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Original poster

Does anyone have an Amazon Kindle?

256 replies

paranoidmother · 03/01/2010 19:42

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.

OP posts:
roisin · 26/12/2010 21:22

I bought one for dh and one for ds1: Mainly to try and cut down the amount of luggage we need to take with us for a 2-week holiday, as we're all avid readers!

But dh got given one as a gift as well, so I'm probably going to have that one.

You can link up multiple kindles to one amazon account, so you only pay once for the books and subscriptions.

simpson · 26/12/2010 22:14

I found a cover for mine on amazon for a tenner and the reviews look good on it so am hoping that will be ok.

It will all arrive NYE

hifi · 27/12/2010 05:02

the light on my cover has come in handy whilst on hols and reading in bed. the reason i bought one is it saves so much space when trvelling. i would have had to bring at least 15 books with me,now we have dd2 theres no space.
only thing that bugs me is not knowing how many pages to go,just %.

coolma · 27/12/2010 13:36

DH bought me one for xmas and I am beside myself with excitement - manged to download three books last night - darling dd gave me a £30 amazon gift voucher and have spent about 12 so far. I love it so much I think I may burst Grin

blueshoes · 27/12/2010 14:40

What happens if you lose it? Do you lose the books you downloaded as well?

hifi · 27/12/2010 15:19

i just re loaded from lap top,do you mean lose the kindle itself?

CMOTdibbler · 27/12/2010 15:39

Your books are on your Amazon account, so if you lose your kindle, you just load them again

funmother · 27/12/2010 15:52

Hi Ladies, do you mind if i ask a question?
I am toying with the idea of getting a kindle but here is the problem: i LOVE the feel of a book, of turning the pages, the smell of a book (yes yes, odd to some i know).
For those of you who have bought a kindle and feel the same as me about books in general, do you miss a 'real' book in your hands, or is it something that you get used to over time?

simpson · 27/12/2010 15:57

Can you load books you have paid for to a different (2nd) kindle??

My brother got a kindle for Xmas too and might want to read some of the books I have Smile

TheFoosa · 27/12/2010 16:02

funmother, I know what you mean, nothing can beat an actual book

but I have downloaded books that are just too cumbersome to read, like The Passage

and loads of free stuff that I would have to pay for otherwise

but I would definately miss that thrill of browsing a book shop

KangarooCaught · 27/12/2010 16:05

Need to watch the pricing, sometime the book can be cheaper than the download. Was helping my Dad with his new 'toy' yesterday.

Amazon list 100 free books - pre 1900 and something - but what are the one's pre-stored on the SOny Ereader like?

funmother · 27/12/2010 16:06

The Foosa- aah, the bookshop is my most favourite place in the whole world, i should take out shares in waterstones, WH Smiths etc! ( i wasnt called bookworm at school for nothing!)
Hmm, maybe it will save me a small fortune.

TheFoosa · 27/12/2010 16:14

it probably won't, it's just another way to spend on books Grin

Earthymama · 27/12/2010 16:26

I was lucky enough to be treated by DP to a Kindle for Christmas! Grin
like many of you I was a little wary at first for all the reasons you've mentioned, mostly the sensations, the weight, the smell, the very book-ness of books.
However, I'm delighted with it!! We are away for Christmas and it was great not to have to lug 10 books with me. I am able to read really quickly,....... yes, I do read it all, yes, I do knowthe names of the characters, yes, I can tell you the plot. I do other things while on holiday, talk to other people, all the normal things, but the combination of reading so quickly, painful joints from arthritis and insomnia mean I have in the past read 20 books while on holiday.
So far, it's been great, I've read the latest Kate Atkinson, a D L Sayers, a whodunit and I have Cranford lined up next.
BUT it will not replace 'proper' books in my heart, DP bought me a truly beautiful book here and the pleasure I get from holding and possessing that book could never be replaced by a device.

DP

roisin · 28/12/2010 19:25

Simpson, you can load books on to more than one kindle, but only if they are linked to one Amazon account. ie you can have a group of linked Kindles (say in a family), but only one person can PAY for the books to be loaded to them!

Dh and ds1 got kindles for Christmas and we have a spare (don't ask!), which I may have. But we'll just share one account.

I don't think I'd share with my brother though! Well, not unless it was HIS account that I could charge things to Grin

coolma · 28/12/2010 20:37

I just want to book a holiday purely for the joy of not having to pack about ten books - am very sad and lonely..

blueshoes · 28/12/2010 22:00

You could not just leave it on the sunlounger though ...

careergirl · 28/12/2010 22:26

I did take mine to work with me as like reading on bus etc but had my purse taken out of my bag on xmas eve which has put me off having anything valuable on me. That said can just get a cheap paperback for bus and work reading. Would still take my Kindle on hols etc but no don't leave it on a sun lounger!
Really like my Kindle can't recommend them enough

TmiEdward · 28/12/2010 23:25

I just got my kindle (DH forgot my present when we went to relatives over Christmas and left it in his wardrobe!).
I have no idea where to start.
I downloaded a few free books, but now??

Marjoriew · 29/12/2010 07:37

I'm for treating myself to a Kindle.
Questions are: cost of the books to dowload, where to get the lists of books, and how easy on the eyes.
I have cataracts in both eyes.
Can you enlarge the print?

goingroundthebend4 · 29/12/2010 07:47

I got amazon vouchers for Xmas everyone knew wanted kindle so all chipped in ,is it worth paying bit more for the 3G option since have iPhone do I really need it ?

We go camping a lot and when younger two are asleep I'm stuck in tent and this AAVE me lugging loads of books

Marjoriew · 29/12/2010 07:54

I had a look at the 3G version. I love it, and it's mine:)

I home educate grandson [11], so we have books all over the place and we're running out of space.
We spend a lot of time on buses going to museums etc.

roisin · 29/12/2010 10:23

Marjoriew - yes, you can enlarge the print - lots of different size options.

roisin · 29/12/2010 10:25

goingroundthebend4 - I don't really see what you need the 3G option for. There are so many wireless networks around these days. So unless you can't wait til you get home/to a wireless network before you get the latest book you've just heard about ... Hmm

The kindle does have a rudimentary 'experimental' web browser, but it's really clunky, and with no mouse or touch screen there's not a lot you can do with it. Certainly not a patch on your iphone. So I wouldn't bother with 3G personally.

roisin · 29/12/2010 10:27

TmiEdward - I think to get the most out of it what you really need to do is to get used to reading it. (It is odd that you have to turn the page so often and that books have so many pages.)

So if I were you I would (pay to) download a book that you really want to read and that you know you will enjoy, then sit down and get into the swing of it!