April's 100 Kindle Deals $1.99-$3.99 - Editors' Choices. Monday's free Kindle books. Why a CNet columnist returned his iPad for a Kindle Fire. G. Henle sale

APRIL 2012's 100 Kindle Deals, $1.99-$3.99

I highlight this feature at or near the beginning of the month for newcomers, and even oldcomers who don't know it exists.

These are Kindle books "hand-selected" by Amazon's Editors each month, and what you'll see on that special monthly-deals page are the new ones for April 2012.
(Link: amzn.to/100kbooks-2to4)

As most are probably aware, Kindle books are easily readable, in color, on the Kindle Fire also, a hybrid tablet/e-reader with some Amazon bonus material.
  On March 30, Rick Broida of CNET caused a brouhaha by writing, under 'Reviews,' a column about a personal decision: "Why I'm returning my new iPad and buying a Kindle Fire" - subtitled "Now that I've lived with both, I can safely say that I prefer a smaller, more affordable tablet."

  You can imagine the reaction he got :-)  But I also have a really fine 10" tablet made by Samsung (from Woot! for $320) and, re that one, a commenter posted today, "Buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. We did a side by side comparison with the new iPad and could not see a difference."  One person asked if he had his eyes open.
  But, I was using the Samsung last night, thinking how great it looked and wondering how much better the Retina display could be.  But as much as I love the 10" tablet, it's the Kindle Fire I use about 80-90% of the time.  And it IS the size. It's like choosing to pick up a paperback or a hardcover, I think.  And of course it's the KFire I take out with me and not the Samsung, though I used the latter for vacation with a bluetooth keyboard.

Others have pointed out that iPad 3 users should get the 32 GB model rather than the 16 GB one as the new pixel density produces far larger files, requires the bigger battery (which is why it runs pretty warm) and will use much more 3G/4G data meaning limits will be reached faster.

  Another effect is that iPad and iPad 2 users will be using the same apps that will be upgraded to Retina with some downsides I don't remember, without the advantage of Retina display.  But definitely iPad 3 buyers should realize they'll need 32 GB now.  One story I was going to blog -- and I can look up the source later -- did a breakdown of the amounts of data the iPad 3 will use, relative to the iPad 2, and how quickly people's data plan limits will be used.  Since many Kindle owners also own iPads, it should be of interest for anyone planning to upgrade to the new iPad.


Today's sets of temporarily-free Kindle books selected and listed by Kindle forum members. April 2 books
  As of 9am PDT, it's at about 248 newly free books but more people post their recommended selections later in the day.


Today's Kindle Daily Deal
  As usual, a reminder that there's the ongoing Kindle Daily Deal ('Swarm'), Science Fiction, first book of B.V. Larson's 'Star Force Series' - 99c today.


Sheet music special - classical urtext editions
G. Henle urtext editions, sheet music - This will interest a few who tend to look for G. Henle editions, which are seldom found on sale.  They're imported and are considered the most accurate editions.  The sale has been going on since March 21 and ends April 10, and I've mentioned it only to piano groups, but it occurred to me that some Kindle-interested might want to know about it.



Kindle Touch 3G, US-only   Kindle Touch WiFi (US)   Kindle Touch WiFi-Only, outside US    Kindle Basic   (UK: KBasic)   Kindle Fire
Kindle Keybd 3G   (UK: Kindle Keybd 3G)   K3 Special Offers   K3-3G Special Offers   DX

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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.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button 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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle-related news: A couple of quick articles on the new Apple iPad, w/ Update 2

And that's the name of it too, not iPad 3 or iPad HD -- the new iPad (at least for now.

Twitter is alive with the news, and there are many news articles on what the changes are.

  Am posting this because it will be of interest to those watching both the iPad and the Kindle Fire.  One representative piece is by here's the thing.

  What stood out for me is that with the new very-high-resolution 'Retina' feature, it's still ~$500 -- no increase in price -- to begin (with no 3G or 4G), which means almost every iPad owner will probably get one, as will those who were hesitating to get iPad 2.

Update
  Edward Boyhan reminded me that I probably should include the display numbers.
  The older iPads both have a resolution of 1024 x 768 on a 9.7" display, with a pixel density of 132 pixels per inch (PPI).
  The new iPad has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 on the same sized-device, with a pixel density of 264 PPI.

  Apps would usually need to be rewritten to take advantage of this, as many are written for lower resolution displays.   This doubling of pixel density over older iPads will definitely make a difference, which will probably be even more noticeable for text on screen.  See the 'other articles referenced' at the bottom for Gizmodo's article on what this means to data plans insofar as limits are concerned.

    For Kindle Fire users -- the Kindle Fire's tablet, half the size of an iPad (but longer, which works well for today's 16:9 movie width) has a resolution of 1024 x 600, which is one reason video has looked so good on it - similar number of pixels to the older iPads (though with a longer length screen) on a considerably smaller surface.

    My Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1" tablet has a 1280 x 800 AMOLED display.
  On the smaller Kindle Fire screen, the 1024 x 600 looks really good, especially on wide-screen movies, and you can see why.   [End of update]


  It has its own, fast, dual-core A5X processor with a quad-core graphics processing unit (GPU) and a better 5 MB camera with 1080p video recording and image stablization.   While the main application processor has just two cores (as do most tablets right now, including the Kindle Fire), the quad-core GPU is what will help optimize the Retina display

  It's slightly thicker and a tad heavier than the iPad 2, at 1.4 pounds vs 1.3 pounds

  Battery life will the same, about 9 hours on a charge while using 4G (the usual time would be 10 hours w/o 4G) but of course that'll depend on what you're using it for.  Video-watching will consume more battery power than reading an e-book or even a web news article.

  The new 4G connection via AT&T is of course fast.  I have that (under AT&T) with my Samsung Galaxy 2S and there's no lag with movies

  The iPad 2 is now selling for $100 less, with the non-3G/4G version that has 16 GB going for $399, or twice the cost of the Kindle Fire.  Maybe Amazon will update the new TV ad to include this information :-)   Amazon has been selling iPad 2 but they're now mostly sold by 3rd parties and they are charging more, so I won't link to them until they go down.

  32 GB "new" iPad will be $599 and the 64 GB one $699.

  As before, getting a 3G/4G module will cost an additional $130 for the capability (or $629 for the minimum 16 GB model, but I haven't seen anything re the monthly data charges and whether there's a change or not.

  I don't pay more for the 4G connectivity on my AT&T data plan for the Samsung Galaxy S2 phone (which just received the "Best Smartphone award" at the Mobile World Conference, presented by GSMA (Global System for Mobile Association), so there's a chance that won't change.
  But now I see one reason Apple has been suing Samsung all over the planet, and Samsung has countersued.  Even in Germany, where Apple rules even more than usual, Samsung S2 sales were larger than the iPhone 4S, which surprised many.

  But I digress -- the 4G connection at AT&T now available with the new iPad will be a real plus.  I have phone tethering capabiity on mine and that means your 3G/4G tablet can run a few other devices by providing its own 'WiFi' umbrella for them.

  In my tests, each of 3 devices for which my Samsung S2 phone and AT&T provide WiFi, as needed (battery drainer), are at the rate of 5-6 mbps for each device (a Kindle Fire, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, and one of my Kindle e-Ink readers.

  At any rate, that's one of the new features -- the tethering or the ability of the 3G/4G New iPad to double as a mobile WiFi hotspot.  The link explains how this works.

  (Would Steve Jobs have released the new iPad without a more solid name?)

  It'll come with AppleCare+ -- two years coverage of accidental damage if you order no extras.

  New iPad seekers can pre-order today from Apple's store and the new model will be in stores March 16 in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, and Germany

Information Week's Eric Zeman looks at what "What Apple Left Out" [Not much]
  .  Siri - the popular feature is on iPhone 4S's but Apple has used a simpler one, which will translate and place that 'translation' in the text field.  Siri can handle various other tasks.

  .  No main quad-core application processor, though it has a quad-core graphics processing unit, for smooth functioning of Retina display.

  . No new iOS although Apple will begin distributing iOS 5.1 update today.  It "adds support for iTunes Match (movies), Siri in Japanese [if the device has Siri] and the latest version of iTunes."

Zeman says that according to Apple.com, "the new iPad" is the new name.

 I saw a headline from WebProNews's John Vinson asking,
  "Will the next one be called 'New New' ?"
and nicely punning that the new iPad is "Resolutionary" and with some other whimsical thoughts on it.


Other articles referenced
Gizmodo, by Andrew Tarantola, on how the iPad's higher resolution will affect how soon you might reach the data cap for a month and why. [Updated later in the afternoon]

Wall Street Journal, by Ian Sherr
Their video mentions that you'll get a 5% discount buying at Target (when using the RedCard option, good for all goods, as Edward Boyhan points out).

Washington Post, by Hayley Tsukayama and Cecilia Kang.


You can stream the event now.



Kindle Touch 3G, US-only   Kindle Touch WiFi (US)   Kindle Touch WiFi-Only, outside US    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.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button 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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle owners with ipads: Unlimited iPad-3G has been killed - UPDATE4

See the Mashable story for details of the option that replaces the former Unlimited one.  Essentially, the Unlimited Plan is now 2 gigs max, for $25.  Tethering possible, w/conditions.

The iPhone wireless options are changed as well.

UPDATE 6/3//10 - Original post was dated 6/2/10, 6:19 AM
As the result of information from commenter Jo, showing that AT&T and Apple phone reps didn't even know about the new DataPlus and DataPro rates affecting the iPad as well as the iPhone, this is an update to explain a bit more of this, using our comment-area conversation.

Changed Post-sale data plans from advertising campaign
 First, the perception (and reality) that AT&T is reneging on the Unlimited Plan right after Apple and AT&T *marketed* the iPad with precisely that Unlimited plan isn't good for AT&T or Apple's reputations (AT&T doesn't have much of one to lose lately).

Grandfathering-in existing iPad users of Unlimited 3G Plan
  What AT&T and Apple have done is to bring about a situation in which those who just bought an iPad with 3G cellular wireless capability ($629) and already have it in hand -- along with the $30/mo Unlimited plan before this week's announcement -- will continue to get that Unlimited Plan as long as they continue to pay the $30 per month.  They are  'grandfathered in'  to a plan which has now been discontinued for all others.

  That means once they stop the plan, their only option after that will be to use options from the new plan.

  Of course people paid an added $130 to get an iPad with that capability at all, which is needed to use the monthly 3G data plans.

Recently, some iPad deliveries have been reported to be pushed back to June 7
Those getting their 3G iPads  with delivery date June 7 are not being allowed to order the Unlimited Plan now, before the new data plans go into effect, on June 7 - which can't be coincidental.

  Again, these buyers bought the $629 3G iPads on the basis of much advertising of the Unlimited access feature.  Not allowing receipt of new 3G iPads before June 7 will certainly make it impossible for even those who ordered recently, to get into the now 'old' $30 plan.

Reasonable expectations for the data plans
One problem is that AT&T and Apple are both saying that 98% of iPhone users did not use 2 gigs per month anyway, but it should be clear to anyone who notices the differences between the iPhone and the iPad,  that the iPad is another animal altogether when it comes to the type of data tranfers expected and that the iPad  was marketed not for making phone calls! and checking a few small YouTube videos but for heavy duty web browsing in data chunks far larger than used for iPhones and is being bought with the expectation of enjoying good-definition, large VIDEO streams.

  Look at all the apps marketed, such as HULU, ABC video and Netflix. 

UPDATE2a - Excellent summation of this aspect from commenter at David Pogue's NYT area in an article about impact of new 3G plans on iPhone but not iPad.

A recommendation will be to use the large data-involved features at home or at the office or at a hotspot where you can sit for a good while, and leave the 3G access for less challenging content.  Also, you might want to buy the larger storage capability (even if initially more expensive), 64M (or at the least the 32M model), and download videos for watching when you're away from WiFi spots.

  The new level-1 plan (BasicPlus) would offer 200 megs of 3G data for $15/mo. (instead of the advertised 250 megs of data for $15), and the new level-2 plan (BasicPro) allows users up to 2 gigs/mo. of 3G wireless data for $25/mo.

  It's said that one full-sized video + normal email and web-browsing on a 10" screen can use up more than the 200 megs quickly well before a month (or week) is done, even with compressed versions of the video.

 An long HD movie can use well over 1 gig.  But additional gigs needed after the 2-gig cap is reached will be "only" $10 per added gig, they say.

  I think this plan switch, in between sale and delivery, is somewhat problematical, but that could just be me -- especially when the next set of iPads doesn't arrive until June 7, the date these plans go into effect.  Those who are 'grandfathered in' got their 3G iPads very early and purchased the Unlimited 3G plan for their iPads.

UPDATE3 - June 4, PC World reports June 04, 2010 12:30 PM, that those ordering their iPads before June 7 would be eligible to the old Unlimited plan.  PC World adds, "including, it would seem, those who had merely ordered but not received the device."

UPDATE4 - A more detailed, firm story is at the New York times.

' On Friday, a company spokesman said the decision had been made. “AT&T will honor the $29.99 unlimited data pricing for customers who order iPad by June 7,” he said.

So now consumers have until 11:59 p.m. on June 6, just three days from now, to order an iPad with 3G capability and sign up for the unlimited plan when they receive it. '

That's definitive, I'd say.

Note:  iPad owners who use only the Home/Office/Hotspot WiFi networks and who don't plan to use the 3G cellular type access anywhere for large video streams or heavy web-browsing on complex sites won't be as affected by the changes.

UPDATE2
New Tethering Plan
The new 'tethered' plans have also received, appropriately, a lot of column space but almost always with no explanations of what that means for those who haven't read about that feature.  A well-worded, straightforward explanation is at Mobileoffice.about.com.

' "Tethering" is the use of your cell phone -- or other Internet-enabled mobile device -- as a modem for another device, usually a notebook or PDA [or, say, an iPad].  The connection is made either with a cable (USB or serial) or wirelessly through bluetooth...

Benefits of Tethering, usually
Tethering enables users to go online from their laptops or PDAs in situations where there's no other means of Internet access: when there's no wi-fi hotspot around, for example, or your cable modem goes on the fritz, or you're on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and need an online map quick ... '

The site goes on to explain that this can be quite a cost-saver if you're already paying for data service on your cell phone and if your cellular provider doesn't require any extra fees for using your cell phone as a modem for devices like a laptop or an iPad.

 In that scenario you wouldn't have to pay for separate mobile broadband service or buy additional hardware (such as a Novetel Mifi 2200 unit described in this blog earlier and available at Amazon for $0.01 when with a compatible service plan, which automatically connects to Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband service to give 3G access for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices at the same time.  NY Times's David Pogue was high on it in his review).

AT&T charges $20 extra for the tethering capability, however.
This is causing resentment seen in comments to online news areas from customers who feel they are already paying for plans with limits and merely sharing that limited access with two of their own devices.

Fly in the ointment on tethering availability
If you got the iPad early enough to already have in place the now-ended plan for Unlimited 3G access, you are not eligible to add the tethering plan even for the additional $20 per month.

FURTHER INFO
For good detail on the plans and the current situation, see
San Jose Mercury, Engadget, and ZDNet's more positive reaction.

---

Check often:  Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!