More tips on using Kindle 3. And white-Kindle text vs DX Graphite text

Be sure to read the first Kindle 3 Tips and Cautions blog article here.

The picture on the left is of my white-bezeled 6" Kindle 3 next to the Graphite 9.7" Kindle DX.
  The Graphite DX does have a slightly greener tint under certain lighting, but a touch of green can make an image look brighter.

  Here's the larger image.  Following the larger version is a second, closer shot of the text of both.

  Further on down the page, I have a tip to get the Kindle text to a closer match with the DX text.

On Twitter, Jason Varner asked: "My very first Kindle is on its way!  What are the first things I should try/do w/it?  Tips from exp. Kindlers? /cc @kindleworld"

  Besides going to Amazon's Kindlestore to click on Books or heading straight for the Top 10 Free Bestsellers  (UK Top 10 Free Bestsellers) to try your first download of a free book for the new Kindle (UK Kindle), definitely do the following:

  Download to your computer FOR the Kindle 3, the very helpful Kindle 3 USER'S GUIDE for reading ON the Kindle.  After you get it you can transfer it to the Kindle "documents" folder via the USB cable that's part of the power cord.

  Also, get the PDF User's Guide for reading on a computer.

  For a general additional guide to creating and editing Collections ("folders" concept) and some other newer features, see the Introduction and Guide, which also gives you links to the apropos Amazon Help pages.

  There are also new Kindle 3 features added to those.

Here are guides to how to use some of the more advanced recent features:
    . Forwarding highlighted passages and notes to Facebook and/or Twitter
    . Some information on the filing of Personal Docs and Subscriptions/Periodicals
    . Collections:   Important tips to avoid problems or to solve them
    . How to Pan & Zoom in a PDF (similar for web pages).


TODAY'S KINDLE 3 TIP:
GOAL:  Getting the Kindle 3's font size and appearance closer to the default font size of the larger Kindle DX.  Click on the picture at the left to get the larger version of the text comparison.

  The smaller Kindle 3 has a default font size (#3 of 8 choices) that is smaller than the default font size of the Kindle DX.

  I played with the new options a bit.  Except for brightest light (when I sometimes use smaller font sizes), I like best the somewhat larger DX's default '3' size.



So I chose, for the Kindle 3,
  . Size 4,
  . condensed typeface (for tighter
      character spacing at the larger size)
  . medium line spacing (less space
      between lines), and
  . Words per Line default, which goes to
      the edges of that small screen.

If you click on the Kindle 3 and DX text photo just above, or on the Text-key settings on the right, you'll see the larger images for each.

And for those who installed special font-sets to get darker text on the Kindle 2, I think you'll love the sans serif typeface.   It doesn't get darker than that, and it's very clear.

As for the DX Graphite -- while the Kindle 3 text pops out at you, the Kindle DXG text is so sharp and crisp that it looks etched on the screen.  But the smaller Kindle does very well against the DXG with this setting and though you get less on the screen, the K3 is ultra light and the clarity makes reading it addictive the way the DX models have been for me.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   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.

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!

Unsung features of Kindle 3. PDF contrast, Web Zoom-ins, Time-setting etc

SEE THE MAIN NEW KINDLE INFO SECTION for details on features announced.  The following are the features that were Not announced but more quietly part of the User's Guide.

First, Len Edgerly's The Kindle Chronicle's Friday Podcast has his "Extra" audio report on the Kindle 3 seen during his visit July 26 with Kindle Team members Jay Marine, Director of Product Development for the Kindle, and Stephanie Mantello, Senior PR Manager for the Kindle in Boston.

  These are first impressions of the new Kindle, recorded immediately after the preview as well as some information from the press release.

 Friday's regular podcast will be an interview with Jay Marine.

FROM THE USER'S GUIDE
New unheralded aspects are in BOLDface.
PDFS: NEW FEATURES
No-fee delivery of personal documents direct to Kindle
  "For Kindle models that include 3G, you can avoid 3G delivery fees for the personal document service by addressing the e-mail so that the second part of your Kindle e-mail address is @free.kindle.com.  The document will be delivered to your Kindle when your Kindle is connected via Wi-Fi and it will also be e-mailed to your Amazon e-mail address.  If Wi-Fi is not available, you can transfer the personal document to your Kindle's documents folder by connecting your Kindle to your computer. "

Adjust the contrast!
  "While reading a PDF document, you can zoom in or adjust the contrast to make the document easier to read."

  "Pressing the Text key [Aa-key] will let you choose zoom and contrast options for a PDF page."

  The options are "lightest lighter default darker darkest."

However, into each life, some rain must fall:
  "table of contents -- this option is NOT available for PDF documents"

Place Cursor in Page
  "Press up or down on the 5-way controller to display the cursor.  If you are zoomed into a PDF page, you can also press Menu and choose 'Place Cursor in Page' to display the cursor.

    — displays a blinking cursor on the page.  Use this option when you are zoomed in to a PDF page and you want to create a note or highlight, or use the dictionary lookup."

  My note here: We were never able to access the words before.  Highlighted passages can now be forwarded to Facebook and Twitter, if social networking is enabled where you are.

WEB PAGES
Zooming into Web Pages
"You can zoom in to any web page to magnify the page. Additionally, if you see a magnifying glass displayed on a web page, you can use it to magnify a specific area of a web page."

More options similar to the PDF ones
Fit to Width, Zoom-in options, Actual Size
  My note here: Very nice!  Unfortunately, though, we can't adjust the contrast on webpages, which sometimes don't translate well to b&w.

Article Mode
"While viewing articles on a web page, you can switch to Article Mode ... allowing you to focus on the main text on the page.
  Choose "Web Mode" to return to the standard Web Browser view."

DEVICE TIME
  "Lets you set the current local time on your Kindle.  On Kindle models that include 3G, you can have Kindle automatically set the device time."

  My note here: This can be done manually, finally!  When people are out of Whispernet areas, the most recent files would have no date and be placed last.  Now we can set the time ourselves.

MICROPHONE
"Microphone— the microphone is not currently enabled but is provided for future use. "

MONITORING PROGRESS OF DOWNLOADS
"If one or more items are in the process of downloading from the Kindle Store or Archived Items to your Kindle, you can monitor the download progress.  From Home, press Menu and select “View Downloading Items” to display a list of the items that are in the process of downloading and their download progress.  (If this option is dimmed, then all items have finished downloading to Home.)"

 This is good because I'm always wondering if it's through yet.  Sometimes it takes extra Check & Sync'g to get a blog update.

FULL SCREEN READING
"Once you open a book, when you go to the next or previous page, the header automatically disappears to allow the page to fill the screen.  To temporarily display the header (for example, if you want to check battery status), press Menu.  Pressing Menu again hides the header."

WIFI AND 3G ITEMS
"Your Kindle automatically turns 3G coverage off when you connect using Wi-Fi.  If you disconnect from a Wi-Fi network or if you move out of Wi-Fi range, Kindle automatically switches back to 3G coverage.  If you want to turn off 3G coverage, you can turn Whispernet off.  Keep in mind that turning Whispernet off also disables Wi-Fi connections.

Your Kindle can connect to a Wi-Fi network at home, at your favorite cafe, or at Wi-Fi hotspots around the world.  Connecting through Wi-Fi offers fast downloads, free delivery of personal documents, and allows your Audible audiobook purchases to be delivered wirelessly to your Kindle, with no computer required.

For U. S. customers traveling outside the United States, there is no additional charge to have your books, periodical subscriptions, and personal documents delivered to your Kindle if you connect to Whispernet using Wi-Fi.

Turning wireless off applies to both 3G and Wi-Fi connections"

  My note here: A humorous thought from K. Rector, posting in Amazon Kindle forums who wonders if, since AT&T offers Kindle users free WiFi at AT&T hotspots everywhere and they list Barnes and Noble as one, whether one can be in the store and browse with the Kindle, using B&N's WiFi  :-)

TWO DICTIONARIES!
And the 2nd one is the Oxford Dictionary of English!
This must be a result of the UK getting its own Kindle store Aug. 27.

  Note that the hardcover version of this is $53.

 In the U.S. at least (maybe the UK too, since the User's Guide is for both the U.S. and the UK), the default dictionary is The New Oxford American Dictionary.


ALT-DEL key-combo is back to delete an entire line that was typed instead of deleting one by one slowly.

CONTROLS MOVED TO BOTTOM OF KINDLE
"The bottom of your Kindle contains the volume controls, headphone jack, micro-USB/power port, power switch, microphone, and charge indicator light."
  Some feel this should be 'unsung.'

BATTERY CONSUMPTION CAUTION that can use a repeat.
"Keep in mind that subscribing to multiple blogs that update frequently may increase power consumption and decrease the battery life.  Weak signal coverage can also increase power consumption."

KINDLE STORE: RATING AND WRITING REVIEWS
I just noticed this capability in the User's Guide and didn't remember this being available.  Tried my Kindle 2 and, yes, it's there.

  We can now (if we want to do such a thing) write a review via the Kindle and assign a rating to a product with the K2 and DX's.

That's it for today's report :-)

U.S. and International (except UK) Kindle 3's
  Free 3G/WiFi - $189  (White/Graphite) and WiFi-only- $139  (Graphite)
    Cover, with light powered by Kindle's battery - $60
    Cover, w/o light - $35

UK-Only Kindle 3's
  Free 3G/WiFi - £149.00  (White/Graphite) and WiFi-only- £109.00  (Graphite)
    Cover, with light powered by Kindle's battery - £50
    Cover, w/o light - £30



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.

  *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!