Good e-Reader - Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 8:01 PM
How to get the most of out of your new Kindle e-Reader
[https://goodereader.com/blog/uploads/images/Untitled-1-179-2-1024x577.jpg]<https://goodereader.com/blog/uploads/images/Untitled-1-179-2.jpg>
The Amazon Kindle is the most popular e-reader in the United States and United
Kingdom. There are a few different models that are currently available, such as
the entry level Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite 4 and the Kindle Oasis 2. If you are
a new Kindle user, it sometimes can be daunting to figure out how everything
works and get the most out of your new device. Here is everything you need to
know as a new Kindle user.
Special
Offers<https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/how-to-remove-special-offers-from-your-kindle>
– This is a an advertising based system that will display adverts on the
homescreen and the bottom of the main menu. Amazon subsidizes the cost of the
Kindle and sometimes this results in a lower cost. If you have advertisements
showing up on the Kindle, there are a few different ways to remove them.
Removing the Special Offers from your Kindle device is fairly straight forward.
You have to visit your Amazon Account
Page<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCUQFjAAahUKEwix0ImjlOjGAhUM0h4KHemYBgM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fyour-account&ei=QRmsVfGrKYyke-mxmhg&usg=AFQjCNFUEAO5dcEpG8oxYT-oYwCc8DvFag&sig2=uiDhm7lwrX-9bWuDWjM6qA&bvm=bv.98197061,d.dmo>
and login using the user credentials you registered your Kindle with. By
default, Your Content is highlighted, which gives you a rundown of all of the
e-books you purchased. You want to click on the Your Devices tab and then
select your e-reader. There will be a field on the bottom that says “Special
Offers – Subscribed – Edit and if you click on Edit. The cost depends on what
model of the Kindle you have, but normally ranges between $15 and $30. The
other way to remove Special Offers is to use the live chat option on the Amazon
website and if you are sweet to the CS rep, they can normally remove the
advertisement system for free.
GoodReads<https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/kindle-paperwhite-2-gets-goodreads-integration-hands-on>
– When you turn your Kindle on for the first time and go through the initial
setup process at the top of the main UI are things like Store, Home and G
button or GoodReads. This is a book discovery and social networking site. You
can register with your social media accounts or create new account with an
email address. The premise of Goodreads is you can see what your friends are
reading, talk to like minded people who share the same literary interests, set
up a reading a goal for the year or just browse reading lists. Goodreads is
optional, you do not have to use it, but given that it is front and center on
the main UI, Amazon knows millions of people visit the site every day.
Audible<https://audible.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4679/~/does-audible-work-on-all-the-kindle-devices%3F>
– All modern Kindle e-readers have the option in the Kindle store for Audible.
This is the companies audiobook store, where you can purchase new audiobooks or
if you are an existing Audible member, you can login and sync all of the
purchases directly to your Kindle. Audiobooks range dramatically in price,
sometimes you can find them for fairly cheap, but the average bestseller is
normally anywhere from $25 to $50. In order to listen to audiobooks you need a
pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker. You can pair your
headphones in the audiobook player, full instructions are available
HERE<https://audible.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9348/~/how-can-i-pair-a-bluetooth-device-with-my-kindle-e-reader%3F>.
X-Ray<https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/kindle-paperwhite-2-gets-goodreads-integration-hands-on>
– When reading a book there is a feature that is available called X-Ray. This
system keeps track of the people, places, things and major events that occur.
This is useful if you are juggling multiple books at once or are reading an
epic series that introduces a copious amount of characters which is sometimes
hard to keep track of. This would include Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time or
Harry Potter.
Kindle Unlimited<https://amzn.to/2ReZr8k> – This is a service that allows you
to download and read an unlimited number of ebooks for a small monthly fee. You
can access the titles in your library, but the link to purchase a subscription
is found on the main menu and also when you are reading a book from the
settings menu. There are around one million titles available that range from
ebooks, to audiobooks to manga. Major publishers for the most part are not
taking part in the program. You will find some popular titles like Harry Potter
and Hunger Games, and lots of indie author books.
Kindle Freetime
Unlimited<http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/kindle-freetime-unlimited-gives-access-to-thousands-of-kids-ebooks>
– A subscription service designed expressly for ages 3-12, Freetime Unlimited
curates e-books. It includes parental controls for things like setting time
limits, adjusting content filters and reviewing any photos taken with the
tablet. You don’t need to have a Prime subscription to get Freetime Unlimited,
but it’s cheaper: $2.99 per month for one child or $6.99 per month for up to
four children. If you don’t have Prime, the service costs $4.99 and $9.99,
respectively.
Save multiple reading
settings<https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-4-review>
– If you share your new Kindle with various other family members or a
significant other, there is a new option to save multiple reading settings
directly from the settings menu or when reading an ebook. This includes font
type, font-size, lighting levels and most other user settings. This will
preserve your ideal configuration if someone else wants to use it, which is
very ideal.
Kindle Lending Library
<http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/amazon-kindle-lending-library-surpasses-300000-titles>
– As part of your Prime subscription, you get access to the Kindle Owners’
Lending Library, which lets you check out one e-book per month and read that
book on any Kindle e-reader or Fire tablet. The catch: This particular library
offers a relatively small selection; don’t expect a lot of new titles or
bestsellers.
Kindle
First<http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/amazon-publishing-introduces-read-before-release-program-kindle-first>
– Each month, Amazon editors curate six new, yet-to-be-released books and give
Prime subscribers the chance to pick one of them — for free. And it’s for
keeps, too; you’re not just borrowing the book.
Prime
Reading<http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-introduces-prime-reading-for-us-members>
– You can access the catalog of thousands of free e-books and a rotating
selection of magazines, comics, travel guides, Kindle Singles and more when you
are a Prime member.
Overdrive ebooks<https://help.overdrive.com/customer/portal/articles/1481599> –
If you live in the United States, you can borrow ebooks from the public library
and have them automatically synced to your Kindle e-reader. The easiest way to
have them delivered to your Kindle is to browse the libraries website and check
them out, there is a Kindle option. You can find out the exact instructions
HERE<https://help.overdrive.com/customer/portal/articles/1481599#thundercontent>
Odds and ends
The Kindle has a wide array of little features that are not essential for your
day to day reading activities but there are a few functions you should know
about.
Cloud Collections – Use Cloud Collections to organize your content in custom
categories. See your collections in a Collections view, and customize where
your collections show on your device. To learn more, go to Organize Your
Content with Cloud
Collections<http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201455650>.
Page Flip – While reading, you can skim the book page-by-page, scan by chapter,
or skip to the end for a sneak peek without losing your place. To learn more,
go to Go To Other Locations in a
Book<http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201241970#GUID-9F1A26C6-AA25-42A7-9A50-C32C81C8F33F>
Enhanced Bookmarks, Highlights & Notes – Access and manage all of your
bookmarks, highlights, and notes more quickly and easily. To learn more, go to
Bookmarks, Highlights &
Notes<http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201241990>
Smart Lookup – When you look up a word or character, Smart Lookup provides you
with dictionary, X-Ray, and Wikipedia information.To learn more, go to Explore
Your Book with
X-Ray<http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200954440#GUID-5DE357E7-C5D2-4BD2-8109-2AA428960B5F>.
Vocabulary Builder – Words looked up in the dictionary are automatically added
to Vocabulary Builder. View the definition and usage of the words, and quiz
yourself with flashcards. To learn more, go to Expand Your
Vocabulary<http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200954440#GUID-53909A30-8BBA-41A6-81F3-B19FFE33FB3D>.
Wordwise<http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/word-wise-and-family-library-come-to-new-kindle-e-readers>
– For readers learning English and children learning to read, Word Wise makes
it easier to understand more challenging books more quickly. Short and simple
definitions automatically appear above difficult words, so you can keep reading
without having to stop and look up a word. To see the various meanings the same
word can have in different contexts, just tap on the word to quickly bring up a
card with definitions, synonyms, and more. You can adjust the number of
definitions you see with a slider, dialing them up or down as you learn and
grow your vocabulary. Word Wise is already available on thousands of titles,
including The Hunger Games, The Giver, and Wonder.
If your Kindle is lost or
stolen<http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/what-to-do-if-your-amazon-kindle-is-stolen-or-lost>
– If you lose your Kindle, chances are it’s going to be very hard to track
down who found it or get back again. The first thing you want to do is
deregister the device, you do this by visiting Amazon.com<http://Amazon.com>
and clicking on Your Apps and
Devices<http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/your-account/myapps>. Next, click on your
devices, Click the Actions button, and then click deregister device. If you
want to insure that a stolen Kindle cannot be sold on the blackmarket, eBay,
Craigslist or the local pawn shop you may elect to blacklist it. The best
thing to do is phone Amazon, and ask them to “blacklist” the device. When it is
blacklisted, it can not be registered by someone else. You can do this by
calling Toll free: 1-888-280-4364. If you manage to find it, or someone returns
it in a lost and found bin, you can call Amazon back and they can unblacklist
it so you can re-register it.
Load in your own
e-books<http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/how-to-load-ebooks-on-the-amazon-kindle-voyage>
– Amazon Kindle e-readers are able to read a multitude of proprietary formats,
including AZW and MOBI, but also PDF files. Amazon has feature many people are
unaware of. It allows you to send attachments via Email to your Amazon Kindle.
You need to visit the Amazon website and login. Next visit the main Account
Management Page and then visit Settings. Near the bottom you will see a few
email address and the associated devices. It should give your first name and a
few random numbers, mine is
michael_95121@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:michael_95121@xxxxxxxxxx>. You then then send
e-books as attachments to yourself from your work or home email and all the
books you attach will be sent automatically to your Kindle.
I really like a program called CALIBRE<http://calibre-ebook.com/>. It does some
powerful stuff, like allowing you to add cover art to an eBook you have
downloaded that may not have one, or to change the author’s name. The feature I
dig the most is being able to co
[https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b59dcb539f05f3fbbeb685269253e435?s=100&d=mm&r=g]
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing
about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been
picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CNET,
Engadget, Huffington Post and Verge.
https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/how-to-get-the-most-of-out-of-your-new-kindle-e-reader
David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info<http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.info>
