A Kindle World blog: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Staples to sell Kindle 3's and DXG this Fall in 1500+ stores

Staples will carry the three current Kindle models starting this Fall, which is just about here, and there is one store about 3 blocks from where I am.

It's all over the news but I first heard it from an anonymous commenter at this blog, and I think it's great news.

They have knowledgeable computer and electronics staff there, which will be a benefit for customers.

In other news, Borders' Kobo reader has lowered its price to $129. You can search 'kobo' at the top right here to get previous articles here about the Kobo reader.

Wall St. Journal story on Borders and Kobo is here.

Kindle 3 (3G/WiFi or WiFi-only) (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. Top 100 free bestsellers.
Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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Sunday, August 29, 2010

My white Kindle-3 photos of screen contrast + web browser's Article Mode

LARGER versions of the pics below are at my PBase photos site.
Essentially, the first 3 below are photo comparisons of my new Kindle 3, a white, not graphite one -- am I the first? :-)

The others show, at the New York Times:
. the Home page in vertical and horizontal modes with the new Webkit-based web browser and then a sequence of:
. zooming-in for options and choosing an article, and
. getting that article in Article Mode.

I took many more, so I'll be updating that photo site.

Reminder: You can (1) click here to see the page of larger versions of the shots below, or
(2) click on a photo to get the larger one.

SCREEN CONTRAST: Kindle 3 vs Kindle 2

Kindle 3 and Kindle 2 with same screen-sleeper

Kindle 3's Birds screen-sleeper

Kindle 2's Birds screen-sleeper

BROWSING WITH KINDLE 3 at The New York Times

New York Times Home Page in Landscape mode

Portrait, w/ zoom-in box showing	Zoomed-in area
Chosen article. selecting Article Mode.	Article Mode version

Hope some of that helped!

ADDENDUM - an older photo of the Kindle 2 screen image

Here, for commenter Anonymous who felt the K2 solo or close-up image was "just too poor" to be believed, is a smaller-sized version of the picture I took of the Kindle-2 birds screen-sleeper 1-1/2 years ago when I just enjoyed the image as it was.

Note how close that is to the picture a week ago. The Kindle 3 contrast is so much better, it makes the Kindle 2 image look "just too poor" for the commenter. That older image is at the old Kindle-1 and Kindle-2 comparison page and was taken back in Feb. '09, which seems eons ago in this digital world.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Friday, August 27, 2010

Kindle v. Kindle Web Browser Showdown Video. Also, Kindle 3 Article Mode

Len Edgerly (fine reflections and photos at his blog) continues his excellent video reporting on the Kindle 3 -- Darlene's the videographer -- with this demo of the new Webkit-based web browser and the differences between the Kindle 2 and Kindle 3 displays when rendering the same New York Times home page.

Here's the larger version of the video, titled Kindle v. Kindle: Browser Showdown.

Len talks about the videoclip and wonders if the new Article Mode may be somewhat problematic.

It's probably not meant to be used on a Home page, though, with many article segments on one web page and a zoom-in box used to identify the beginning of an article.

Len was in Basic Mode on the Kindle 2, which tends to be faster on that model but, as he points out, makes you look at the Left column contents first.
For Kindle 2 and Kindle DX owners, here are some tips on using the various modes.

Basic Mode is the Kindle 2's best mode for comfortable reading (no light grays and it uses larger fonts instead of the small ones used for Advanced mode).

Kindle 2's Advanced Mode does a Fit-to-Screen display, and of course that's too small to read usually, but you can rotate it manually using the Aa-key and it's sometimes doable that way. However, this mode does translation of colors to grayscale and this sometimes creates too-dark and too-light areas which are difficult to read.
However, if javascript is used for log-ins, etc., 'Advanced' mode is needed.

With the Kindle 3, the Non-article-mode should have both a Basic and Advanced mode also, but I won't know until I get mine sometime today.

The Kindle 3's Article mode seems to function like the wonderful Readability utility (free), which also doesn't like to try to do its own article focus at a Home page. Readability itself is meant for articles that are displayed in the center area of a webpage once you click on the link to them, and it nicely ignores material to the sides (links, ads, etc.).

It's probably best to click on an article at the New York Times and then use the Kindle 3 Article mode on that instead.

NUDGEfeature (also available on Kindle 2 and DX's)
Tip: When identifying an area to zoom in on, we can use the shift-key with the 5-way controller/button to "nudge" the zoom-area box in smaller increments.

I found it really interesting how much faster Len showed the Kindle 3 to be when loading the NYT's full home page vs time it took to load the simple mobile-site version that Kindle 2's Web Browser in Basic mode chose. So, the Kindle 3 web browser is considerably faster on this new model.

Also shown clearly at the left is the difference in contrast range between the screens. They're both on the Experimental prototypes page

This iPhone 4 video is in high definition.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Kindle 3 Arrives - First Impressions from New Owners, and a clear video

By Paul Biba, Kindle 2

By Paul Biba, Kindle 3

Above are two images from a side-by-side photo of the two 6" Kindle screens, which Paul Biba of teleread.com posted in his report today. What you see here are smaller versions of what he did, just to give an idea of the difference between the screens (though my Kindle 2 fonts have a darker effect than his). Go to his Teleread report to see the full sized ones as well as the original picture he took showing them side by side right after receiving the new Kindle 3 today.

THEN, see his images of the same with a microscope at 10x and 60x. Very telling.

I'm not getting mine until tomorrow, but here are initial reports from one thread at the Amazon forums prefaced by the first one I saw earlier today. These are all by people who also have or did have other Kindles.

' Timothy K. Bryant says:
Well I got mine about an hour ago. Have to say I'm pretty impressed! First off, the e-ink pearl screen is just gorgeous! The contrast is sooo much better. Online comparison pics don't do it justice. You have to see it for yourself! Secondly the new page buttons are wonderful, much quieter clicking. Plus the new size is a joy to hold with its reduced footprint & lighter weight. Wi-fi worked without a hitch & I downloaded my library in just a few minutes. It's much zippier than I expected it to be not just downloading but cursor movements & simple tasks are much faster now. The refresh rate while never an issue for me, is near instantaneous now. I like the feel of the new plastic as well. Kind of hard to describe, it feels smooth yet a slight hint of rubber. (that may not come out right, clean minds people) It gives it a lil traction in your hand without being sticky. Did I mention this gorgeous screen? Ok enough, back to my reading!

Oh yeah, it's the wi-fi only graphite model...

[Here's Timothy Bryant's video that shows it from unboxing to opening a book and doing several page turns, which gives a good idea of response time.

Also, it's shot in HD and is very clear.]

===
[And from one message thread]:

E. Yasi says:
...I'm still just getting to know it, but first impressions in no particular order:

- Wow, it is very noticeably smaller than the K2. Noticeably. I'm coming from a DX, so it's even more exaggerated for me.

- I really like the hand-feel of it. The smooth yet ever-so-slightly grippy back is a joy to hold...The K3 is even more delightful to hold than prior kindles.

- Along with being smaller, it's noticeably lighter too. Very easy to hold. Between that and the graphite coloring the K3 "disappears" even faster than prior Kindles, which is saying something.

- Minor point I really appreciate: the larger charging light on the bottom of the kindle. It's part of the on-off slider button (clever), and for partially color-blind folks like myself it is much easier to differentiate the yellow from the green. Took about 1 1/2 hours to charge to full.

- New page turn buttons are much narrower, and took a few minutes to get used to, but yes they are very quiet, and once I transitioned very easy to use.

- The new screen has a noticeably lighter background than the older ones,and that combined with the new sharper fonts makes text figuratively leap off the page it's so crisp.

- The new 4-way button is a big hit with me, and the overall button feel is much nicer.

I still am just getting started, but wanted to get the word out there that the K3 lives up to its billing: it's a fantastic addition to the Kindle family, and I'm thrilled to have one. For everyone waiting: it's worth the wait!

-Eddie

===
ESS Mom says:
...Some of the VERY BEST features that I love: (1) the much brighter light indicating battery fully charged or charging; (2) the much better contrast - so much easier to read; and (3) the 4-way button, which I didn't expect to like, is great! And of course the smaller size, and lighter weight.

===
Susan Lynn Umpleby says:
My impressions so far:

1. The screen is far brighter than the K2 or K1, and those who have complained about contrast in the past will be pleased.

2. A LOT smaller than the K2 and wonderfully thin.

3. ...I found myself worried about dropping my K3 while reading [with one hand]. If you read it on a small stand, as I do when I eat, there is no problem. I think a cover is even more essential for the K3 than it was for the K2 or K1.

4. The maneuvering button is great! I liked the little joystick, but this is even better. :-)

5. As I feared, it IS a PITA that the numbers have been taken off the keyboard and put in symbols. Instead of just being able to press a key, now you have to open symbols, then move the cursor to the first number you want, move the cursor to the next number you want, move your cursor to the next.....

6. The text is crisp and clear.
...

===
NobodyHere says:
The background is significantly lighter on mine. I have a K2US though so it's not the latest of the K2 screens. I can see detail on the bird screensaver that was never visible on my K2.

I'm thrilled with the size, though my first impression is the keyboard is smaller than I imagined. I was not so sure about the new direction/arrow button thing, but so far I like it.

Like others have said you can hold alt and type in numbers with the top row, so it's not too bad not having the # keys.

I hadn't really given much thought to the weight, I don't know off hand what the K2 weighs, but the K3 feels significantly lighter.

===
Joshua J. Bunting says:
Spent an evening with my K3 and I'm really liking it. One thing I've noticed is that when reading a book, the title of the book and the battery symbol no longer appear. They show up when you hit "Menu" but while you are reading the entire screen is devoted to text. With my K2, the book title and battery symbol were at the top of the screen all the time. Minor difference and personally I like the K3's setup better. '

THE NUMBER KEYS: The two ways to enter numbers, described above:
From the home page, a press of the Sym key doesn't bring up the Symbols box. So, at the home page, you need to first press either the Enter/Return key or the Del key to get that box to come up.

What's good is that in the Kindle 3, the Symbols box stays open now until you've selected all your numbers or symbols.

You can use the alternate method -- the Alt-key + (hidden) numbers combo. The top keyboard row contains unlabeled numbers '1' through '9' and the '0' comes after the '9' (which makes it easier to know where the number you want would be, since the first key is '1'...

With this method you either press the Alt-key along with each (invisible) number or you can press that Alt-key first and follow it quickly with the number key (this is the way I prefer as it takes only one hand).
And, you CAN hold down the Alt key while typing a sequence of several numbers .

This Alt-key combo is used on the DX models also, though the numbers on that one are visible since the keys are larger for that 9.7" screen model.
When at the Menu/Settings screen, the Alt-key combo is the only way to enter numbers.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Did "The Jackal" lose his teeth? Or gain good terms for his authors? Or...

Clicking on the picture at the left gets you the original article on the Odyssey Edition, the title of which included an advisory to back up any e-books you bought from that set, because they were not likely to last long, and if you inadvertently deleted a copy thinking you could re-download it later, Amazon would no longer have it.

In fairness to Wylie, he did say that he mainly wanted to get Random House back to the table concerning author share of revenue from backlisted books. And my guess is that he got some decent terms for his clients.
For one thing, Random House was unsuccessful with their lawsuit against RosettaBooks LLC in 2001. The press sees it as a total win for Random House, however, since there's no indication, so far, of any advantage gained for the authors. Still, he earned his nickname, so I expect he got some concessions.

NPR's Associated Press story reports that Invisible Man, Rabbit Is Rich and 11 other works were being "removed" from the Odyssey set brokered between Wylie and Amazon that gave Amazon exclusive rights for two years.

Random House will publish the books on a "non-exclusive basis."

E-editions of seven works represented by Wylie, but first released by publishers other than Random House, including Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead and William Burroughs' Junky, are still being sold exclusively through Amazon and released by Odyssey Editions.

Here's the press release released by Wylie and Random House's Chairman/CEO Markus Dohle:

' The Wylie Agency – Random House Joint Press Statement
August 24, 2010

"We are pleased to announce that The Wylie Agency and Random House have resolved our differences over the disputed Random House titles which have been included in the Odyssey Editions e-book publishing program. These titles are being removed from that program and taken off-sale. We have agreed that Random House shall be the exclusive e-book publisher of these titles for those territories in which Random House U.S. controls their rights. The titles soon will be available for sale on a non-exclusive basis through all of Random House's current e-book customers. Random House is resuming normal business relations with the Wylie Agency for English-language manuscript submissions and potential acquisitions, and we both are glad to be able to put this matter behind us."

--- Markus Dohle, Chairman & CEO, Random House
Andrew Wylie, President, The Wylie Agency LLC '

As I wrote in the original article on Wylie/Amazon:

' Be sure to do BACKUPS of these books
Hoyle adds, "His ambitions for the new publishing company are global but he also admits that he is happy to pull the plug on it if it frightens the publishers back to the negotiating table. 'It can be dismantled with the flick of a switch.'"

This means that they could withdraw the e-books from the Amazon servers during any future negotiations with the publishers. '

It didn't take long, considering that some felt Amazon must have had some strong language in their Agreement with Wylie.

Here's the Wall Street Journal take on the turn of events.

The New York Times said that since mid July, Random House "has refused to acquire new books from the Wylie Agency and its more than 700 clients."

While Random House wouldn't disclose the financial terms of the agreement, the NYT writes that they "said they were consistent with agreements that Random House had reached with other literary agencies on backlist e-book rights."
If so, that's not good news for authors.

The remaining seven books in the Odyssey Edition are by Saul Bellow, Jorge Luis Borges, William S. Burroughs, Louise Erdrich, Norman Mailer, Oliver Sacks and Evelyn Waugh.

Futurebook.net notes those are not exactly safe either, as there will be negotiations on those. They note he might have gotten some "really good terms" from Random House though.

The Odyssey Edition books were still available from Amazon when they wrote the piece.
And they still are, at the moment. Some reading this blog article might want to get some of them instead of the coming Random House editions, although Random House is not part of the Big5 involved in the new Agency pricing. They have had some higher pricing of their own though. And these could be a form of digi-collectors' items someday :-). More seriously, some have felt that $10 seemed high for backlist e-books.

Remaining Odyssey titles and their print publishers are:
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow (UK print Penguin/US print publisher Penguin)
Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges (Everyman/Penguin))
Junky by William S Burroughs (Penguin/Penguin)
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (HarperCollins/HarperCollins)
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer (HarperCollins/Picador)
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks (Picador/Touchstone)
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (Penguin/Back Bay Books)

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

FAST Company: a couple of questions to Amazon are answered, in a way

First, Dan Nosowitz's report for FastCompany is primarily on his first few days with the Kindle 3 review copy and on his 3 months with the Kindle itself (2nd generation).

But we've seen a number of reviews of that Kindle 3, and they're fairly glowing.

So I'm going to start with the questions Dan had for Amazon.

LACK OF SUPPORT FOR EPUB FILE FORMAT AND PUBLIC LIBRARY-BOOK ACCESS
' ...Kindle users can't rent ebooks from their local library. Amazon told me that the process for getting library-rented ebooks onto ebook readers is cumbersome, which is why they left out the feature. Well, why not just fix the process, rather than ignore it altogether? '
[I agree, since sending personal docs to our free.kindle.com device-address to save personal-doc-transfer fees requires a very similar 'cumbersome' process to get the doc onto our Kindles.]
PERCENTAGE OF KINDLE BOOK SALES SOLD ON THE DEVICE ITSELF
' Amazon told me that 80% of its Kindle ebook sales are sold on the Kindle device itself, so an affordable, well-made ebook reader is a major help for ebook authors. '

NOW TO SOME KEY QUOTES FROM THE REVIEW

'...the best ebook-reading device on the market.

Its web browser, now based on WebKit (like modern smartphone browsers) is much improved, but due to the limitations of the hardware (most importantly the greyscale e-ink display) it's easily bested by any modern smartphone

But for reading books and newspapers, it can't be beat. The newly revamped e-ink screen is startling in its clarity and contrast; gone are the days of dull greyish screens. The Kindle's text absolutely pops. The screen is also the fastest in terms of page refresh times of any e-ink screen I've used.

The screen almost glows outdoors. In comparison to the iPad, which turns into a pretty but useless mirror in sunlight, the Kindle only gets more readable. This is a gadget that loves the beach.

What's hard to get across to someone who hasn't owned--and having picked one up doesn't count--an ebook reader is how enjoyable the Kindle is to use. I've bought more ebooks in the three months I've owned an ebook reader than I've bought physical books in the last two years. I've certainly read more in those three months than in any other three months since I was in college. You remember how fun it is to accumulate books, to read them, and to talk about them '

LOCATION NUMBERS
He did puzzle over the location numbers and found them not particularly useful and definitely he misses page numbers.
I wrote a comment to his article, explaining them a bit, and that awaits moderation. I'll include it here for others who wonder what is up with those Location numbers and why Amazon doesn't just use the traditional page numbering system.

' ... As for Locations -- traditional page numbers are less meaningful on an e-reader because they can't match up with whatever edition of a book you're interested in. If you increase the font [size], there are less words on a page, and the page numbers change as a result, giving you somewhat different content.

NOW, if publishers hardcoded Begin & End page info for each page digitally, then there could be a 2nd number indicating what original book-page you're on if that's wanted.

In the meantime, a location number is an absolute number or range identified which will always bring you to the same paragraph(s) - no matter what your font size is.

It's very much like page numbers except that there will be 4000 of them instead of 400 and will usually indicate a range, like 2568-74, meaning location area 2568 to 2574. I always choose the first number.

In comparing two versions of a DX today (one being sold), I brought up a page I wanted to make a photo of and then looked at the location number. On the other DX, I pressed Menu button, then on "Go to" and typed that location number and then clicked on "Location" and was on the same 'page' as a result.

The status line will indicate your location number at any time, as is done with a page number, and the percentage bar below tells you how far you are into the book. The one I'm on was 72% so I know I don't have that much further to go. '

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Monday, August 23, 2010

Kindle 3 reviews bursting forth today

The Kindle Chronicle's Len Edgerly has a full video review of the Kindle 3, after being able to try it out for 3 days. This gives a good feel for how more responsive the unit is than the Kindle 2.

Mike Cane tweeted a flurry of pointers to the many reviews. He also has reactions to Barnes & Noble's Len Riggio telling the world he sees no need to use a Nook, in these words (by Riggio):
' “I like to hold the book instead of the device,” he said. “I would rather own multiple books than a single book that carries everything.” '

(I didn't catch the source though.)

Here are links to a few of the reviews he linked (I have to rush out so I'm using only a few for now and they are choice summary statements, mainly).

' . The Telegraph (UK)
...the e-reader for the mass market
It's smaller, faster and cheaper than its predecessor. The Kindle is ready for the mainstream, writes Matt Warman
For now, however, where the iPad has its place, so too does the Kindle. Speaking as a consumer, I’ll be buying a Kindle; but I’ll be waiting for tablet computers to evolve before I spend any money on them.

. PC Magazine's Dan Costa
...The latest edition's improvements aren't revolutionary, but the Amazon Kindle remains the best dedicated ebook reader on the market.
...overall, with a lower price, a slimmer, lighter design, higher-contrast screen, and other improvements, the Kindle remains our Editors' Choice for ebook readers.

. WIRED's Steven Levy
...The new third-generation Kindle only makes that future brighter. All its basic virtues—instant downloading from an abundantly stocked store, light weight, ability to read in sunlight—are still there, with significant improvements in text readability, physical design, and battery life.
...Amazon's awareness that it is at the forefront of a movement that may have powerful and unexpected consequences on the centuries-old practice of reading.

. CNet's David Carnoy
...The bottom line: The third-generation Kindle's winning combination of noteworthy upgrades--an improved screen, better battery life, lighter weight, and lower price--vaults it to the top of the e-book reader category.

[He points out that Amazon is marketing it as a ""purpose-built reading device." And, re the cover with light] ---> The slim light draws power from the Kindle and tucks away into the case (at first glance, you don't even know it's there). The only downside is it's expensive at $59.99, but we have to say, we really liked it.
...As with the Nook, the combination of Wi-Fi and the new browser makes for better surfing, but it still remains a somewhat sluggish, less than fluid affair. The browser's more useable overall, and more Web pages will display properly formatted. But using the navigation button to jump from link to link on a Web page can become a little tedious. And we didn't have much luck logging into our Yahoo or Gmail Webmail accounts.

[ That's odd since customers find gmail not difficult with the Kindle 2. ]

In the end, much as Apple tends to do with its mobile devices, Amazon has simply taken an e-reader that was already good and improved it. Those improvements aren't so great that it will make owners of the second-generation Kindle or Nook feel bad about what they've already bought. But if you're already a Kindle fan, you'll most likely be tempted to pawn off your older model on a friend or family member and purchase this model.
At these prices, we can actually say the latest Kindle is a solid value for readers looking to make the jump to e-books. '

Mike Cane also leads us to this great
"E-Ink Man" picture at the left in Jack Hidary's story about the $-worth of Jeff Bezos and Amazon, at Huffington Post.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Is WiFi-Only a good choice for $50 less? Also, the Kindle 3 case with light

WIFI-ONLY KINDLE - IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE?
At the Kindle forums, the question of whether or not a WiFi-only Kindle would be all that is needed was raised quite often this weekend, including by those who don't seem to have a WiFi setup at home at this point.

Essentially, I pointed newcomers to the main article here on 3G/WiFi and WiFi-Only posted Saturday, which covers the basics and I mentioned one aspect I consider important:

People realize they can use WiFi access at home, and if they're not using the Kindle outside the home much, that would be enough. And it should be, although some forum participants cautioned that their WiFi networks can go down at times.
But after reading a few notes, I realized that there are some who actually don't have a WiFi network in the home and may not realize they'd need to set one up or that if they do leave the home regularly, the ability to download a book while here or there will no longer be available the way it was with the Kindles 1 and 2 unless they are in a WiFi hotspot and can access the network easily (whether needing a passkey or a fee, as only some hotspots are free).

The less-expensive Kindle 3 (or UK Kindle 3) comes with WiFi only -- but I am guessing there are some who actually do not have a WiFi network set up in their homes and might not care to have this done, in which case that wouldn't work.
If people know they could access any printers in their home that recognize WiFi networks, without needing cables, that might be an added incentive to spend the ~$40 - $50 to buy the router needed.

If you do have a WiFi network set up at home, it would allow you to just click on a Kindlestore book on your Kindle to get it TO your Kindle w/o needing to hook up the Kindle to a computer at all and, often, it might be faster to download books or do a web lookup than with 3G cellular network access.

But if you don't have a WiFi network at home and are not likely to have one set up, what I just described won't work and you would have to download an e-book to your computer first and then transfer it to your Kindle with the USB cord.

In that case (no WiFi network at home), if you do have AT&T 3G cellphone type coverage in your area, you'd be better off with the 3G/Wifi model or UK 3G/WiFi model as you could then just use that 3G cellphone wireless capability to download a book direct to your Kindle without needing your computer or the missing WiFi network. And you could still use (automatically) the WiFi capabilities of any place you visit that does have a WiFi network setup.

The best of both worlds.

Here are links to Amazon 3G Whispernet Coverage maps:
North America Worldwide

REVIEW OF KINDLE 3 COVER WITH BUILT-IN LIGHT

CNet's David Carnoy has what may be the first review of what his headline describes as "Amazon's secret weapon: Kindle Lighted Leather Case

He further describes it as "one of the better designed add-on accessories we've seen in recent years: the Kindle Lighted Leather Case"

As you'd expect, he likes the fact that it needs no additional batteries, as it's powered by the Kindle, and "the light completely disappears into the case--so much so that you don't notice that it's there at first glance",

And what I noticed in the photos is confirmed but may not be a problem:
"The light, like a lot of LED book lights, doesn't splash uniformly across the screen. It's a little brighter in the right corner than the bottom of screen. But it does provide enough light for reading."

He points out that it's expensive at $59.99, although the cover without light is $35, so the cost of having the built-in light (that needs no batteries) is $25.

My favorite Kindle clip-on light has been the Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-On (Black, Kindle Version) for which they added a foam pad where the top clamp meets the Kindle's bezel and protects it from scratches from that clamp. That's been $20 at Amazon (you might be able to get it elsewhere at $13), and I like that I can clip it right to the Kindle instead of having to use the case while reading and the neck is very flexible so that I can bend it to avoid glare on the screen. Some find it too bright for those sharing a bed at night though, and it requires 3 AA batteries, though there is a 2nd, lower setting which is bright enough.

If you plan to read the Kindle while it's in a cover or case, then this new light that's attached to the Kindle 3 cover, which you pull out when you want it to be On, should be very useful, as it'll always be with you and there's no worry about batteries, except to keep the Kindle battery high enough..

I wonder how much of a Kindle-battery drain it'll be, but if reading in bed, you can always plug the Kindle into the wall charger. The Kindle battery can't be overcharged and Kindle customer reps say it's best to keep it above the 25%-remaining mark and that it is not hurt by regular charging.

There looks to be little flexibility in angling the light just so, as you can with the Mighty Bright or other clip-on lights.

But if this new light covers the screen well and is out of sight but always available with the cover, it solves the problem of reading in dimmer light.

CNet and Amazon customers have also liked the detachable Octovo Solis light. The Amazon description of it is of course for the 6" Kindle 2, but CNet's video of it shows it on a large DX.
The Kindle 3 is somewhat slimmer, so I don't know if this'll fit as well, but it gets good ratings, though there are only 29 so far. It's $30.
Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Kindle 3 shipping dates, an answer, per an Amazon forum note

Elizabeth posting in the Amazon Forum thread about the Kindle 3, quoted an answer she said she received when she asked, though she didn't say who gave the information, but it was an email reply.

It looks good. Here is what Elizabeth wrote:

' I asked a few days ago before they upped the date on the product page, here is what they replied per e-mail:
Orders placed before 8 p.m. Pacific Time on August 1st will still ship by the August 27th release date.
Orders placed before 10 p.m. Pacific Time on August 5th will ship on or before September 4th.
Orders placed before 12 p.m. Pacific Time on August 12th will ship on or before September 8th.
Orders placed after 12 p.m. Pacific Time on August 12th will ship on or before September 12th. '

Many will have noticed that any Kindle 3 order, made at this point (starting yesterday), will now be expected to ship on September 17.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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3G and WiFi-Only Kindle 3's - What does it all mean? Which should I get?

WIRELESS OPTIONS - WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
On the Amazon Kindle forums, the most frequent question I've seen in connection with the new Kindles is about the wireless options -- what "3G" means and how it differs from "WiFi" -- both types are included in the $189 model while the "WiFi-only" model is offered for those who feel they won't ever need the "3G" wireless feature.

This article is written for those new to the wireless scene. I meant to make it short, but decided to write in more detail.

The word "wireless' here pertains to both 3G and WiFi networks.
If the e-reader is not attached to a computer but it can access online sites, it's using a "wireless network." I've seen that many use the term "WiFi" when they mean "3G" mobile-wireless, as it's a confusing area to most who have had no reason to even think about these words before.

3G WIRELESS
As the image at the left indicates, 3G Wireless involves huge wireless networks that cover very long distances -- our cellphones access these networks. This is often referred to as 'mobile wireless' -- or wireless on the go. Coverage involves very large areas and involves cell towers.

WI FI WIRELESS
This involves very "local" and ultra short-range wireless networks -- usually in effect for a home or an office or office building, set up by the individuals using them, but increasingly, cafes and shops are offering customers use of their own WiFi networks while there.

The picture on the left is of my 7-year old Netgear WiFi network router. Mine takes a signal from Comcast's high-speed cable internet service and routes that cable-modem signal via a wire to my main computer and then broadcasts the signal "locally" around my home so that it's accessible without-wires by my printer/scanner and my laptop.
My neighbors have WiFi networks in their apartments as well, and we all use the normal security of some kind of passkey so that others can't "steal" access to our wee networks and slow us down by sharing them without permission.

If you're getting a WiFi-only reader and expect to download books directly to the e-reader without having to hook it up to a computer, you'll need to have a WiFi network set up. They're very inexpensive these days -- it costs about $40 for a good router -- but someone will need to set it up and understand how to maintain it. Friends can help. It's not difficult (except for those without experience with computers), and software that comes with the small router can make it almost automatic.

BOOK-DOWNLOADS DIRECT TO KINDLE
I think the reason that the Kindle reader 'took off' when other e-readers received much less interest is the capability that Amazon built into the reader so that owners can access the cellphone or mobile networks wherever they are (except in some remote areas) to just download a new book on the spot upon hearing about it.

Amazon has said they wanted customers to be able to use the Kindle without need for a computer.
With 3G mobile wireless, it doesn't matter where you are -- you can usually download a book you want or do a look-up online. As Amazon's pages point out, there's no need to look for a "hot spot" -- a place that offers a WiFi network that is sharable by customers, whether for a fee or for free (Starbucks and McDonald's WiFi networks are free).

Nook's implementation of the 3G wireless feature
Nook owners can use the WiFi network access that is available at Barnes and Noble stores, but they can't use that type of wireless in a bus or at the beach as Kindle users can with its 3G.
The Nook's 3G is able only to access the B&N store online. (See Len Edgerly's video demo of differences in the implementation of other features that the Nook and the Kindle share.)

HIGHER COST OF 3G+WIFI vs WIFI-ONLY
It's a one-time $50 difference between these two models.
As an example of the value of 3G access:
The iPad costs an additional $130 for the lowest-cost model with 3G capability ($629 vs $499).
To USE the iPad's 3G wireless, a monthly data plan is needed, at $15 to $30/mo. For normal smartphones, any added 3G web-data access is usually between $30-$60 dollars monthly.
There are no monthly charges for the Kindle's 3G wireless access.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOUR E-READER CHOICES? - A SUMMARY
This more basic summary is modified from one of the earlier articles here.
1. 3G - cellular or mobile networks -- this type is, as with cellphones, accessible over the air almost anywhere. You can be on a bus, at the dentist's office, or at the beach and it can work there.
If Amazon enables 3G wireless use of the web-browser in another country, you'll be able to use that feature in other countries as well if Kindles sent to your country are enabled for the web-browser.

Personally, I wouldn't give up the free 3G access for a one-time $50 savings when it normally costs $30-$60/month for this type of feature on a smart phone.

2. WiFi - wireless local area networks (WLAN) -- You need to be near a 'local' area network in this case, so these are usually set up in homes or offices and you can find "hotspots" at places like Starbucks, McDonald's and other cafes though some require a per-hour charge and/or a password/passkey.

While the initial cost of the WiFi-Only model is about $50 less, you give up Free 3G cell-phone-type wireless access forever with the unit.
However, those with 3G web-data plans already on their smartphones or tablets won't miss it that much. They won't be able to download a book to the Kindle on the spur of the moment from almost anywhere, but that's just a luxury and many are just as happy to wait until they have access to a WiFi network.

IS 3G WEB BROWSING AVAILABLE IN MY HOME COUNTRY?
That depends on the 3G wireless arrangements Amazon has been able to make with wireless providers in that country.

Amazon has not enabled the experimental web browser in some regions of the world (probably because the 3G browsing arrangements they could make are too costly for them), although in ALL areas that offer wireless downloads of books, Amazon features 24/7 free access to Wikipedia, which is very useful when done from a book you're reading.

New web browser on the K3's
The Kindle 3's are using the new WebKit-based browser. Amazon says the updated web browser is "faster, easier to navigate, and provides a new 'article mode' feature that simplifies web pages to just the main text-based content for easier reading."
That simplification will be great for Kindle Edition blogs when following links in stories.

3G AMAZON 3G WHISPERNET COVERAGE MAPS
Here are links to to Amazon's 3G Whispernet coverage maps for the latest Kindles:
North America Worldwide

_______
See earlier articles on
. Accessing Google Maps site for Text-only Step-by-Step driving directions on the Kindle (quite fast access)
. A downloadable bookmarks-type file for accessing mobile-device optimized websites
. Sending a highlighted Kindle book passage to friends on Facebook or Twitter (doable from where you are if you have a 3G model).
. a listing of countries for which the Amazon country-specific Kindle-2 pages did not show the web browser as 'unavailable' and countries with product pages specifically stating the web browser was not available for those countries (June 2010) although some were able to use the web browser in those countries for awhile, especially after software update 2.5.x, but now are unable to, and the status of those may change with time.

The current language of the international Kindle product pages is considerably more vague, with the Wikipedia site listed as available on 3G Whispernet for all, while for the rest of the Net, WiFi access is at least encouraged and in some cases would be 'required,' as 3G web-browsing is not available in some areas.
Those in countries that were NOT identified as having the web browser 'not available' still seem to be able to use the web browser.
Other areas, such as The Netherlands and Portugal, which were identified in June as not having web browsing available, did have some Kindles enabled until recently but don't appear to have that capability now. Amazon doesn't seem to want to be clear on this and it may be because of contract negotiations, ongoing or unsuccessful.

In the meantime, Germany's ~~now says that 'social networking features' are not available which would indicate the web browser is not enabled, while the other pages are, as I mentioned, vague~~ product page, as of late Sept has been changed to use the same wording as other European pages no longer saying only that "social networking features are not available."
Updated this paragraph Oct. 15, 2010

See http://bit.ly/kwkweb2 for -some- info on countries with 3G web access for Amazon Kindles.

Amazon has voiced hopes to have web-browsing enabled worldwide and has gone further along that road faster than I'd expected. The addition of WiFi capability to the new Kindles should help a bit where 3G web browsing is not currently available.

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.

US:
Updated Kindle Fire Basic 7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $99/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, 3G/WiFi - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free but slow web
Kindle DX - $379, Free, slow web

UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. Top 100 free bestsellers. Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Sony Pocket Reader selling for $99.99 - The Touch, soon at $120?

Was working on a short entry on 3G wireless vs WiFi but I'll get that done for the morning. In the meantime!...

CNet's Rick Broida writes that SEARS of all places has the 5" Sony Pocket Reader, PRS 300, available for $99.99 or effectively $100 :-)

This is selling for $135 at Amazon, and at that price can't compete with the Kindle or the Nook. $100 is another matter.

Advantages
. Reads ePub and many other file formats
. Connects with Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) so should work with public library
Overdrive-program e-books
. Pocketable, in large pockets :-) -- definitely the most portable
. Excellent display

Disadvantages:
. 5" screen is smaller than Nook or Amazon's 6" models but that makes it more pocketable
. No Wireless -- no Wifi and no 3G Mobile wireless, unlike Nook/Kindle and more-costly Sonys.
So, no downloading of books and of course no web lookups
. No Inline dictionary
. No Searching of books or device (for character name while reading)
. No highlighting or note-taking

For $100, this is a worthy 2nd reader or even a primary reader if none of the missing features are important to you and if you don't care to download books from the air or do web-lookups.

With this model, you'd need to be able to download e-books to your computer and just move them over to the Sony with a USB cable.

MY take - The Sony Touch 600 is rumored to go down to $120 in some places soon.
While that also has no wireless capability, it does have an inline dictionary, searching, and highlighting/note-taking capabilities.
It also has a touchscreen. Some really like that. Others find that the touchscreen makes it less clear, less contrasty, and therefore harder to read.

I personally don't like to read an e-book anymore without the dictionary and search features, so I would be more likely to get the less clear Sony Touch when it's $120 but even then the screen might stop me. However, many will jump at the opportunity to get a $99.99 reader, since a physical book has none of the "Disadvantages" listed either :-) and the library book capability it should have makes it very attractive as a non-primary reader.

Here's a thorough review of the Sony models by Will Rothman, if you want to see more pro's and con's. But at this price, a public library-capable e-reader is a temptation, even if I'll wait for the Sony PRS600 to drop to $120.

I imagine Amazon will also lower Sony reader prices depending on whether they can work that out with Sony as Sears did. Right now pricing hasn't been lowered at non-Sears stores but I imagine that'll happen any hour.

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Video Comparison of 4 E-readers + another Nook and Kindle Face-off

Len Edgerly's whimsically titled Wolf Hall Tournament of Ereaders video is a comparison of features and functioning of four e-readers and is the newest feature at his The Reading Edge site, which has interesting reports and interviews in connection with the many e-readers available currently. Here's the direct link to Len's blog report with embedded video.

To get the larger version of the video, click on the top left image or the link at the left.

Len loves e-readers and buys them to try them out, not waiting for review copies. In this case, he also bought 4 copies of the "Wolf Hall" book because the alleged 'standard' of ePub between books with digital-rights-management added to the book files is not quite standard yet. Nooks can read Sony books sometimes but not vice versa, Adobe holds the DRM reins, and the book vendors tend to add something a bit different to theirs. Despite talking to customer support at a couple of e-book stores, there was no support given to Len for using other vendors' files on the e-readers.

The 4 e-readers reviewed for effectiveness of functions are the Sony Pocket Reader, the Kobo Reader, the Barnes & Noble Nook, and the Amazon Kindle 2. The Sony PRS-600 has known glare and contrast issues due to an additional layer for a touch screen, and Len did not keep his, so it's not included. Also, it doesn't have wireless at all, for the higher price. The Sony Pocket Reader and the Kobo are on a more equal level as they both have no wireless to speak of and no basic study features such as inline-dictionary, searches for a character, highlighting or notes. The Sony Pocket reader has long been popular for its "pocket"ability and easy-to-read contrast-ratio, but the Kobo has a slightly larger screen.

Seldom do online gadget reviews go into how the advertised features actually function and even tend to not mention basic ones like the dictionary, search, and annotations many like to use with an e-reader. The few I have seen that do discuss functioning include the recent Laptop Magazine report on the Kindle DX Graphite and one on Sony readers by Willson Rothman of Gizmodo.
A favorite for its description of how Kindle features work, in general, is by boygeniusreport.com, done for the Kindle 2, which Len uses for the video comparison. And there's one by Jacqui Cheng at Ars Technica actually describing how the new software update's features work.

That's especially what I like about the video. Len lists features important to him and shows HOW each is implemented on the two e-book readers that have screens unimpeded by an extra layer of glass and which happen to be the two leading e-readers in sales today -- the Nook and the Kindle 2.

There'll be a new Nook soon (Nook 2 and the new Kindle 3 (and UK Kindle 3) in late August. We know what the Kindle 3 will have but have no idea what the new Nook 2 features will be. In this video, you'll see how each handles (1) dictionary look-ups, (2) searches for a character's name or mentions in a book, and (3) highlighting and note-taking as well as how to find a highlight or note you made.

These are key differences and most reviewers have not gone into the functioning of these features vs other e-book readers at all. So Len has done quite a service here. It's 28.5 minutes long, so set aside some time to watch it if you're curious about the differences between these models.

The one thing I'd like in the future is Len using a tripod behind him and showing the full model or full screen as he shows the functioning, because the close-ups can take you out of context, and often the video-camera doesn't focus fast enough when going close-up anyway. The actual words are not as important as the actions with the screen and sometimes keyboard in full view. Closeups could be added as needed later.

But I've seen no one else do such a clear comparison of book readers before, showing how features are implemented on each. And Len Edgerly's presentation is devoid of the 'seller' characteristics you often see with video reports. He likes what he likes, with reasons given, and is enthusiastic, but he's also fair-minded and open and an e-reader/gadget addict who cannot have enough of them :-).

The surprise for many is usually the password-protected, private webpage we have at Amazon (if we approve server backup of our annotations) that shows all our highlighting and notes for each book we download from Amazon, in chronological order and copyable to a text file so we can edit the notes in a separate document, and of course is printable.
It's really an amazingly helpful private webpage which I never saw mentioned in college pilot studies feedback. In fact, students in those studies reported difficulty with just highlighting (which I find easy to do). What i like is you can UNhighlight too :-), something hard to do with a physical book. But notes typed in are slow-going with that keyboard. However, I prefer it to a hard, flat-surfaced virtual one.

Now that the annotations webpage has been modified by Amazon to include the Facebook and Twitter features, I should add that the most useful first page there is the one listing your books, showing which ones have or don't have annotations, etc. Here's a sample of a page showing a selected book and annotations for it.

Len has written about the Wolf Hall video in conversations on Twitter and in comments at Youtube and feels he should have mentioned the Nook's "Lend me" feature, which is better than no lending feature but, if the publisher allows the feature, the loan of a Nook book is restricted to one loan ever, for each book, for 2 weeks max.

Kindlers compare that with how the account-sharing plan is implemented at Amazon, in which a book can be shared among 6 devices on an account, with no mention of 'household' or 'family.' Kindle Customer support helps with the how's of registration and deregistation of other individuals' Kindles on your account, and many spouses use the feature, so that one book can be read at the same time by both for one purchase. One would have to put a lot of trust in anyone who uses that account as the account owner is responsible for all the charges. There is a long-running Amazon Kindle forum thread on how Kindle-owners use the feature.

Where the Nook and Kobo shine is the ability to borrow public library e-books - a rich feature for a city with a large collection of these (New York City) but less exciting in many other areas. Check with your local library. I wish Amazon had the fortitude to work out arrangements with libraries.
That's a primary factor for some, but if it's not very important on a personal level then how an e-reader works will be key. And Len's video will give you a very good idea.

E-reader Faceoff: Kindle or Nook? Here's a Written Comparison
Also appearing last night is a short article by Mark W. Smith for Free Press (freep.com). An excerpt:

' The big difference here is the Nook's small color touch screen at the bottom of the device. The Kindle features a physical keyboard and a handy five-way rocker button for navigation. The Nook's color touch screen is nice, but the navigation can feel disjointed as you touch one screen to move the cursor on another. And the bright color display can be distracting while you read. '

He has good advice on choosing wireless options and lists unique advantages of each e-reader over the other.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Monday, August 16, 2010

New Zealand gets the Kindle. Non-Amazon e-books for Kindle - how to get them

New Zealand is finally getting the Kindle 3, according to this report by Stuff in New Zealand and the linked Amazon product page.

The Kindle will be meeting Whitcoulls' Kobo e-reader head-on there, and the Stuff news reporter believes the company PR that the Kobo "appears to have a much larger range of e-books available; more than two million [books]," but this includes the 500,000 free Google Books and the 30,000 Project Gutenberg books. The free Google Books are also available for the Kindle in two ways - see:

1. How to get a free Google book converted to Kindle format (for free, by the Retroread site, or with the flexible free utility Calibre), and also

2. check out how to download to the Kindle the Project Gutenberg Magic Catalog of 30,000 free e-books which allows Kindle owners to browse and search the catalog and then click to download what they want in Kindle's "MOBI" format (with no download charges in both cases).

A thorough review of the Kobo is at Laptop Magazine, and what is unusual is that it will be more expensive than the Kindle while having no 3G or WiFi features, no built-in dictionary, no Search feature, no highlighting and notes and it is much criticized for being unusually slow, even for an e-Ink reader. How this unit stays at all competitive now unless the company upgrades the unit is a real question. Its website has a comparison chart that has not modified the Nook or Kindle pricing though they've been lowered for about 3 weeks.

Stuff has some good news for New Zealanders in that Martin Taylor, the director of the Digital Publishing Forum says the group expects to launch a digital warehouse that would let publishers manage and distribute e-books in the next few months.
"We're working with about 40 local publishers who have put their hands up and I would guess hundreds, possibly a thousand, New Zealand books will be available [through the warehouse], {which will} broker with e-book distributors on behalf of publishers and the forum is in talks with several e-book retailers now, including Amazon and Whitcoulls.

Many other sources for free e-books direct to the Kindle at no charge are also mentioned at the Finding Free Kindle Books and Sources page, which I'll redo soon, as it's not well-organized for all the info that's there. That info is on most footers of the blog articles here.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Saturday, August 14, 2010

Kindle for PC updated with long-awaited feature and a new look

The Kindle for PC app has been quietly updated. Some have chosen the option to have it updated automatically when they open the program and an update is available.

I like to choose the time, but then I didn't get a notice that there was an update waiting to be 'noticed.'

I read about it when @MikeCane tweeted it the other day in his inimitable way.
See below:

So, I went to my Kindle for PC program, still showing a bright, plain white background, chose the menu's install-update option, and got what Cane described.

Even better, when I clicked on the Menu to read about Future Improvements, I saw what I'd been waiting for:

' Here are some new features we have recently added to Kindle for PC.
Download the new version to enjoy these new features.

* Search
Search for words or phrases within the book you’re reading
* Improved look and feel
Enjoy brighter graphics and a slick new look '

They list the following for possible future improvements:

' Below are some features we are thinking about bringing to Kindle for PC in the near future:

* Two-page reading mode
View two pages at the same time
* Built-in dictionary
Seamlessly look up the definitions of English words without interrupting your reading
* Library management
A new way to manage and organize your content '

I'd never noticed that, on the main page, we have choices to sort by Most Recent, Title, and Author as we can on the Kindle.

I also see that my newspaper subscriptions are showing up. Were those shown before? Never saw these either, in my previous listings. Updated: These were single issues and even then, though they were in my archives, they can't be read on this app.

Dictionary
As for the future dictionary -- until they're ready, be sure to take a look at WordWeb - it's free and it's useful for more than just the Kindle app.

TIP - To make sure that syncing works better between the Kindle for PC app and your Kindle and other devices, click on "Home" at top-left of the app after you've finished reading, before you close the program. That gives a better chance of recording your last-page read and having it picked up by the Amazon servers while you're on the Net.

HELP page for Kindle for PC
There's a lot of good info at the Kindle for PC Help page.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Veho USB microscope focuses on Kindle and iPad screen details

Interesting experiments by Keith Peters at BIT-101 using his new "toy" - a USB microscope - the Veho VMS004 DELUXE USB Powered Microscope, which can capture information at 26x and 400x, so he used this to take a closer look at screen fonts and background for the Kindle 2 and the iPad.

Above are text results at 26x. On his page, he also shows us what he saw at 400x for both and then does the same for a newspaper, a magazine, and a book. The structure of a font segment on a newspaper at 400x is very close to what you see on the Kindle.

As he says, this is not a scientific experiment - he was just curious to see what it would show. Go take a look - what he gets is pretty amazing.

Update: Paul Biba of Teleread brought out his USB microscope to look at the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, at 10x and 60x. Quite a difference between the two.

Kindle 3 (UK: Kindle 3), DX Graphite

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Friday, August 13, 2010

The Various Kindle Models - Names and 'Generation'

UPDATED Aug 13, 2010 to correct UK info, reorganize, and add common Kindle titles. (Original posting Aug 5)

NOTE that the webpage titles for the images on the left (click on them to show page titles) display:
"slate-shasta-main-3g" and "slate-shasta-main-3g-white" and that they're both placed (as seen in the URL) under the Amazon subfolders "kindle/shasta\"

The gadget-news rumor was accurate about the coming "Shasta" model. (on May 31).

WHAT DO ALL THE KINDLE MODEL NAMES AND DESCRIPTORS MEAN?

While showing the Amazon listing of the Kindle devices for which the two new word games work, it occurred to me that the listing is probably confusing to those new to the Kindle scene.

I tried to clarify what each model 'is' in an update to the Word Games posting.

While doing that, I felt I should put that section in a post of its own, so this is it.
Re the two Kindle-3 photos at the top. Amazon likes to call the latest Kindle just "Kindle" but that is just not going to work very well these days.

Amazon's mistake here may be in refusing to recognize former models, in a way, by almost immediately calling the later Kindle-2 just "Kindle" as if Kindle 1 no longer existed, but it certainly does, as a great many stayed with that model and still read on it the many books they currently buy from Amazon.
In the small picture of the Kindle 1 (below, right), which you can click on to see the enlarged photo, the original Kindle (released in 2007) was displaying, in 2008, some Google search results.

The Kindles are more like Cablevision receivers. They exist so we can order media for them. It's too bad there's no upgrade path to a later Kindle the way there is with cable receivers that exist to receive and help display the media content in which we're interested. It's easier when there are model numbers for receivers, rather than spelling out the "generations," Apple started this -- StarTrek must have been the inspiration for that? -- but they don't call the latest iPod just "iPod" - they identify the latest model with an alpha-character combo so people have a better fix on what they have.

Kindle 1
"Kindle, 1st Generation [etc, etc]" is a mouthful.

We did and many of us still do have a Kindle 1, which some dubbed "Kindle Klassic."

Its storage capacity is very low and its screen speed capability is so slow that a cursor could not be placed by the programmers IN the screen and we have to go to the ROW for a given word and then choose one of the words from all the words on that row when we want the Kindle to perform an action.

These are reasons that software updates will not easily work with the Kindle 1. My Kindle 1 continues to work very well as an e-book reader. But Kindle-1 owners shouldn't expect complex updates to that, as it requires different programming and this is usually considered economically not feasible for a company. I noticed other customers putting 1-star reviews on the word games product-review page just because they weren't re-programmed to also work with the Kindle 1.

(Below: Amazon's identification of Kindles for the new wordgames,
plus customer identifiers)
I add -- after the Amazon title & description -- the more common identifer (in italics) that customers use.

Kindle 3 - 3rd Generation
1. Kindle (Free 3G + WiFi, 6") - (Kindle 3 6" with 3G/WiFi)
{UK: 3G/WiFi}

2. Kindle (Wi-Fi, 6") - (Kindle 3 6" with WiFi Only)
      {UK: Kindle-3 WiFi-Only}

   These are the Latest Generation 6" Kindles not shipping until Aug 27 or so.

Kindle 2 - 2nd Generation
Kindle (2nd Generation) International and Kindle (2nd Generation) U.S. - These are Kindle-2 6"-screen models and the latest 6" versions in-hand until Aug 27, 2010 or so. The International model uses wireless globally when accessible. The U.S. version uses U.S. wireless only (Sprint).

Kindle DX Graphite - Latest Generation
Kindle DX (Free 3G, 9.7", Graphite) - the Kindle DX Graphite with higher contrast screen, latest generation.
   Released after the next two devices just below, which are able to run the games as well.

Kindle DX International and also U.S.-only - 2nd Generation
Kindle DX (Free 3G, 9.7", White) International and Kindle DX (Free 3G, 9.7" White) U.S.

I've wondered if some may not have noticed that there is a White Kindle 3 as well ... the Graphite model is the one heavily featured. And the Latest Generation DX with higher contrast comes only in the Graphite color.

UPDATED 8/6/10 to include that the UK Amazon store offers the Kindle 3 only in the Graphite color and doesn't sell the Kindle DX currently.

WHAT'S "3G" AND WHAT'S "WiFi" ?
( See the updated blog article on how WiFi and 3G wireless access differ. There is also some information on that in the first half of E-Readers with Web Browsers, WiFi vs 3G cellular access, which should give a basic idea of the situations
in which each type of wireless is used and what's involved.)

Basically, and in the least words (for once):
1. 3G - cellular or mobile networks -- this type is, as with cellphones, accessible over the air almost anywhere. You can be on a bus or at the beach and it can work there.
And if your country has web-browser enabled through 3G, you'll be able to use that feature in other countries as well.
Personally, I wouldn't give this free access up for a one-time $50 cost when it normally costs $30-$60/month for this type of feature on a smart phone.

2. WiFi - wireless local area networks (WLAN) -- You need to be near a 'local' area network in this case, so these are usually set up in homes or offices and you can find "hotspots" at places like Starbucks, McDonald's and other cafes though some require a per hour charge and/or a password/passkey.

While the Wifi is about $50 less (U.S.), you give up Free 3G cell-phone-type wireless access for the life of the unit.

Kindle Touch 3G   Kindle Touch WiFi   Kindle Basic   (UK: KBasic)   Kindle Fire
Kindle Keybd 3G   (UK: Kindle Keybd 3G)   K3 Special Offers   K3-3G Special Offers DX

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published ones
Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. Top 100 free bestsellers. Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

The Kindle Every Word game to be unavailable for a bit

CrunchGear's Nicholas Deleon reports that Eric Deckers
came upon a form of the n-word while playing Every Word.

After describing what he saw and his disbelief, Deckers added in an update:

' Amazon's Senior PR Director for Kindle, Stephanie Mantello, sent me a note that they had halted distribution of the game, were going to fix it, and then begin redistributing the game.
They would also make an updated version of the game available to people who had already downloaded it. '

In CrunchGear's report, they also include an update:

' UPDATE Just got word from Amazon, and they’re going to stop distributing the game because “the dictionary it uses does not block some inappropriate words.”
Once the offending words are expunged, distribution will resume and an update will be released for people who downloaded the old version.

Fire, extinguished '

And now you know why attempts to download the game won't be successful for awhile.

Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
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