Kindle Tips

Last night, Amazon introduced their Kindle Owner’s Lending Library. This morning there is an announcement about it on Amazon’s front page. The Kindle Owner’s Lending Library is a new Kindle feature only for Amazon Prime Members. It is initially launching with about 5000 books (according to the Wall Street Journal article). Kindle owners (with Prime) can borrow one book a month for free, keep it as long as you like (all users one the account can read the book) and then return the book and get another one.

I have not looked deeply into the list of books, but there are mixed reviews about what is available.  There are some new books and some popular books, but many of the books are backlist, previously free titles and Amazon Encore (Amazon’s own publishing arm) books.  This is not surprising, they are going to be free books and publishers are not often fond of giving away books.  But since you can only borrow 12 books a year, there will likely be enough books for most people to find a book a month.  You will also be able to access your notes and highlights after you finish borrowing the book and if you later purchase the book the highlights and notes will be available in the book.

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Over the past two weeks Amazon has been distributing the latest firmware upgrade (3.3) for the Kindle 3 (now called the Kindle with Keyboard).  There are several upgrades to the software.  According to the Amazon Press Release on their message boards these are the main features:

• Download your archived Personal Documents on Kindle Keyboard: You can now view and download your archived personal documents to your Kindle Keyboard conveniently anywhere at any time. Your personal documents will be stored in your Kindle library until you delete them from Manage Your Kindle.
• Whispersync for Personal Documents on Kindle Keyboard: Just as with Kindle books, Whispersync automatically synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks and annotations for personal documents (with the exception of PDFs) across the Kindle devices. Learn more about Kindle Personal Document Service on www.amazon.com/kindlepersonaldocumen
• AmazonLocal deals on Kindle Keyboard with Special Offers: Kindle Keyboard with Special Offers users in many regions can now view,purchase, and redeem AmazonLocal deals directly from Kindle Keyboard — no computer, no printer, no hassle. AmazonLocal offers savings up to 75% off products and services from businesses in your city, national chains and online merchants. Learn more about AmazonLocal on www.amazonlocal.com.
• Voice Guide Shortcut: Kindle Keyboard users can now quickly turn the Voice Guide feature on and off by holding the Shift key and pressing Spacebar.  Voice Guide reads aloud menu options, content listings and item descriptions. To learn more about using Voice Guide on Kindle Keyboard, visit Customize Your Reading on Kindle.

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The Basic Kindle

Lost amid the excitement about the Kindle Fire Tablet and the Kindle Touch is the fact that there is a new Basic Kindle that is only $79.  This is a significant drop in price for ereaders. No major ereader has had a regular price of less than $99.

The Kindle Basic is slightly smaller than the Kindle Touch (6.5 by 4.5 inches vs 6.8 by 4.7 inches) and less than 6 ounces.  For comparison an iPhone 4 is 4.8 ounces.

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The new Kindle Touch is what I would purchase right now if I were buying my first kindle. I strongly prefer reading on an eink screen (instead of an LCD screen, like what is on the Kindle Fire, the iPad or many computer screens). The touch uses the same 6 inch Pearl screen that the current Kindle uses. So there is not an upgrade to the actual screen, but there is an upgrade to the processor and software, so the page turns are supposed to be faster. At this point, I do not think that faster page turns matter, until the brief flash is eliminated. Page turns are basically instant now.

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Many have probably already heard about the new line of kindles.  I am not going to give a full description, but just comments on them.

Kindle Fire

The Fire has received most of the attention.  It is a 7 inch tablet.  It has an LCD screen and is running a customized version of Android.  It should be great for video, music and magazines.  Amazon has its own streaming video service (similar to Netflix) that will be available on the Kindle.

I have not used many 7 inch tablets.  It is a bit on the small side for web browsing, but is large enough for personal video and probably better for reading than the 8.9 inch screen of the iPad.  The screen resolution is as good as the iPad (widescreen instead of 4:3).

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In 2011 Amazon started working with Overdrive to allow Amazon Kindle users to check books out of the library to be read on their Kindle devices. Any Kindle or Kindle App can now check out books from your local library.  Approximately 11,000 libraries in the US allow users to check ebooks out using Amazon.

The main complain that I hear about OverDrive is that there are not enough books or the wait is too long.  And that complaint is all about funding.  Your local library system as part of their agreement with OverDrive, chooses the mix and number of books. My local library, Cobb County Library, went from about 800 ebooks in 2011 to about 8600 today.  Most of those books only have one or two copies.  As I was browsing, there were a few that had more, but Cobb County has chosen to have more books, rather than more copies.  If you want more books in your system, then tell your local library, and comment to your local government about the funding.  You are paying for these books, it is just that you are not paying for them directly, but through your tax dollars.

How to Check Out a Book

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Everyone that reads, especially if you blog about your reading, hits a reading slump.  I seems to hit a slump of one variety or another about once every three or four months.  Sometimes the slump expresses itself as a lack of desire to read.  But more often the slump is expressed by extreme ADD reading.  Nothing seems to satisfy, nothing seems interesting.

I have tried a variety of methods.  First, and I think most important, it to remove obligation from your reading if at all possible.  This is the main point of Alan Jacobs’ recent book The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction.  If you are a student, obligation is a part of reading.  But throwing in the occasional book for pleasure is important to keep yourself balanced.  As a book blogger, I have cut back the number of books I review for publishers and primarily blog about books that I choose.  That means that I have to buy them myself and they are often, not the newest books on the market, but reading on ‘Whim’ (to use Jacobs’ word) creates a happier reader.

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Several days ago Amazon announced that Seattle Library would be testing their new kindle library lending.  Evidently it went very well and Amazon announced the roll out today.  I have not had a chance to try it out.  My local library is part of the Overdrive Library system, which is what Amazon is supporting, but my library (Cobb County GA) says “coming soon.”.  I will add a new post once I am have been able to try it out.

Here is the press release:

Amazon today announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Kindle Library Lending will be available for all generations of Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps.

“We’re excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries,” said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. “Customers tell us they love Kindle for its Pearl e-ink display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight, up to a month of battery life, and Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps.”