Just got a Kindle.

I don't think Kindle can read MS Word files without converting. So you can't just copy an unconverted .doc or .docx from your PC to the Kindle via USB.

ETA:

Files Kindle Recognizes

You can purchase and wirelessly download Kindle books, newspapers, magazines and blogs from the Kindle Store as well as download and read other types of non-DRM (Digital Rights Management) text-based content on your Kindle. You can also play Audible audiobooks or MP3 files. When your Kindle is connected to a computer and mounted as a USB drive, you will see three default directories or folders. Here's a list of the directories and the file types recognized by Kindle:

* Documents: Kindle (.AZW, .AZW1). Text (.TXT), Unprotected Mobipocket (.MOBI, .PRC)
* Audible: Audible (.AA, .AAX)
* Music: MP3 (.MP3)

Personal Documents

Kindle's Personal Document Service allows you to e-mail the following approved file types to your Kindle's e-mail address:

* Microsoft Word (.DOC)
* HTML (.HTML, .HTM)
* RTF (.RTF)
* JPEG (.JPEG, .JPG)
* GIF (.GIF)
* PNG (.PNG)
* BMP (.BMP)
* PDF (.PDF): See below for details.
* Microsoft Word (.DOCX) is supported in our experimental category.


Built-in PDF Reader for Kindle (Latest Generation), Kindle (2nd Generation), and Kindle DX devices

Your Kindle displays most PDF documents without losing the formatting of the original file. You can magnify PDFs by viewing them in landscape mode. The only Kindle devices supported for PDFs are the (Kindle Latest Generation and 2nd Generation) and Kindle DX.
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200505520
 
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Oops, you're right. I tried just copying a Word doc over and it wouldn't open. I'm sending it to my free.kindle.com email address now.

Yep, that worked. I could either have Calibre convert it and send it to my Kindle, or like I just did, email it to my kindle. The conversion looks really good but it was just text. Nicely formatted.
 
AdMan said:
This is a function of the e-ink technology, as it "refreshes" the page in order to display the next one.

Akin to shaking an Etch-a-Sketch before you can draw on it again. :)
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Is it just random noise or an actual negative of the old or new page?

I know this really doesn't matter, it's just my anorak brain not coping with not seeing it properly :)
 
Keeper said:
Is it just random noise or an actual negative of the old or new page?
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It turns the pixels that were black to white and the white ones to black, so I think there will be an actual negative image for a split second:

Turning every pixel white, then black, then white, helps normalize the contrast of the pixels. This is why several devices with this technology "flash" the entire screen white and black when loading a new image.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper
 
RoboTimbo said:
Oops, you're right. I tried just copying a Word doc over and it wouldn't open. I'm sending it to my free.kindle.com email address now.

Yep, that worked. I could either have Calibre convert it and send it to my Kindle, or like I just did, email it to my kindle. The conversion looks really good but it was just text. Nicely formatted.
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Ahhh, this is very good to know. Do they charge you for the conversion?
 
You get two email addresses with your Kindle. RobRoy@Kindle.com and RobRoy@free.kindle.com.

If you send a document to your Kindle to the @kindle.com one, it is sent over 3G and I think it's 15 cents per meg.

If you send a document to your Kindle to the @free.kindle.com one, it is sent over whatever local wireless network your Kindle is connected to. No charge for that.

The conversion is free, it's whether you are using their AT&T network or not that costs.
 
RoboTimbo said:
You get two email addresses with your Kindle. RobRoy@Kindle.com and RobRoy@free.kindle.com.

If you send a document to your Kindle to the @kindle.com one, it is sent over 3G and I think it's 15 cents per meg.

If you send a document to your Kindle to the @free.kindle.com one, it is sent over whatever local wireless network your Kindle is connected to. No charge for that.

The conversion is free, it's whether you are using their AT&T network or not that costs.
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Awesome, thank you for making that distinction!
 
This is an inevitable conflict I think. Book companies have to make some money, otherwise they won't publish books. OTOH the technology for information storage and transmission will just keep getting better and cheaper. On one hand limiting the number of times an e-book can be lent is artificial. On the other hand, without some artificial limit or some change in the system somewhere it's just a matter of time until libraries can easily lend out e-books thousands of times and patrons with relatively inexpensive e-readers can accommodate as many books as they can read.
 
I don't think there is really any technical problems with getting e-book lending (and libraries lending) in a sensible manner but it's a problem of a fragmented market, we need someone to gain such a lead in the market that they can impose a solution.
 
BenBurch said:
Now Harper Collins will now no longer allow Libraries to loan an ebook more than 26 times. I think you can forget about libraries loaning ebooks after this - there is no way they can justify the cost.

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainme...cle_9ba49ed8-44fe-11e0-8e6a-0017a4a78c22.html
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Now that's just plain greedy. Harper Collins isn't losing any money by letting libraries buy an ebook and keep lending it forever. As pointed out in the article, a library will buy a hardcover book and it will often be lended out for years. Harper Collins wants to charge about the same price for an ebook as a hardcover, and then make the library buy a new one approximately once every year. Libraries don't ordinarily buy a new copy of a book every year.

I think this is going to backfire on them. For one thing, libraries won't be buying as many books from Harper Collins. For another, people who normally would have discovered a book through their library and then bought it are less likely to be aware of the book's existence.
 
So my son has had his Kindle since Christmas and a couple days ago he accidentally stepped on it and broke it. :(

But wait, he contacted Amazon and they sent him a new one! :)

They want the broken one, but he's already received the new one and they took a gift card credit card that only had ~$5 left on it as collateral until they receive the broken one. He told the guy he broke it, (as opposed to claiming it just stopped working). We shall see when they get the broken one if that was true. But at the moment it would seem they have a very generous return policy. Especially since I bought the thing at the Microsoft store in the mall. I don't think my son knew that. :p
 
Turns out Amazon guarantees the Kindle once you register for downloads. So I guess it doesn't matter I bought it at the Microsoft store.
 
RoboTimbo said:
The conversion is free, it's whether you are using their AT&T network or not that costs.
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I sent my two Word docs with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to my Kindle yesterday. Both converted very well (except for the table of contents) and are marvelous.

Skeptic Ginger said:
Turns out Amazon guarantees the Kindle once you register for downloads. So I guess it doesn't matter I bought it at the Microsoft store.
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This does make sense, as Amazon and its providers stand to make much more from Kindle book sales than they do from the Kindle itself. It’s like a drug dealer making certain you have enough crack pipes to smoke the stuff! Still, it is very nice to know that they recognize this.
 
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