Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 16

Thread: Kindle E-reader

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Cincinnati Ohio
    Posts
    4,731

    Kindle E-reader

    Looking at the cheap Kindle e reader without back light.
    I have a Kindle fire tablet now but think an e reader would me more to my liking reading books.
    I intend to keep a Fire HD Tablet and an e reader.

    My questions

    1) Can I have more than one Kindle? Be able to have a book downloaded to my Fire HD and E reader?

    2) How does it handle books with pictures like a cook book or how to type books? I understand it will be in black and white. Can I even read a book with pictures on the e reader?
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Lehnert View Post
    1) Can I have more than one Kindle? Be able to have a book downloaded to my Fire HD and E reader?
    2) How does it handle books with pictures like a cook book or how to type books? I understand it will be in black and white. Can I even read a book with pictures on the e reader?
    Dave,

    When all registered to one account you can download any book to any reader at any time. I often keep the same book on different readers for night time, outside in the sun, etc.

    I have seven Kindles and currently use three, my wife uses one and has one spare (these are the discontinued large models she uses with very large print), and I have a couple for loaners to friends.
    Pictures show up fine except for the loss of color of course so some are more useful than others. Graphics embedded in a book usually can be enlarged to full screen by touching with the finger (or with the cursor for the older keyboard Kindles.)

    My favorite Kindle is a small paperwhite which will work in the sunlight or in the dark and is small enough to put in most back pockets or suit jacket pocket. The battery on the electronic ink readers like this lasts a lot longer than than on the Fire, especially if you turn down the brightness. It will also turn down more which is nice in a pitch black room when my wife is sleeping. The contrast on the paperwhite models is great too, a lot better than the older electronic ink readers. I don't know which one you are considering so I don't know if I have one to compare - is it an older model?

    The Fire is nice as a tablet for apps and internet but the internet speed on the e-ink models is so slow to be practically unusable. It is great for some books I have with color illustrations, especially children's books.

    JKJ

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    3,078
    John is correct about having multiple Kindles. I also have the Kindle app on my android phone so I can always have a book with me. No matter which Kindle I pick up, it knows what page I am on.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Yes, you can have more than one Kindle and can still use the app on other devices if need be...such as I have when I inadvertently left my Kindle Paperwhite home while traveling. And yes, any artwork will be well represented on the screen. Obviously, some photos are better in color due to their nature, but they do convert to greyscale on a B&W device.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Frank View Post
    No matter which Kindle I pick up, it knows what page I am on.
    I had to turn that off since my wife and I share the same account and might be at different places in the same book! If I switch deep into a book I have to note the current numerical location.

    JKJ

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh, Australia
    Posts
    2,700
    I love my Kindle but have a few problems with it.

    Why can't they use a normal page numbering system.

    When someone asks me what book I am reading I can't tell them because the title is not on a header like a normal book and I never remember what the title is.

    Every Kindle I have bought has been replaced under warranty with at least one more and some as many as three times for issues like printing retention on the screen, batteries not charging etc. There has never been an issue getting the replacement and they have great customer service.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Parks View Post
    I love my Kindle but have a few problems with it.

    Why can't they use a normal page numbering system.

    When someone asks me what book I am reading I can't tell them because the title is not on a header like a normal book and I never remember what the title is.

    Every Kindle I have bought has been replaced under warranty with at least one more and some as many as three times for issues like printing retention on the screen, batteries not charging etc. There has never been an issue getting the replacement and they have great customer service.
    Yikes, I think I've bought 12 Kindles for self and others and the only one that ever failed was when a toddler got it and dropped it and broke the screen on a Fire. Batteries are still fine, even in the first one from 2010 (about $500!) Experience of friends has been the same - these just keep on working. I wonder if it is something about your power or chargers or the backwards winters.

    Normal page numbering was originally and issue since a font size change can put more or fewer words on one Kindle "page". My wife have vision issues and often reads with 1/2" high letters on the 10" Kindle which puts about three sentences on one screen. The later Kindles (or maybe it's the later Kindle operating systems) do show you the page number in the paper book at the bottom of each screen - I just checked my small Kindle Paperwhite. If the font size is set so more or less text is on the screen the page number at the bottom may not increase by 1 for every screen change. Same thing on the Kindle Fire except I have to touch the screen to see the page number, touch again to make it go away. The "real" page number feature is dependent on the publisher - they can add or omit it as they desire. Also, not sure if this is universal but it appears the page numbers on periodicals are based on the screen page.

    To see the author's name you can quickly GoTo to the cover, beginning, or "about the author" then use the back button to go back to where you are reading. If nervous about leaving the page set a bookmark.

    What I don't like is the way most books of short story collections do not put the short story author OR the story name where you can see it easily. If I'm reading a particularly good or bad story I want to look at the author's name several times so I can remember it. On some such books on the Kindle Fire I can swipe from the left side to see the index and the story and author name. On another Kindle I have to choose GoTo from the menu to see the same thing. Stories in periodicals are a different issue - they put the story name on the top of each page but I have to jump to the first page of the story to see the author's name.

    The dumbest thing is an article with numbered footnotes. A periodical I read regularly puts all footnotes at the end of the article with no quick way to read one while reading the article.

    JKJ

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Cincinnati Ohio
    Posts
    4,731
    Thanks everyone.

    Amazon has the Kindle e reader reconditioned for $49. DOES NOT have the back light.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Chris, as John mentions, there are a lot of user interface options available to help make Kindle more personal to your needs. They might not cover "everything", but there's a lot available.

    One thing I really need and cannot find is a way to turn off the automatic "on" when my case is opened (or jiggled) as it sometimes causes shorter battery life between charges since it turns on the backlight. I have a note into the fine folks at Amazon about that...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh, Australia
    Posts
    2,700
    I turn the screen off via a long power switch press which brings up an options box one of which is screen off, the auto on feature is triggered by the magnets in the case which you can feel when it is opened. I think you can get a case that does not have magnets but I could be wrong there Because I use a password to access the device if I open the case (optional extra BTW) the screen turns on and brings up the PW box. Mine is a Voyage with back light but I had the original large version with keyboard for many years and did not miss a back light at all. The book I am reading at the moment does not have any page or location numbering in it at all but it did not come from Amazon either.

    The other thing that bugs me in all this and it only happens only on very odd occasions and I have no understanding of why is that sometimes for some unexplained reason the book will jump all the pages and go right to the end. The problem with that is because I do not know where it jumped from I can't use the go to feature and must patiently page through the book to get back to where I was. This has happened only two or three times over the years but it still annoys me.

    Even with those small problems I would not be without it and I will insist on it being with me when I am buried loaded with books to pass the time away.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Parks View Post

    The other thing that bugs me in all this and it only happens only on very odd occasions and I have no understanding of why is that sometimes for some unexplained reason the book will jump all the pages and go right to the end. The problem with that is because I do not know where it jumped from I can't use the go to feature and must patiently page through the book to get back to where I was. This has happened only two or three times over the years but it still annoys me.
    Chris, does not the "Back" button get you back to the screen you were on? If I accidentally or on purpose go so somewhere else in the book, touching the Back button always gets me back. The old Kindles had a physical Back buttons; on the newer ones I have to touch the screen first.

    Also, make sure you are not accidentally touching the screen so it is interpreted as a "gesture." Swipe up and down will jump to the next chapter, story, or division IF the publisher wants it to, I think. That used to drive me crazy. There again, the back button recovered. https://thomaspark.co/2012/01/kindle-touch-gestures/

    If back doesn't get it, you can find the spot quicker with a binary search (half-interval search) rather than paging. Jump to the half-way point between the beginning and end, if you don't remember reading that page jump to midway between that point and the beginning, else try midway between that point and the end. Repeat with smaller intervals.

    Jim, check the case cover. On my Fire the middle of three panels on the cover has a tiny magnet near the bottom that triggers the auto on/off. If yours is like that you could probably cut the material around it with a sharp knife and pry out the magnet.

    JKJ

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh, Australia
    Posts
    2,700
    Thanks for the tips John, I will try them out.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    I think my case and Kindle have some sensitivity to that magnet...but I'm not all that interested in replacing the case as it's a beautiful saddle leather. I just have gotten into the habit of being sure to charge more frequently.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh, Australia
    Posts
    2,700
    What case have you got Jim, mine is slowly disintegrating and a new one might be in order.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Parks View Post
    What case have you got Jim, mine is slowly disintegrating and a new one might be in order.
    https://smile.amazon.com/Limited-Pre...Cp_89%3AAmazon

    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •