388 replies to this topic

[splinky]

My mother wants a device just to read books. She doesn't want any monthly fees, and she has no understanding of wi-fi. If I get her the basic Kindle she can put books on it using the usb connection to her computer, right? I think that's all she would ever do with the thing.

this is going to turn out just like my mom's top of the line mac book pro paperweight. i can feel it

[SethG]

I found out. The answer is yes you can, with either the Kindle or the Nook, but it is apparently a multi-step, non-obvious process. I'm surprised they don't make it easier.

[theclash]

I found out. The answer is yes you can, with either the Kindle or the Nook, but it is apparently a multi-step, non-obvious process. I'm surprised they don't make it easier.

try this program calibre

[Wilfrid]

sure, but who doesn't have the Kindle app on their phone?

[Wilfrid]

My mother wants a device just to read books. She doesn't want any monthly fees, and she has no understanding of wi-fi. If I get her the basic Kindle she can put books on it using the usb connection to her computer, right? I think that's all she would ever do with the thing.

She needs the USB connection (which comes with the Kindle) to recharge. It's not necessary to connect to the computer to download books. She needs an Amazon account.

[SethG]

It's not necessary to connect to the computer to download books.

This is only true if there is a wifi network she can connect to in her apartment, right? Am I missing something?

She doesn't have a router connected to her computer and doesn't want to set it up. I've tried to find an available wifi network in her apartment before and have had no luck. (There were some networks available but they were all password protected.) So I don't think she'll be able to download books unless she does it through her computer.

[Nathan]

It's not necessary to connect to the computer to download books.

This is only true if there is a wifi network she can connect to in her apartment, right? Am I missing something?

She doesn't have a router connected to her computer and doesn't want to set it up. I've tried to find an available wifi network in her apartment before and have had no luck. (There were some networks available but they were all password protected.) So I don't think she'll be able to download books unless she does it through her computer.

it depends on which Kindle. If it's a 3G Kindle then it downloads over a cellular network (at no additional cost to her).

[SethG]

I saw that-- do you think this will remain true over the long haul? She doesn't want a monthly fee and she's a bn.com loyalist so I would tell her to get the basic nook over the basic kindle just because I think she's familiar with ordering things from barnes & noble. But the free cellular downloading on the kindle is very appealing, if it lasts.

[Stone]

Why don't you just sneak into her apartment and set up a router? Hide it in the closet.

[Deb Van D]

I saw that-- do you think this will remain true over the long haul? She doesn't want a monthly fee and she's a bn.com loyalist so I would tell her to get the basic nook over the basic kindle just because I think she's familiar with ordering things from barnes & noble. But the free cellular downloading on the kindle is very appealing, if it lasts.

it depends on which Kindle. If it's a 3G Kindle then it downloads over a cellular network (at no additional cost to her).

What he said.

I have the 3G Kindle and don't need a service or wireless router. If I download books from, say, Project Gutenberg I need the USB cable to transfer books from the computer to the Kindle. If I browse Amazon from the Kindle the books magically appear in a moment whether I am on the train, at the salon or waiting for my creepy eye doctor.

[Really Nice!]

If I browse Amazon from the Kindle the books magically appear in a moment whether I am on the train, at the salon or waiting for my creepy eye doctor.

...or on a flight from Austin to Seattle at 35,000 feet. The airline was offering free wifi.

[foodie52]

Get your mom a library card.

[splinky]

wow this borrowing books for free thing is getting big, how come no one ever thought of this before?

[prasantrin]

Does anyone with a Kindle also use it internationally? Is it a problem to do so if one just uses the wi-fi option?

I was all set to purchase a Kindle for my mother. Just the $79 one, but when I selected that I was going to have it shipped to Canada, the price rose to $109 (still in US$) and that didn't include taxes, duties, or shipping. Shipping and brokerage fees would have added (minimum) $30 to the price, plus I'd still be paying taxes (but perhaps not duty, since electronics are supposed to be duty-free). That almost doubles the price of the Kindle.

So my plan is to have it shipped to an address in the US and then have it forwarded to me (or pick it up myself during my next visit). But I'm wondering if the "ship to the US" vs "ship to Canada" will make a difference in how the kindle operates. If someone has experience using your kindle in other countries, I'd very much appreciate any advice you have to offer!

[Rail Paul]

A scathing review of the Kindle Fire by a user. I have no idea of the fellow's credibility, but it seems he definitely doesn't like the reader...

I’ve read part of a book, three magazines, and a newspaper. I’ve played two games and watched four TV shows from two sources. I’ve also taken far too long to set up my email, failed to find a good RSS reader, turned a lot of pages accidentally, repeated taps that did nothing the first time, and crashed a few apps and the Fire itself.

I’ve run into a lot of problems, actually:
Interface

Almost the entire interface is sluggish, jerky, and unresponsive.
Many touch targets throughout the interface are too small, and I miss a lot. It’s often hard to distinguish a miss from interface lag.
The on-screen Back button often doesn’t respond, which is particularly frustrating since it’s essential to so much navigation.
I keep performing small drags when I intend to tap, especially on the home screen. This makes the most common home-screen action — launching something — unnecessarily difficult and unreliable.
The load-on-demand images in various lists and stacks in the interface significantly slow down browsing: I scroll to a screen full of empty placeholders, then I have to wait for the images to pop in, then I can look for the item I wanted. (And then I can move on to the next screenful when I don’t find it.)
Amazon’s content-browsing apps don’t respond well if lost internet connectivity is regained — everything just sits there, empty, until you leave and re-enter that screen. This happens a lot when waking the Fire from sleep, when it has no connection for a few seconds before the Wi-Fi reconnects.
Once, I woke the Fire from sleep after only a few minutes of non-use and it rebooted for some reason. (I’ve only had it for two days.)

Hardware

The backlight leaks significantly around the top edge (when held in portrait). This is distracting when viewing a white screen, like every reading screen.
The headphone jack is on the bottom, so you can’t plug in headphones and rest it on anything while reading in portrait orientation. You can flip it upside down for the native reading interface, but many custom apps, like Conde Nast’s The New Yorker app, don’t support portrait-upside-down orientation.

Fire that reader!