Kindle Paperwhite for Dummies (22 page)
Read Kindle Paperwhite for Dummies Online
Authors: Leslie H. Nicoll
Tags: #Computers, #Hardware, #Mobile Devices, #General
Figure 6-4:
Browse for e-books and more from your Kindle Paperwhite.
Sampling content
When you find a book that intrigues you, you can send a sample to your Kindle Paperwhite to decide whether you really want to purchase it.
Samples
consist of the first 10 percent of the book, which is usually enough to give you a flavor of the writing. Sampling isn’t perfect, however; sometimes the first 10 percent of a book is mostly the
front matter
(the table of contents, foreword, acknowledgments, and so on), and you never get to the good stuff. If that’s the case, it will likely deter you from buying the book! However, based on our experience, this is becoming less of a problem than it was in the early days of Kindle e-books. Publishers seem to be aware of the issue and are formatting their e-books so that relevant content is included in the sample, allowing a potential buyer to make an informed purchase decision.
If you enjoy the sample and want to buy the book, you can do so in a number of ways. The easiest method is to tap the top of the screen to display not only the top toolbar but also a special toolbar at the bottom of the screen that appears only in samples (see Figure 6-5), and then tap Buy This Book Now.
Sampling books on multiple devices
You can have multiple Kindles as well as other devices running the Kindle application (PCs, smartphones, and so on) registered to your Kindle account. You can register a new Kindle Paperwhite either from the device or from your computer via your Amazon account (see Chapter 2 to find out how to register your Kindle Paperwhite). For other devices, download the Kindle app and register using the device. More details on this process can be found in Chapter 4.
If you search or browse for Kindle content from your computer, you can send a sample to any of the devices registered to your Kindle account, including devices that run the Kindle app, such as the iPhone, a BlackBerry, or other PCs. If you search for content on your Kindle Paperwhite, you can send a sample only to the Kindle Paperwhite on which you’re doing the searching.
Figure 6-5:
The toolbars you see in a book sample.
A second method is to display the toolbar and then tap Menu⇒Buy This Book Now (see Figure 6-6). But why take the extra step?
Figure 6-6:
Buy the e-book via the Menu icon.
The third method is to purchase the book when you reach the end of the sample, as shown in Figure 6-7. Just tap the Buy Now link to purchase the book.
Figure 6-7:
Buy the e-book when you finish the sample.
Lending versus sharing
When you purchase Kindle e-books from Amazon, they’re associated with your Amazon account. If you have more than one Kindle device or app registered to your account, content can be
shared
among the devices, but it can’t be shared with a device or app registered to another account. Sharing refers specifically to “sharing” books among devices registered to a single Amazon account.
Although you might not mind having multiple devices on your account, keep in mind that those other devices — and their users — have access to your account to buy content using the credit card associated with the account. Even though devices on the same account can be shared, publishers may limit how many times you can download a copy simultaneously to different devices or apps. Books do not have unlimited sharing privileges.
Some Kindle e-books can be loaned to devices not registered to your account. In general, e-books that can be loaned to another Kindle owner on a different account can be lent only once, for a period of two weeks. While the e-book is on loan, it isn’t available to you. (Read more about lending e-books — as well as borrowing e-books from public libraries offering titles in the Kindle format — in Chapter 5.)
Current subscription content, such as e-magazines and e-newspapers, is limited to one Kindle at a time. For example, two people can’t share a daily subscription to the
New York Times
and read the current day’s paper at the same time on two different devices. Past issues can be downloaded to compatible devices on the same account. Subscription content cannot be loaned across accounts.
If you give a used Kindle as a gift, the content you purchased can’t be given as a gift. The device must be deregistered and the previous content erased. You can deregister a Kindle Paperwhite on the device itself (in the Settings section) or from the Manage Your Devices section of your Amazon account. Follow the same steps as you did to register your Kindle Paperwhite in Chapter 2. (The options will change to deregister instead.)
Read the License Agreement and Terms of Use at the Kindle Store. This document governs the use of e-books and digital content you download from Amazon. It can be found atwww.amazon.com/kindlelicense.
Note that for all these options, you’ll see a prompt to turn on wireless if necessary.
When you choose a Buy option (as opposed to visiting the store) you’re taken to the book’s product page at Amazon. Even though you see this page, you can’t browse — the purchase is made immediately and your account is charged, as shown in Figure 6-8.
Figure 6-8:
The screen you see when you purchase a book.
Note, however, that you can cancel the purchase from the screen shown in Figure 6-8. If you cancel the purchase, a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 6-9 is displayed.
Figure 6-9:
A cancelled purchase on the Kindle Paperwhite
If you want to verify the price before buying the book, make sure to choose View in Store (see Figure 6-5), Shop Kindle Store (see Figure 6-6), or See in Store (see Figure 6-7). Then, while in the Kindle Store, you can buy the e-book if you want.
After you purchase the book, your Kindle Paperwhite automatically takes you to the correct location in the book (where you left off in the sample) and deletes the sample from your device.
You can’t buy e-books or other content from your Kindle Paperwhite without a wireless connection, either Wi-Fi or 3G. On the other hand, if you buy an e-book while browsing on your PC and send it to your Kindle, that purchase is queued and sent to your Kindle the next time you turn on wireless, whether it be minutes, days, or weeks later.
Locating superior subscription content
Kindle content isn’t restricted to just e-books. In fact, one of the earliest selling points of the device was the capability to subscribe to Kindle versions of popular magazines, newspapers, and blogs. This type of content has been steadily increasing over the years. At present, several hundred magazines, newspapers, and blogs are available.
You have two options available for acquiring this type of content — an ongoing subscription or the purchase of a single issue. Per issue prices for a subscription will be less than the price to purchase a single issue, and both will
usually
be less than a traditional subscription or a print purchase. We say
usually
because you may find a bargain or deeply discounted subscription price that would be less than a Kindle subscription. If price is the determining factor, do your homework and shop around. On the other hand, if decreasing the clutter in your home is important and you want the convenience of wireless delivery daily, weekly, or monthly, you may find that a Kindle subscription is a viable option.
Some subscription content is available for free online, such as certain newspapers. So why pay for a Kindle Paperwhite subscription? If you commute on a train or a bus, the convenience of having the paper on your Kindle Paperwhite might be the deciding factor. On the other hand, if you like to read the paper on your computer, a subscription might not be a smart purchase. Keep in mind that
Kindle subscriptions don’t include advertising, whereas online periodicals often do.
