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Amazon Kindle - Top 10 Things you Need to Know

James Kara Murat asked:


If you have just heard about the entire latest buzz surrounding the e-book reader Kindle from Amazon, you need to know more. Here are the top 10 aspects about Kindle almost everyone needs to know!

i. MP3 playing

The Kindle device from Amazon has the amazing ability to play all the MP3 songs which you would have downloaded into the internal storage mechanism. Capacities of the internal storage are around 180 MB in space. You could also store these MP3 songs in the allocated SD card slot. You can play the songs in random shuffle and choose to listen to songs in the background while you read the e-book!

ii. DRM support

The Kindle comes with DRM support by means of support for file types of extensions .AZW. It also is compatible with Mobipocket books of the unprotected varieties. Therefore file types like .MOBI, .TXT, .PRC, Word as well as .HTML are all supported by the Kindle. You can transfer files via USB or via email. No more need to print!

iii. Kindle Now Now

This is a new feature introduced by Kindle which enables a powerful search mechanism. By means of a query mechanism you can search for almost anything you wish for absolutely free of cost! This search facility is powered with the help of Mechanical Turn from Amazon which is a distributed system of work.

iv. Blog subscription

You can avail blog subscriptions by paying a meager 2 dollars every month! Besides this, you also get access to a 14 day trial period. For no additional cost, you get to browse the blogs directly via the ‘Basic Web’ which is a browser provided for free. You only pay for access to the RSS feeds but not for surfing the web.

v. Font types supported

Kindle primarily supports two kinds of fonts namely the Neue Helvetica and the Caecilia. These are provided by Linotype. Book texts are all provided in the default Caecilia font. However, other than reading, you can select from 6 font types.

vi. Ergonomics

While the Kindle may not have great aesthetics what with a no-so-great looking color, the shape of the device is very ergonomically designed.

vii. No scroll keys

If you wish to navigate to the next page or further below, there are no scroll down keys provided in the Kindle. To move across content or even scrolling on the web pages you will need to use the page forward keys and the back button for this.

viii. Audible e-books

You can use the Kindle from Amazon to play out audible e-books. However the ‘whispernet’ service provided by means of the EVDO internet connection does not support downloads of such audible e-books on air. You will need to leverage the Audible Manager for downloading and subsequently copy the file to Kindle via USB port on the PC. This eliminates the need for printing altogether.

ix. Text file download

Kindle allows you to easily download text files for future use. All it takes is just 45 seconds to download even massive text files!

x. Files not supported

The Kindle does not ensure compatibility with Mobipocket files which have been DRMed. Also the Kindle will not support PDF file types – not even after you convert the file!



Recounting the 5 Faults of Kindle

James Kara Murat asked:


Who says Amazon.com is only limited to selling books? Today, Amazon has joined the ranks of being one of the major technological innovators. In fact, Sony’s Reader has found great competition from one of Amazon’s newest products: the Kindle Reader.

Its name could have a much stronger impact, considering that “kindle” means “enlightenment,” or the birth of great ideas—and it is, if you’ll learn to look past beyond its many flaws:

1. Being connected has its pitfalls. The wireless connection of Kindle spells both boon and bane for the product. It’s good because you can basically carry your favorite books, blogs, and other whatever reading material literally no matter where you go. The downside is its browser isn’t really its main priority. Rather, it gives so much emphasis on being a book reader. Thus, don’t be surprised if you’re going to meet numerous error messages. The only consolation perhaps is the fact that you the images really don’t appear so awful.

2. It stopped looking good. It’s surprising how critics never failed to mention Kindle’s designs if they’re asked of its disadvantages. It seems like the designers behind the product have lost their touch in creativity. It appears bland and too plain. It doesn’t make any better when pictures started showing everywhere, depicting it as close to being ugly. In reality, though, Kindle may not be equal to Apple in the looks department, but it’s still look like a cool gadget, at least at first glance.

3. It’s flip, not scroll. People are so used to scrolling, no matter how tiring this routine can be. Think of PCs and cell phones. However, you may have to accustom yourself to flipping when you’re using Amazon’s Kindle. Perhaps it’s because it tries to truly imitate a person reading a book. You flip on the pages—you don’t scroll.

4. Convergence doesn’t exist. Why was the iPhone such a huge hit? More than its design, it attempts to merge two of the most important devices today: phone and iPod. Convergence is the buzzword, considering that individuals love anything that will make life much more convenient. Kindle doesn’t seem to possess that, though. It becomes a more advanced ebook reader, with wireless connectivity on the side.

5. It can’t read important file formats. There are certain formats that are only applicable to Kindle. These include .txt and MP3 files. File formats such as Word, HTML, and JPEG are unreadable. If you need to read an important Word file, you still have to send the document to Amazon, who will later convert and send it to you. Even though this is free of charge, definitely, you’ll find the entire process taxing and totally time-consuming. To make matters worse, Amazon and Kindle doesn’t support RTF documents when, in fact, it’s a subset of Word document, which is apparently supported by Kindle.

Despite the many “faults” of Amazon Kindle, it doesn’t take away the fact that it’s a revolutionary gadget. It’s so easy on the eye and comfortable to carry around. And besides, if you’re truly a bookworm, wouldn’t be building your own library and placing it in your bag more than enough?



Amazon’s Kindle is Taking the World by Storm in 7 Ways

James Kara Murat asked:


Kindle caught the people by surprise, but it was a very pleasant entry. In fact, it was welcomed with open arms that, until today, Amazon still has to advise their customers to wait. There are no more left for anyone to enjoy.

What makes Kindle tick? Here are 7 reasons:

1. It gives you wireless connection. If you’re fond of Wikipedia, blogs, and other online reading materials, then Kindle is the one you’re looking for. This feature, though still in its experimental stage, also provides Kindle an edge over its mighty competitor, Sony Reader. You can also skip looking for a Wi-Fi hotspot as you can still browse without any WiFi connection. You can also piggyback on the present networks for cell phone, and you don’t even have to pay a single cent.

2. You can save your books. Do you have plans of reading your favorite novel in your PC rather than in Kindle? That’s actually no problem, as you’re provided with two ways to do that. First, you can make use of an SD card which you can remove from Kindle. You can also transfer the files from your device to your PC with the use of a USB cable.

3. It prevents eye strain. One of the greatest disadvantages of reading books in your PC is the fact that you have to actually squint your eyes to protect your vital part of the body from the glare. Too much of it can definitely cause eye strain. With Kindle, however, utilizes the e-ink technology, which means words appear as if they’re written with ink. You can actually read your favorite news articles or blogs even if you’re under direct sunlight. Moreover, everything appears sharp and very clear.

4. It physical attributes is A+. It may not be the most beautiful device in the world, but still, it’s still so lightweight, weighing only 10.3 ounces. This makes them very comfortable to carry around. What’s more, you can also maximize the sizes of fonts. This is very much helpful for people who are accustomed with reading materials with specific font size.

5. Your choices are varied. In line with its signature books, Amazon’s Kindle has far better books that you will surely enjoy reading in your spare time than its counterpart, Sony Reader. They’re also fairly priced, considering that there’s actually no hassle of sitting in front of your PC and logging into your Amazon account just so you can place an order. Moreover, Kindle can also archive all of your previous purchases just in case you want to re-download an ordered book.

6. It’s compatible with MAC. There aren’t a lot of products that can instantly claim that they can work well with MAC, but Amazon’s Kindle did, and it definitely delivers. Thus, people who are so fond of such types of PCs can also take delight in not only books, but blogs, newspapers, and magazines as well.

7. Kindle is everything-made-easy. First of all, it contains a Home button, which is very important. As you know, you can get drowned of the immense collection of reading materials. You can also create some notes and edit them, which makes Kindle such a perfect partner for college students.



Kindle Vs. Sony Ebook Reader Reviews

James Kara Murat asked:


There has been a lot of buzz lately about the brand new e-book reader launched by Amazon. The most popular e-book reader around has been the one launched by Sony.

The price difference

One of the main differences that really stands out between the Sony E-book Reader and Kindle is the vast price disparity. There’s a whopping 100 dollar difference with the Sony reader being priced at 300 USD and Kindle having a price of 400 USD. While the Sony reader promises a host of freebie features like free viewing of PDF files, no internet connection needed, free access to blogs as well as RSS feeds and even a memory card included in the welcome kit, this reader from Sony sure has plenty of upsides to it. However, Kindle isn’t far behind what with the capacity to contain more than 200 titles and an SD card slot that is included with it. However, you do need to pay 1 dollar for every blog and RSS feed respectively which is quite a bit expensive.

The format

While the Sony Reader allows you to view PDF files free of cost, the Kindle charges a 10 cent fee for every PDF file that you would sync into the device. Also Kindle tends to read HTML, plain text formats and images from the SD card but doesn’t do too well with DOC, RTF and PDF formats. But then again even the Sony Reader cannot read DOC formats directly.

E-ink technology

As far as the 6 inch LCD screen display goes in the Kindle, the display uses the revolutionary e-ink technology using ‘Vizplex’ film on the surface. However, both the Sony Reader and the Kindle have used the same technology. The plus side to this technology is that 40% of received light gets deflected and uses reflected instead of transmitted light which makes both devices easy on the eyes.

Printability

There is no need to print any document because Kindle offers portability in taking along all personal documents at anytime in any place, thereby eliminating the need for printing. The 10 cent fee is applicable for wireless transfer of word documents. However, if users do not wish to shell out this fee, free transfers can be leveraged. For this, the file or attachment needs to be sent to ‘name’@free.kindle.com where name stands for the ID used for your Kindle email address. So if the Kindle email ID is smith@kindle.com then attachments need to be sent to smith@free.kindle.com and then the file gets converted and emailed to the associated Amazon account.

Battery life

The Amazon Kindle is by far a better choice when it comes to battery life. You can go for four days at a stretch without any need to charge the Kindle. Besides, this is its good network coverage in almost any area which makes for good portability. Turning pages is as easy at the click of a button which means that even if you are reading the e-book in bed, operating the Kindle is much easier than the Sony Reader.



The Anatomy of Amazon’s Kindle Reader

James Kara Murat asked:


The newest baby of Amazon, Kindle Reader, is lighting up the minds of millions of people all over the world—or, at least, for those who have got hold of their newest innovation immediately.

Kindle is basically like your own library, only that you can bring it with you anywhere you go. You can even tuck it in your bag. It boasts of over 90,000r reading materials, such as books, magazines, and blogs. Any update from the latter two will be delivered right at your own reader. But what else do you need to know about Kindle?

1. It uses ink. This is practically no joke. Kindle is traditional in the sense that it tries to capture the readability and scan ability of physical newspapers. What sets the difference, though, is that the ink is converted to something electronic. Besides giving you the feeling that you’re actually reading a real paper, it also allows you to read it even under natural sunlight. There’s no need for you to suffer under the glare o computer screens.

2. It connects you. Kindle uses a new technology called Whispernet. It gives you access to the Internet without the hassle of cable wires. You don’t even have to look for any WiFi hotspot. This also allows you to surf through the Web and read any interesting material from Wikipedia. Also, you can order your books immediately. They will also be delivered to you instantly. You should learn to take advantage of this as there’s no extra cost attach to it.

3. It’s ergonomic. The design of Kindle has received a number of harsh criticisms, but for the book lover, it spells bliss. Because a reader has a tendency to change position while reading, Kindle has been designed vertical for long form reading. Also, navigation buttons, which are located at each side, means that both the right-handed and left-handed can skim through the pages of the book with relative ease and comfort.

4. It has a QWERTY keyboard. Because anybody who has his own PC or at least used a computer knows the QWERTY keyboard really well, there’s not much training you need to do when it comes to searching for and buying your favorite book, newspaper, or magazine from the Internet.

5. It lasts longer. It has one of the most long-lasting batteries, even longer than those found in cell phones and laptops. If you’re going to make use of your wireless connection, you may have to recharge your reader at least every other day. Otherwise, you can have one full week of uninterrupted reading. You also don’t have to wait that long too before the battery gets fully charged. Within two hours, you can go back to your routine, which is reading.

6. It has useful accessories. There’s no such thing as trivial accessory if you speak about Kindle. You can utilize the USB cable when you’re going to transfer files from your Kindle to your PC and vice versa. The book cover, meanwhile, offers protection to your ebook reader, making sure that it doesn’t get any scratch or dirty.