Does anyone have an Amazon Kindle?

[paranoidmother]

Dh gave me a Kindle for Christmas and I have managed to get a few books via Amazon.com although a few authors are not signed up for this yet.

Doe anyone have any hints or tips on using a kindle.

So far I love it and am thrilled to have one. It's meant I will be able to take loads of stories with me everywhere as I can get through a book an evening sometimes if there is nothing else to do.

[BigBadMummy]

I didn't get an Amazon Kindle, but I did get the Sony version.

Can you download books from anywhere else? Waterstones and WH Smiths both do eBooks but I am not sure if the whole point of Amazon is that you are tied to them.

I must admit I struggled with getting mine to work and ditched the Sony software in favour of the free version available from Adobe. Once that was installed on my PC I was off and running.

Like you, I love it. I am half way through a Lynda La Plante and loved that it weighs next to nothing and can come everywhere with me!

[paranoidmother]

I'm going to try the Gutenberg Project and see what I can download from there as some of the books are free. With the kindle you can email to your kindle anything in PDF format so as long as you've got a kindle email address. I think it's about 10cents a download so about 6p or something like that.

[badgermonkey]

I have the Kindle app for my iPhone and have bought one book for it. They're really expensive though! I know I can get free out-of-copyright stuff (although I prefer the Stanza app for reading those) but is there any way of getting current fiction even a bit cheaper? I do resent paying quite a bit more for the downloadable version than for the physical copy, tbh.

[Rosieeo]

Ooooo, I was about to ask a similar question. Books are taking over my house and I'm seriously considering charity shopping the lot and buying an ebook reader, but not sure which one. I know new books are expensive, but can't you buy them from eBay cheap? Or is that like buying knock-off DVDs?

[CMOTdibbler]

I've got a Kindle and love, love, love it. For me though, it is for travelling for work, so have got it loaded up with lots of cheapy classics and will just buy books I want to reread over and over for it.

Totally fantastic to read, and so many people have chatted to me about it since I got it.

[Makipuppy]

Does the Kindle have a search function, so you can find a particular word or term in the book?

I bought the Sony one for DP but he returned it because it didn't have this

[MitchyInge]

I got the Sony version for Christmas, can't get the library software to run so haven't got very far with it yet

(think I would have preferred a Kindle, they took their time releasing them here didn't they?)

[CMOTdibbler]

Yes, you can run searches and make notes in your book.

Kindle was released here the 26th of October - did take a long time to get here because of the whispernet G3 connection meant they had to have a mobile company tiein

[paranoidmother]

I've bought a few books for the kindle and at the exchange rate they are between £3 and £7. It's seems on the kindle forums most people will only pay up to about $9.99/£6.25 max for a e-book.

At the moment Stehpanie Meyer is about $5 per book and JD Hobbs is about $19 per book. It'll be better once the publishers let more e-books be sold outside of the States.

I really enjoy mine even though I've only got 5 books on it. Am thinking about getting a mag subscription when they get it sorted out.

[abitlostandconfused]

oooh! A mag subscription would definitely get me to buy one!

I have just run a search on the forum for Kindle info. Anyone with any more info - how are your christmas presents working out!?

[alibubbles]

I have just ordered an Amazon Kindle, y parents are brnng it back from the states.

I have a Sony eReader, the 505, which I love, bought DH the new updated touch version and neither of us think it is as good as the original Sony 505.

Hence me trying a kindle and DH will inherit the old Sony, on which I have 250 books. - Mostly top paperbacks for holiday reading. DH has all the classics form the free 100 offer that you can subscribe to.

I had a small problem in that it didn't support mac, and had to use a friends pc, but now it does, downloading is a doddle.

[Chil1234]

I know this is an old thread but, since Amazon are pushing their Kindle on TV as a Christmas pressie idea, I thought it deserved resurrecting for anyone wishing to talk about e-book pros and cons generally.

I've just got a Kindle and I'm really happy with it so far operationally. I also have a house that is busting at the seams either with paperbacks that I've already read or with lumpy hardbacks that are too big to pop into a handbag. I never get solid reading time to myself but I do find I have twenty minute slots here and there (travelling mostly) where I wish I'd brought something to read. So my 'magic book' (as it has been rechristened) is proving very useful.

The only 'con' I've found so far is that the availability of titles isn't universal. Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' is one of the lumpy hardbacks (mine's the trilogy in one volume) I'd like to read again - but it isn't available yet. Neither is To Kill a Mockingbird (bizarrely). Expect these gaps will be filled if enough people demand the titles.

[SecretSquirrel193]

I'm hoping to get one. I'm sitting drooling at them but I can't justify the cost of one (yet!) and I'm slightly worried about the cost of putting books onto it too?

[infin]

I have had one for just over a fortnight and love it! At the moment I am quite happy that not every title is available on it...will still want to buy some paper books just for the feel and smell of a new one!
Loads and loads of free books available(mostly, but not all classics)and many other up to date ones at £2 something. Almost all cheaper than paperbacks. So much easier than reading a real book in bed too!

[Mumcentreplus]

I only have it on my HTC phone although that is pretty cool...major hints abound, so I should hopefully have one by later this year

[Mumcentreplus]

I agree badgermonkey..I really get narked I have to pay so much for a downloaded copy..

[Pinkglow]

I have one and I do love it. It saves me money on brand new hardbacks and classics but everything else inbetween is around the £5/£6 mark and I tend to get those from the library.

Its very very useful but I do read alot, for someone who reads a book or two a month I wouldnt recommend them.

[HollyGoHeavily]

I have one and I love it - fabulous for breastfeeding as you can hold it and turn pages with one hand and the case with an integrated light means I don't disturb DP too much at 2am. Poor DD1 got a few paperbacks on the forehead when i was feeding her and reading, i'm trying to avoid that with DD2

[PatriciaHolm]

Tbh at the moment I'm holding out- the library, my iPhone and iPad are doing the job pretty well together. I object paying for something the library will provide for free! I'm not commuting any more though so far less time for reading anyway!

[PatriciaHolm]

Tbh at the moment I'm holding out- the library, my iPhone and iPad are doing the job pretty well together. I object paying for something the library will provide for free! I'm not commuting any more though so far less time for reading anyway!

[Chil1234]

I rather liked their page of experimental features. Text to voice, MP3 etc. What is refreshing is that they admit to them being experimental, not perfect and ask for feedback on whether to continue development. This is such a better attitude than the average mobile phone that comes choc-a-blok with useless features that only seem to be there to fill up the screens.

Just downloaded Middlemarch for free... Never go near a library.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Mine came yesterday - its very nice. I had the kindle app on my HTC phone and loved that but I'm going to Egypt next month and I know that I won't be able to read the phone in sunlight. Plus the battery on my phone goes afetr a few hours of reading but on the kindle will last a month.

I'm really happy that I can go on holiday with just a couple of books and my kindle rather than my usual 10 books using my baggage allowance up.

I'm slightly nervous about it getting pinched if I leave it in my bag by the sunlounger while going for a dip in the pool.

I'm really hoping that more books becore available soon, though it is looking like the majority of new releaases are available on it, I think they're working their way through older books.

[neversaydie]

Mine arrived today. I can get through 4 books on a flight to the USA (and another 3 coming back) so it will save me lugging reading material about with me. And cut down considerably on the outwards pressure on my handbag exerted by 2 large paperbacks at a time

Slightly diappointed in the choice of books for it - most of my slightly odd sf favourites are not available in Kindle editions. But then again, I have signed up for a subscription to Analog, which I haven't seen for ages.

It is very geeky (DH, the uber-geek, bought it for me) and I think some of the snazzier bits will take some getting used to. But to be able to buy a book to read wherever I am in the world - that is pure luxury!

[bramblebooks]

I've just realised that I have the kindle app on my iPad - thank you! Just spent a little while downloading free books.
:)

[ChippyMinton]

I've just got mine. I've downloaded a few classics but haven't read any yet as I've got a couple of paperbacks on the go. The text to voice is pretty good - the female voice is less robotic than the male.