Just ordered a Kindle!

[luvpooh]

I'm so excited! I have been debating buying a kindle for awhile now but didn't want to spend the money on it. Well, I just found out that I could get one with my Thank You network points thru Citibank! So, I just ordered a kindle, plus a cash reward since we had add'l points, for 'free'.

So, can anyone give me some good tips about the kindle? Anything about the wi-fi ability? Good places to get free books? Any accessories that I should get? I know I want to get a light for it, but should I get a cover? Anything else?

I know there is a lot of info on the Amazon Kindle board but it seems very daunting and intimidating, so I thought I'd check here to see if anyone had any advice.

Thanks!

 

[My2E's]

I am so jealous. I don't have one, so I can't give you any tips, but my Dad just told me today that he is going to surprise my Mom with one for Christmas. I'm not even sure she knows about them, but she is going to LOVE it! My Aunt told Dad about it, because he had never heard of it either! LOL!

 

[THE HAT]

I'm so excited! I have been debating buying a kindle for awhile now but didn't want to spend the money on it. Well, I just found out that I could get one with my Thank You network points thru Citibank! So, I just ordered a kindle, plus a cash reward since we had add'l points, for 'free'.

So, can anyone give me some good tips about the kindle? Anything about the wi-fi ability? Good places to get free books? Any accessories that I should get? I know I want to get a light for it, but should I get a cover? Anything else?

I know there is a lot of info on the Amazon Kindle board but it seems very daunting and intimidating, so I thought I'd check here to see if anyone had any advice.

Thanks!

I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you, but I have been looking at them as well. I do have Thank You points from Citibank as well. Did you see this on the Thank You Points web site or elsewhere? I had just been saving my points and figured I would get the sears gift cards so DH could "buy" tools, but I might have to do this instead. Do you mind my asking how many points this was to get?

 

[luvpooh]

I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you, but I have been looking at them as well. I do have Thank You points from Citibank as well. Did you see this on the Thank You Points web site or elsewhere? I had just been saving my points and figured I would get the sears gift cards so DH could "buy" tools, but I might have to do this instead. Do you mind my asking how many points this was to get?

Yes, it was on the Thank You Points 'Network' site. Search Kindle in 'all categories' and it comes up; both the regular (Kindle 2) and the DX. I got the Kindle 2. I believe it came to around 41K points.

Hope this helps and I hope you can get one!

 

[MinnieMe87]

I love, love, love my Kindle!! I got my Mom's hand-me-down 1st generation when she got a Kindle 2. I left the leather cover that she got for it on it, because it is a very good protector for it. Doesn't just protect it, it also makes it a little more sturdy and easier for me to hold on to.

One place I look for Free Books is in the Kindle Store on Amazon's website. I always check the bestseller list, because it is updated every hour and chances are most of the newer free books are in the bestseller list because they are bought a lot. There are always a nice selection of free books on Amazon's site to choose from. I rarely use the Kindle to search for books, I find it easier for me to just use Amazon's website. The few times I have used the actual Kindle for buying books, it has worked great! I used it in the Bahamas on our cruise to get a few new books, and it never faltered.

Welcome to the dark side!

 

[momrek06]

OK, great thread. I would love to get either the KINDLE or the SONY READER for my 23yo DS for XMAS or his bday on the 30th.

He would absolutely love this....now doesn't Barnes and Noble now have one???

How do I decide? Do you love the Kindle...should I get that one? And using points....I have so many AMEX points, I wonder if I could use them?

 

[LV Disney Fan(atic)]

Got my Kindle 2 a few months ago - love it!

For great tips on where to get free books, the best accessories, etc. check out the Kindle Boards (kindleboards dot com). Very friendly site; excellent info.

You definitely need a cover; don't want to scratch your screen. I got an Oberon leather cover for my K2 and it's gorgeous!

 

[THE HAT]

Luvpooh--just wanted to thank you for the information. I was a few points short to order it, but had enough to get citibank visa gift cards in the amount needed to order one off of Amazon!!! (plus a few starbucks cards to boot..great for ss stuffers).....and I also thank you because I wouldn't have gone on to even see my points, and they were about 40 days from expiring!!

 

[Tiggeroo]

I am really thinking about getting the Nook.

 

[jazzielady]

I cannot speak highly enough of the Kindle. I got mine last spring, and after a moment of whining about the price, dh quickly realized that with all the books I was buying, I would more than easily make up the cost of the kindle.

I have the plain black Amazon cover. It works fine. I did get a prettier, sky blue cover that flips back over the top. I thought it would make for a nice "lecturn", so to speak, but it didn't work out that way.

Be careful if you like to read in the bathtub. One night as I was getting in, it slipped from my fingers. I was in an absolute panic because one of the things that voids the warranty is water damage. It did not completely submerge. I put it in a ziplock bag with some rice, within a couple of days it was completely dry and works fine.

Hint: if you read in the tub, put it in a ziploc bag!

My favorite feature is the free samples. If you're not sure if you want a book, you can download a free sample before buying it.

Customer service is great. The battery life is amazing as well.

Congratulations and have fun!

 

[DVCLiz]

I'm so excited! I have been debating buying a kindle for awhile now but didn't want to spend the money on it. Well, I just found out that I could get one with my Thank You network points thru Citibank! So, I just ordered a kindle, plus a cash reward since we had add'l points, for 'free'.

So, can anyone give me some good tips about the kindle? Anything about the wi-fi ability? Good places to get free books? Any accessories that I should get? I know I want to get a light for it, but should I get a cover? Anything else?

I know there is a lot of info on the Amazon Kindle board but it seems very daunting and intimidating, so I thought I'd check here to see if anyone had any advice.

Thanks!

luvpooh, just to be clear and for anyone else reading:

The Kindle does NOT have wi-fi. It operates with cell phone technology - in this case Sprint's network. You do NOT need to be a Sprint customer to get a Kindle - it has nothing to do with your own personal cell phone plan. Amazon has a contract with Sprint to provide wireless service at no cost to the consumer. That means all wireless connectivity is free for you, the customer. You've already paid your share when you bought the Kindle itself.

Amazon has maps on their site you can - and should - check to see how the coverage is in your area. Don't despair if you have spotty coverage, though - you can easily download books onto your computer and then transfer them with an included USB cable. It really is simple as pie!

 

[DVCLiz]

I am really thinking about getting the Nook.

I am interested in hearing people's real-life experiences with the Nook once it comes out. I'll be interested to see how people like that touch screen element and what the real costs of the ebooks in the B&N store are compared to Amazon's pricing. Most of the internet chat I've read has put Amazon as consistently cheaper. A friend who is debating said she was leaning toward the Nook because they had so many more books than the Kindle. In fact, B&N is marketing the free books on Google as part of their "million books available" strategy. Kindle can access those, too, btw.

Are you going to order one for Christmas? If you haven't already ordered, you'll get a gift certificate instead. Nook sold out last week for Christmas delivery. I hope there won't be a lot of disappointed people - the same thing happened to Amazon in its first year of producing the Kindle and some people had to wait until spring to get theirs.

 

[Imzadi]

I downloaded the FREE Kindle for PC software last week and I've been busily downloading free books all week to my laptop. It's a Kindle software program so people can read the Kindle books right on their laptops. People can buy & read Kindle books now, without having to wait to buy an actual Kindle.

I can transfer all the books to a Kindle later, (once I buy one,) as they are in my Amazon Kindle account.

I hesitated to download the software as I wasn't sure if it was going to be a hog & slow down my computer. But it downloaded & installed itself in like FOUR seconds on DSL. It actually uses less resources than my Adobe PDF reader. I usually have to reboot after using that as I find it slows down my computer some. Not with the Kindle for PC. It just comes up like a simple webpage window.

I LOVE the different font sizes. My eyesight is going. So bigger fots are a lot better for me. But, I only have to use the font size which is at the Kindle for PC's mid size wich is about 20 pt, I guess.

It does have backlighting issues. Unlike here, the Kindle for PC screen is a white screen. If you've ever been on a thread here where a post has been "whited out," because we post spoilers, you will notice that the background in this forum isn't absolutely white. It is a slight, faint blue or gray blue. That's what allows us to post & read here so much without all the eyestrain.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I cannot speak highly enough of the Kindle. I got mine last spring, and after a moment of whining about the price, dh quickly realized that with all the books I was buying, I would more than easily make up the cost of the kindle.

!

I am thrilled to see this thread. I am countign on the above effecgt fofr DD as well. I jsut ordered one last week for her for Christmas. She is young for such a pricey gadget (will be 13 next month) but she takes care care of her stuff (has had a cell phone since age 6 and never once misplaced it or damaged it) and she reads all the time. In the US she was going through 4-10 novles a week. Here, she has read everything that the library has in Engish and we try to buy her at least one cheapie book a week (classics can be had for 3-4 Euro in English) and one thing she really wants every 3-4 weeks 9special order english books generally run about 15 euros).

 

[Disneyadore]

I am thrilled to see this thread. I am countign on the above effecgt fofr DD as well. I jsut ordered one last week for her for Christmas. She is young for such a pricey gadget (will be 13 next month) but she takes care care of her stuff (has had a cell phone since age 6 and never once misplaced it or damaged it) and she reads all the time. In the US she was going through 4-10 novles a week. Here, she has read everything that the library has in Engish and we try to buy her at least one cheapie book a week (classics can be had for 3-4 Euro in English) and one thing she really wants every 3-4 weeks 9special order english books generally run about 15 euros).

Just curious
I was looking at a Sony. Kindle is not so popular in Europe.

I went to my library in Rotterdam and there you can also "borrow" E books.
Maybe in a student city as Heidelberg the library provides this service also?

 

[bumbershoot]

luvpooh, just to be clear and for anyone else reading:

The Kindle does NOT have wi-fi. It operates with cell phone technology - in this case Sprint's network. You do NOT need to be a Sprint customer to get a Kindle - it has nothing to do with your own personal cell phone plan. Amazon has a contract with Sprint to provide wireless service at no cost to the consumer.

FYI, for the international Kindle newly released, and this is public info (had to check with the hubby on that one), when international, it uses the AT&T network.


Definite YES on the ziplok plastic bag for reading in the tub!!!!

If you start losing your far vision a few weeks after owning it, make that font bigger! If you don't have a convenient hubby who is a product tester for them, read the manual (funniest thing about the manual is that it's on paper!) to find out how to do it. Ahhh, happy eyes once again.



I think the first book I read on it was Pride and Prejudice...for free...definitely check around for the free ones! Although on the other hand, sometimes newer books are offered for free, BLECH on some of them. There was some horrid romance novel about some career woman who decides to get pregnant by her boss, they go to some tropical island where many businesspeople couples go to concieve...I can count on ONE hand the number of books I have started and not finished in my lifetime, and that was one of them!!!!!

 

[NHdisneylover]

Just curious
I was looking at a Sony. Kindle is not so popular in Europe.

I went to my library in Rotterdam and there you can also "borrow" E books.
Maybe in a student city as Heidelberg the library provides this service also?

Funny thing is, from the maps, there is more consistent coverage for the kindle in Europe than in the US
DD and I both "check out" audio books from our library in New Hapmshire still. I haven't tried e-books from the Heidelberg library though--that is a good idea.

 

[Disneyadore]

Funny thing is, from the maps, there is more consistent coverage for the kindle in Europe than in the US
DD and I both "check out" audio books from our library in New Hapmshire still. I haven't tried e-books from the Heidelberg library though--that is a good idea.

I suppose you can borrow the E books from every library Europe and the US you only have to be a member and you can load the e books from your computer on the Kindle.
They stay for three weeks on the Kindle or Sony.

 

[Imzadi]

How do you "check out" library books from other libraries? NYC has one of the largest eBook collections. But, I wouldn't be able to check them out without my real library membership.

Los Angeles has another large eBook collection. Unfortunately, as my membership ended when I moved from there, I cannot borrow eBooks from their collection without it.

Both of these libraries get their books with a limited budget. They can't just go loaning books out to non-members or people who do not live in their areas.

This is even with their eBooks and audio books. There are a limited amount of eBooks in a collection. Due to the copyright laws, libraries cannot "loan" more copies out than they have actual file copies of. I'm on a waiting list for a bestseller eBook. Until it's been borrowed & "returned" back into the system enough times, I won't be offered the eBook for check out until it's my turn. Some of these books are playable on a Kindle in the mobipocket format, which my library has.

Does Amazon Kindle have it's own international library system or an agreement with libraries which enables people to borrow books from libraries around the world?

 

[Disneyadore]

How do you "check out" library books from other libraries? NYC has one of the largest eBook collections. But, I wouldn't be able to check them out without my real library membership.

Los Angeles has another large eBook collection. Unfortunately, as my membership ended when I moved from there, I cannot borrow eBooks from their collection without it.

Even with eBooks and audio books, there are a limited amount of books in a collection. Due to the copyright laws, libraries cannot "loan" more copies out than they have actual file copies of. I'm on a waiting list for a bestseller eBook. Until it's been borrowed & "returned" back into the system enough times, I won't be offered the eBook for check out until it's my turn. Some of these books are playable on a Kindle in the mobipocket format, which my library has.



Does Amazon Kindle have it's own international library system or an agreement with libraries which enables people to borrow books from libraries around the world?

Rotterdam has the possibility to get a virtual membership. You don't have to live there.
The bill for the membership goes by Email. Maybe our country has a different system. I can also return my books in every library in every town.
Sometimes its great to live in a small country.