Kindle Reader - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Kindle Reader

Jim Dean · RV-Dreams Family Member

DW and I each have a Kindle and yes we can share books. The problem you may have is when both of you are reading the same book at the same time using one acount. The one that is further behind will sync itself with the other one since it will take you to the point that is further along. We usually don't read the same things so it is not neccesarily a problem for us. With the 3G model you can be traveling down the road and download a book. However, if you have wifi access in your rig it is not neccessary to purchase the more expensive model. Each of us have an ipad and iphones with an Amazon kindle app and we can share books within those devices also. Currently, I am reading something different on each of my devices so multiple books can be read at the same time. I was not a reader until my DW got me a kindle and now I read a lot. I hope this helps.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a Nook, but I'm pretty sure Kindles work the same way. You will have an online account for your Kindle. All you books are stored there and you can download them to various devices. I think you can associate multiple devices with your account. Therefore you SHOULD be able to download the same book to both Kindles. Since we only have 1 e-reader I'm not 100% on that -- just using common sense which we all know doesn't always work out.

Barnes & Noble also has a feature for Nook that lets you "lend" books to another user. I believe that gives the other user access for 2 weeks and then the book disappears on them... Not sure if Kindle also has that sort of feature.

I opted for the Nook with wifi access but no 3g. If you have access to wireless through a router or mifi sort of device there's really no reason to have the 3G that I could see... I've had mine about 9 months now and haven't had an issue with no 3g yet.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just so you know, (Last I knew) with kindle you must purchase new print books thru amazon. With nook you can borrow books thru your local library. I have no financial interest in either, but just sayin. My wife has had a nook for two years now and has purchased 2 books for it however she has read dozens from the library, my sister has a kindle and I have heard her husband many times over say she spends way to much money on books.

Flyone

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

flyone wrote:
Just so you know, (Last I knew) with kindle you must purchase new print books thru amazon. With nook you can borrow books thru your local library. I have no financial interest in either, but just sayin. My wife has had a nook for two years now and has purchased 2 books for it however she has read dozens from the library, my sister has a kindle and I have heard her husband many times over say she spends way to much money on books.

Flyone

Some other things I like about my Nook:

Mine is color so I have subscriptions to a few food/recipe magazines I really enjoy. They are more expensive than I think they should be, but they are a small indulgence I really enjoy.
Like Flyone's wife, I rarely purchase a book. I believe in 9 months I've purchased 1 book. I can borrow them through the "Lend Me" feature or from the library. Barnes and Noble also offer a free book every Friday. I've found lots of authors I never would've discovered this way.
Since I like read before I go to sleep, I can make the font a size I can see without my glasses and I don't need to have a light on in the bedroom to read. My nook automatically goes to sleep if I don't turn a page within the time I specify. No more crumpled paperbacks and broken glasses from when I fall asleep while reading. Of course if you prefer to read out in the sunshine, what I see as a plus would be a downside for you...
They are now making lots of apps available for the nook and plenty are free. I now have a sudoku game on my Nook and you can even get Angry Birds!

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

While it isn't an "e-reader" such as Kindle or Nook, Jo has an HP notebook computer on which she reads a lot. Hers is so she gets books from Amazon and she can get books from the local library system. The Kindle for the PC is a free app and she's getting the free books.

Other than the purchase of the notebook, she hasn't spent a dime on all the books she's been reading.

Terry

RetiredGuy · RV-Dreams Community Member

A couple of points and corrections:

1) You can have as many as six devices all sharing the same Kindle books.
2) You can turn synchronizing off so that if two people are reading the same book on the same account, each can be at a different place.
3) There are sources for books other than Amazon. The Gutenberg Project (www.gutenberg.org) is one. Many public libraries are adding ebooks for Kindle as well.

My DW and I each have a Kindle, we each have a laptop, we have a netbook, and she has her smartphone all registered to our Kindle account.

Robert

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

thanks for all the responses, gives us lots to think about. My thought on all this was to be able to download a book on the 3g/wifi Kindle and "move" it to the other unit. We do not have an air card or other internet access but we do use free wifi provided by the parks and other sources (libraries, Mickey D's etc) when available.

Thanks,

Phil

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

To "move" it to the other unit you download it from Amazon when the other unit has wifi. You might be able to hook the first unit up via USB to a computer, copy the book over and then do the same with the other Kindle. That is how you handle non-Amazon books in .MOBI format that you get from other sources like http://www.smashwords.com/. I do not have a Kindle, but know many people who do have them.

Me, I am waiting for the Amazon tablets. These are reportedly coming out in fall and will be full Android tablets, unlike the Nook Color, so true competitors to the iPad.

(Hopefully you are not paying more than $50 a month access to this "free" wifi. That is what Verizon now charges for 5GB of service. Fuel costs to drive to where the wifi is, being more limited in campground choices, paying higher nightly rates to have wifi, it all adds up.)

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 28th of August 2011 09:29:17 AM

J Riechman · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a Nook. I love it and have downloaded many free books from B&N, but how do You download from the library?

janni · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm not sure about yours but our last stop had library2go and the you download an Overdrive software to use it. It works well on my laptop and is through Adobe Reader I believe(been awhile since I used it).
I have the Kindle and love it! Best non glare reading screen for reading outside. It has most of the options mentioned above also. I also load pdf crochet patterns on mine so I can keep it right with my work for reference. Lots of books out there and you can also go online or dload software to convert some of the other reading files to mobi.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Personally I worry about the Nook because I worry about Barnes and Noble. They are not that healthy. But my niece just married the "Nook guy" from her local Barnes and Noble and he was very upbeat about the future. The new Nook Touch is superior to the Kindle for usability as all the reviewers have said. The Nook Touch and the Kindle use the same screen. The Nook Color is actually an Android tablet without access to Google's Market, but you can get apps for it through B&N. Books go in Kindle first, it is the biggest market, but both should have lots of choices.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

J----It's kind of a long process and not easy to describe, the best thing is to log on to your library (or any Library). go to electronic book section and they should explain it there. Or go to the library or go to any BN they will be able to help you.

Flyone

J Riechman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Flyone, will do that.

Laura and Bunk · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a Nook Color and love it. Bought Nook instead of Kindle because of the Library use. Just heard that the newer Kindles will have Library access. If you to belong to a library and have a computer on line you can download. The Overdrive application is downloaded from your library site to your computer then the book goes through the computer to the Nook. Very simple.

My problem is with the "rules" Nook only allows a book to be lent through FB users and limits how many times it can be lent. So many of readers out there exchange real books all the time. Nook really limits that.

But if you are in a RV the weight advantage is great!

Laura

janieD · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have two kindles, share books all the time. We like having the 3G on it so that we can get books without being connected to the internet. My husband buys lots of his sci-fi books from a site other than amazon. Soon it will also have the ability to use libraries too. There are quite a few free books on Amazon's site if you look for them, I am reading one now that is quite good. The non glare screen, electronic paper is much better for reading than a computer or iPad. We do use the free software Amazon Kindle and use that format for cookbooks and things that really benefit from a color screen. We are avid readers and for FT RVers this is a great way to do that without carrying around all that paper. Have fun!

LibertyLinda · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a Kindle with 3g & the free app on my laptop, & I just got a tablet that also can get the books - so many options. I love the kindle 3g to be able to download books- some free, some very low price. I didn't know about library use, so thanks for that!

RJohnso3a · RV-Dreams Community Member

I've been using a Kindle (wifi only) for a couple months. One of the things I've discovered to be very handy about the Kindle is the ability to send your own Acrobat PDF documents to your Kindle. This feature is valuable to RVers since we usually maintain a lot of documentation on our rigs. Most of these documents are available as PDFs from the component manufacturer web sites and other forums. Personal documents like phone lists, household budgets, etc. can also be saved to PDF format and sent to the Kindle.

It's a lot easier searching for a file on the Kindle than it is going through my 6 inch thick folder of owner's manuals. There is also a bookmarklet (sendtoreader.com) that you can use to quickly send web pages directly to your Kindle from your web browser. This is handy for saving long web pages for later reading or reference.

crafter32034 · RV-Dreams Family Member

I bought Mary Kay a Kindle wifi last Christmas and she bought me one for father's day. We are both voracious readers. As we prepare to live aboard full time, we find the ability to have a large library in so small a package is a real plus. Since I added the kindle app to my iPod touch, I can cross platform all my books. Very cool. For DW and I, Kindle is a must have gadget.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Kindle now can download books from most libraries, came about a week or maybe two ago. Go to your local library web site for instructions exactly how to do borrow and download books. That now puts kindle on par with the nook, in my opinion.

Flyone

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

This is a timely discussion for me. I'm looking to buy an E-book device. Research so far has led me to the Kindle and it's pretty much a done deal. But the model is still up for grabs. Consequently, I'd like some advise/opinions on what model.

I'm not interested in the cheapest model, rather I will buy the one that will do what I need. I don't need 3G capability but if it's free then put me down for it. I do want Wi-Fi capability if for no other reason that I have a wireless router at home where I would be downloading most frequently.

I just want to read books and do not have a desire to jump thru hoops to do so. Can anyone shed some light on this in 2 digit IQ terms...meaning the Reader's Digest version?

Thanks.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would advise going somewhere that sells Kindles and playing with them. There are basically four models (I think), the $79 one that has a set of arrow keys, the $99 one that has a touch screen, the one with a keyboard that used to cost $114, but I think is now $99 and the Kindle Fire at $199. The three cheaper versions all use the same eInk black and white display that is really good for reading and works outside. The Fire is a tablet computer with a shiny screen that displays color but is probably not as good for reading, more for videos and being a tablet computer. All of these models are wifi onlym with 3G higher priced and only useful to get new stuff not to surf. The three cheaper ones have advertising and it costs $20 to $30 more to get the same model without the ads. People who have played with the model using arrow keys find it hardest to use. The keyboard model is actually the old model and most like the touch screen better since it is a bit smaller and more intuitive.

I don't have any of them myself. I am still looking but getting very tempted. Friends with Kindles say they are better than books since you can change the font size, they keep your place in the books and they find them more legible than many books. One friend loves to read his in bed with his hands under the covers and says he can't do that with a paper book.

Additionally you do not have to get all your books from Amazon though Amazon has a huge library. You can load books from multiple websites onto a computer and use a USB cable to copy them over to the Kindle like it is an external drive or thumbdrive. Lots of free books, especially classics, lots of cheap $1 to $3 books, but the bestsellers are still pricey.

granny · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have the kindle which is now $99. I bought mine for $114, wish I had waited! It is great. No bells or whistles it just allows me to read ! I am amazed how easy it is to read a book with it. I love the feel of a real book but this took no time at all to get used to. I also bought the cover that has a light built in and it makes it easy to read with the lights down when hubby is sleeping.

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

granny wrote:
I have the kindle which is now $99. I bought mine for $114, wish I had waited! It is great. No bells or whistles it just allows me to read ! I am amazed how easy it is to read a book with it. I love the feel of a real book but this took no time at all to get used to. I also bought the cover that has a light built in and it makes it easy to read with the lights down when hubby is sleeping.

Granny> "Just allows me to read." That is the recommencdation that I was looking for.

What model is yours??

Tim & Robyn · RV-Dreams Family Member

I recently bought the no frills Kindle reader ($79). I have a wireless network here at home, and I'm not going anywhere, so I had no need for the extras. As RVers your needs will almost certainly be different than mine.

But I can tell you, I'm already addicted to this thing, and I've only had it for a week. I love to read, and with the Kindle, if nothing else, at least it saves me gas money from not having to drive to the bookstore.

I played with the free PC e-reader version of the Kindle, but I also like to read in bed for a while before lights-out and that just wouldn't work with a laptop, so I'd still have been stuck with buying physical books, and I don't have room for anymore.

In fact, I'm looking for places locally where I can donate the books that I do have. I know now that I will never be an RVer, but I can still get rid of 'stuff' and simplify my life.

I too am concerned about Barnes and Noble longterm survivability, but I think if they do go under some other company will pick up the Nook technology.

I wish you the best with whatever you decide to do.

-- Edited by Tim & Robyn on Monday 17th of October 2011 09:03:41 AM

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

I bought the $79 Kindle special a week ago and really like it. It is Wi-Fi only. I considered the more expensive Wi-Fi + 3G model but figured that Wi-Fi is just about everywhere now days. Find a Micky D's and you have a Wi-Fi hotspot.

I have no desire to control a NASA space shutle with the devise. I only want to read books so this machine is perfect for me and the better half.