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another Kindle question

lulu66

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May 21, 2009
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i just got done reading all the kindle threads from the past b/c my mom informed me tonight that if i'd like one for christmas, that's what she would get me. i had quickly thought about getting one late in the summer but dismissed it because a) i like books, the smell, the touch, browsing book stores for them and b) i didn't want to drop the cash on one. but since it will be a gift, i've reconsidered ;) after comparing the nook & kindle, i'm leaning toward the kindle but have a few questions for owners that i couldn't find online.

i see that the font size can be changed---any idea the largest pt font? my DH has low vision & if he ever wanted to use it a pretty large font would be necessary (he reads large print w/10x magnifers).

and the speech to text (which also might be useful for him)...anyone used it? how annoying is it?

oh & i need opinions on whether to go w/the 3g or not. i live in a itty-bitty rural town who doesn't have at&t 3g (we're on edge, which i think will work but slower?) and i have wi-fi set up at my house. i don't travel too often (a couple times a year) and never really overseas. i don't for-see having a problem just preloading books & going w/the wi-fi version; anyone have insights that might change my mind?
 
lulu66|1290491418|2776245 said:
i just got done reading all the kindle threads from the past b/c my mom informed me tonight that if i'd like one for christmas, that's what she would get me. i had quickly thought about getting one late in the summer but dismissed it because a) i like books, the smell, the touch, browsing book stores for them and b) i didn't want to drop the cash on one. but since it will be a gift, i've reconsidered ;) after comparing the nook & kindle, i'm leaning toward the kindle but have a few questions for owners that i couldn't find online.

i see that the font size can be changed---any idea the largest pt font? my DH has low vision & if he ever wanted to use it a pretty large font would be necessary (he reads large print w/10x magnifers).

and the speech to text (which also might be useful for him)...anyone used it? how annoying is it?

oh & i need opinions on whether to go w/the 3g or not. i live in a itty-bitty rural town who doesn't have at&t 3g (we're on edge, which i think will work but slower?) and i have wi-fi set up at my house. i don't travel too often (a couple times a year) and never really overseas. i don't for-see having a problem just preloading books & going w/the wi-fi version; anyone have insights that might change my mind?

Based on what you are saying, you don't need 3G, although it is niiiiiiiiiiice.

Speech to text, never used it.

Largest font size...OMG, so HUGE you won't ever use it because you'll have to turn the page every nanosecond!!!
 
thanks, traveling gal!

maybe i'll tell mom that i'd take 3g but it's not necessary :tongue: :tongue:

as for the larger font, i don't need it but really thought it would be nice if he ever wants to use it (that is, if he ever gets the chance!). same goes for text-to-speech. i'm curious if anyone's tried that out. it's not a deal-breaker, as this is *my* gift anyways but i was curious.
 
Hey, so there are 7 font sizes on the Kindle - I took pics of sizes 1 (smallest), 4, 6, 7 and 8. The last few are pretty huge.

photo_9.jpg

photo%20(1)_3.jpg

photo%20(3)_1.jpg

photo%20(2)_2.jpg

photo%20(4)_0.jpg
 
I'm in the same situation as you (with the 3G/Wifi). I had 3G on my Kindle 2, and I only have Wi-fi on Kindle 3, but I don't miss the 3G. I have Wi-fi set up at home so I never really worry about running out of books or being unable to download.
 
thanks, BEG!!! that's so helpful! i showed DH; he said, "wow, that is pretty big!"

you ever tried out the text-to-speech?
 
B.E.G.|1290492783|2776262 said:
Hey, so there are 7 font sizes on the Kindle - I took pics of sizes 1 (smallest), 4, 6, 7 and 8. The last few are pretty huge.

photo_9.jpg

photo%20(1)_3.jpg

photo%20(3)_1.jpg

photo%20(2)_2.jpg

photo%20(4)_0.jpg

Nice of you to do that BEG! Those fonts ARE huge, aren't they? They come in handy on the elliptical though when my head is bobbing so much I can't focus on little print.

I actually always use the smallest font size on Kindle. :praise: :tongue:
 
Text to speech is not offered on every book. When it is, it is not like an audio book at all, it is more of a computer generated voice that is like a GPS--it sometimes makes errors in sounding out words. I'd get the 3g in case you are ever somewhere where you might like it. I change to a larger font at night to ease eye strain. I also change it even larger if I'm out and don't have my glasses. The larger the font, the less words on a page of course.
 
lyra|1290492967|2776271 said:
Text to speech is not offered on every book. When it is, it is not like an audio book at all, it is more of a computer generated voice that is like a GPS--it sometimes makes errors in sounding out words. I'd get the 3g in case you are ever somewhere where you might like it. I change to a larger font at night to ease eye strain. I also change it even larger if I'm out and don't have my glasses. The larger the font, the less words on a page of course.


thanks for that...what we figured, which is a bit of a bummer for him (he is generally an audio book listener b/c he is legally blind) but honestly, those fonts are so large, i think he could read on the kindle, especially w/his 10x magnifers.
 
No problem!

Yeah those last 2-3 sizes are HUMONGOUS!

TGal - I hear ya on the elliptical! Pre-Kindle I had to stop reading while working out - I was getting a headache. But elliptical is so boring without a book!

Lulu, sorry - I've actually never used text to speech with either of my Kindles. I'm not an auditory person so I guess I totally forgot about the feature.
 
To add:

Lulu, I think your DH will be fine with the bigger fonts. Bad part is he'll just have to click more - thankfully the new software on Kindle 3 have speeded up the click rate.

Or you could get him a DX, which will have larger screen space so less clicking for the same font size.
 
Lulu, I hope you don't mind but I have some beginner questions too! If I am a problem please say so and I will request that the admins remove my post. Thanks in advance!

Very informative thread here...I have been (finally) considering getting one for myself but brought it up to FI who said he would like to see more research on the topic so he knew which one to get for me. :saint: :love:

At the risk of redundancy: FI's questions were...

1. do you have to subscribe to a monthly service to borrow books? If so, how much does such a thing cost per month?

2. What is the difference between the regular Kindle and Kindle DX, specifically?

Those were the two questions he had that I couldn't find answers to here on PS (I admit I did not search long, sorry guys). I have seen several threads recently about gifting Kindle books and free Kindle books...

We have 3G and WiFi here so that is not an issue...(forgive me, Lulu, for the slight threadjack but I hope that it will be informative to you as well)
 
B.E.G.|1290493661|2776291 said:
To add:

Lulu, I think your DH will be fine with the bigger fonts. Bad part is he'll just have to click more - thankfully the new software on Kindle 3 have speeded up the click rate.

Or you could get him a DX, which will have larger screen space so less clicking for the same font size.

oh, we're not getting him anything :cheeky: :cheeky: this is a christmas gift to me from my mom. but i was curious about that b/c i thought if he ever wanted to read a book i had purchased, i didn't know if he would be able to. but he definitely would with that font size!

so, i think i'm going to go w/the wi-fi version (i think...) and maybe ask for a gift card thrown it too. gosh, i'm so greedy! :devil:

and not a prob at all monarch, i'm interested in learning as much as possible. i did do a search on the forum for "kindle" and found some useful info, if you haven't done that. it's worth it!!
 
monarch64|1290494334|2776307 said:
Lulu, I hope you don't mind but I have some beginner questions too! If I am a problem please say so and I will request that the admins remove my post. Thanks in advance!

Very informative thread here...I have been (finally) considering getting one for myself but brought it up to FI who said he would like to see more research on the topic so he knew which one to get for me. :saint: :love:

At the risk of redundancy: FI's questions were...

1. do you have to subscribe to a monthly service to borrow books? If so, how much does such a thing cost per month?

2. What is the difference between the regular Kindle and Kindle DX, specifically?

Those were the two questions he had that I couldn't find answers to here on PS (I admit I did not search long, sorry guys). I have seen several threads recently about gifting Kindle books and free Kindle books...

We have 3G and WiFi here so that is not an issue...(forgive me, Lulu, for the slight threadjack but I hope that it will be informative to you as well)


Monnie, no idea about the book lending because that's new.

For the second question - the Kindle DX is bigger. Like, a notepad size. I need to go look up the specs. But basically the DX is supposed to be great if you read a lot of magazines/newspapers, or use it for textbooks. However, I find it too big to put in my purse - I prefer the regular 6" screen, book-size of the regular Kindle.
 
lulu66|1290494578|2776315 said:
B.E.G.|1290493661|2776291 said:
To add:

Lulu, I think your DH will be fine with the bigger fonts. Bad part is he'll just have to click more - thankfully the new software on Kindle 3 have speeded up the click rate.

Or you could get him a DX, which will have larger screen space so less clicking for the same font size.

oh, we're not getting him anything :cheeky: :cheeky: this is a christmas gift to me from my mom. but i was curious about that b/c i thought if he ever wanted to read a book i had purchased, i didn't know if he would be able to. but he definitely would with that font size!

so, i think i'm going to go w/the wi-fi version (i think...) and maybe ask for a gift card thrown it too. gosh, i'm so greedy! :devil:

and not a prob at all monarch, i'm interested in learning as much as possible. i did do a search on the forum for "kindle" and found some useful info, if you haven't done that. it's worth it!!

Yay gift card! I just bought three Kindle books - oy. And I bought two hard copy books too. Sigh. I have a LOT to read now.

Well, if he wants a bigger screen, he can also read Kindle books on his Mac/PC. They have free Kindle apps for both platforms and you can just link it to your account (I have my computer, Kindle and my iPhone linked to my Kindle/Amazon account). Of course, the downside is that the computer screen will be backlit.

But I think the bigger fonts should work for him - I hope so anyway!
 
monarch64|1290494334|2776307 said:
Lulu, I hope you don't mind but I have some beginner questions too! If I am a problem please say so and I will request that the admins remove my post. Thanks in advance!

Very informative thread here...I have been (finally) considering getting one for myself but brought it up to FI who said he would like to see more research on the topic so he knew which one to get for me. :saint: :love:

At the risk of redundancy: FI's questions were...

1. do you have to subscribe to a monthly service to borrow books? If so, how much does such a thing cost per month?

2. What is the difference between the regular Kindle and Kindle DX, specifically?

Those were the two questions he had that I couldn't find answers to here on PS (I admit I did not search long, sorry guys). I have seen several threads recently about gifting Kindle books and free Kindle books...

We have 3G and WiFi here so that is not an issue...(forgive me, Lulu, for the slight threadjack but I hope that it will be informative to you as well)


As far as I know, you can't borrow books on Kindle (like the library). They are going to do a borrow program at some point between friends with Kindles - loaning once, for 14 days, I think.

Kindle and Kindle DX...DX is much bigger, over 9" vs 6, and the layout is different (turn buttons only on one side, a deal breaker). It's overkill IMHO unless you need it for textbooks or something. It's also overpriced for what it is compared to the new Kindle 3 prices.
 
BEG, thanks for the info about the Kindle PC app. i didn't even think about that! he has a 32" monitor w/a zoom text software, so that would def work for him.

as for the loaning, what i've found in my research (which could be wrong) is you can lend books you own to your friends who have a kindle device/app for 14 days free of charge.

don't know much about the diff between the kindle and kindle DX.


ok, one more question. what if your home wifi is encrypted w/a security password, is there a problem using the kindle?
 
lulu66|1290494984|2776334 said:
BEG, thanks for the info about the Kindle PC app. i didn't even think about that! he has a 32" monitor w/a zoom text software, so that would def work for him.

as for the loaning, what i've found in my research (which could be wrong) is you can lend books you own to your friends who have a kindle device/app for 14 days free of charge.

don't know much about the diff between the kindle and kindle DX.


ok, one more question. what if your home wifi is encrypted w/a security password, is there a problem using the kindle?

No problem!

And nope no problem. Just make sure you know your password so you can input it the first time you get onto your network on your Kindle. Mine is encrypted and I had no problem - plus once you've put it in once, you don't have to reenter it each time after - the Kindle will automatically log you into your home network.
 
very cool! thanks, BEG!
 
Thank you all who responded and to LULU! for letting me threadjack!
 
so, anything else i need to know? :bigsmile: :bigsmile: i'm getting excited!


monarch, from my quick limited knowledge, the DX is bigger, so bigger screen, but also weighs more. it has WI-FI and 3g. and the battery life is a bit less than the basic Kindle. to me the biggest difference is the bigger screen & bigger price tag. i think whether it's worth it depends on what your needs are.
 
lulu66|1290495634|2776354 said:
so, anything else i need to know? :bigsmile: :bigsmile: i'm getting excited!


monarch, from my quick limited knowledge, the DX is bigger, so bigger screen, but also weighs more. it has WI-FI and 3g. and the battery life is a bit less than the basic Kindle. to me the biggest difference is the bigger screen & bigger price tag. i think whether it's worth it depends on what your needs are.

Get a good cover! I like the "book feeling" my cover gives me (I have the green amazon one, no light). I LOVED my Cole Haan cover for my Kindle 2 but it stained my white Kindle :( Now I have the graphite one and no staining cover (plus the Cole Haan one was pricey!)
 
Anything else you need to know? If you're name is "thumbs", then get the extended warranty. The warranty is very overpriced...a very high percentage of the item. You are also technically only buying the SECOND year, as Amazon covers the first. I'm not a believer in extended warranties generally, but the Kindle can be a slippery little bugger.

So as BEG said, cover is key. Don't read the darned thing without it.

Oh, Kindle format is proprietary...you won't be able to get books from a lot of public domain sites. But there is a ton of free pub domain stuff on Amazon. Honestly, this doesn't bug me at all.

You can add up to 6 Kindles on an account...but it's linked to ONE card. Which means if you and your friends are all on one account, you need to figure out a way to pay each other for books. You'll also know when your friend downloads a lame-ass book, so it's not the best for privacy. :tongue:

I have had my Kindle for a year now and am nothing but pleased with it.
 
TravelingGal|1290496249|2776375 said:
Anything else you need to know? If you're name is "thumbs", then get the extended warranty. The warranty is very overpriced...a very high percentage of the item. You are also technically only buying the SECOND year, as Amazon covers the first. I'm not a believer in extended warranties generally, but the Kindle can be a slippery little bugger.

So as BEG said, cover is key. Don't read the darned thing without it.

Oh, Kindle format is proprietary...you won't be able to get books from a lot of public domain sites. But there is a ton of free pub domain stuff on Amazon. Honestly, this doesn't bug me at all.

You can add up to 6 Kindles on an account...but it's linked to ONE card. Which means if you and your friends are all on one account, you need to figure out a way to pay each other for books. You'll also know when your friend downloads a lame-a$$ book, so it's not the best for privacy. :tongue:

I have had my Kindle for a year now and am nothing but pleased with it.


i'll pass on the info about the warranty to the momma!

and i already told DH that a cover would be a great gift from him! scoping them out now. loving this one http://www.amazon.com/kate-spade-ne...3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1290496512&sr=1-3 but i don't think DH will go for an $85 cover. so, i'll probably end up w/the basic amazon one for $35.

it is a slight bummer that the format's proprietary but i don't for-see that being a huge issue for me either!

monarch, we got you convinced yet?
 
OH & DH told me to tell everyone "thanks" for the info, especially the pics BEG!!
 
I'm glad I could help! :)

I like the Kate Spade cover! I did pay a lot for my old Cole Haan one, but you know, I really like my cheaper Amazon one too
 
Cute cover!

I don't know if it's the case (no pun intended) with K3, but some K2 covers cracked the K2 because they sort of hooked onto the notches on the side of the Kindle. For K2, a lot of people recommended cases with the four corner tabs instead.

Etsy has a lot of cheaper covers...Haven (I think?) linked a vendor that a lot of PSers got covers from and loved.

I liked a full zip cover so when I throw it in my bag, my other bag items can't get in to the cover and scratch the Kindle. I have the m-edge one. It's not that cute, but works well with the M-edge light and protects my Kindle well.
 
Lulu, yeah, you guys have me convinced for sure! It's FI who needs to be presented with all sorts of research from me (which is totally fine, I'd do the same to him if he'd asked for some gadget about which I knew nothing!)

Thank you so much, LULU for posting this thread!!! :appl: :wavey:

So, all I need in addition to the K3 (which is the one I'm hoping 'MIGHT' be purchased for me this season) is a cover which can be found on Etsy? I remember Haven's thread about Kindle covers so I have no problem going there for recs or scoping out sellers. Are there any additional add-ons I'm going to NEED? (need vs. want, please) Thank you for posting this thread!


TGal, thanks for all of your knowledge, it is very much appreciated.

I look forward to gaining even more tidbits here about the Kindle. Thank you.
 
monarch64|1290498025|2776416 said:
Lulu, yeah, you guys have me convinced for sure! It's FI who needs to be presented with all sorts of research from me (which is totally fine, I'd do the same to him if he'd asked for some gadget about which I knew nothing!)

Thank you so much, LULU for posting this thread!!! :appl: :wavey:

So, all I need in addition to the K3 (which is the one I'm hoping 'MIGHT' be purchased for me this season) is a cover which can be found on Etsy? I remember Haven's thread about Kindle covers so I have no problem going there for recs or scoping out sellers. Are there any additional add-ons I'm going to NEED? (need vs. want, please) Thank you for posting this thread!


TGal, thanks for all of your knowledge, it is very much appreciated.

I look forward to gaining even more tidbits here about the Kindle. Thank you.

Books. You need books. :tongue:

Seriously though, something else you should know...Kindle books can be returned within 7 days of purchase (although it's kind of hard to figure out on the site how to accomplish this). Nice policy, however...

There was an article awhile back which told the story of a Kindle owner who became the proud owner of a brick - i.e. a Kindle without an Amazon account. Apparently too many book returns...and Amazon opted to say bye bye to him.

Anyway, other than a cover, I say that's pretty much all you need. You'll need light because it's not backlight, but a pre-owned lamp in your house can supply this need. ::)
 
TravelingGal|1290499441|2776449 said:
monarch64|1290498025|2776416 said:
Lulu, yeah, you guys have me convinced for sure! It's FI who needs to be presented with all sorts of research from me (which is totally fine, I'd do the same to him if he'd asked for some gadget about which I knew nothing!)

Thank you so much, LULU for posting this thread!!! :appl: :wavey:

So, all I need in addition to the K3 (which is the one I'm hoping 'MIGHT' be purchased for me this season) is a cover which can be found on Etsy? I remember Haven's thread about Kindle covers so I have no problem going there for recs or scoping out sellers. Are there any additional add-ons I'm going to NEED? (need vs. want, please) Thank you for posting this thread!


TGal, thanks for all of your knowledge, it is very much appreciated.

I look forward to gaining even more tidbits here about the Kindle. Thank you.

Books. You need books. :tongue:

Seriously though, something else you should know...Kindle books can be returned within 7 days of purchase (although it's kind of hard to figure out on the site how to accomplish this). Nice policy, however...

There was an article awhile back which told the story of a Kindle owner who became the proud owner of a brick - i.e. a Kindle without an Amazon account. Apparently too many book returns...and Amazon opted to say bye bye to him.

Anyway, other than a cover, I say that's pretty much all you need. You'll need light because it's not backlight, but a pre-owned lamp in your house can supply this need. ::)


Gotcha. Kindle, Cover, Books, Light . (And don't let your Kindle become a brick.) Ok.

Now, how in the world do you keep your SO from instigating adult activities while you are reading in bed? I know--I know--get him his own Kindle? :twisted: :roll:
 
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