My love for my Kindle

[moth2fic]

When I was trying to decide to buy a Kindle I couldn’t find very much information apart from the obvious advertising stuff. Various members of my f’list and in turn their f’lists helped. So I though, now that I’m a devoted Kindle user I’d share some of my experiences with you in case you also have a desperate ‘need to know’!

Comments

[phantomas]

Very helpful, thank you!

Especially about Calibre (one of the biggest no-no advice I've received about the Kindle was that not being able to read anything else than Amazon ebooks...).

Since I can't buy a bigger house, I need to start buying ebooks. I have no space anymore, lol.

Thanks again :)

[moth2fic]

That had put me off too - but it just isn't true! It takes a few minutes to convert a fanfic into a .pdf but other than that you can put the .pdf or any e-book you've bought (in almost any format) onto Calibre and click on convert, then plug the Kindle into your laptop and click on Send to device (still in Calibre) and hey presto!! There are more features available with books bought from Amazon - dictionary and wikipedia links etc. - but really, I don't feel the need for those - I have a laptop, after all!!

We have run out of room - and out of boxes for the books I'm packing to take to Portugal - so e-books are a must!!

Glad to be of help - I know I got a lot of misinformation before I bought mine!

[m31andy]

I'm not sure where the "only reads amazon books" information came from, but it's all-pervasive. It's not even slightly true - there's plenty of .awz formatted (Kindle own format) ebooks out there, which are perfectly readable on the Kindle and Kindle software, as well as taking non-DRM .prc and .mobi mobipocket books. (Which is great, because I've just mobipocket for years and so all my old non-DRM purchases and all my old converted fanfic are perfectly readable!)

I've lost count of the number of times I've had to correct someone's "but you can only read books you've bought from Amazon" spiel!

[phantomas]

Good to know, and I'll make sure to pass it around :D

[merentha13]

Thanks for this! I've been trying to figure out how to get some fanfic on the my kindle and had the issues you mentioned with the *.pdf files. (Text files seem to come over fine.) I hadn't heard of Calibre (although that is the name of one of my favorite Pro's stories! *g*) I may go ahead and try it. Have you used the Kindle PC program? I wondered if that made transfers from the PC to the Kindle a little easier...

[moth2fic]

Calibre is brilliant! You just load the .pdf, click on Convert, attach your Kindle to your PC/laptop and click on Send to device. All sorted - font at optimum size, information intact, plus pictures if you want to add them - you do that at the Calibre stage. It's so much nicer to read than text files. I dipped my toes in the water with Kindle for PC (also a free download). But you still need things in the right format. Some bought e-books already are, but fanfic needs some kind of conversion. I don't use it for transfers - I use Calibre to convert and transfer. I do use it to look at coloured artwork on Kindle books from Amazon!!

[sc_fossil]

I'm so pleased you like your Kindle. I love mine as well. Thanks for posting your thoughts. Very informative. :)

[moth2fic]

Well, you know how I was dithering! And I felt people might need some non-technical advice/experiences!! And yes, I love it very much!! I'm glad I asked, listened and let people persuade me!

[mamakinn]

Thank you for this - my middle son has got one and loves it and as i have had to shelve the (bone dry) cellar to accommodate my library i think a kindle may be the way forward - i didn't realise you could load fanfic onto it, that would be fun.

[moth2fic]

We have far too many books!! Non-fiction (mostly), I would still buy/keep in hardback, and also series that I have already started collecting. (I want my Terry Pratchetts in print format.) But yes, the fanfic possibility is just brilliant! It means you can take fanfic to read in the dentist's waiting room or on the bus...

[mamakinn]

Yes, thats the trouble - i actually like the physical presence of books - the sheer range of possibilities available on a shelf just waiting...my current house came with a plate shelf around the front room - the Pratchetts are up there because they are so ornamental. But a Kindle would be so convenient for travelling - i don't know whether i could actually read fanfiction in public - you know how people ask "What are you reading?" - I'd blush madly while pretending it was "War and Peace"....

[moth2fic]

Well I might blush at admitting to reading War and Peace in public...*g* I think I'd just say it was some chick-lit I'd picked up on Amazon for next to nothing - they couldn't see the cover or the title. And if they could, I use 'worksafe' icons as the cover pics and you can alter the title (on Calibre) to something bland (and it still keeps the correct title underneath on Calibre). Or, you could have a couple of very innocent books from Amazon and switch to one of those if you thought you wre likely to be interrogated. At the moment, I have Larson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, A.S.Byatt's The Children's Book and The Kite Runner all queueing up on my Kindle, as well as fanfic and m/m e-books!!

[mellyj]

That is an excellent review! I was thinking of getting one but I might wait a while till there's a updated version this one dosen't seem dyslexic friendly! Love the idea you can load fan fic!

[moth2fic]

You can alter the text sizes, and for books bought from Amazon there are dictionary links. Not sure what else they could do to make it more dyslexic friendly - have a look at the free Kindle for PC download and the user guide that comes with it. It needs some concentration to master the way to use it but if you can use a computer you can use a Kindle. If you want any more info from someone (me) who isn't wildly 'techie', ask away!!