Kindle Reader (software version) & Free eBooks

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mathepac

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If you have an account on www.amazon.com / www.amazon.co.uk for buying books, etc, you can download a free application called Kindle, a software version of the Kindle tablet, & install it on your Mac or PC. This allows you to access to free books in Kindle format from the amazon sites. Happy free reading.

The app is also available from Apple's App Store,but the version on amazon is slightly newer, but you still need to set up an account on amazon to get the ebooks.

Mods: If this is posted already feel free to delete it.
 
A few thousand, but some are books with 2 or 3 (or even 1 short story). The download has two books included, Treasure Island and Pride & Prejudice IIRC; big numbers of books but you'll need to wade through some dross to get to some good stuff IME.
 
Excuse my ignorance but you can download all free books from amazon.com by sorting low to high price or is there a quicker version.
 
A helpful poster on boards.ie reminded me of these links for free books in Kindle & other formats, which like an eejit I forgot to post:

www.gutenberg.org has 30,000 free titles

www.manybooks.net has 26,000 free titles

www.openlibrary.org has 1,000,000 free titles

www.archive.org has 2,500,000 free titles plus other archived materiel

It appears amazon.com (not sure of .co.uk) has about 5,000 free out of 1.1M and also has "collections" and "complete works of" for small money, for example:

The Complete Works of:

Charles Dickens $2.99
Louisa M Alcott $1.23
Robert Louis Stephenson $3.68
William Shakespeare $2.45
Jane Austen $1.22
Jules Verne $2.99
Leo Tolstoy (two lifetimes worth of reading [broken link removed] ) $1.99
Mark Twain $2.99
Walter Scott $2.99
Arthur Conan Doyle $2.99
Oscar Wilde $1.99 and more...

There are individual titles by some of the above authors available free, but at those prices for collected works, why bother with individual books?
The prices include VAT and all you need is a broadband connection for the download via amazon's whispernet
 
I am thinking of buying a Kindle 3g.

I would appreciate some feedback on keyboard or touch screen. This is my first Kindle. Browtal
 
I have a third generation kindle ( I think) with the keyboard, I have never used keyboard. I download everything at home with wireless, I love it and read about 2/3 books a week on it. I can't see any real advantage to a touch screen
 
I have a Kindle 3g - keyboard. I have it a year and I think that was all that was available then.

I find it great. Lots of free classics that i download from amazon.com - some good value current novels and some books available at normal book prices. Not everything is available online so I do still buy books and borrow from libraries.

The 3g is amazing once you don't expect too much from it. I have downloaded from amazon within seconds while on holidays in places as varied as Japan, Caribbean and France. I can access my gmail (poorly and clunkily but for free) most places I have traveled.

My bibliophile friends say "oh I like the feel of a real book". Fine ........ still buy books but you will find the Kindle amazing for travel and as a research tool. I read loads and travel quite a bit. I think Michael O'Leary should be getting a commission from amazon as previously I had to check in a bag to bring all my books when I traveled!!!!
 
putsch said:
I have a Kindle 3g - keyboard. I have it a year and I think that was all that was available then.

I find it great. Lots of free classics that i download from amazon.com - some good value current novels and some books available at normal book prices. Not everything is available online so I do still buy books and borrow from libraries.


My bibliophile friends say "oh I like the feel of a real book". Fine ........ still buy books but you will find the Kindle amazing for travel and as a research tool. I read loads and travel quite a bit. I think Michael O'Leary should be getting a commission from amazon as previously I had to check in a bag to bring all my books when I traveled!!!!
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+1, Browtal-go for it! I LOVE my kindle:).
 
Browtal, I recently changed to a kindle 4 as my much loved kindle 3 got a cracked screen when I accidently put pressure on it up against the armrest of a ryanair seat... I was distraught, especially because it was before we even took off!!! I read the reviews of the 3g and the touch before I bought it and eventually went for the kindle 4 without touch and no keyboard - the reviews for the touch were not great and the kindle 4 did everything I need it to do - rarely used the keyboard for notes, never used it to listen to books and I have wireless access almost everywhere I go so no need for 3g. And my advice, get a cover that flaps over the screen and more importantly use it when you are not reading!! Not using it caused the demise of my much loved kindle 3 :-D
 
Would you consider a 7"/8" tablet instead? Similar form factor, Kindle app available, so you can do all you can with a Kindle, but so much more. Have all your books, music, movies on one device.
 
Leo - not sure if you are an avid reader, but Kindle is so much easier on the eyes than a backlit screen, much more like reading a real book - personally I would rather have a kindle in addition to a tablet than do my reading on a tablet.
 
I have a Kindle Fire that I got in the US - it does all the kindle ready stuff you want plus its on the wifi and works as a tablet. I believe its coming out soon in Europe - might be worth waiting for.
 
Nutso said:
Leo - not sure if you are an avid reader, but Kindle is so much easier on the eyes than a backlit screen, much more like reading a real book - personally I would rather have a kindle in addition to a tablet than do my reading on a tablet.
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+1

IMHO The Kindle display (E-Ink) cannot be beaten, for ease of reading, by any tablet or even other E-Readers.
 
Nutso said:
I have wireless access almost everywhere I go so no need for 3g. And my advice, get a cover that flaps over the screen and more importantly use it when you are not reading!! Not using it caused the demise of my much loved kindle 3 :-D
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I agree about the cover but the 3g is cool! Sometimes when I'm bored with the book I'm reading on the beach I browse the bookstore and download there and then and within seconds I'm reading a new book - often a free one. I highly recommend 3g - it costs little extra and you don't have to use it if you don't want to but its a fantastic option and its free! (how long they'll keep that up I wonder).
 
Many thanks to all for your replies, what a wonderful communication forum aam.

I am ordering through Amazon and getting delivered to a hotel in US where my
friend is staying and she will being it back for me.
I am really looking forward to my new kindle Regards Browtal
 
elefantfresh said:
I have a Kindle Fire that I got in the US - it does all the kindle ready stuff you want plus its on the wifi and works as a tablet. I believe its coming out soon in Europe - might be worth waiting for.
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I was thinking of buying a Fire the last time I was in the US but I decided against it as it was unsupported here. I feared that I could only upload it with content when in the US.

How are you finding it? Do you have full functionality in Ireland ?
 
I don't think i can currently use the amazon store - it gave me some sort of "not in your territory" message - I believe its going to be available in Amazon Europe presently.

As for ease of use - I find it perfectly fine. I surf away on the wifi no bother. I have a few books on it but I've never liked reading from these things - nothing beats a real book.

Over all, I like it - I cannot give any comparison to other tablets/readers as I've not used them but this thing does exactly what I want and its nice and small and handy.

Easy to drop a couple of movies onto it which I've done for flights - the picture is great and the sound is bang on.

The only real moan I'd have about it is how long it takes to charge - man, its slow.
 
I have been told by regular commuter to US that it works and is a lot cheaper and that sending it to hotel is the best way for delivery. Allow an extra week.
Browtal
 
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