My interest in the Amazon Kindle went up greatly when I read it will
hold up to 3500 ebooks. Now I'm not sure yet how many it'll hold in PDF
format, but dang, to have a few hundred technical reference books
available in a heartbeat...

Saw one at Staples the other day, and it was so thin, I thought at first
it was a cardboard facsimile until I noticed the power cord. Really a
slick looking unit. I've put it at the top of my wish list for Christmas...

Jon

"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
My interest in the Amazon Kindle went up greatly when I read it will hold
up to 3500 ebooks. Now I'm not sure yet how many it'll hold in PDF format,
but dang, to have a few hundred technical reference books available in a
heartbeat...


There is a catch, however, and that is that the interface when reading PDF
files is clumsy and slow. One page per screen (small screen) is way too
small, so you have to enlarge it into four windows which don't scroll.
It -works- (after a fashion) and is infinitely better than
not-having-the-manual-at-all, but it is a frustrating interface if you're
used to using a PC or an iPad.

Saw one at Staples the other day, and it was so thin, I thought at first
it was a cardboard facsimile until I noticed the power cord. Really a
slick looking unit. I've put it at the top of my wish list for
Christmas...

As light as cardboard, too...

....and hats off, too, to Amazon's very sensisble approach to repairs under
warranty. I dropped mine and broke the screen. My fault entirely. They
replaced it, free of charge, *almost* no-questions-asked, within a week (to
*Australia*!) I'm now using the new one, and am just about to post the
broken one back to them. (Note the order of operations.)

Obviously the sale of ebooks is more important to them than the hardware -
and good thing too.

Another thing - the Kindle screen is drop-dead gorgeous. It really looks
like printed paper. I have the small Kindle (for portability) and will
definitely be getting a big one (for reading convenience). I love my iPad,
too, but the Kindle wins hands-down for reading clarity and portability (not
to mention $$$).

Oh - the user interface (including "go-to") is utter crap, but I spend most
of the time reading and turning pages, not flicking and re-sizing and
browsing.

--
Jeff R.




Jon

On 10/22/2010 3:48 PM, Jeff R. wrote:

There is a catch, however, and that is that the interface when reading PDF
files is clumsy and slow. One page per screen (small screen) is way too
small, so you have to enlarge it into four windows which don't scroll.

Ah, good to get some feedback like this. Maybe I'll opt for the bigger
one. And good to know they'll deal with folks down under, as I'm headed
there in the not too distant future...

So, how hard is it to -find- the book you want? Is it straight
alphabetical, or can you organize books into folders by topic?

Yeah, that screen really is lovely, part of why I thought I was looking
at a fake for a few seconds.

Jon

"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...

Ah, good to get some feedback like this. Maybe I'll opt for the bigger
one.

Smaller one fits in big pockets. Big one wouldn't.

And good to know they'll deal with folks down under, as I'm headed there
in the not too distant future...

Sensible choice. (Both of them)

So, how hard is it to -find- the book you want? Is it straight
alphabetical, or can you organize books into folders by topic?

You can create "folders" and move your books into them. Sadly you cannot
(AFAIK) create a hierarchy of folders-within-folders, which is a shame for
me. I like over-organising my directories.

Still, simple folders is better than 'nowt.

There is a very comprehensive search function, which will search: your
stuff, kindle store, google, dictionary, wiki, or just take you to the web.
Did I mention it goes on the web?

I almost never use the search function, though. Prefer to keep my stuff in
logical folders.

You can sort your stuff by: title, author, collection (folder) or most
recently accessed.



Yeah, that screen really is lovely, part of why I thought I was looking at
a fake for a few seconds.

When I got my first one, I tried to peel off the printed instruction sheet
from the screen. There wasn't one. :-|

--
Jeff R.




Jon

Not sure if it's still the case, but it used to be that the DX (big Kindle)
was the only one that could directly accept PDF files from a PC. The small
one required you to do something like email the file to Amazon where they
"converted" it to your Kindle.

"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
On 10/22/2010 3:48 PM, Jeff R. wrote:

There is a catch, however, and that is that the interface when reading
PDF
files is clumsy and slow. One page per screen (small screen) is way too
small, so you have to enlarge it into four windows which don't scroll.

Ah, good to get some feedback like this. Maybe I'll opt for the bigger
one. And good to know they'll deal with folks down under, as I'm headed
there in the not too distant future...

So, how hard is it to -find- the book you want? Is it straight
alphabetical, or can you organize books into folders by topic?

Yeah, that screen really is lovely, part of why I thought I was looking at
a fake for a few seconds.

Jon

On 10/23/2010 9:31 AM, Mike Henry wrote:

Not sure if it's still the case, but it used to be that the DX (big
Kindle) was the only one that could directly accept PDF files from a PC.
The small one required you to do something like email the file to Amazon
where they "converted" it to your Kindle.

Oooh, THAT is not something I like. Take forever to email everything I
wanted to load up. Ok, I'll just sit back on the sidelines and watch
them evolve a bit more.


Jon

Jon Anderson writes:

Not sure if it's still the case, but it used to be that the DX (big
Kindle) was the only one that could directly accept PDF files from a PC.
The small one required you to do something like email the file to Amazon
where they "converted" it to your Kindle.

Oooh, THAT is not something I like. Take forever to email everything I
wanted to load up. Ok, I'll just sit back on the sidelines and watch
them evolve a bit more.

No, no, no. The $139 Kindle 3 works natively with PDFs. You just connect
it to your PC via USB, copy the PDF file into it like a USB drive, and its
on there.

"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
On 10/23/2010 9:31 AM, Mike Henry wrote:

Not sure if it's still the case, but it used to be that the DX (big
Kindle) was the only one that could directly accept PDF files from a PC.
The small one required you to do something like email the file to Amazon
where they "converted" it to your Kindle.

Oooh, THAT is not something I like. Take forever to email everything I
wanted to load up. Ok, I'll just sit back on the sidelines and watch them
evolve a bit more.


Nope.
Kindle 3 takes pdf files straight from the PC. No email-conversion
required.
....albeit with the user-interface deficiencies I noted earlier.

--
Jeff R.

Jon Anderson wrote:

My interest in the Amazon Kindle went up greatly when I read it will
hold up to 3500 ebooks. Now I'm not sure yet how many it'll hold in PDF
format, but dang, to have a few hundred technical reference books
available in a heartbeat...

Saw one at Staples the other day, and it was so thin, I thought at first
it was a cardboard facsimile until I noticed the power cord. Really a
slick looking unit. I've put it at the top of my wish list for Christmas...

Jon

If only I could verify my ownership of many of my books and have them on a kindle after
recycling them. That would be sweet. The one down side of drm is what happens to your
library after you die?

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

On Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:50:40 -0400, Wes
wrote:

Jon Anderson wrote:

My interest in the Amazon Kindle went up greatly when I read it will
hold up to 3500 ebooks. Now I'm not sure yet how many it'll hold in PDF
format, but dang, to have a few hundred technical reference books
available in a heartbeat...

Saw one at Staples the other day, and it was so thin, I thought at first
it was a cardboard facsimile until I noticed the power cord. Really a
slick looking unit. I've put it at the top of my wish list for Christmas...

Jon

If only I could verify my ownership of many of my books and have them on a kindle after
recycling them. That would be sweet. The one down side of drm is what happens to your
library after you die?

Read some of the angry comments in the kindle feedback files. If your
kindle dies in-warranty, they give you a new one. Then you can
individually download each and every one of your titles that you saved
to the old one. 3,500? Should take you only a FEW WEEKS, if you have
nothing else to do 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. It seems that
they're not quite perfect.

--
I am an old man, but in many senses a very young man.
And this is what I want you to be, young, young all
your life. -- Pablo Casals

On Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:28:56 -0800, Jon Anderson
wrote:

My interest in the Amazon Kindle went up greatly when I read it will
hold up to 3500 ebooks. Now I'm not sure yet how many it'll hold in PDF
format, but dang, to have a few hundred technical reference books
available in a heartbeat...

Saw one at Staples the other day, and it was so thin, I thought at first
it was a cardboard facsimile until I noticed the power cord. Really a
slick looking unit. I've put it at the top of my wish list for Christmas...

Jon


The Kindle may or may not be your best choice..particularly at the price
and capability of file formats it will display and display
properly......

You may wish to read this..... and compare...

http://www.ebookreadersreview.co.uk/...-tables-added/

http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com/

So far..the BeBook appears to be one of the most versitile...but the
manufactures are still scrambling around trying to find out what
everyone wants most....

The Kindle 3 does look pretty good and its Wifi compatible...but it
doesnt fully support EPUB format completely yet..which appears to be the
most rapidly growing Ebook format

I rather suspect November will see a 3rd generation of ebook readers
being announched just in time for Christmas.....

Id be quite happy to get a Astek, as it reads practially everything...

http://www.theezreader.com/html/support.asp#3

but..it doesnt have wireless. Shrug


Gunner


I am the Sword of my Family
and the Shield of my Nation.
If sent, I will crush everything you have built,
burn everything you love,
and kill every one of you.
(Hebrew quote)

On 10/22/2010 6:02 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:

You may wish to read this..... and compare...

Thanks, something to think about. Maybe my best bet for now is to hold
off and see what comes out in the next 6-12 months. Yeah, the BeBook
sure looks to have it on general compatibility and formats.


Jon

On Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:34:10 -0800, Jon Anderson
wrote:

On 10/22/2010 6:02 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:

You may wish to read this..... and compare...

Thanks, something to think about. Maybe my best bet for now is to hold
off and see what comes out in the next 6-12 months. Yeah, the BeBook
sure looks to have it on general compatibility and formats.


Jon


Since ebook readers are still largely in their infancy....that might be
best. Now on the other hand..you can pick up one of the new and very
cheap laptops for $150-300..the same price as an ebook reader..and it
will give you color, all the computer functions and read ALL formats.

But then..they arent as small and thin as the ebook readers
either..though they are getting much closer....

http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=NBB

http://www.overstock.com/Electronics...33/subcat.html



Gunner


I am the Sword of my Family
and the Shield of my Nation.
If sent, I will crush everything you have built,
burn everything you love,
and kill every one of you.
(Hebrew quote)

Jon Anderson writes:

My interest in the Amazon Kindle went up greatly when I read it will
hold up to 3500 ebooks. Now I'm not sure yet how many it'll hold in PDF
format,

I just got the $139 Kindle 3 to play with.

Let me just start by saying that the PDF 28th Machinery's Handbook works
very well on this thing. That alone would justify it as a shop tool.
You can fit the pages to the screen and read them with your magnifier
headset. This book is not otherwise available as an ebook.

My other justification was I could flop on the couch and read all those
500-page software manuals in PDF format such as one finds on e.b.e-
ebook.technical, without having to print them out or perch a hot-heavy-
corded laptop on my abdomen. Copying the actual PDF files is easy, as
the device plugs into USB as an ordinary simple storage device.

Some PDFs are quite suitable, such as small-format books that were
scanned as bitmaps. These work almost like a native ebook format, the
pages fitting nicely into the screen size.

Larger formats like magazines and the Osprey military books, in PDF, are
readable, but kind of clumsy with the keyhole effect of the 600x800
display. What works best is to rotate the view into landscape mode,
which can fit the page to the width of the screen.