They aren’t taxing you, it’s a question of when the tax is collected. States ask you to report internet purchases on your tax form and pay the taxes on them if you haven’t already. They may call it a "use tax".

Q. Who does that?

A. Apparently, not as many people who should. That’s why the states want to make someone collect it at the time of sale and send it to them. They could go after people who don’t report it, but that’s expensive.

Q. So, does this mean Amazon will start collecting sales taxes on my other purchases from them?

A. No. The agency model means you are buying just e-books from the publishers, so if the publisher has a physical presence in your state, Amazon will have to collect the sales tax on just those purchases.

Q. Amazon is in Seattle, right? So, have they been collecting sales taxes from customers in Washington before this?

A. Yes. Also in Kansas, Kentucky, New York, and North Dakota.

Q. But I live in New York and bought something from Amazon and I didn’t pay sales tax…why is that?

A. You may have bought an item that isn’t taxed by New York state. Not every item is taxed in every state. Amazon is only compelled to collect the sales tax the state would have collected.

Q. How do I know if Amazon is going to collect sales tax when I’m buying the book?

A. Currently, I believe it is not indicated until after you click the 1-click button.

Q. That seems sneaky…what if I think that makes the book cost too much?

A. Amazon is not choosing whether or not you pay the sales tax: just whether or not they collect it, so it doesn’t technically make a difference in the price. You can always "return" a Kindle store book within seven days of purchase for a refund by contacting Customer Service.

Q. How did this whole agency thing get started?

A. Apparently, it came about when Apple offered the deal to the publishers in conjunction with the iBooks store, which is connected to their new iPad.

Q. Why would Apple do that? Don’t they want to set the prices, like Amazon does?

A. There is a lot of speculation as to a reason, but Apple hasn’t publicly stated one. Steve Jobs had stated that the prices would be the same at Amazon and Apple.

Q. I don’t like this whole agency thing. What can I do about it?

A. You could write to the publisher or buy other books. For more information, see this previous post .

Q. How can I tell if a book is in this agency agreement?

A. At Amazon, it will say, "This price was set by the publisher."

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog .

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special Collections edition

June 18, 2010

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special Collections edition

Q. What are Collections?

A. "Collections" is a feature that was added to Kindles with the 2.5 update to provide better organization for Kindle users.

Q. So, if I don’t have the update yet, I don’t have Collections?

A. That’s correct.

Q. How do I know if I have the update?

A. Go to Home-Menu-Settings. You’ll see your version number at the bottom of the screen. You can then hit the Back button to go back to Home.

Q. What if I don’t have 2.5 yet? How do I get it?

A. You can wait until your Kindle updates (you’ll need to have your Whispernet on), or go to the Kindle Software Updates page . You can follow instructions there to manually install it.

Q. Is there anything I should do before I update it?

A. If you have a "hack", you need to uninstall it. You’ll know if you do. I would always back up your documents folder (and Audible or music if you are using those) before updating a Kindle (and do it regularly).

Q. How do I back up my files? Is that really necessary?

A. You connect your Kindle to your computer using your included USB cord, and just drag the folders to your computer. It’s not necessary, but I recommend regularly backing up that folder, especially if you have files that didn’t come from the Kindle store.

Q. Can anybody with a Kindle get the update?

A. Anybody except people with a Kindle 1.

Q. What do I do if the update isn’t working for me?

A. You can call Kindle Customer service: 1-866-321-8851 in the US, 1-206-266-0927 outside it. You can also contact them through the Amazon website.

Q. Okay, so I’ve gotten the update and I’m ready to start. I’m still not quite clear, though: are Collections folders?

A. No. They’ll seem somewhat similar to folders on your homescreen, because you’ll see the name of your Collection and then "open it" to get to the books "inside it". However, the biggest difference is that your books are not actually inside the Collection. The Collection is a display instruction to your Kindle, to show you one line for the Collection in the homescreen rather than each book name. When you delete a folder from your computer, you delete everything in it. Deleting a Collection from your Kindle will not delete the books.

Q. Does it put something in the book file to tell it where to go?

A. No, the Collection is separate from your book files. The Collection is told by you which books to group together for display, but the book file is probably unchanged.

Q. Probably?

A. We’re not supposed to "back engineer" Kindle files and software, so it’s harder to check. But there is no reason for it to have to do that.

Q. So I create a Collection, and then tell the Kindle which books should be shown when I click on that Collection?

A. Yes, that’s right.

Q. How do I create a collection?

A. Go to Home, then Menu, then you’ll see Create New Collection. Then, name it using the keyboard and click save. You’ll see it in your homescreen. It will also change your sort order to sort so that you’ll first see your Collections in the reverse order that you created them or used them (most recent first), then your books which are not in Collections (most recent first…read or downloaded). Books which are in Collections will only show in the Collection, not as individual titles.

Q. I like to keep my homescreen sorted alphabetically by title. Can I do that with Collections?

A. Sort of. You can switch the sort to any of the pre-existing sorts (Author, Title, Most Recent). However, the books will then be visible outside of your Collections again.

Q. So my Collections would be gone from the homescreen?

A. They would show, and you could click on them to see the books in the Collection, but the books would also show outside them.

Q. Hmm…I’d like my Collections at the top sorted alphabetically. Any trick for that?

A. Yes. Computers generally sort symbols before letters. If you name your Collections with, say, an asterisk at the front, they should sort to the top when sorted alphabetically by title.

Q. Are there any forbidden symbols?

A. Unknown at this point.

Q. Can I use spaces?

A. Yes.

Q. How long can my Collection name be?

A. Unknown.

Q. What if I make a mistake naming my Collection? Can I rename it?

A. Yes. Go to the Collection in your homescreen and flick right. You’ll see the option to rename it.

Q. What if I want to delete a Collection?

A. It’s similar to renaming. Go to the Collection in your homescreen and flick right.

Q. Deleting my Collection won’t delete my books, right?

A. Right. It’s safe to do.

Q. How do I put the books into the Collections?

A. There are two main ways. When you first create a Collection, you’ll probably want to put a lot of books into it at once. Go to Home, go to the Collection, flick right, choose Add/Remove items. You’ll see all your books. You can select (or, later on deselect) them by clicking on them. When you are done, you can click Done, Back, or Home (your choices will be preserved with any of these.

Q. Wait! So I can do a bunch of books at once? I’d heard people say it was taking hours to add the books to the Collections.

A. Yes. It’s possible to add books one at a time, which may make sense after you initially set up the Collections and then download a new title. You go to the title in the homescreen, flick right, and you’ll see a choice to Add to Collection. You’ll see your list of Collections, and you can add the title to as many as you want.

Q. I can have the same book in more than one Collection? Doesn’t that take up more memory?

A. Remember that the book isn’t actually being moved or copied. A small instruction is being stored where to group the book when you are sorted by the Collections. The amount of additional memory is very small.

Q. Why would I want the same book in more than one Collection?

A. You might have a Collection for "books to be read", another one for "science fiction", another one for "books I’ve reviewed", and another one for the author, for example.

Q. That sounds pretty flexible…isn’t that better than folders?

A. It’s a more robust organizational system, yes.

Q. Can I drag the books on to the Collections, like I can do with folders?

A. No. You can’t drag and drop on E Ink currently.

Q. Can I put anything in a collection?

A. No. Just e-books from the Kindle store, audiobooks, and personal documents.

Q. You said from the Kindle store. I get books from other sources, like ManyBooks, FeedBooks, and Baen. I can’t put those in a Collection?

A. You can. Those are considered Personal Documents by your Kindle.

Q. What about subscription items? I’d like to have a Kindle reference section, and put your books and my I Love Your Kindle blog in there.

A. No, no subscription items. The most recent issue of each periodical will appear as an entry in your homescreen, like a book. All of the others will be under one line called Periodicals: Back Issues.

Q. Why is that? I’d like to put my periodicals in collections.

A. My guess is that it is because each issue of a periodical downloads with a different name…with the date added to the end of the issue. The Collection probably can’t be told to put anything with USA Today in the title into a Collection…it may need the exact title, which changes. That’s just speculation, though.

Q. What happens to my Collection information?

A. It’s stored in a file on your Kindle, sort of like your MyClippings.txt file. It’s also backed up for you by Amazon, but remember that can only be done with Whispernet on. I would keep Whispernet on when you are creating your Collections, or certainly do a Home-Menu-Sync and check for items afterwards.

Q. I have a family member on my account who is going to be much better at this than I am. Can I just use the system that person created?

A. Yes. You can go to Home, then Archived Items. You’ll see a choice to Add Other Device Collections.

Q. Will that overwrite my collections?

A. Answer forthcoming. It appears that it won’t, but I haven’t been able to test it yet. I’ll update this when I find out more.

Q. Have you heard about any problems with people making Collections?

A. Unfortunately, yes. I’ve read about a few people having the Kindle reset and the Collections disappear. I want to stress again to have the Whispernet on when you are creating your Collections, and do a Sync and check for items afterwards. I’ve also seen a post where someone said that Amazon suggested deregistering and re-registering the Kindle to get the Collections back…I can’t see how that would work without it having synced with Amazon first.

Q. Where can I get more official information from Amazon?

A. The Kindle User’s guide has been updated and is available here . The Amazon Help Page is here .

Note: I have not been able to test 2.5 myself yet. I’ll update this page as necessary, and welcome your feedback.

This is one in a series of posts of Frequently Asked Kindle Questions . You may also be interested in my Kindle title with the same name .

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog .

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special passwords edition

June 21, 2010

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special passwords edition

Q. Can I password protect my Kindle?

A. Yes, if you have the 2.5 update.

Q. How do I know if I have the update?

A. Go to Home-Menu-Settings. You’ll see your version number at the bottom of the screen. You can then hit the Back button to go back to Home.

Q. What if I don’t have 2.5 yet? How do I get it?

A. You can wait until your Kindle updates (you’ll need to have your Whispernet on), or go to the Kindle Software Updates page . You can follow instructions there to manually install it.

Q. Is there anything I should do before I update it?

A. If you have a "hack", you need to uninstall it. You’ll know if you do. I would always back up your documents folder (and Audible or music if you are using those) before updating a Kindle (and do it regularly).

Q. How do I back up my files? Is that really necessary?

A. You connect your Kindle to your computer using your included USB cord, and just drag the folders to your computer. It’s not necessary, but I recommend regularly backing up that folder, especially if you have files that didn’t come from the Kindle store.

Q. Can anybody with a Kindle get the update?

A. Anybody except people with a Kindle 1.

Q. What do I do if the update isn’t working for me?

A. You can call Kindle Customer service: 1-866-321-8851 in the US, 1-206-266-0927 outside it. You can also contact them through the Amazon website.

Q. Okay, I have the update and I’m ready. Why would I want to password protect my Kindle?

A. There are several reasons. If someone finds your Kindle and does not know the password, they will not be able to see what you have on it. That could keep family members from seeing embarrassing personal documents. It may be required by your work that you have a password on a device before putting certain types of documents on it. It also prevents people from ordering on your Kindle if you leave it lying around.

Q. So, if I order, say, erotica, I can keep my child from knowing I have it?

A. If you put it on your Kindle yourself, yes. If you order it from the Kindle store, and your child has another device on the account (another Kindle, an iPhone, and so on), they would see the title in your archives.

Q. Can I password protect the archives?

A. No. The password only protects the specific Kindle. You have a password on your account that protects certain functions (like adding a device to the account or changing e-mail addresses authorized to send items to your Kindle), but the archives are available to everybody on the account.

Q. Can I password protect just the buying part?

A. No. If someone doesn’t know the password, they can’t use the Kindle, even just to read the books on it.

Q. Is there anything I should do before I set a password?

A. You may want to record the password you are going to use somewhere. If you forget the password, the only way Kindle Customer Service is going to be able to reset it is to do a factory reset. That will also delete anything you’ve put on the Kindle yourself: personal documents; pictures; periodicals you’ve "kept"; MP3s; and books from Audible.com. I strongly recommend you regularly back up your Kindle’s documents, music, Audible, and pictures folders.

Q. They can’t just reset the password?

A. No.

Q. Where do you recommend I keep my password?

A. Some place safe and not dependent on a single device. Some people and companies keep their passwords in safe deposit boxes. Others make sure trusted people (family members, lawyers) have them. It just depends on how careful you want to be.

Q. Anything else I should do?

A. You are going to be asked to enter a "hint" for yourself. You may want to think of that ahead of time. For example, some people may use something like a first pet’s name as a password, so putting "pet" as a hint might help. Also, the password can be up to 12 letters long…you might want to think of it first.

Q. Any suggestions for passwords?

A. Generally, it’s better not to use as a password something you carry with you. For example, some people like to use their birthdays for passwords. Since you often have that with you in your wallet (on your driver’s license), that’s not as secure. It doesn’t appear that the Kindle requires you to use both letters and numbers. It depends, again, on how secure you want to be. The most secure thing would be a random string of numbers and letters, but that’s hard to remember.

Q. How do I enter the password?

A. Go to Home, Menu, Settings, and select "turn on" next to Device Password. You’ll be asked to enter the same password twice (to make sure you didn’t have a typo the first time) and then to enter your hint. Then, select "submit".

Q. "Submit" usually means you are sending something to a server. Is my password being stored by Amazon?

A. Apparently not.

Q. Does that mean it’s stored on my Kindle? If someone got my Kindle, could they find my password on my device?

A. My guess is that it would be possible, but difficult. The password is presumably encrypted in some way. It’s similar to your laptop: it would be difficult for someone to "hack" into your password, but hypothetically possible for very technically sophisticated people.

Q. When will I have to enter the password?

A. Whenever your Kindle "wakes up" or turns on. If you attach your Kindle to a computer using your USB cable (when it is asleep), it will also ask for the password.

Q. If I forget my password, can I call Amazon and have them give it to me?

A. No. They’d have to reset, as above.

Q. What if I want to change my password later?

A. Go to Home, Menu, Settings, and you’ll see a choice to "edit" next to "device password". You’ll need to enter the old password, then the new password twice, and then a hint. Then, hit submit.

Q. What if I don’t want to use a password any more?

A. Go to Home, Menu, Settings, and you’ll see a "turn off" choice next to Device Password. Select it, and then hit submit.

Q. If I turn it back on again, will it remember my old password?

A. Probably not. You’ll probably need to enter it again, but that is unknown at this time.

Q. Will I be able to use the same password I used before?

A. Probably. It seems likely, but I have not tested it yet.

Q. Where can I get more official information from Amazon?

A. The Kindle User’s guide has been updated and is available here . The Amazon Help Page is here .

Q. Do you have similar information on other features of Version 2.5?

A. Yes. You can see posts in that category here .

Note: I have not been able to test 2.5 myself yet. I’ll update this page as necessary, and welcome your feedback.

This is one in a series of posts of Frequently Asked Kindle Questions . You may also be interested in my Kindle title with the same name .

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special book lending edition

December 31, 2010

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special book lending edition

Q. Can I loan Kindle books that I have bought to other people?

A. Yes. Amazon enabled Kindle book lending on December 30, 2010.

Q. Do I have to get my Kindle updated to have that ability?

A. No. Lending takes place through Amazon’s servers, and that has already been updated. Nothing needs to happen on your Kindle.

Q. Can I lend any book I want?

A. No. It’s up to the publisher on each book.

Q. But I bought the book, right? I should be able to loan any book to anybody I want, just like I do with a paperbook.

A. When you buy a copy of a paperbook, that’s what you buy…that copy. You can do anything you want with it: loan it, sell it, give it away…burn it. When you "buy a book" in the Kindle store, you are buying a license, and are bound by the terms of the license.

Q. I don’t remember reading any license. Where is it?

A. It’s your Terms of Service with Amazon. Variable elements for each title will generally be on the book’s product page at Amazon. You may also be bound by copyright law, and there may be additional rights statements in the book.

Q. Product page?

A. That’s what you get when you search for the book at Amazon.

Q. So it will tell me there whether I can loan the book?

A. It will tell you if you can loan it. It does not mention it if you can’t. If it’s a book you bought previously, it will tell you at the top of the page that you can lend it. If you haven’t bought it before, it will tell you in the product details…usually about half way down the page.

Q. So I can tell before I buy the book if I can loan it?

A. Yes. It’s on the product page.

Q. I don’t want to have to look through the store to figure out which books I’ve bought that I can loan. Can I see that somewhere else?

A. Yes. You can go to

http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

Click the plus box on the row for the book. If you can lend it, there will be a button that says "Loan this book".

Q. I tried that, but I didn’t see a button.

A. That means you can’t lend that book. It’s up to the publisher.

Q. How many books can be loaned?

A. That’s hard to say at this point. Amazon hasn’t given the books a separate section in the store. It’s probably similar to Barnes & Noble…that’s about 50% for fiction e-books.

Q. Why would it be similar?

A. The publishers presumably offered basically the same deal to Amazon and to Barnes & Noble. Other elements of the program are similar to Barnes & Noble’s LendMe program for their NOOK.

Q. What other elements are there?

A. You can only loan a book once.

Q. Once to the same person?

A. Once ever. If you buy a copy of Alice In Wonderland and loan it to your mother, you can not loan it to your sister later.

Q. But my sister and I read the same Kindle books all the time. Does this change that?

A. No. You are probably on the same account. People on the same account can read the same book for a single purchase price.

Q. Does this change anything else I’ve been doing?

A. No. You can do everything you’ve been doing before. If you don’t choose to use the lending program, nothing is different.

Q. Why would the publishers limit it to one time? I can lend a paperbook as much as I want.

A. It’s up to the publisher…they are probably concerned about losing sales if they allowed unlimited lending.

Q. Can I only lend to my family members?

A. No, you can lend to anyone you want. It could be a complete stranger.

Q. Won’t people set up ways to do that on the internet?

A. Yes. There are already places to do that.

Q. Won’t that cost the publishers sales?

A. It might.

Q. Does the person have to have a Kindle for me to loan the book to her or him?

A. No. They don’t even have to have a Kindle reader app. If they don’t have one, they’ll be directed to a place to get a reader app.

Q. Directed how?

A. When you lend a book to someone you send a special e-mail to them that has a link to the book.

Q. How do I do that?

A. You can do that from your Manage Your Kindle page (see above) or from the book’s product page.

Q. So someone would have to have my e-mail address to lend me a Kindle book?

A. Yes.

Q. What if I don’t want to borrow it? What if I already have it, for example?

A. You won’t be able to accept the loan if you already have gotten the book from the Kindle store. You also won’t be able to accept the loan if the book is unavailable to your country.

Q. So, if I buy a book in the US that isn’t available in Canada, I can’t loan it to a Canadian?

A. That’s correct.

Q. Can a Canadian lend to a Canadian?

A. No. At this time, booklending can only be initiated within the USA.

Q. What if I just don’t want to read the book?

A. If you don’t accept the loan within seven days, the book becomes available to the lender again. They can then try to lend it to someone else.

Q. Can I refuse the loan offer so they get it back faster than the seven days?

A. It doesn’t appear so.

Q. You said "becomes available"…what does that mean?

A. When you have loaned a book to someone else, it is not available to you. That’s similar to a paperbook.

Q. Does it disappear from my Kindle?

A. It won’t be available to you through your archives or Manage Your Kindle for download. If it’s on your Kindle and your wireless is on, you’ll see a message that items were "removed". You’ll see a note next to the title in your homescreen that is "[on loan]". If you try to open the book, you’ll get a message that it is on loan instead of the book.

Q. You said "your wireless is on". If my wireless isn’t on, will I still be able to read the book on my Kindle?

A. Yes. If you have your wireless off when you lend the book and the book is on your Kindle, you can continue to read it. When you sync the next time, though, it will go into the "loan mode".

Q. So if I just don’t turn the wireless on for the two weeks of the loan, we can both read it?

A. Yes.

Q. Is that against the rules?

A. I haven’t seen anything that says that.

Q. Okay, so I can’t read a book if I’ve loaned it and I’ve had my wireless on. How long might it be before I can read it again?

A. The person has seven days to decide about the loan, and then fourteen days to read the book, so the maximum is 20 days.

Q. What if the person hasn’t finished the book by then?

A. The book will still be "returned" to you.

Q. What if they don’t turn the wireless on?

A. Unknown. The book may lock itself without using the wireless.

Q. Could I loan the book to the person again so they can finish reading it?

A. No. A book can only be loaned once.

Q. What if the person finishes the book early? Can they return it early?

A. Yes. They would go to that Manage Your Kindle page, click the plus next in the book’s row, and choose to delete the book.

Q. Would I be able to read it again then?

A. Yes.

Q. How would I know I could read it again.

A. You’ll get an e-mail. You can also go to that Manage Your Kindle site to check on the status of the loan. You’ll see if the loan has been accepted, and if it has, when it will run out. A borrower can go there too, to see how long the loan is.

Q. Is there any kind of warning that the loan is going to end?

A. Yes. The borrower will get a "courtesy notice" on her or his Kindle three days before it ends.

Q. Does Barnes & Noble have this fourteen day limit, too?

A. Yes.

Q. What if the person didn’t finish the book, or just liked it, and wants to buy it? Is there an easy way to do that?

A. Yes. Clicking on a book you have borrowed in your Archived Items will bring up a link to buy the book (once the loan has ended).

Q. Does this have anything to do with borrowing books from a public library?

A. No.

Q. So, if I don’t want to use this, I don’t have to use it. If I loan a book to somebody, I can only loan a book once, and I can’t read it while it is on loan unless I keep the wireless off…is that right?

A. Yes.

Q. Where is the information from Amazon on this?

A. http://www.amazon.com/kindle-lending

Q. I published a book through Amazon’s Digital Text Platform. What do I need to do to make my book lendable?

A. It’s lendable now. If your book is in the 70% royalty program, you have to allow lending. If your book is in the 35% royalty program, you have to go to the Digital Text Platform site and opt out of it for each title, under Rights and Pricing

Q. If I opt out, what happens to loans that are already happening?

A. Opting out will only affect future purchases. For more information on your DTP publications and lending, see

DTP book lending help

This is one in a series of posts of Frequently Asked Kindle Questions .

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special shared accounts edition

February 17, 2011

Frequently Asked Kindle Questions: special shared accounts edition

Q. I have a Kindle and I’m thinking of getting my Signficant Other one. If I do that, can we both read the books I buy?

A. Yes. As long as both Kindles are registered to the same account, they’ll both have access to all of the Kindle store books bought on that account.

Q. Does that include books I bought before I got the second Kindle?

A. Yes.

Q. Do all those books download automatically to the new one? We don’t like all of the same things.

A. No. They’ll be available to the new device, but your Significant Other can pick which ones actually are put on to it.

Q. What if we do want all of them on there? Can we send them all at once?

A. No. You make your choices one at a time.

Q. Can I just move the files from one Kindle to the other, using the USB cable?

A. No. When you download a book from the Kindle store, you tell Amazon for which device you are downloading it. The file you get is keyed for that one device. If you put that file all another device, it won’t be able to read it.

Q. But I thought you said the books are available to the new Kindle?

A. They are, but you need to download a new copy of the file keyed for the new device.

Q. Is there a charge for that?

A. No.

Q. Do all of the files from the Kindle store work that way?

A. Almost all of them. The others are independently-published books that don’t have that "keying", called DRM (Digital Rights Management). That’s only a few books, though.

Q. Do I have to understand that DRM thing to put my books on my Significant Other’s Kindle?

A. Not when it’s on the same account.

Q. How do I put it on the same account?

A. When you register, use the same e-mail address and password that you use for your Kindle.

Q. Does my Significant Other have to know the password?

A. No. You can register the Kindle.

Q. Where do I do that?

A. Either from the Kindle itself (Home-Menu-Settings) or at http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

Q. How do I prove to Amazon that my Significant Other and I are in the same household?

A. You don’t have to do that. You can put anybody you want on the same account.

Q. They don’t have to be part of my family?

A. No.

Q. What stops me from getting a bunch of people from work and registering their Kindles to my account, so we can all share books?

A. Nothing. That’s okay to do.

Q. I thought I heard somewhere that you could only have six Kindles on an account. Is that true?

A. No. There is no limit as to how many Kindles you can register to an account. The limit is on how many Kindles on the account can have the same book licensed for them at the same time.

Q. So you are saying I could have one hundred Kindles on the same account?

A. Yes. They don’t have to all be Kindles. They could include free reader apps, like Kindle for PC, Kindle for Mac, and so on.

Q. What about a NOOK or an iPad?

A. NOOKs can not read Kindle books. There is an app for an iPad.

Q. So, you said something about only six Kindles having a book. Is that six ever or six at the same time?

A. Six at the same time.

Q. If I have one hundred Kindles on the same account, we can all read the same book for one purchase price, like $9.99?

A. Yes. Not at the same time, usually.

Q. Usually?

A. The default number of "simultaneous device licenses" is six. If it’s different from that, it will say so on the book’s Amazon product page. Some books have fewer: some are unlimited.

Q. Unlimited? So all one hundred Kindles could have the same book at the same time?

A. Yes. Those are often public domain titles, not under copyright.

Q. What’s the lowest number of simultaneous device licenses?

A. One.

Q. Have you ever seen a book with one simultaneous device license?

A. Yes.

Q. Why aren’t they all the same?

A. The publisher sets it on a title by title basis.

Q. It’s not up to Amazon?

A. No.

Q. What happens when I’ve used all the device licenses and I try to put the book on another device?

A. You’ll get a message telling you can’t.

Q. So I can only have it on six devices ever?

A. No. You can release the license from one device to use on another one on the account.

Q. How do I release the license?

A. Remove the book from the Kindle and sync with Amazon so they know you did.

Q. How do I remove the book from the Kindle?

A. On any Kindle except a Kindle 1, get to the title and click right. You’ll see a choice to remove it from the device.

Q. Is that the same as deleting?

A. No. If you see a choice to delete, it isn’t a book from the Kindle store. If you delete it, it won’t be backed up for you by Amazon.

Q. What do I do if I have a Kindle 1?

A. Get to the book in the homescreen and hit the backspace button.

Q. Okay. So, I can have as many devices on the same account as I want, and we can all read the Kindle store books for the same price, but we might have to wait for somebody else to delete and sync with Amazon, right?

A. Yes.

Q. How do we download the books?

A. You can get them from any Kindle except a Kindle 1 by going to the Archived Items. Any book that is not on that Kindle will be in the Archived Items.

Q. It won’t be in the archives if it’s on that Kindle?

A. It wil be in the archives at Amazon, but it won’t show on the Archived Items on that device.

Q. So two Kindles on the same account might have a different number of books in the Archived Items?

A. Yes, depending on how many are on that device.

Q. My archives don’t seem right. I bought a book using a different Kindle, but it isn’t showing in my Archived Items.

A. The Kindle doesn’t know what is in the archives until it syncs with Amazon. If things don’t look right, do a sync: Home-Menu-Sync & Check for Items.

Q. I restarted once and lost all the books in my Archived Items, but they came back later…what happened?

A. When the Kindle restarted, it forgot which books were in the archives. It had to connect to Amazon again to find out.

Q. I do all the computer stuff for my Significant Other. Is there a way I can just send the books to my Significant Other’s Kindle?

A. Yes. Go to http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle . You’ll see a way to search for titles you have purchased, and to send them to a particular Kindle.

Q. I might put my child on my account. Can I control which books my kid can get from the Archives?

A. While the Kindle is on the account, it can see all of the books in the archives. You can’t choose which ones each Kindle sees.

Q. But I don’t want my child to see certain books I’ve bought. What can I do?

A. The Kindle won’t see the archives while it is deregistered. You could download the books you want your child to see, then deregister the Kindle.

Q. The books won’t disappear when it is deregisted?

A. No. They won’t go away until they are removed from the device. But the Kindle won’t have access to the account’s archives while it is deregistered.

Q. How do I put more books on it?

A. Re-register it to the account and download the books you want.

Q. Is it okay with Amazon to keep registering it and deregistering like that?

A. They haven’t said. I’ve asked them several ways, and they’ve never answered.

Q. But I won’t get in trouble?

A. Not as far as I know.

Q. So, I can sell or give away a Kindle with Kindle store books on it?

A. No. That’s against the Terms of Service.

Q. Isn’t that what’s happening when I put books on a Kindle for my child and then deregister it?

A. No. The ownership of the Kindle isn’t changing.

Q. Okay. So when the Kindle isn’t on the account any more, it can’t get to the archives?

A. Right.

Q. Can a Kindle be on more than one account at once?

A. No.

Q. That means I can’t have my Kindle on my family’s account and on my work’s account?

A. That’s right…only one account at a time.

Q. What if I want to put someone else on the account who already bought books on a different account? Can we combine the two accounts and have access to the books we both bought before?

A. Not officially, but I’ve heard about it happening. If you want to check a specific case, contact Kindle Customer Service at http://www.amazon.com/kindlesupport .

Q. I think I’ve got it, then. I can have one hundred people on my account, or more, and we can all read the same book for one purchase price, but probably not at the same time?

A. That’s right.

Q. That sounds great! Hey, who pays for the books?

A. There are several ways to arrange that.

Q. Can we have different credit cards for different people?

A. All Kindle store books are bought with 1-click. You set that up in your account.

Q. I can’t switch credit cards when I’m checking out?

A. With 1-click, you don’t check out. You just buy the book by clicking a button.

Q. So we all have to use the same credit card?

A. No. You can switch credit cards on your computer, but not on your Kindles. You’d have to switch it before each purchase. You do that in the Your Account link at Amazon.

Q. You said there was more than one way?

A. Yes. Now that Kindle book gift-giving is available, one person could gift a book to someone else on the account. The giver can pay for it however they want to do that. The recipient will get an e-mail with a link to get the book: the giver will have paid for it.

Q. I wouldn’t be able to read the book until the recipient clicked on the link?

A. That’s right.

Q. That still seems pretty good. My credit card would be on the account, but if I put my friend on the account, they could still buy books with their own credit card?

A. Yes.

Q. Any other ways?

A. Yes. You can also buy gift cards/certificates for the account. Let’s say you have the password. Someone else on the account could buy you gift certificates for the books they want to get.

Q. Can I limit those gift cards so they are used just for Kindle books?

A. No. When you get a gift card, you apply it to your Amazon account. Any 1-click purchases, whether for a Kindle book or not, will draw from that gift card balance before going to the credit/debit card on the account.

Q. So, if I bought a t-shirt with my 1-click, it would drain the gift card balance?

A. Yes.

Q. Okay, I see how we could both pay for books. What happens if one of us leaves the account? Do they just lose the books they bought?

A. They lose access to the archives. If they have books on their Kindle, those books will remain on the device. But if they get a new Kindle, they will not be able to put those books on the new device.

Q. That sounds like it’s kind of risky to go on someone else’s account, right?

A. That’s right. You need to figure out how you will deal with that situation.

Q. Do I have to give everybody on my account the password?

A. No. The only people who need the password are the people who are going to "manage" the account. Those people will register and deregister the Kindles, change the credit cards, and so on. The other people are "users". They can buy books through their Kindles. They can also gift books to the Managers.

Q. If I die, can the users get to the books?

A. No. They need the password. You might want to make sure someone has the credentials (e-mail and password) in the event of your death.

Q. Can I will the books to someone else?

A. If someone has the username and password they won’t need the books to be willed to them.

Q. But could I will them to someone?

A. Unknown.

Q. Does this only work with books? What about games and magazines?

A. Games you buy should be in the archives and available to other Kindles on the account. Back issues of magazines and newspapers will appear in the Archived Items of other compatible devices on the account, so it works with those, too. That’s fairly new.

Q. So we can have one subscription the New York Times and read it on more than one Kindle?

A. Yes.

Q. Can I read it on my iPad?

A. You can only read magazines and newspapers through the Kindle store on Kindles and Android devices currently, and the back issue will only appear for those devices. Amazon says they will be making them available to other devices in the future.

Q. Can I download the games to my Kindle 1?

A. No, that’s not a compatible device for the active content in the Kindle store. Some "games" are really just books, and those will work.

Q. This all seems to good to be true. Do the publishers know about it?

A. They set the number of simultaneous device licenses, so they know.

Q. Why doesn’t Amazon advertise this more? It seems like such a good deal.

A. You’d have to ask them. ;)

===

This is one in a series of posts of Frequently Asked Kindle Questions .

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog


The Original Edition of Frequently Asked Kindle Questions

Introduction to the Original Edition


The Kindle, Amazon's electronic book reader, is a marvelously simple thing. Once you open a book, it's pretty much like reading a paperbook. Flip to the next page, flip back if you want. If you gave it to a literate person in the 1600s, already loaded up with a book or two, they could learn to use it very quickly. This has probably been one of the secrets of its success: it appeals to, and can be used by, people who don't necessarily like technology...but who like to read.

At the same time, it is a cutting edge gadget, with wireless internet, keyboard combos, archiving, and the ability to play .mp3s. Gadget heads like looking for hidden features, playing with the settings, and testing its possibilities.

This dichotomy of sophistication and simplicity has given rise to questions...a lot of questions.

I've been following (and been a part of) the on-line Kindle community, especially on the forum provided by Amazon itself. I would guess I've read tens of thousands of posts at this point, and become aware of certain patterns. The same questions tend to come up over and over again.

While I've tried to answer the questions there, I know that there's a value in extending the reach of those answers, and putting the answers in one easy to use document that you can have on your Kindle, whenever you need it.

As with most Kindle documents, you can search this. I have also provided an interactive Table of Contents. Click on the question you want, and it will take you there. Use your Back button to get back to where you were.

I've also loosely grouped the questions into categories. Sometimes, one question will lead you to a related one (maybe something that hasn't even occured to you yet), and seeing a whole topic together can help you to new discoveries.

My answers are not official or definitive, but I think you'll find them helpful. I do provide links to Amazon's own answers when possible. I also have provided links to the on-line version of the answer I posted in the Amazon Kindle Community, when available. After I've posted something there, other people can add comments, and they often are informative and insightful. You can go there on your Kindle, although you may find it easier if you are using an iPhone or an iPod Touch (due to the superior web browsing capabilities of those devices compared to the Kindle).

I've also seen this list change over time. Certainly, each new Kindle model and each software update has added new questions. As Kindle use continues to expand, I've also seen new areas of use, which also createsadditional needs and wants. Besides, people are just creative: new ideas, new thoughts, and still more questions.

Before I begin, I want to give a whole-hearted acknowledgement and thank you to my follow Kindleers in the forum. I'm an educator and a software guy (and a former bookstore manager). I'll admit that all of those have contributed to what I can give. However, I've learned a lot from the folks in the forum. Sometimes because they asked the right question, sometimes because they answered one of mine. While there are too many to name here, I want to particularly thank Bruce S. Woodcock , who has taught me a lot. Thanks, Bruce!

If you have additional questions, corrections, or comments, and you have an Amazon account, you can contact me through the forum on my author page at Amazon. At the time of writing, that page address is not available, but you should be able to find it by going to:

http://www.amazon.com

and putting Bufo Calvin in the search box.

One last thing: if you do like this (or any of my other works), please take the time to rate and/or review it at Amazon. I'm an independent author, and the reviews we get in the Kindle store are one of the best ways we have of people finding our works. Even if you don't like it, I'd appreciate a review. Just like any other review you write, just be honest and specific. Thanks!

You can rate and review all of your Kindle purchases at:

http://kindle.amazon.com

To rate a book, just click on the number of stars you think it deserves (hover over the stars to see what they mean...the more stars, the better the rating). To review a book, click on the title, then click the See all Amazon.com Customer Reviews link.

The Questions

Questions about Using the Kindle

Q. What about using the Kindle internationally?
For legal and licensing reasons, the Kindle is intended for sale to the US market. For that reason, it must be set up with US credentials (a US address and credit card). Americans traveling or living abroad are able to use their Kindles, but can not connect wirelessly. They are still able to buy books from a computer, and transfer them to the Kindle's documents folder with the included USB cord. For details, see the "I don't have whispernet access" question:

I don't have Whispernet access: how do I get books?

You will not need a transformer for your Kindle, because it is a "universal voltage" device. It can charge in voltages from 100 to 240. You may need a plug adapter so that it will fit the holes of the electrical outlets.

One complication is that some books have geographic restrictions, and will not allow themselves to be downloaded in specific countries. This is for legal and/or licensing reasons. This is rare in most countries, but may be common in certain areas. Amazon is a customer of a company named Quova, that offers a service of "geolocating" internet customers (and not just by IP address). This is the way I think it works:

1. You set up your Kindle with an American address and credit card
2. A publisher encodes a title so that it will block itself from being downloaded in certain countries (or outside of certain countries)
3. You are outside the US and order a book
4. Quova identifies your location
5. The code in the book reacts to that location, and you get an error message about a "geographic restriction".

This has not been stated by Amazon, but is a working hypothesis of what happens.

One forum poster, who was on active duty, reported being able to contact Amazon and getting the geographc restriction removed. In that case, Quova hypothetically identified the user as being in a restricted country, and Amazon may have been able to override that for a US military base. This is just conjecture, though.

Amazon has stated that it does want to sell in other countries, but has given no timeline.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Can I share Kindle books?
When you buy a paperbook (p-book), you own that paper and ink copy. You can loan it to someone else, sell it, and do whatever you want to do with it.

When you buy a book from the Kindle store, it is "keyed" to that specific device (Kindle, iPhone, or iPod Touch). Even if you copy it to another device (another Kindle, a computer, and so on) it will not allow itself to be read.

Although you can not share the file, multiple devices on one account can "share" the book for one purchase price.

You can have many devices registered to the same account (same credit card).

While it is up to the publisher, books in the Kindle store generally give you six simultaneous licenses. That means that you can put the book on up to six devices for one purchase price, if they are on the same account.

NOTE: You can have more than six devices registered to your account, but after you have sent the book to six devices, you would typically have to pay again to send it to a seventh (through twelfth) device.

Here's how it works: when you buy a book, you choose to which device you want it sent. Let's say you have six devices: Kindle 1, Kindle 2, Kindle 3, iPhone 1, iPhone 2, and iPod Touch 1. All six are registered to the same Kindle account (using the same credit card).

You buy a book and send it to Kindle 1. You buy it for Kindle 1. If you have the Whispernet, it will appear on that Kindle automatically.
The book is also now stored for you in your Amazon archives. You can access the archive in a couple of ways.

From your Kindle: Go to your Home screen. On your last page you'll see an Archived Items link. Tip: You don't have to flip through the pages on a K2. You can see what the last page number is on the
screen. It will say Page 1 of 16 (or whatever number is correct) in your bottom left corner. Type the number of the last page using your keyboard, and click the 5-way. You'll jump to that page. Click the Archived Items link. From there, just click on the item you want and it will download to your Kindle and open for you.

From your Computer: Go to this site

http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

Scroll down, and you'll see a section called Your orders. You can search for a title in the search box in the top left corner. You can also choose to view just Books, Magazines, or Newspapers by clicking the blue links on the top right side. When you find the title you want, you'll see a dropdown box on the right side that says

Download/Send to...

Click the downward pointing chevron (like an arrow without the stick), and you'll see your choices for where to send it. Pick one (like iPhone 1), and it will be sent to it (again, assuming that
device is connected to the internet.

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All of your devices have access to all of the books in your archive, even if those books were bought from the Amazon store before you registered those devices.

---

NOTE: Amazon store subscriptions work differently. You only get one license for magazines and newspapers. You will not be able to send those to another device and be able to read them, even if it is on your account.

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Files that are not from the Kindle store are not in your archives. These would includes text files (with a .txt extension, the last three letters at the end of the file name you can see when your Kindle is connected to your computer) and Mobipocket) .mobi files or Palm Resource Compiler (.prc) files (that do not have built-in codes, called Digital Rights Management, that controls how they can be used), and (on the Kindle DX only) Portable Document Files (.pdf).

Personal documents that you have sent to Amazon for conversion are also not stored in the archives.

NOTE: Personal documents, even after they are converted by Amazon, do not contain the Digital Rights Management books purchased from the Kindle store do, and they can be used on more than one Kindle.

In the case of files not in the archive, you will transfer the files from one Kindle to your computer and then to the other Kindle's documents folder. You will use the USB cord for this.

1. Connect the big end of the USB cord that came with your Kindle to the computer, with the diagram side (the "Vulcan fork") facing up

2. Connect the small end of the USB cord to your Kindle, again, Vulcan fork side up. Your Kindle should go into "USB mode". It will show the Vulcan fork on the screen

3. Go into your Windows Explorer on your computer (These instructions assume you are using a PC, not a Mac). You can use the Windows button (four wavy squares next to your alt key next to your spacebar usually) + E. If you don't see that key (it's possible you don't have it), you can right-click on the Start menu and choose Explore

4. You should see your Kindle as a "drive" (it normally says Kindle, but it may not). If you see a little plus box (as opposed to a minus box) next to the Kindle drive, click it. You should see four folders, including documents

5. Click on the documents folder. On your right side of the screen, you should see the books on your Kindle.

NOTE: There will typically be two files for each book. The book itself (which may have a txt., .mobi, .prc, .azw, .azw1, .tpz, or ((on the Kindle DX)) .pdf) and an "associated information file". This file contains your notes, bookmarks, highlighting and some other information. You do no need to copy it with the book, but if you don't, you will not have that information. The book also lose your "last read" information. The associated information file will have the same name as the book file, and an extension of .mbp or, in the case of Topaz books, .azw1 (when downloaded wirelessly) or .tan (when downloaded to your computer and transferred to your Kindle's documents folder

NOTE: You will not have an associated information file until you have opened the book on your Kindle once.

6. Drag the files from your Kindle's documents folder to your computer. This will not take them off the Kindle, but will copy them to the computer. Wait for this process to finish

7. "Safely remove" your Kindle. In the bottom right corner of your computer screen (near the clock), you will typically see a grey rectangle with a green arrow. You might need to click a right facing chevron (like an arrowhead without the stick) to see it. You may see a choice for a USB storage device. After you click on that one, it should show you a choice for the Kindle. If it tells you the Kindle can not be stopped at this time, don't disconnect it. If it won't let you safely remove, you can shut down the computer. When the Kindle shows you the regular screen, it is safe to disconnect.

8. Your Kindle should come out of USB mode (and show you a normal screen). If it's a K2, it will be charging

9. Disconnect the small end of the USB cord from your Kindle

10. Disconnect the large end of the USB cord from your computer

11. Repeat the connection process with the second Kindle

12. Drag the files you previously put on your computer into the second Kindle's documents folder

NOTE: You may find it necessary to drag the files in more than one batch. If you try to drag too many files at once, you may encounter problems

13. Let the copying process finish.

14. Repeat the disconnect process on the second Kindle

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Your files should now show in the homescreen. You will only see the books, not the associated files.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

If your files do not show in the homescreen:

* You may have put them somewhere else on your Kindle than in your Kindle's documents folder. Reconnect the Kindle to the computer and check the documents folder to make sure the files are there

* Your Kindle may be filtered to only show you books. Converted files are considered "personal documents" by the Kindle. On the Kindle 1, you will see a Show & Sort menu on the homescreen in your top right. On the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX, you will see a choice in your top left on the homescreen. Check this, and make sure it says All items, as opposed to just books

If your file shows on your homescreen, but won't open:

* You may have put a file on to your Kindle that has Digital Rights Management (DRM) that is preventing it from opening

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When you deregister a Kindle, the files that are on it stay on the Kindle. Some people have suggested deregistering a Kindle, registerting it to another account, downloading the files from the new account, deregistering it and reregistering it to the old account. You would then have the files from both accounts on the Kindle (although only the archives from one).

While this is technically possible, it is not recommended. It appears to be a clear violation of the Terms of Use from Amazon for your Kindle, which are viewable here:

Amazon Kindle Terms of Use

The third paragraph of section 3 says in part:

==========================
"Unless specifically indicated otherwise, you may not sell, rent, lease, distribute, broadcast, sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to the Digital Content or any portion of it to any third party"
===========================

When you allow someone else to take the book files from your account away from your account (which will happen when they deregister, unless the files are deleted from that Kindle), you are distributing the files.

If you have questions about the Terms of Service, please call Customer Service at

In the US: 1-866-321-8851
Outside: 1-206-266-0927

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. I don't have Whispernet access: how do I get books?
The Whispernet is the way that the Kindle wirelessly connects to the internet. You may not have access because of insufficient service where you are in the US, or because you are outside of the country.

NOTE: You will need to do these steps from a computer connected to the internet.

A. Go to Amazon.com on your computer and find a book you want for the Kindle
B. There will be a choice there to buy it. :) If you have more than one Kindle, you'll tell it for which Kindle it is intended
C. Go to the Manage Your Kindle page in Your Account at Amazon.com. Your Account is up in your top right corner...you'll see Manage Your Kindle partway down the page under Digital Content
D. Find the book you bought. You'll see a choice to Download/Send to. Click the dropdown arrow there, and choose computer
E. It will ask you for which Kindle you want to download it. It can be a different one than the one you bought it for, if you want. Just make sure it is the one on which you want to put the book
F. Download the file to a place you can find it again. I have a folder for "Kindle transfer", but that's just for convenience
G. Connect the big end of the USB cord that came with your Kindle to the computer, with the diagram side (the "Vulcan fork") facing up
H. Connect the small end of the USB cord to your Kindle, again, Vulan fork side up
Your Kindle should go into "USB mode". It will show the Vulcan fork on the screen
I. Go into your Windows Explorer on your computer (I'm assuming you are using a PC, not a Mac). If you don't know how to do this, ask :)
J. You should see your Kindle as a "drive" (it normally says Kindle). Drag the file from where you saved it into your Kindle's documents folder. If you don't see the documents folder, click the little "plus box" next to your Kindle drive
K. "Safely remove" your Kindle. If you don't know how to do that, ask :)
L. Your Kindle should come out of USB mode (and show you a normal screen). If it's a K2, it will be charging
M. You should see the title in your homescreen
N. Disconnect the small end of the USB cord from your Kindle
O. Disconnect the large end of the USB cord from your computer

NOTE: Free samples are only available wirelessly. Your devices will also not be able to be Whispersynced without the wireless (one device will not know what page the other device was on in a book). Your clock may get out of sync without the wireless, which will throw off the "most recent" sort on the homepage.

NOTE: This is something you can try if your Kindle is not connecting to the Whispernet. Go to Home-Menu-Settings, with the Whispernet turned on. Type 411. If it can connect, you'll see information, and probably something Up, Up, Up. Hit Back. Type 611. You'll see a different information screen, and if you are connected, the latitude and longitude of what I think is the cell tower. Hit home. Try to connect to a website again.

If you want to see the predicted coverage for your area, you can use the Kindle Coverage Tool at Amazon:

http://www.showmycoverage.com/mycoverage.jsp?id=A102ZON

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum.
Q. How do I see what time it is?
Kindle 1: Press Alt+T. If you are in "reading mode", the time will show in words, if not, in numbers

Kindle 2 and Kindle DX: Press the menu key. The time will display at the top of the screen

(See also Setting the clock )
Q. How do I play music?
While primarily a reading device, your Kindle can play music. You can listen to the music through the built-in speakers, or use headphones (which are not included). The headphones use the common mini-jack (3.5 mm), so you may have some already for an mp3 player. The headphone jack is on the top edge of your Kindle 2 or Kindle DX, and on the bottom of a Kindle 1 (on the opposite side from the volume controls...the other hole is for the power adapter).

You will download the music to your computer, and then transfer it to your Kindle's music folder using your Kindle's included USB cord.

It's important to know that the music must be in the mp3 format, and must be in the Kindle's music folder (or, on the Kindle 1, it can also be on the SD card).

You can start the music by hitting ALT+spacebar on the K2 or Kindle DX (ALT+P on the K1). You can stop it the same way. You can skip to the next song by hitting ALT+F.

You won't be able to select a specific song. On the Kindle 1, it will play in random order. On the K2 or Kindle DX, it plays in the order in which you put them on the Kindle. It will stop playing when it runs out of songs, but you can simply start it again.

You can read while listening to music, but you can not use the Text-To-Speech feature, which is on the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX.

There are physical buttons to adjust the volume. On the Kindle 1, they are on the bottom of the Kindle. On the Kindle 2 or Kindle DX, they are on your right side as you look at the device. The speakers are on the back of the Kindle 1 and Kindle 2, and on the bottom edge of the Kindle DX.

You can also listen to the Kindle through your car speakers. Many new cars have an Aux jack. You would need a cord (not included that would typically have a male mini-jack plug on both ends. One end goes in the Aux jack of the car, the other in the headphone jack of the Kindle. Some older cars have cassette players, and you can buy cassette adapters (you get something that looks like a cassette to put in the player, with a cable to attach it to your Kindle's headphone jack). You can also use an FM transmitter. This will send an FM signal from your Kindle to the car's radio wirelessly. These vary in quality and price. You may hear some static on some, and it may be hard to find a frequency that is not already being used by a radio station.

If you do want to play a specific song by name, you can put it into the Audible folder instead of the music folder. It will then show up like a book in your homescreen, and you'll have more control over it. This is intended for audiobooks, but will work with songs (and may show you the "album cover"). You will not be able to create a "playlist": you would select a specific song when you wanted to hear it with this method.

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HOW TO PUT THE MUSIC ON YOUR KINDLE

1. Download the file to a place you can find it again. You could have a folder for "Kindle transfer", but that's just for convenience

2. Connect the big end of the USB cord that came with your Kindle to the computer, with the diagram side (the "Vulcan fork") facing up

3. Connect the small end of the USB cord to your Kindle, again, Vulcan fork side up. Your Kindle should go into "USB mode". It will show the Vulcan fork on the screen

4. Go into your Windows Explorer on your computer (These instructions assume you are using a PC, not a Mac). You can use the Windows button (four wavy squares next to your alt key next to your spacebar usually) + E. If you don't see that key (it's possible you don't have it), you can right-click on the Start menu and choose Explore

5. You should see your Kindle as a "drive" (it normally says Kindle). Drag the file from where you saved it into your Kindle's music folder. If you don't see the music folder, click the little "plus box" next to your Kindle drive

6. "Safely remove" your Kindle. In the bottom right corner of your computer screen (near the clock), you will typically see a grey rectangle with a green arrow. You might need to click a right facing chevron (like an arrowhead without the stick) to see it. You may see a choice for a USB storage device. After you click on that one, it should show you a choice for the Kindle. If it tells you the Kindle can not be stopped at this time, don't disconnect it. If it won't let you safely remove, you can shut down the computer. When the Kindle shows you the regular screen, it is safe to disconnect.

7. Your Kindle should come out of USB mode (and show you a normal screen). If it's a K2, it will be charging

8. You will not see the title in your homescreen

9. Disconnect the small end of the USB cord from your Kindle

10. Disconnect the large end of the USB cord from your computer

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Can I listen to audiobooks?
Yes. The difference between listening to audiobooks and listening to music on the Kindle is that you will listen to audiobooks one at a time, and you will select them by title. Once you have an audiobook open, you'll have several more controls than you would have with a song.

There are two main ways to get an audiobook for your Kindle:

1. Buy it from Audible.com , which is owned by Amazon. There are five formats there: you want format 4 or Audible Enhanced (AAX) formats

2. Get it somewhere else, like Gutenberg.org . I've linked to the free, human-read portion of that site. For audiobooks from sources other than Audible, you want the .mp3 format.

Regardless of where you get them, you put audiobooks in the Audible file.

HOW TO PUT THE MUSIC ON YOUR KINDLE

1. Download the file to a place you can find it again. You could have a folder for "Kindle transfer", but that's just for convenience

2. Connect the big end of the USB cord that came with your Kindle to the computer, with the diagram side (the "Vulcan fork") facing up

3. Connect the small end of the USB cord to your Kindle, again, Vulcan fork side up. Your Kindle should go into "USB mode". It will show the Vulcan fork on the screen

4. Go into your Windows Explorer on your computer (These instructions assume you are using a PC, not a Mac). You can use the Windows button (four wavy squares next to your alt key next to your spacebar usually) + E. If you don't see that key (it's possible you don't have it), you can right-click on the Start menu and choose Explore

5. You should see your Kindle as a "drive" (it normally says Kindle). Drag the file from where you saved it into your Kindle's Audible folder. If you don't see the Audible folder, click the little "plus box" next to your Kindle drive

6. "Safely remove" your Kindle. In the bottom right corner of your computer screen (near the clock), you will typically see a grey rectangle with a green arrow. You might need to click a right facing chevron (like an arrowhead without the stick) to see it. You may see a choice for a USB storage device. After you click on that one, it should show you a choice for the Kindle. If it tells you the Kindle can not be stopped at this time, don't disconnect it. If it won't let you safely remove, you can shut down the computer. When the Kindle shows you the regular screen, it is safe to disconnect.

7. Your Kindle should come out of USB mode (and show you a normal screen). If it's a K2, it will be charging

8. You will see the title in your homescreen, with an audio indicator

9. Disconnect the small end of the USB cord from your Kindle

10. Disconnect the large end of the USB cord from your computer

---

Once you have the file on your Kindle, you can open it like a book. You'll see controls that allow you to go back to the beginning, jump ahead or back thirty seconds, pause and so on.

I've also used this to have a song or an audioclip available on demand.
Q. Does it play any games?
While the Kindle is primarily designed to be a reader, it does have a game. You can play a simple version of the popular puzzle game, Minesweeper. From the homescreen, do Alt+Shift+M. Shift is the up arrow in the bottom left corner of the keyboard.

You can change the difficulty of the game by hitting the Menu key.

The basic idea of the game is to identify the location of hidden mines by clicking on squares. If the square contains a mine, you lose the game. If it doesn't, it will show you a number. The number will tell you how many of the six squares around that one (if you are not at an edge) contain mines.

Using the numbers, you try to figure out what squares have to contain mines. If you think you've found one, move to that square, but don't click on it. Push the "M" key to mark it as a possible mine.

You often don't have enough information to be sure: then, you'll have to count on luck.

When you identify all the mines, you win.

---

The Kindle DX also plays a second game called Gomoku. You'll see a way to get to it from the Minesweeper game. The goal of Gomoku is to get five in a row when taking turns playing "pieces". It is similar in that sense to Pente or Connect Four.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Does it have a backlight?
Technically, a "backlight" means that what you are reading is illuminated from behind. The light is shining towards you, and the words are between you and the light. That's the way computers and cellphones work. One reason why reading books on computers has never become really popular is that some people find reading on them for a long time unpleasant. That's partly due to the backlight.

The Kindle does not have a backlight. The "e-ink" technology is not lit at all, just like a paperbook (p-book). That has two major advantages:

* It is easier on the eye
* It doesn't take much power, so the battery can last a long time on a charge

It does mean, though, that you can not read the device in the dark. Just like a p-book, you need an external light source: a lamp or a "booklight". There are many kinds of booklights, ranging in price from about a dollar on up. Some e-readers and covers have lights that light the screen from the side, others have a light that extends out (on a "neck"), and then bends back towards the screen. The Mighty Bright Light is a popular brand.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Where are the page numbers?
On the Kindle 1 and Kindle 2, page numbers are irrelevant, since you can change the size of the text, which changes how many words are on a "page" (or more properly, screen). The bigger the text size, the more pages the book would have. Instead of pages, the Kindles use the term "locations". There are typically several locations on the same screen. The locations are constant regardless of text size: location 200 is the same place in the book at all text sizes.

You can figure out approximately what page you are on if you know how many pages there are in the paper version of the book (this is often shown on the product page at Amazon). The Kindle 2 shows you on the screen what percentage of the book you have read,
what locations are on your screen, and how many total locations there are. Use this formula (you can do it in a calculator):

Current location divided by the number of location multiplied by the total number of pages in the book

Let's say you are on page 50 of a 200 location book that has 100 total pages.

(50/200) * 100 = 25

You don't have to worry about the parentheses.

This may not be exactly right, because the paper version and the Kindle version may be a bit different. They may not have all the same pictures, and the introduction to the book may be different.

The Kindle DX (released in June 2009) will work the same way for most files. However, it can read pdf (portable document format) files without conversion. When you do that you can not change the text size (although you can turn the Kindle sideways so the text gets bigger), so it can show you page numbers.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Can you use a Kindle on an airplane?
Many people read on airplanes. However, the Kindle is also an electronic device, and people are instructed to turn off electronic devices during take off and landing. The Kindle also can connect to a wireless network and users are concerned about affecting the plane's navigation.

It is up to the flight crew on each flight as to whether or not you can use your Kindle.

I always recommend you comply with what the flight crew asks.

 That said, I am comfortable that your Kindle does not pose a risk to the airplane's electronics. This is for a simple reason: if it did, they wouldn't let you have it in the passenger compartment in the first place. If it was a risk, they'd simply make you check it. They don't. They can't count on people following the rules, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

If that's the case, why do some flight crews ask you to turn it off and put it away during take-off and landing (although many don't)? I think it's because they don't want you to be distracted. Taking off and landing is the most dangerous part of the flight, typically. I've actually been a flight where they asked for all reading material to be put away during a take-off. They usually allow p-books (paperbooks), but it may be that, if an evacuation was necessary, they believe that people would leave a p-book, but would be distracted by leaving an expensive electronic device.

What about going through security? My understanding is that the Kindle is probably not at risk going through the x-ray. I've read a few times that people have been cautioned about letting the Kindle get "wanded". I'd put that down as unverified at this point, but you may be better off putting it on the belt.
Q. How good is the web browser?
In my opinion, it's clunky, but can be used for some things. It works best with websites that are optimized for mobile devices. I recommend using:

http://cantoni.mobi

That's a portal for mobile friendly sites. I'd bookmark it on your Kindle.

It may also help to change the settings. When you are web browsing, use Menu-Settings. For example, disabling images will make websites load more quickly.

You can get to the web browser from the homescreen by going to Menu-Experimental-Basic Web.

I also find it handy on the K2 to just type in the website I want (like FeedBooks). As you start typing, you'll activate the search. Flick right three times (until you get Google selected for the search). That will make it look up your term at Google. If the wireless is off, it will also ask you to turn it on (with one click).

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Does the Kindle show color pages?
The current e-ink technology (which is what makes it relatively easy on the eyes) used in the Kindle does not support color at this time. There will be color e-ink screens in the future. The challenges include that: it will be more expensive; it may take more energy; and the screen refreshes (the times between pages) may be longer.

Jeff Bezos of Amazon has said that he has seen the technology in the lab and thought it might be a couple of years before it comes to the Kindle.

Other companies may introduce a color screen before Amazon.

Computers and cellphones that have color screens use a different technology that takes more energy.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. How good is the text-to-speech on the Kindle?
It's robotic, but understandable. If you are used to listening to audiobooks, this will not be an equivalent. It's another way to access the text, just like a booklight or increasing the text size. If you are reading this on an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can hear a demonstration of it here:

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/kindle-2s-voice-reads-personalized.html

That's a blog I really recommend. It has very informative articles, as well as more media, including in this case, a picture of the voice actor behind "Tom".

I started on Amazon thread on "Tomisms", where people list the mispronunciations:

Tomisms

You may also find this forum thread interesting. It's where I posted my first impressions of listening to the text-to-speech:

A road trip with "Tom"
Q. Why is the text-to-speech blocked on some titles?
The technology in the Kindle 2 allows it to read any text downloaded to it. Books, personal documents, newspapers, and magazines. It can not read from a website. The Kindle DX can also read anything, except unconverted .pdfs. However, a major publisher, Random House, has chosen to block that access in its e-books. One argument they are using is that the text-to-speech may cut into their audiobook sales. If a book has had this access blocked, it will have a statement on the product page:

Text-to-Speech: Not enabled.

Note that if text-to-speech has not been blocked, no statement is made (since that is the default). If you buy a book before it is blocked, the text-to-speech will still work for you even after new purchasers lose the capability. Some people (including me) are boycotting Random House over this policy, since it disproportionately affects the disabled.

List of Random House Publishers (may be incomplete):


Alfred A. Knopf
Amphoto Books
Anchor Books
Back Stage Books
Ballantine
Bantam
Billboard Books
Broadway
Broadway Business
Clarkson Potter
Crown
Crown Business
Crown Forum
Del Rey
Delacorte
Dial Press
Doubleday
Doubleday Religion
Everyman’s Library
Fodor’s Travel
Golden Books
Harmony Books
Living Language
Lucas Books
Modern Library
Monacelli Press
Nan A. Talese
One World
Pantheon Books
Potter Craft
Potter Style
Presidio Press
Prima Games
Princeton Review
Random House
Random House Children’s Books
RH Puzzles & Games
Shave Areheart Books
Shocken Books
Spectra
Spiegel & Grau
Sylvan Learning
Ten Speed Press
Three Rivers Press
Tricycle Press
Villard Books
Vintage
Waterbrook Multnomah
Watson-Guptill

For more information, see my article,

The Disabled Deserve to Read (revised edition)

which I allow to be distributed freely for non-commercial purposes. It can also be purchased through the Kindle store, in which case I am putting my royalties towards purchasing Kindles for non-profits.

You can also get more information at:

http://www.readingrights.org/
Q. Can I read books in languages other than English on my Kindle?
Yes, but on the Kindle 1 and 2, it is somewhat limited. Languages may require different alphabets, and displaying those is dependent on the "character sets" on the device. The Kindle 1 and 2 can display, English, French, Spanish, Greek, and several other languages. However, they can not display Asian languages or Cyrillic, for example. There are unauthorized modifications ("hacks") that make this possible, but I do not recommend modifying your Kindle's software, as this is against the Terms of Use agreement you have with Amazon.

The Kindle DX also displays Portable Document Format (.pdf) files, which enables it to show many more languages in those documents.

I was given a list of the character sets on the K1 and K2. They are:

Here's the list:

Basic Latin (U+0020-U+007F)
Latin-1 Supplement (U+00A0-U+00FF)
Latin Extended-A (U+0100-U+017F)
Latin Extended-B (first half, U+0180 - U+01FF)
Latin Extended-B (second half U+0200 - U+024F)
IPA Extensions (U+2050 - U+20AF)
Spacing Modifier Letters (U-02BO - U+02FF)
Greek and Coptic (U+0370 - U+03FF)
Latin Extended-Additional (U+1E00 - U+1EFF)
Greek Extended (U+1F00 - U+1FF)
General Punctuation (U+2000 - U+206F)
Superscripts and Subscripts (U+2070 - U+209F)
Currency Symbols (U+20A0 - U+20CF)
Letterlike Symbols (U+2100 - U+214F)
Number Forms (U+2150 - U+218F)
Arrows (U+2190 - U+21FF)
Mathematical Operators (U+2200 - U+22FF)
Miscellaneous Technical (U+2300 - U+23FF)
Enclosed Alphanumeric (U+2460 - U+24FF)
Geometric Shapes (U+25A0 - U+26FF)
Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600 - U+26FF)
Dingbats (U+2700 - U+27BF)
Private Use (U+E000 - U+F8FF)
Alphabetic Presentation Forms (U-FB00 - U+FB3F)

To see what is in those sets, you can go to:

http://unicode.org/charts/

Q. Where can I buy or see a Kindle in a store?
Some people have stated a preference to see a Kindle in a store in person before purchasing it.

Amazon is an e-tailer (a company that sells products to the public through the internet). The Kindle is their own device. An analysis by an outside group suggested that the parts for the Kindle 2 cost something like $180. A parts cost of 50% is not unusual in electronics. There are a lot of other costs involved, especially in a novel product that provides a service like the Kindle. For example, questions about the Whispernet (the wireless connection to the internet) are answered by Amazon Customer Service, which costs money.

It's likely that Amazon is not making a large profit at this time on the Kindle devices.

If the Kindle were to be made available in stores, the store would also have to make a profit on selling it. While some costs would be reduced for Amazon, many of them would be consistent. It would also probably be a change in Amazon's typical shipping methods (having to send many to one place), which could have an impact.

Fortunately, you can return the Kindle within thirty days, which does give you an opportunity to test it before buying it. Here are the product pages:

Kindle 1 (no longer sold new directly from Amazon),
Kindle 2
Kindle DX

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum

Q. What do I do if my Kindle is lost or stolen?
Unfortunately, I have heard of cases of Kindles being lost or stolen. In some cases, I've seen good stories of them being returned. In other cases, that may not happen.

My advice is to treat your Kindle like your wallet. If I wouldn't leave my wallet out somewhere, I don't leave my Kindle. If you have a case, many of them have pockets for a business card or a note. I'd recommend that you put something there with a phone number and an e-mail address (especially if you have a device that can get that e-mail on the road).

Some people create a label to put on the Kindle itself.

Electronically, you can put your personal info on the Kindle as well. From the homescreen, click Menu-Settings-Personal info.

These may work well if you leave the device, for example, in your office or at a friend's house.

However, if you do believe the Kindle may have fallen into the wrong hands, I would deregister it right away. You can do that at

http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

The reason is that you have a responsibility to mitigate (reduce) your losses on your credit card. Your Kindle is tied to your credit card, and people can run up a large bill quickly. There are actually books in the Kindle store that cost more than $5,000. If you are unaware that your credit card has been stolen, the charges will usually be reversed by your credit card company. However, once you believe your credit card has been stolen, you have a responsibility to report it. You could be held responsible for the charges if you don't take reasonable steps to prevent them.
Amazon says:

"If your Kindle is lost or transferred to another user, you should deregister your Kindle from your account."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200322700&#k2register

You may be concerned about deregistering your device, because you think it is easier to identify someone else as an unauthorized user. However, the Kindle can be deregistered from the Kindle itself, so you aren't stopping anything by leaving it registered. What happens if you deregister the device and then it is returned to you? If nothing has been done to it, your books, personal documents, and subscriptions will still be on the device. If someone deliberately removed things from the device, you would still have access to the books you bought from the Kindle store through the archives. Other files would be lost, if you haven't backed them up. I'd always recommending backing things up.

People have asked if Amazon will tell you if someone tries to register a device which you have deregistered and/or told Amazon it was stolen.

My understanding is that Amazon does not do that, and it make sense. A person could sell a Kindle and then report it as stolen. What would happen if Amazon gave someone personal information, and the person who lost the Kindle tracked down the supposed thief? There could be liability involved. Of course there is also a good possiblity that the person who registered would not have involved in or known about the theft, having bought the Kindle online (through EBay or Craig's List, for example).

If you report it stolen to a law enforcement agency, I assume Amazon does cooperate with them...if asked. My guess is that many law enforcement agencies may not have the resources to put a lot of time and effort into what would be typically seen as petty theft.

One other possiblity: you may want to check with your insurance company to see if the theft is covered in some way (homeowner's or renter's insurance, for example). It would depend on your deductible, most likely, if it was worth doing.
Q. Can I get e-mail on my Kindle?
It's possible, but its going to be more difficult than on a computer. I've heard of people having the most success with

Gmail

the free e-mail service from Google.

If possible, you'll want to use a mobile friendly version of the e-mail. These sites are less image-intensive and more easily managed on a mobile device, like a cell phone or a Kindle. The link above is to the mobile version of Gmail. You may find it necessary to adjust the settings in the Kindle browser. While in browser mode, hit Menu-Settings. In particular, you may find disabling images and using Advanced Mode useful. You will be typing on the Kindle keyboard if you choose to send a message.

Maintenance Questions

Q. How do I organize the books on my Kindle (or why aren't there folders?)
While the number is very approximate, you can have quite a few books on your Kindle.

Kindle 1 = 200 (about 180MB for the user)
Kindle 2 = 1500 (about 1.4GB for the user)
Kindle DX = 3500 (about 3.3GB for the user)

The actual number of books will vary: if a book has images, for example, it would take up a lot more memory than a simple text file (which is just words). Other files, such as music, can also take
up quite a bit of memory.

When you look for a file in a computer, you usually use a "folder" (directory) system. You can have "sub-folders": if you had books on a computer, they could be inside an Agatha Christie folder, which was inside a mysteries folder, which was inside a fiction folder.

The Kindles currently can not show you folders you create on the homescreen. Kindles do come with some organization: for example, you can look at listings for just personal documents (on the K2 and the Kindle DX), just books (which include personal documents on the K1), just subscriptions(newspapers, magazines, and blogs), or all of them.

They do allow for some sorting. Sorting changes the order in which you see the titles, but does not hide anything. You can sort by title, author, or most recent. All of these sorts are imperfect: the
author and title are determined by "metadata" (information stored inside the book). Some books list the authors by first name first, some by last name first. You can not change these through the
Kindle or on your computer (without third party software). If the clock is wrong (which can happen when you are outside the wireless area), your most recent sort can be incorrect.

To sort:

K1: Select the Show and Sort menu at the top of the homescreen

K2 and Kindle DX: On the homescreen, flick your 5-way up, and then left for filter (to choose which category to display) or flick right to change the sort.

You can also jump through the homescreen pages, which can help. On the Kindle 2, you can see the number of pages (and what page you are currently viewing) on your bottom left corner of the screen. Type a page number to which you want to go, and click your 5-way. You'll jump to that page. That can be especially helpful to get to the last page, which stores links to your archived items and the periodical back issues.

If you are sorted by title or author, you can also type the first letter to which you want to jump (while you are on the homescreen), and click the 5-way. That will jump you to the beginning of that letter (although it may show you a few earlier titles...if you do "S", you may seem some "R" titles or authors, for example).

The best thing may be to move the books off your Kindle that you aren't currently planning to read. The more books there are on your Kindle, the more difficult it is going to be to find things. For books bought from Amazon, they store them for you and you can download them again (even wirelessly, when you are in range) when you want them. Think of the Kindle as the backpack you use when you go out (although a really, really big backpack) and the
Amazon archives as your library. For books from other sources, you'll want to back those up yourself on your computer.

FOLDERS

You can create folders on your Kindle, but you will not see them there. You will only be able to see them when your Kindle is connected to a computer. Books in the folders will show on your Kindle (providing the folders are inside the documents folder), but you won't see the folder names. You won't be able to move the books from one folder to another on the Kindle.

You would connect your Kindle to your computer using your included USB cord.

1. Connect the big end of the USB cord that came with your Kindle to the computer, with the diagram side (the "Vulcan fork") facing up

2. Connect the small end of the USB cord to your Kindle, again, Vulan fork side up. Your Kindle should go into "USB mode". It will show the Vulcan fork on the Kindle screen

3. Go into your Windows Explorer on your computer (These instructions assume you are using a PC, not a Mac). You can use the Windows button (four wavy squares next to your alt key next to your spacebar usually) + E. If you don't see that key (it's possible you don't have it), you can right-click on the Start menu and choose Explore

4. You should see your Kindle as a "drive" (it normally says Kindle)

5. Click the "plus box" next to the Kindle. You should see a documents folder

6.Click the documents folder. You'll see the books on your Kindle.

NOTE: After you open a book on your Kindle, there are two files. There is the book itself (if it came from Amazon, it will have an extension of .azw, .azw1, or .tpz: if it came from somewhere else, it might have .mobi, .txt, .prc, and so on). The second file contains the "associated information", like bookmarks and clippings. Those files will have a .mbp or .tan (for .azw1 or .tpz files) extension. If you don't move both of them, you won't have your notes, bookmarks, and so on).

7. Right-click inside the documents folder (on the right side of your screen) to create a new folder. Name this whatever you like. It will only show through your computer, not on your Kindle

8. Move the books you want to move into that folder. You can create additional folders inside these folders. You can have different folders for different genres or other groupings.

6. "Safely remove" your Kindle. In the bottom right corner of your computer screen (near the clock), you will typically see a grey rectangle with a green arrow. You might need to click a right facing chevron (like an arrowhead without the stick) to see it. You may see a choice for a USB storage device. After you click on that one, it should show you a choice for the Kindle. If it tells you the Kindle can not be stopped at this time, don't disconnect it. If it won't let you safely remove, you can shut down the computer. When the Kindle shows you the regular screen, it is safe to disconnect.

7. Your Kindle should come out of USB mode (and show you a normal screen). If it's a K2 or a KDX, it will be charging

8. You will not see the folders in your homescreen, but you will see the titles

9. Disconnect the small end of the USB cord from your Kindle

10. Disconnect the large end of the USB cord from your computer

NOTE: If you create a folder outside of the documents folder (in the Kindle's "root" directory), and put the books there, you won't see the titles in the homescreen. This could be convenient for people outside the Whispernet: it would reduce the titles in the homescreen, but they could still get them (by using the USB cord) without the Whispernet. They would still be using the Kindle's memory.

TAGGING

An alternative to using folders is to use "tags", and some people prefer that method.

Instead of finding a book by its location, you "tag" it with an identifying label, and then search for that label.

1. You put a note into the book. You do this with Menu-Add note or highlight

2. Then, you just type your tag. It is recommended that you use something unique ("kfantasy" instead of fantasy, "kmystery" instead of mystery, and so on). The reason for the unique part is so that it doesn't find all references to the word "mystery" when you search

3. You can have multiple tags in one book, as many as you want. They can be whatever you want: "kcool", "kreference", "k1920s", and so on

4. From the homescreen, just type your tag (in the K2...in the K1, you need to hit the search button first)

You'll get a nice clickable list.

Caveats

* It can take a little while to index, so it may not work immediately

* It does not work with Topaz books, the rarer of the two formats used by Amazon in the Kindle store. Those books are identified with the extension of .azw1 or .tpz (depending on how you put them on the Kindle...the former is by Whispernet, the latter is by USB), which you can see when your Kindle is connected to your computer. Topaz books have an associated information file of .tan, rather than .mbp, and those are currently not searchable. Amazon has said they are working on it

* It will not work with unconverted .pdfs on the Kindle DX, since you can not put notes in those

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum

Q. How do I set my clock?
Your Kindle gets its time from the network, just like a cellphone. If you can connect to the Whispernet (the Kindle's wireless internet connection), your Kindle will set itself. If you can not connect wirelessly, your Kindle's clock may get out of sync. This can affect the order of the books in your homescreen, if you are sorting by "Most recent".

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum (combines there with "How do I see what time it is?")
Q. How do I move my books from my old Kindle to my new one?
When you buy a book from the Kindle store, it is "keyed" to one specific device (Kindle, iPhone, or iPod Touch). The design is that it can't be read on another device. If you already have a Kindle, what happens to the books you bought for it when you get a new Kindle?

You'll be able to transfer the books you bought from the Kindle store, even if your old Kindle is inoperable. You can typically have the same book on up to six devices on the same account for one purchase price, and you can make those downloads at any time. While the specific number of "licenses" is up to the publisher, six (for a book) is typical.

Here is how it works:

1. You buy a book from the Kindle store. If you have more than one Kindle, you specify for which Kindle it is intended. If you are within Whispernet range (the Kindle's wireless internet connection), and you have the Whispernet active, it should show up on the Kindle automatically. You can force the Kindle to check for it. On the homescreen, hit Menu, and Sync & Check for Items. If you are not in Whispernet range, see the Frequently Asked Kindle Questions link at the bottom of this page

2. The book is also stored in your archives at Amazon. Your archives are available to you from your Kindle, and from the Amazon site

* From your Kindle's homescreen, go to the last page. You can see how many pages there are. Type the number of the last page and click your 5-way (on the Kindle 2) to jump there. You'll see an Archived items link. If you are connected to the Whispernet, you can click that and choose a book to be sent to the current device from Amazon's archive

* From your computer, go to

http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

You'll see all your orders there. You'll be able to choose a device to which to send individual books

You will have to send the books one at a time.

3. You buy a new Kindle. It has the same access as described above. You can put books on it from the archives (even though they were bought for a different Kindle and before you had this one). You could do this (typically) on up to six devices

Why don't they show up automatically on the new Kindle? The new Kindle may not have been bought for the same person, and the new person may not have the same tastes. It also makes sense to keep them in the archives unless you need to have them handy: less to search through on the Kindle.

Unless you turn off the Whispersync feature (which you can do at the bottom of the Manage Your Kindle page), your books will open on the new Kindle on the furthest page read on the old Kindle. This is reportedly not 100% reliable. On the old Kindle, go to home when you are done reading, and then Sync & Check for Items. On the new Kindle, Sync & Check for Items, and then open the books.

NOTE: Transferring does not work for subscriptions (magazines, newspapers, and blogs). You only get a license for one device with those. On that Manage Your Kindle page, you will be able to tell future issues to go to a new device. However, your old issues can not be transferred. If possible, read those before you switch to a different Kindle.

NOTE: If you did not buy the book from the Kindle store, it is not stored in your Amazon archives. You will have to back those up and transfer them yourself, using the included USB cord. You'll put them from one Kindle onto your computer and then into the second Kindle's documents folder. This will work if the files do not have Digital Rights Management which restricts it.

NOTE: If you had a personal document converted by Amazon to the .azw format, it will work on the new device. The conversion does not restrict it to a single device. Transfer it as if it was a book you did not buy from Amazon: it will not be in your archives.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle Forum
Q. How do I archive my books?
When you buy a book from the Amazon Kindle store, Amazon automatically keeps a copy for you in your archives. This allows you to download it again later. While you can keep a copy on your Kindle, it isn't necessary. You may want to make a copy for yourself, but remember that it will only work on that specific Kindle. It will not work if you put it on another Kindle. If you go to:

http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

Scroll down, and you'll see Your Orders. From there, you can have the book sent to your computer.

When a book is on your Kindle 2 or Kindle DX, you can archive it easily and retrieve it from your archives easily. To archive it, go to your homescreen. Select the book, and flick left. You'll be asked if you want to remove it from the device. NOTE: If it is not an Amazon Kindle book, you'll be told you are deleting it, which is very different. When you remove it from the device, it will show up in your Archived Items in your homescreen. It will be on the last page of your homescreen. Take a look at the number of pages on the homescreen (you'll see it in your bottom left). You can type in the number of pages, then click your 5-way, and you'll be taken to that last page. Click on Archived Items, and assuming you have the Whispernet active, you'll be able to click on the title and it will be back on your Kindle quickly. I've demonstrated the entire cycle (get something from the archives and return it) in under a minute.

On the Kindle 1, it's a little bit trickier. From the homescreen, hit Menu and select Content Manager. Your items will be labeled as being on the Kindle, being on Amazon (the archives), or being on an SD card (if you have one in the Kindle). Use your scroll wheel to click the items you want to move to the archives. When you have them selected (you'll see checked boxes), scroll back down to the menu and click. You'll see options, such as moving it to SD memory or to Kindle memory. Repeat the steps to move things from the archives back on to the Kindle.
Q. How do you change the "screensaver"?
When the Kindle goes into "sleep mode" (whether you let it time out, or you manually put it there), it displays an image. Those images, which contain many of authors, rotate: each time it goes to sleep, you'll see a different one than the last time. These are technically not "screensavers". A screensaver on a computer moves, originally created to prevent "burn-in" from a static image. E-ink, the technology used in Kindle displays, is not at risk from burn in. It is taking no energy for the e-ink to maintain the image displayed on it, so I believe continued display is not worse than a brief display.

On the Kindle 1, then is a method, unsupported by Amazon, but which does not require modifying the system.

KINDLE 1:

1. Connect your Kindle to your computer using the USB cord
2. On your Kindle's drive, you will see three existing folders (Audible, documents, and music)
3. Create new folder called pictures
4. Create another folder inside that folder and name it what you want ("MyPix", for example)
5. Put the picture you want to use for your sleep mode picture in that folder. The picture must be a .jpg, .png, or .gif...a .bmp will not work
6. Disconnect your Kindle
7. Go to home on your Kindle
8. Type Alt+Z
9. Your pictures folder should now appear as an entry, like a book
10. Open the book
11. Type Alt+Shift+0 (zero). The picture should now be your only sleep mode picture

For the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX, this method does not work. In those cases, individuals have created modifications to the system which will allow you to load your own pictures. However, the Amazon Terms of Service specifically says:

You may not, and you will not encourage, assist or authorize any other person to, modify, reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Device or the Software...
-- http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200144530&qid=1245620804&sr=1-2

People using it have reported being unable to install updates from Amazon until it is removed (and then they put it back on afterwards). While people have been told that having the screensaver hack on the K2 or KDX does not void the warranty, it does seem to violate the Terms of Use.
Q. How fragile is a Kindle?
There is a lot of debate about this. Amazon has a drop test, and I've personally dropped mine a couple of feet with no damage. However, some users have reported damage from what seem like relatively minor drops. It seems to matter a great deal how it hits: on the edge versus flat, for example. I strongly recommend that you get a cover, that seems to help. In any case, I would treat it somewhat carefully, which I always did with books as well. The biggest difference in the way I treat the Kindle from the way I treated a p-book (paperbook) is that I don't put things on top of the Kindle.

Trouble-shooting Questions

Q. My Kindle's not working: what do I do?
Generally, Kindles do what they are supposed to do, and many people use them over long periods with no problem.

Like any other electronic device, though, you may encounter times when you have a problem.

The first thing is to assess the severity of the problem. If you encounter the extraordinary case where the Kindle is clearly physically damaged to the point where it will be inoperable or there internal parts are exposed, you may want to go directly to the step of contacting Customer Service.

You can contact them starting here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200212360

and by phone here:

Inside the United States: 1-866-321-8851;
Outside the United States: 1-206-266-0927

Customer Service is available from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM Pacific time.

---

If you don't see catastrophic damage, you can try restarting your device. Just like a computer, your Kindle does a lot of processing. Again, just like a computer, it can get stuck while trying to complete a task. This can effect the appearance of the page, the ability of the Kindle to get to a website, and so on.

To restart the computer:

KINDLE 1:

NOTE: If you have an SD card installed, it could be the source of the problem. Turn the Kindle off, if possible, and remove the card before the next steps.

1. Plug the Kindle into a wall power outlet

2. You can try Alt+Shift+R (Shift is the up arrow). If that doesn't work, proceed to step 3

3. Remove the grey backing...it will just slide off

4 There is a small hole on the left side of the back...roughly under the Whispernet button, but much further down

5. You'll need a paperclip or similar thin sturdy object. Stick the paperclip in the hole

6. It may take a few minutes, but your Kindle should restart. You'll probably slowly see the "scroll line" fill up, like a thermometer

KINDLE 2 or KINDLE DX

1. Disconnect it from any power sources (wall power outlet or USB cord)

2. With the Kindle facing you the way you would read it, hold the power switch on the top of the Kindle to your right for a full fifteen seconds

3. Give your Kindle a full minute to restart itself

4. After it completes the restart, you may want to plug it back in and give it a full recharge (the light will turn green when it is done)

NOTE: The Kindle 1 should be plugged into a power outlet when restarting, the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX should be disconnected.

---

After your Kindle restarts, your archived item count and your clock could possibly be out of sync (which can affect your sort). Turn the Whispernet on, wait for a minute for it to connect, and from the Homescreen, do Menu-Sync & Check for Items. That should resolve the issue.

---

If restarting your Kindle does not restore it to normal operation, contact Customer Service as above.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum

Q. Why isn't my Experimental page working?The Experimental page (Home-Menu-Experimental) is a list of features currently deemed "experimental" by Amazon. What may confuse you is that you can not access all the features on this screen. Basic Web should work for everybody. The MP3 choice will only be active if you have put an MP3 into the music folder of the Kindle. The text-to-speech can not be accessed from this screen. There is nothing wrong if you can not select anything except Basic Web, unless you believe you have MP3s in the music folder.

Questions about Content

Q. Are there textbooks for the Kindle?
There are thousands of textbooks in the Kindle store now. You'll want to search for your particular titles. By the fall term of 2009, I am expecting many more. When Amazon announced the more textbook-friendly Kindle DX, it also announced an arrangement with Riley, Cengage,and Pearson, who reportedly represent 60% of the US textbook market.

This search, which I did using Jungle-Search.com (a site I highly recommend), will show you the textbooks in the Kindle store which are not in the public domain:

Textbook search

Read this answer and the responses in the Kindle forum
Q. How do you put Kindle books on a wish list?
Amazon gives its customers the ability to create wish lists. These can be created in the Your Account area at Amazon.com, under Personalization.

You can have multiple gift lists, and you can make them public (so anyone can see them) or private .

You put items (books, DVDs, and so on) on to the list. Items can then be purchased directly from the list.

Generally, people put items on the list by clicking on an Add to Wish List button when they see an item they want in the Amazon on-line store.

When you see a book in the Kindle store, that button is not displayed. There are two answers to putting the Kindle book on a wish list.

If the book has customer reviews, you can scroll down to the link that says, "See all X customer reviews..." When you click that link, you'll find the hidden Add to Wish List button on the right of your screen.

However, not all Kindle books have been reviewed. In that case, you can use the Universal Wish List button. This is an Amazon feature that allows you to add Kindle books, other items from Amazon, and even items from other sites.

You can get the button here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/wishlist/get-button/ref=cm_wl_uwlt

You can find it on the Amazon site by searching for Universal Wish List.

What you'll be doing is adding a favorite to your Internet Explorer favorites. When you are on a page (a Kindle book or an item from another store), you select that favorite. It will let you add that item to your regular Amazon wish list.

NOTE: You have only added that button to the computer you are using at the time. You'll have to add it to each computer on which you want to have it available. You'll still be adding things to your Amazon list, regardless of which computer you are using.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle store
Q. How do I buy someone a Kindle book as a gift?
A Kindle book is purchased for a specific device, and buying it requires access to the account. Generally, someone who is not on the account can't buy a Kindle book and have it delivered directly to a Kindle. You can buy someone an Amazon gift certificate (including for odd amounts, like $9.99, a common price for a Kindle store book). You then give the recipient the Amazon gift certificate, and the recipient applies it to the account through the Your Account page at Amazon. It's easy for them to do. Kindle books are bought using "1-click", and 1-click will draw from a gift certificate/gift card balance before drawing from the credit card linked to the account. You could certainly make a suggestion to the person as to which book to get. You could give some representation, like a picture of the suggestion. The recipient can have the book very quickly and easily after opening your present.

If someone else has access to the account (typically, a family member), you could have them buy the book for the recipient. The helper should wait until the gift-giving occasion to do it, so it shows up on the Kindle at the right time.

I've also heard that, if the Kindle book is on someone's gift list (see above), and someone tries to buy it asks for the Kindle's serial number. The serial number is on the back of the Kindle in quite small type. If enterering it enables the purchases (and I don't know if that is true at this point), you could give friends and family the serial number.
Q. Where can I get free books?
The Kindle store itself has thousands of free books. You can use these two searches:

http://tinyurl.com/FreeKindleStoreBooks

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?node=154606011&keywords=-domain&p_15=-domain&p_36=0-0

The second link will exclude books in the public domain. If a book is in the public domain, that means it is not under copyright protection. Typically these will be older books, commonly first published in the US before 1923.

You can also get free books you can read on your Kindle from many other sources, including

* http://www.FeedBooks.com

* http://www.manybooks.net

* http://www.Gutenberg.org

If a Kindle version isn't shown, choose an unprotected. mobi file, or a .txt file (the last one of which won't have much formatting).

This thread at the Amazon Kindle forum will give you more information:

http://www.amazon.com/Million-Kindle-book s-availablenow/forum/FxBVKST06PWP9B/Tx15U AKRX5252A/1_encoding=UTF8&asin=B000FI73MA

For more detail and convenience, you may want to consider my bestselling book:

Free Books for Your Kindle

One interesting new site is

http://www.pejome.com

This new approach adds formatting to the books from Gutenberg.org, and can be accessed directly from your Kindle.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Can I read my Kindle books on my computer?
Books bought from the Kindle store are limited to individual devices, which must be a Kindle, an iPhone, or an iPod Touch. The books have DRM (Digital Rights Management) which limits where they can be used. It is possible that Amazon will license their use on computers in the future.

NOTE: You can put Kindle books on your computer, for example, as a back-up or when downloading from your Amazon archives. However, you can not open and read them on the computer.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Why are there so many versions of the same book? How do I know which one to pick?
It's not unusual to see several different versions of the same book in the Kindle store, often at a wide range of prices (from zero on up). Why does it happen, and how can you pick one?

These books are typically in the public domain. They are titles not protected by copyright, most commonly because they were first published in the USA before 1923.

Anyone can publish those books: they belong to the public. Even if one hundred versions of Romeo and Juliet exist, someone can publish another one without getting the permission of the earlier publishers.

This is not just true for e-books. If you check in the p-book (paperbook) part of Amazon, you'll find many classics which have hundred of versions. While it is easier to publish an e-book than a p-book, that hasn't stopped the proliferation in either format.

How do you pick one version over another? Are they all the same?

No, they aren't all the same. Formatting is an important issue, as is proof-reading. Some publishers are careful about these: a hobbyist may not be, although some are more thorough than some tradpubs (traditional publishers). Some versions will have added value: introductions, notes, illustrations, and so on. There are also e-book specific features: interactive Tables of Contents and endnotes, for example. Random House and its subsidiaries block the text-to-speech access, which is important to many people (including some of the disabled).

The best bet (if you are in Whispernet range) is to get a sample of a couple of different versions and see which one you like best. Once you find a publisher you like, you can go to them first for other books. The quality among books from the same publisher is more likely to be consistent.

Many people like the MobileReference editions. These tend to be well-formatted, inexpensive versions, often compilations of several works by the same author. For example, you can get all fourteen original Wizard of Oz books (with an author biography) for ninety-nine cents (at time of writing).

Penguin also has a good reputation.

Free books are also available for sources other than Amazon. Project Gutenberg is the grandparent of all free e-book sites, and many sites have reformatted versions of their books. The PG books tend to be fairly plain. FeedBooks.com, ManyBooks.Net, and Pejome.com are three sources.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. If I bought a paper book, do I have to pay for the Kindle version?
Yes. It's similar to having bought an LP, and then having to buy a CD. When you buy a p-book (paperbook), you aren't buying the content. You don't control the rights for what the author wrote. The publisher of the paperbook may not even be the publisher of the e-book. If a publisher does own both the p-book and the e-book rights, they could choose to package them together, but that's up to the publishers.
Q. Can you share a newspaper subscription on two Kindles?
Newspaper (and other subscriptions) from the Kindle store are keyed for a single Kindle, and can not be shared. The Kindle itself could be shared, or you could pay for more than one subscription.

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum
Q. Why doesn't Amazon rent Kindle books?
It might seem to make sense, that Amazon could offer a discounted price for a book that you could only have for a short time. In a sense, like Netflix : instead of paying $9.99 to own a book, someone could pay, say, $2 to have the book for a week. After that time, it would disappear from the Kindle and from the archives.

There are a couple of major challenges to this idea. When Netflix rents a DVD, it paid for that DVD once. It makes up the cost for the DVD by renting the same disc several times. When Amazon sells an e-book, it presumably pays the publisher for the book every time. Netflix could pay $10 for a DVD, and rent it at $2 a time for 6 times and make a profit (not counting their other costs). If Amazon was paying $5 for an e-book, they pay that for each transaction.

The publishers could hypothetically change Amazon a different amount for a rental. This would require a very different technical set-up than exists now. Currently, when you download a book to your Kindle, it's on the Kindle. Even if you deregister that Kindle, it doesn't get removed my Amazon. It could certainly be possible to put code into the file that would prevent it from being read after a certain date, but that date would have to be calculated each time it was sold (which is also possible). When the file expired, it would probably still be on your Kindle anyway, taking up memory, unless you deleted it.

Many people also only read a book once. While some people might be willing to pay more for a "permanent" copy, renting would presumably reduce sales.
Q. Why doesn't Amazon offer a flat monthly fee for Kindle books?
Audbile.com offers audiobook buyers a flat fee of $22.95 for two audiobooks a month. They offer $229.50 for a year, which gets you 24 "credits" (usually a credit is an audiobook, although some audiobooks need more than one credit). That comes out to $9.56 a credit...considerably cheaper than individual prices that can certainly be more than $20. Why is Audible relevant to the Kindle store? Amazon owns both. People are also familiar with Netflix, which has "unlimited" rentals of DVDs for a flat fee, although you are limited to how many you can have at a time (different prices let you have different numbers at a time). There are people who have expressed a desire for a similar flat rate for Kindle books.

The model is quite different with an audiobook or an e-book. Some people can read e-books very quickly, certainly twenty in a month. With an audiobook, if it's 16 hours, it's 16 hours. Obviously, the amount of time you listen in a day may vary, but it seems unlikely that you have very many of the super-consumers that you have of e-books.

Also, I believe the price would have to be much higher per month than Audible. Let's say that the average person reads a book a week (I suspect the average is higher). I believe that Amazon is losing money, typically, on the $9.99 books. If that is true, let's set the price at $12.50. That would be $50 a month to hit the average, and some people would get many times the four books a month.

Jeff Bezos has addressed the question of offering the Kindle at a discounted price in exchange for a commitment to buy a certain number of e-books. He hasn't ruled this out, but he does want to separate the Kindle from the e-books in terms of sales. He has stated a desire to increase the formats the Kindle can read, to tie it less to the Kindle store. He'd also like to expand the number of devices on which Kindle books can be read (currently, Kindles, iPhones and iPod touches). While a model where a Kindle buyer might pay much less for the device with a commitment to the store seems possible, it would shrink the separation in public perception.
Q. Why isn't my favorite book available for the Kindle? Why don't they have all the books in a series?
One of Amazon's repeated statements about the Kindle is the goal of having

Every book ever published in any language in under sixty seconds
While books are being converted incredibly quickly (more than 300,000 in the first couple of years...see the graph at http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/4987/kindlebooksn.jpg ), there are many famous books that are not yet available for the Kindle. Why is this?

The first thing is understanding how a book gets "digitized".

When an author creates a work in the United States, they are given certain rights under copyright law. One of those rights is the ability to turn it into an e-book. When an author negotiates with a publisher to get the book published, they can sell those rights to the publisher. The publisher then becomes the rightsholder .

Amazon can not turn a book still under copyright protection into an e-book without permission, and they aren't a publisher anyway. It is up to the rightsholder, which will commonly be the publisher of the paper edition, but could be the author, a translator, the author's heirs, and so on.

Some books are not under copyright protection in the US. These books are said to be in the public domain . That means that they belong to the public, and anyone can publish them without getting permission.

Here is the current typical process for the United States:

1. An author creates a work and is automatically given copyright protection. The author may register the work with the Copyright Office, but that isn't strictly necessary

2. The author sells rights to the publisher. If those rights include e-book rights, the publisher can decide to put out a Kindle compatible edition

3. The publisher sends a file to Amazon, which then puts it in the Kindle store

Books published prior to 1923 in the United States are in the public domain in the United States. Well-known books from that period have pretty good chance of being available, since no negotiation with an author has to be made. They could be converted by hobbyists, or by someone hoping to sell a few copies. Other books may be in the public domain for a variety of reasons. I recommend the site

http://www.publicdomainsherpa.com

for more information. They even have a cool calculator where you can put in some information about a book, and it will tell you when the book is likely to be in the public domain. They aren't searching copyright records, so they can't be considered a legal authority, but can see when the date would be in a best-case (for the rightsholder) scenario.

From about 2005 forward, e-book rights were commonly negotiated along with p- book (paperbook rights). A book published from 2005 to the present is more likely to have a Kindle book edition than one published before that (but after 1922). This creates a "well curve", which is sort of an upside-down bell curve: starts at one level, slopes down, slopes back up to the first level. In this case, a lot of early books, a lot of recent books, but not as many in the 1923-2004 period. I refer to that period as "The Well".

If a book is in The Well, how does it get converted?

Let's say a book was published in 1980. The author sold the p-book rights to a publisher, but no e-books were negotiated. It's 2009, and the publisher is getting requests for the book in e-book form. They go back to the author to try and get permission. The author may simply sell those rights, or may want to bargain for them. They could start a bidding war with different publishers, if it's a popular book. Alternatively, the author may simply choose to publish the book without a publisher. Independents (indies) can use the Digital Text Platform at Amazon, and pretty simply put up a book (after it is properly formatted). They do not then get the proof-readers, formatters, and marketing department of a publisher, but they may feel they don't need it.

A series may have been published by different publishers. The rights may belong to different entities, including the author. A publisher may also believe that an e-book could cut into the p-book sales. If they have a large stock of a particular title in p-book, they may wait for that to dwindle before doing the e-book.

In a very few cases, authors refuse to sell the e-book rights. The most famous example is J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books.
Q. How can I get them to make a book available for the Kindle?
Whether the book is made available for the Kindle or not is not up to Amazon. It's up to the rightsholder, who may be the publisher or may be the author (or the author's heirs), typically.

Amazon lets you click a link on the paperbook's product page. They hypothetically send counts of those clicks to the publisher.

However, an e-mail can have quite an impact. The American Association of Publishers maintains a list of its members here:

http://www.publishers.org/main/Membership/member_02.htm

You can click on a member there and be taking to the member's website. From there, look for a link that says Contact.

The rights may also belong to the author. Search for that author's website, and look for contact there.

http://www.wikipedia.org

often has a link to the author's website at the bottom of the page, under External links.

Amazon Forum Questions

Q. How do I search the Amazon forum?


It's possible that a question you are about to ask has already been asked and answered in the forum, and you may want to check before you ask again. How you can you tell if an answer is already available?

Amazon does not provide a search for topics in this forum (although there is a search in their official support area).

There is a third party (non-Amazon) site that searches the forum.

http://kindle2rules.com/amazon-kindle-forum-search/

Enter your search terms there. The results (powered by Google) will open in another window.

It won't find everything. It may not find something that was added in the last 24 hours. Amazon only keeps the last 1023 threads to which things have been posted visible in the forum, and older ones are not searchable. However, if you bookmark a thread, you can get back to it even after it falls off the "most recent" list.

I've used it myself successfully, and I know others have as well

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum

Q. What does it mean when somebody on the forum says.... ?
AFAIK (contributed by Woody)
As Far As I Know

AmaZombie (coined by J. Seidel on this forum. An edited version of J.'s definition is shown)
Originally an ardent devotee of Kindle discussion groups. Now includes devotion to all things Kindle: books, periodicals, blogs, skins, covers, hacks, etc. A group of well-read, articulate (most of the time) people

Amazon
Amazon.com is an on-line retailer

audiobook (also audio book)
A recording of an oral presentation of a book

Authors Guild (also "the Guild", sometimes AG)
An organization that advocates for writers

BBQ (contributed by Mark)
attached to acronyms for more comic effect. ie WTFHAXBBQ

BCNU (contributed by Woody)
Be seein' you

Bezos
Jeff Bezos, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Amazon

Blog (weB Log)

An online journal

BOB
1. Best of Breed
2. Battery Operated Book (contributed by Wendy Scofield)

BRB (contributed by Lynn Odell)
Be right back

Brick
An electronic device which has lost its function: it as inert as a brick. More rarely, a verb for the process that deactivates the device

BRT (contributed by D. Casey)
Be Right There

BTW (also btw) (contributed by Tagbert)
By the way...an aside to the main topic of a post

bump
A way to move a discussion to the top of the "recently modified" list (internet forum slang)

Chaffee amendment
A 1996 change to copyright law that allowed "authorized entities" to create specialized versions of books for the disabled without getting clearance from rightsholders first

CS
Customer Service

C'ya (also CYA) (contributed by Esmerelda Luv)
See ya (internet slang)

CYA
1. see C'ya
2. Protect yourself (cover your...)

DAP
Dead Author Pictures, the sleep mode images on the Kindle

DCed (contributed by Lynn Odell)
1. Disconnected
2. Discontinued
3. Discharged

DMCA
The Digital Millenium Copyright Act, which updated previous copyright law

DP
Double Post (typically, an accidental duplication)

DRM (digital rights management)
Software encoded into digital media to control its use

DTB
Dead Tree Book, an alternative term for a paperbook

DTP
Digital Text Platform, Amazon's self-publishing service for the Kindle

DX
The Kindle DX, the third model introduced

e-book (also ebook)
A digital version of a book that displays text

ETA (contributed by Debi C)
Edited To Add

EULA (End User License Agreement)
Typically used with software, terms to which a user agrees (typically by clicking OK) before using a product

e-book or ebook reader
A device to display ebooks

F
A letter added to an initialism to add emphasis. RTM (Read the Manual) becomes RTFM (Read the "F"ing Manual)

FIGMO (contributed by Woody)
Eff-it I Got My Orders

FM transmitter
A device for broadcasting audio a short distance, such as from a Kindle in a car to the car radio

FTW: For the win (contributed by Lynn Odell)
(Usage Example: "Kindle FTW" in a thread about different types of e-book readers)

FWIW
For What It's Worth

FUBAR (contibuted by Lulu)
Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition (originally military slang)

FUBB (contributed by Woody)
Fouled Up Beyond Belief

FUD
1. "F"-ed Up Disinformation
2. (contributed by Tagbert): FUD usually means "Fear, Uncertainty, & Doubt". It is the effect of sowing misinformation or exaggerated information to cause doubt about a competitor or to erode support for an opposing view or faction

GR8 (contributed by Ms. Neverinamillion)
Great

HW (also H/W)
Hardware

Hack (noun and verb)
To get into a program in a manner unintended by the interface, often with the intent to change it

Hacker
One who hacks

HAX (contributed by Mark)
hack. ie. How come you can change your Kindle font? hax!!

HB
Hardback

HC
Hardcover

ILMK (also ILMK!)
I Love My Kindle

IMHO (contributed by Lynn Odell)
In my humble opinion (internet slang); also IMO (In My Opinion) and IMNSHO (In My Not So Humble Opinion)

IMO (see IMHO)

IP
Internet Provider

IRT (also irt)
In Regards To

ISP
Internet Service Provider

Jill (also "Jill")
A possible female voice of the Kindle 2's text-to-speech

JK
Just kidding

KDX
The Kindle DX

Kindle (also K1 for the first version, K2 for the second)
an e-book reader from Amazon

KK
1. Kindling Kowboy, a frequent poster on the forums
2. Klassic Kindle (K1)

Knewbie (coined by SerenityFL?)
A new user of the Kindle or a new member of the Kindle forum

Liveblog (also Live blog)

Internet text reporting of a live event as it happens

LMAO (contributed by Lynn Odell)
Laughing my *ahem* behind off (internet slang)

Logging (contributed by Lynn Odell)
Getting on or off line or on/off the forum

LOL
Laughing Out Loud

lurker
Someone who is reading the posts, but not posting themselves

m-edge (also medge)
Manufacturer of cases for the Kindle

mobi
An internet domain optimized for use on mobile devices like cell phones: a format of e-book designed for mobile devices

NPRH (Not Part of Random House)
It indicates a book is not published by a diviision of Random House, and so not subject to a boycott against that company

Nuance
The software company that makes the text-to-speech used by the Kindle

Oberon
Oberon Design, a manufacturer of covers for the Kindle

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
Software that attempts to convert an image of letters into digital text

OK
Original Kindle (K1)

OMFG (see OMG)

OMG
Oh my g*d; oh my gosh

OMGIF (contributed by Spad)
Oh My Gosh, I'm Effed

OMW (contributed by D. Casey)
On My Way

OP
Original poster (the person who started a thread)

OT (contributed by Woody)
Off Topic (internet slang)

OTOH
On the Other Hand: Internet slang

p-book (also pbook)
A version of a book printed on paper: paperbook or DTB

PB
Paperback

pdf (Portable Document Format)
A format for electronic documents that can be read by a specific free software

PM
Personal Message

post
One message in one of the forums: also a verb, to post

poster
One who posts

prequel
A book written after another work in the same universe, but with events coming chronologically before the original work

Reading Rights Coalition
A group of disabled support organizations that opposes blocking text-to-speech

ROFL (contributed by Lynn Odell)
Rolling on the floor laughing (internet slang)

ROFLFUIA
Rolling on the floor laughing, feet up in the air (even funnier) (internet slang)

ROTFLWTIME (contributed by Woody)
rolling on the floor laughing with tears in my eyes (internet slang)

RTM
Read the manual (internet slang)

Samantha (also "Samantha", "Sam", Sam) (contributed by Bruce S. Woodcock)
A possible female voice of the Kindle 2's text-to-speech

SNAFU (contributed by Lulu)
Situation Normal All Fouled Up (originally military slang)

Sony
A media company: more specifically, the Sony ebook readers

SW (also S/W)
software

TANSTAAFL
There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (popularized by Robert A. Heinlein)

TBR
To Be Read

text-to-speech (also TTS and T2S)
Software that reads text out loud

Thread (contributed by Lynn Odell)
A subject posted in a Forum

Thread-jacking
Adding something unrelated to a discussion, which can take the discussion in an unintended direction (like hijacking a vehicle)

3G
The faster of two networks used by the Kindle for internet access

Tom (also "Tom")
The male voice of the Kindle 2's text-to-speech

Topaz (also tpz or azw1)
One of the formats used by Kindle books which allows publishers to embed fonts

TOS (Terms of Service)
An agreement between a user and a retailer

Troll (contributed by Lynn Odell)
Someone who posts a thread or post in order to start arguments

TTT (also ^TTT^) (contributed by Debi C)
To The Top (see also Bump)

TTYL (contributed by Lynn Odell)
Talk to you later (internet slang)

Tweet
To send a message via Twitter

TY (contributed by Lynn Odell)
Thank you

UG
User's Guide

USB (Universal Serial Bus)
A connection to (typically) a computer for transferring information and in some cases, power (to recharge the Kindle 2, for example). May also refer to the USB cord

Voice navigation
Being able to control your device by speaking to it, using voice recognition

WN
Whispernet, the service the Kindle uses to connect to the internet

WOOT (also wOOt)
1. Want One Of Those
2. Way Out of Topic
3. Waste Of Our Time
Comment by whitearrow: It's an interjection or exclamation similar to "wow!" or "yay!" woot! means that something is awesome or great. "Woot! I got the job!"
It may have originated from the gaming expression "we own the other team" or "wow, loot!"

WTFO (contributed by Woody)
what the heck, over?

WTG
Way To Go (an approval of another post)

YA
Young Adult (a literary genre or target market)

YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)
Warning that what the poster is reporting may not work for you (internet slang)

YW (contributed by Lynn Odell)
You're welcome

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Smileys (also known as emoticons) are pictures of things created by using punctuation, letters, numbers, and symbols. They are internet slang. They are typically intended to be looked at by someone reading left to right. Put your left ear on your shoulder to get a better view.

:)
smiling, amused
:(
unhappy, sometimes used to show sympathy
;)
winking...this is a way to communicate that you are joking
=:o
shocked (the hair is standing on end)
XD
laughing (the person is squinting) (contributed by Mark)
:P
sticking out your tongue

Read this answer and the responses in the Amazon Kindle forum

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Other Resources for Answers


Amazon has its own Kindle help page here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/di splay.html

It has Frequently Asked Questions, the User's Guides (which you can read on your computer), and a way to contact Customer Service.

Amazon also has this official thread in the Amazon Kindle community:

http://www.amazon.com/tag/kindle/forum/re f=cm_cd_ef_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&cdForu m=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdThread=Tx1XWROEYYNYZUA

Other Works by the Author Available for the Kindle

Free Books for Your Kindle
This is a best-selling guide on how you can find and get free books for your Kindle. :) I list a number of sites, and how to get the books. Note: this is not the free books themselves...apparently, some people have been confused about that.

The Disabled Deserve to Read (revised)

This is an article about the text-to-speech controversy. I am personally boycotting Random House (at the time of writing), because of their announced intention to block the currently available text-to-speech. I do allow that document to be distributed for non-commercial purposes. If you buy it through Amazon, I am using my proceeds to buy Kindles for non-profit organizations.

ILMK! (I Love My Kindle!): Being an Appreciation of Amazon's E-Book Reader, with Tips, Explanations, and Humor (Revised Edition)

This is a fun one! I collect my Kindle fiction here, including: The Happy Little Bookworm; The Kindle Encounter (a Star Trek parody); and Quoth My Kindle: Read Some More ( a parody of Edgar Allan Poe's the Raven). There are also Kindle limericks and riddles, and I have explanations for some things about the Kindle. While the current title is a "how to", ILMK is more of a "why is that".

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Contacting the Author

My Amazon Author Central page has a forum (and a blog). Please feel free to address questions or comments to me there.

Bufo Calvin at Amazon Author Central

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IF YOU ENJOYED FREQUENTLY ASKED KINDLE QUESTIONS PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO RATE IT AT AMAZON. I'D APPRECIATE REVIEWS AS WELL...JUST SAY WHAT YOU THINK. :) THANK YOU!

All rights reserved: Bufo Calvin, 2009