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Questions about Kindle

Discussion in 'Computers & Technology' started by reaganmarsh, Nov 3, 2011.

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  1. Nov 3, 2011 #1
    reaganmarsh

    reaganmarsh Puritan Board Senior

    Friends,

    My wife has begun trying to talk me into a Kindle as a Christmas gift. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of having a lot of books with me while I'm out of the office each day.

    I'm considering the new Touch with 3G.

    My question is this: I don't know anyone who has actually used one of these things. Are good reformed commentaries available for Kindle for free (i.e., Calvin, Gill, Henry, Poole, etc.)? I've got several Puritan books on the Kindle for PC app already. I suppose it could conceivably assist my sermon preparation? Or is the device clunky and unhelpful for that level of study?

    Would it be practical for accessing my seminary notes? They're in MS Word. It seems that you can put your own files on these devices.

    Also -- are these devices any good for actual web browsing (by this I mean, if I'm out visiting the hospital and realize that I have 15 minutes to wait until I can see the church member, could I reasonably use Gmail or visit the PB?) Is it possible to look up driving directions? How about accessing an apologetics website like CARM, or a page like Monergism, or PuritanLibrary? And I saw that Amazon is now blocking 3G web browsing...so (I think) I'm asking whether these sites are accessible & usable via Wi-Fi. (I don't have a smartphone, nor is owning one in the foreseeable future, so I'm trying to have some idea of functionality).

    Did a fair bit of research today and seem to be getting conflicting opinions. I'm sorry if these are dumb questions. My in-laws are the ones who are really behind this idea, and I don't want to be a poor steward of resources. So, as I am a pastor, I figured I'd ask other pastors.

    I'd value any advice or answers to the above questions. Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Nov 3, 2011 #2
    jogri17

    jogri17 Puritan Board Junior

    I use the 3rd generation kindle or as it is now called ''Kindle Keyboard'' just with wifi. My sincere opinion is that The kindle is great for real reading, but not good for reference works. For those, Logos Bible Software, e-sword, Bible Works, etc... are superior.

    As for your sermon notes, you can just send them via e-mail with the word ''convert'' to your free kindle address and it will convert automatically and it will be downloaded through WIFI without any extra fees.

    The kindle is not meant for web-browsing, though there is a browsing feature. It sucks. The Kindle is simply a reading devise. If you want an all-in-1 devise, an iPad or android tablet is for you. Amazon designed the Kindle (exception being the Fire) to be for reading. It does that 1 thing very well- much better than a tablet (battery life, and screen).

    I hope I was of some help.
     
  3. Nov 3, 2011 #3
    Stargazer65

    Stargazer65 Puritan Board Freshman

    Hello Rev. Marsh,
    Yes, tons of free and almost free reformed comentaries. I put all the major confesions, and things like Calvin's Institutes on it for just a few dollars. Yes you can put your notes on it, it would be helpful. It's great to be able to keep study bibles and a large reference library in your pocket.

    It's not a great web browsing device, I've tried it once and it's sort of limited and awkward for web browsing, but it is possible.

    I have a new kindle (the 79 dollar version). It's the most portable. Even with the leather cover it fits in the pocket of my jacket, and many of my pants pockets as well. The touch will be a little larger, but has more storage capacity, and more battery life, as well as the full touchscreen.
     
  4. Nov 3, 2011 #4
    NB3K

    NB3K Puritan Board Sophomore

    Here is my kindle Library. I have not updated the list but this should give you a idea of what is out there.



     
  5. Nov 3, 2011 #5
    KMK

    KMK Administrator Staff Member

    I use the Kindle extensively for sermon prep. It is a little clunky when it comes to research, but it is worth it for me because of its easiness on the eyes. If staring at a laptop screen does not bother you, then I wouldn't bother with the Kindle.

    --------

    If any company came out with an 'e-ink' word processing device with an actual typing keyboard, I would be all over it. After working with the Kindle I really dislike backlit monitors.
     
  6. Nov 3, 2011 #6
    SRoper

    SRoper Puritan Board Graduate

    I just got a Kindle recently. I'm not sure why you would want a 3G version. The web browsing is all but unusable, so that leaves downloading books, newspapers, and magazines which you should be able to do from home or work (or wherever else you have WiFi).
     
  7. Nov 4, 2011 #7
    KMK

    KMK Administrator Staff Member

    A word of warning: when you email Word documents to your Kindle it doesn't keep the formatting. This is the main reason I don't use the Kindle to preach from.
     
  8. Nov 4, 2011 #8
    VictorBravo

    VictorBravo Administrator Staff Member

    Right, but if your outline is simple, it might be sufficient.

    I have a Kindle dx. The main reason I got it is to read pdfs full size. It does that pretty well, so sermon outlines would keep their formatting if you saved as pdf.

    But, I find that even the large screen kindle is a little small for some pdf books. If you turn it 90 degrees, you see a large size half-page.

    As for sermon prep and reference, it is fine as long as you understand the limitations. No annotations on pdfs. Awkward annotations on mobi type files.

    But, before I complained too much about that, I remembered all the work I used to do with library books scattered around me. You couldn't write in those margins, either. It's pretty cool to have in your lap the complete works of Owen, Calvin, Gill, along with all sorts of other notables.

    I really like it. It's not a tablet, it's a reader. It's almost like a throwback, but the e-ink is nice on the eyes.

    But I don't know how well pdfs read on standard sized screens. Almost all of my theological books on it are pdfs found free on-line.

    Edit to add: Greek in mobi format renders on the kindle fine now, but Hebrew does not. If your study involves Hebrew characters, you will almost certainly need the document as a pdf file.
     
  9. Nov 4, 2011 #9
    NB3K

    NB3K Puritan Board Sophomore

    If you can afford an Ipad 2, I would suggest you go that route and get the Kindle app. Why? because the Ipad platform is much easier to navigate through than the Kindle. But with the new Amazon Cloud you do not even need a Kindle it you are nearby a computer with internet access.

    Just my :2cents:
     
  10. Nov 4, 2011 #10
    Southern Presbyterian

    Southern Presbyterian Moderator Staff Member

    I'm thinking about a Kindle Fire. Does anyone know about it's web browsing capabilities?
     
  11. Nov 4, 2011 #11
    reaganmarsh

    reaganmarsh Puritan Board Senior

    Wow, thank you for all of the replies, and so quickly! Your input has given me a lot to consider.

    I am thinking that, for me, a b&w Kindle will probably be better than the Fire. I can't afford an iPad, though they're really pretty. The main thing I'm thinking is a "reader." My eyes tire quickly while looking at my laptop screen, & iPads/Fires seem to basically be "computer screens." From what I can tell, it seems to be the consensus that the e-ink on the b&w Kindles is easier on the eyes.

    I really appreciate your time and responses!
     
  12. Nov 4, 2011 #12
    interalia

    interalia Puritan Board Freshman

    Reagan-
    The Kindle is simply phenomenal and I recommend that you get one for the reasons above and for the ease of reading. The new ones in particular are priced right. Monergism.com seems to always have free/cheap downloads for Kindle also. The ability to highlight and collate notes is fantastic, too.
    Blessings to you - so glad to hear of your ministry at Beacon!
    MJ
     
  13. Nov 5, 2011 #13
    reaganmarsh

    reaganmarsh Puritan Board Senior

    Thank you, Michael!

    BTW we had lunch with Chris yesterday! For the uninitiated: one of Michael's brothers is a deacon at our church.

    But that's :offtopic:

    ---------- Post added at 10:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:34 AM ----------

    Okay, another question --

    I understand that the web browser is next to worthless (on the b&w models). Am I correct in my understanding that Amazon has locked down the 3G browsing on the new models to strictly the Kindle store and Wikipedia? So even a quick Google search (i.e., for a phone number or for that verse's reference you just cannot recall) is out of the picture over 3G at this point?

    Sorry that I'm remedial here. Just trying to understand before I give my wife (read: my in-laws) an answer. Again, I don't want to be a poor steward of resources.

    Grace to you all. I appreciate your input.
     
  14. Nov 5, 2011 #14
    jogri17

    jogri17 Puritan Board Junior

    Tip: When you email a word doc type the work ''convert'' and it should improve that problem. I don't see that a problem often. I do not preach, but I use my kindle to teach Sunday school (the kids get a kick out of it... I'm so cool with my technology!) and I use it for my theology classes when I give a presentation or asked to use my Greek New Testament (the new SBL critical Greek New Testament) to be forced to read it publicly, I use my kindle because of the quality of the screen and the fact that I can change the size.

    Once again hopefully I helped a bit.

    ---------- Post added at 11:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:22 AM ----------
    Not true. Wikipedia is advertised on Amazon.com. I'm not sure about google, but if you decide to buy the Amazon Kindle ''Fire'', the browsing looks good on it... perhaps even superior to the iPad.
     
  15. Nov 6, 2011 #15
    reaganmarsh

    reaganmarsh Puritan Board Senior

    Thanks again folks. I appreciate your input.
     
  16. Nov 7, 2011 #16
    KMK

    KMK Administrator Staff Member

    Type it in the subject line?
     
  17. Nov 7, 2011 #17
    SRoper

    SRoper Puritan Board Graduate

    Yes.
     
  18. Nov 18, 2011 #18
    Ask Mr. Religion

    Ask Mr. Religion Flatly Unflappable

    I am using the Kindle Fire but cannot get it to work when I try to reply to a post here at PB. It works fine at other discussion sites running vBulletin, but refuses to do so here at the PB. Anyone else having that problem?

    I can "Reply With Quote" and get the quoted text in an editing window but the KF keyboard will not pop up. Similarly with "Post Quick Reply".

    Other than this PB-only issue, I am quite happy with the device. Its browser is wicked fast and I can side-load it by plugging it into my computer. The standard method is to email your docs to it as each KF has a unique email address.

    Sigh.

    AMR
     
  19. Nov 18, 2011 #19
    reaganmarsh

    reaganmarsh Puritan Board Senior

    So, the KF -- it has an LCD, right? How is that for reading, compared to the e-ink screens? Do your eyes tire in a similar fashion as when looking at a computer screen?

    I know that my response doesn't answer your question. Just being nosy because the stores here don't have them out on display yet.
     
  20. Nov 26, 2011 #20
    Southern Presbyterian

    Southern Presbyterian Moderator Staff Member

    I'm using my new Kimdle Fire to browse and post today. I see no substantive difference between it and my laptop (besides the keyboard) while here or elsewhere on theweb.
     
  21. Nov 26, 2011 #21
    Herald

    Herald Administrator Staff Member

    No substantive difference? Besides the fact your Kimble doesn't seem to type to good on theweb. :lol:
     
  22. Nov 26, 2011 #22
    jogri17

    jogri17 Puritan Board Junior

    Mais oui!
     
  23. Nov 26, 2011 #23
    Southern Presbyterian

    Southern Presbyterian Moderator Staff Member

    I believe I noted that the keyboard IS an issue. View attachment 2474
     
  24. Nov 26, 2011 #24
    Herald

    Herald Administrator Staff Member

    You did, but I simply ignored it.
     
  25. Nov 26, 2011 #25
    O'GodHowGreatThouArt

    O'GodHowGreatThouArt Puritan Board Sophomore

    I'd avoid the Kindle Fire like the plague James. The reviews that I found would not make its designer very happy.
     
  26. Nov 26, 2011 #26
    Herald

    Herald Administrator Staff Member

    James already HAS the Kindle Fire and he seems to be quite happy with it.
     
  27. Nov 26, 2011 #27
    Southern Presbyterian

    Southern Presbyterian Moderator Staff Member

    Yes, I am. It is just as advertised, in my opinion. I didn't order it expecting it to perform like IBM's Watson. It does what they said it would do and will fit the niche I plan on using it to fill.

    Now if only I can just learn how to use the on screen keyboard! ;)
     
  28. Nov 26, 2011 #28
    Ask Mr. Religion

    Ask Mr. Religion Flatly Unflappable

    My KF experience improved dramatically after I received my stylus today. Makes using the onscreen keyboard much easier.

    Also installed the getjar app so i can install a bunch of Android apps.

    Now have the Nook and Mono readers installed, too.

    AMR
     
  29. Nov 26, 2011 #29
    jogri17

    jogri17 Puritan Board Junior

    Why would you want to use a Stylus when God has given us 10 to use for free? Sorry, but in the area of tablets, I do agree with the late Pope Steve Jobs (pope of Apple religion) that fingers are better than a stylus. It is just so 20th century palm pilot.
     
  30. Nov 26, 2011 #30
    Ask Mr. Religion

    Ask Mr. Religion Flatly Unflappable

    On a small screen my fingers just won't do. And I don't like a screen with fingerprints all over it. ;)

    AMR

    ---------- Post added at 04:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:05 PM ----------

    I have yet to get the KF to work here at PB. I can read everything but cannot respond to any posts with it. Anyone else using KF here have this problem? Do I need to use a PB mobile app? Is there one? ;)

    AMR
     
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