NOTE: Amazon limits the video size and duration, so I targeted what I thought were some key points.
I check comments, so leave one if you have any questions not covered in the video or below and I'll try and answer.
First off I love this device!!
Like ipods are the king of MP3 players, this is the king of ebook readers in my opinion.
I've been looking at this thing for at least 7+ hrs today and my eyes don't feel tired at all.
If you want. . .
* a low cost eBook reader
* that allows you to read books
* looks great
* easy to setup
* easy to hold/carry
* easy on the eyes (no getting tired eyes from a glaring screen)
. . . then look no further than this product!
**Adding updates as I find other feature behaviors**
- The comic I converted to PDF when emailed to my kindle email address the conversion process didn't like it too much. Better to not use the conversion process for those types of PDFs. Other PDF's converted just fine.
- Emailing PDF = the conversion process seems to cut off the cover page each time
- Emailing and having amazon convert is fast. I like it!
- You can plug the kindle into the USB, then "eject" it from the OS. This allows you to continue to charge the kindle and read it at the same time. You could also just plug it into an electrical socket and read from it too.
- If you stop/pause your MP3 music it will start all the way back at track #1. This is not an MP3 player. It also plays the most recently added track first
- 10 minutes it goes into sleep mode, but if you leave Wi-fi on = drains your battery quicker. Better to turn Wi-fi off when not using it
- Buy a case to protect it and get yourself a light for times when you don't have enough light to read by. This is not a cell-phone screen, meaning you can't read it in the dark. The screen very much simulates paper in this case.
- Manual even states...you cannot connect the Wi-fi to a corporate wi-fi. Most companies require VPN of some sort, which is not supported here.
- Loaded a 25Mb PDF and when when trying to search I get the following error message, ""your search can not be completed as this item has not been indexed. Please try again later." Found forum posts that said give the Kindle at least 10 minutes to complete indexing the file. . .longer if file if big. Sure enough, about 30 minutes later I tried again and was able to search this large PDF.
8/29/10 update:
- Just got back from Starbucks
* Turned wi-fi on
* Menu > Settings > Wifi Settings and selected the attwifi network option
* Home > Menu > Experimental > Launch browser
* zoom in on the terms & agreement checkbox and use the spacebar to check the box
* click continue button and you are on the internet at the coffee shop!!
9/3/10 update:
- A week later, I haven't charged the unit nor shut it down, I've only put it into sleep mode. Battery indicator is still more than 80% full. Nice!
- Someone pointed me towards "Calibre" a free conversion utility. Totally supports the Kindle 3 and converts to PDF, ePub, Mobi, etc. Works great and you can have the program send the converted document directly to your device via USB or email. The program also acts as your own "backup" by creating a document library on your hard drive that can be sorted, metadata updated, etc. It's very cool!
9/5/10 update:
- I kept getting unconverted PDFs (PDFs copied directly to unit via USB vs. sending to email for conversion) would result in the unit restarting when trying to access the PDF. Found forums that said you need to reset the unit. Slide & hold the power button for 15 seconds. Let it take the 20 seconds to reboot. This worked for me.
9/10/10 update:
Comments discussion & answers on the following:
- Annotating PDFs, then accessing these notes for later review on a laptop/desktop
- Is there an auto-scrolling for PDFs? = No
- What its like to have the kindle "read" back to you? = robotic voice that ignores punctuation
- More info on document conversion, including sending emails to the kindle for conversion?
- The ability to access Gmail from the kindle? = yes, works fine though a bit slow on wi-fi
9/19/10 update:
- Check out the comments for my answer to, "Should I buy 3G or is wifi good enough?" = need to buy a book on the run, then get 3G. If you can wait till you get home or a coffee shop, then wi-fi works fine.
9/24/10 update:
Comments discussion & answers on the following:
- Exactly how does an Audible audio book work with the Kindle?
- Possible causes for why MP3 music is not recognized by the device?
10/2/10 update:
Comments discussion & answers on the following:
- Can you play Audible audio books while at the same time reading along? = for all intents and purposes, no
- How easy is it to register a new/used K3 to a different owner? = easy as pie
10/23/10 update:
Comments discussion & answers on the following:
- Can you change out the battery yourself? = no
- Can you share your documents with other kindle users? = legally only if both devices are under the same user account
12/7/10 update:
Comments discussion & answers on the following:
- Can a color document show up as color on the kindle? = No, doc will be converted to greyscale
- Able to support textbooks? = Yes, if in a supported document type
- Should I pay the extra $50 for 3G in order to more easily access websites? = Up to you...many sites have mobile versions that load great on wi-fi. NOTE: still doesn't support sites that use Java
- Will I have 3G coverage in my rural area? = Amazon gives a disclaimer in their FAQ that 3G connection is not guaranteed in some areas
- Should I get the K3 for my 10 year old? = I personally feel this is a great device for any age reader. . .and gives the parent control/visibility to what is being read
02/16/11 update:
Comments discussion & answers on the following:
- Can I read ebooks from my local library? Depends. My library system has you download an ePub format book to a computer, ereader device or mobile phone. So for me, yes! I can download and convert to Kindle friendly format
- Is it easy to get started with the Kindle? Yes. The device comes pre-charged and pre-loaded with the User Manual which is clear and easy to read.
- Can you get books in foreign countries? As long as you can get a wifi or 3G connection to amazon's web site, then yes!
04/05/11 update:
Comments discussion & answers on the following:
- Can I lend ebooks to others for use with their eReader (Kindle or not)? No, not purchased, legal copies. Plus Kindle uses a file format (azw) that isn't supported by other brand readers
- Can I convert downloaded ebooks to a format that I can share with others? No. DRM prevents the conversion and even Calibre refuses to convert if the document is DRM enabled.
- Can I change the images of the screensaver? No. Kindle Support says there are no "supported" methods by which to change this.