Monday, September 6, 2010

More tips on using Kindle 3. And white-Kindle text vs DX Graphite text

Be sure to read the first Kindle 3 Tips and Cautions blog article here.

The picture on the left is of my white-bezeled 6" Kindle 3 next to the Graphite 9.7" Kindle DX.
  The Graphite DX does have a slightly greener tint under certain lighting, but a touch of green can make an image look brighter.

  Here's the larger image.  Following the larger version is a second, closer shot of the text of both.

  Further on down the page, I have a tip to get the Kindle text to a closer match with the DX text.

On Twitter, Jason Varner asked: "My very first Kindle is on its way!  What are the first things I should try/do w/it?  Tips from exp. Kindlers? /cc @kindleworld"

  Besides going to Amazon's Kindlestore to click on Books or heading straight for the Top 10 Free Bestsellers  (UK Top 10 Free Bestsellers) to try your first download of a free book for the new Kindle (UK Kindle), definitely do the following:

  Download to your computer FOR the Kindle 3, the very helpful Kindle 3 USER'S GUIDE for reading ON the Kindle.  After you get it you can transfer it to the Kindle "documents" folder via the USB cable that's part of the power cord.

  Also, get the PDF User's Guide for reading on a computer.

  For a general additional guide to creating and editing Collections ("folders" concept) and some other newer features, see the Introduction and Guide, which also gives you links to the apropos Amazon Help pages.

  There are also new Kindle 3 features added to those.

Here are guides to how to use some of the more advanced recent features:
    . Forwarding highlighted passages and notes to Facebook and/or Twitter
    . Some information on the filing of Personal Docs and Subscriptions/Periodicals
    . Collections:   Important tips to avoid problems or to solve them
    . How to Pan & Zoom in a PDF (similar for web pages).


TODAY'S KINDLE 3 TIP:
GOAL:  Getting the Kindle 3's font size and appearance closer to the default font size of the larger Kindle DX.  Click on the picture at the left to get the larger version of the text comparison.

  The smaller Kindle 3 has a default font size (#3 of 8 choices) that is smaller than the default font size of the Kindle DX.

  I played with the new options a bit.  Except for brightest light (when I sometimes use smaller font sizes), I like best the somewhat larger DX's default '3' size.



So I chose, for the Kindle 3,
  . Size 4,
  . condensed typeface (for tighter
      character spacing at the larger size)
  . medium line spacing (less space
      between lines), and
  . Words per Line default, which goes to
      the edges of that small screen.

If you click on the Kindle 3 and DX text photo just above, or on the Text-key settings on the right, you'll see the larger images for each.

And for those who installed special font-sets to get darker text on the Kindle 2, I think you'll love the sans serif typeface.   It doesn't get darker than that, and it's very clear.

As for the DX Graphite -- while the Kindle 3 text pops out at you, the Kindle DXG text is so sharp and crisp that it looks etched on the screen.  But the smaller Kindle does very well against the DXG with this setting and though you get less on the screen, the K3 is ultra light and the clarity makes reading it addictive the way the DX models have been for me.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

Send to Kindle


(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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10 comments:

  1. Thanks for the response to my Tweet! I'm still 1-2 days away from receiving my first Kindle, as the Monday holiday here in the US (Labor Day) has delayed the shipping!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jason, glad you saw that I replied :-)

    I'm U.S. too so am enjoying the day too. Here's hoping you get the K3 tomorrow !

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not going to lie -- seeing the 9.7" Kindle 3 definitely makes me jealous. I love my Kindle 2 but I may have to go for the new DX soon.

    Jason V, enjoy your new Kindle!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cliff,
    :-) Did you see the enlargement of the text-comparison version? http://bit.ly/k3-dxg-text

    The little Kindle 3 does very well though it doesn't fit much on a page EXCEPT that I should really have taken a picture of them together on the next page of all text and still might do that.

    My Kindle 2 text characters now look medium brown to me after getting used to the K3. But you're right, if you can swing it later, that DXG is really amazing.

    I would hope they'd do a WiFi one someday or at least give us the PDF goodies on the DXG, which certainly has the fast screen... I don't really care about WiFi as I use my netbook for that (which I'm on now).

    Thanks for the smile your comment brought |-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Andrys,

    Can you take a picture of the K2, K3 comparison with PDF files? Can you show the shade function and how that improves PDF handling?

    Thanks.

    Rick.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rick/LDD,
    Yes, I could take pics of that later, but not until next week. Am backed up. Hope you're not depending on that for a decision!

    But I'll see if I can move it up. Thanks for the idea. (Lots going on.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi,
    Concerning free books on Amazon, I followed your link to the top 100 free bestsellers list and chose a book that's marked "free". When I got to the book's page, it said price: $2.00. Now that's not a lot for a book but it's NOT free... Isn't that a bit misleading on Amazon's behalf? Shouldn't the name be changed to something like "Very cheap kindle books" instead?
    Sincerely,
    Yossi

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yossi,
    That happens when you live outside the United States and they haven't negotiated an Agreement with wireless providers, where you are, that would allow them to give you a better rate.

    The UK used to be $2.00 on those too, same with Canada, but apparently the companies did work something out. 3G wireless is rather high in other areas, which is an important factor, since Amazon doesn't charge us back for our use of it, even when doing web lookups.

    For the UK, I give at the end of my blog entries, the link to the free books at the UK store, but the UK store will sell Kindle things only to UK residents (but not Ireland for some reason).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Andrys,

    I notice there's a case for the Kindle 6". Is that a soft fabric case? Where do yo get it?

    Thanks,
    Perry

    ReplyDelete
  10. Perry,
    I got spoiled by the Cole Haan when it was reduced by 50% for the Kindle 2 (a sign that the Kindle 3 was on its way). I just like the feel of it and it reminds me more of an old book cover.

    Then they had a 20% special on the new Cole Haan (which doesn't have the added or connecting strip on the spine but that doesn't bother me) and I had a leftover gift certificate also, so I got one for the K3.

    But the special is no longer available and it's very pricey then. Most would not want to spend that much on a cover. The one I got is the saddle-tan.

    ReplyDelete

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