The Amazon Kindle FAQ: Everything you wanted to know about the Kindle

[Michael Kozlowski]

For reference: the parts of the Kindle

Can I use the Kindle in ...?

What is Whispernet?

What do you mean when you say "acquire content"?

So I can use the Kindle even if I don't have Whispernet?

I don't live in the US. Can I buy a Kindle?

But if I have a Kindle and am traveling to ...?

Can I share my books with other Kindle owners?

But I really like sharing my books with family and friends!

Help! My Kindle is frozen!

How do I contact Kindle support/customer service?

Can I return a Kindle book?

Is the Kindle good for students?

Are Kindle books abridged?

What about newspapers? Are they complete?

How do I find things in the Kindle store?

How do I delete something from my Kindle?

Can I convert PDFs for my Kindle?

How do I add custom screensavers to my Kindle?

How do I remove custom screensavers from my Kindle?

[Michael Kozlowski]

For reference, here are the parts of the Kindle, with labels. These are the terms I used in answering questions so if you are not sure what the "select wheel" is...now you know!

[Michael Kozlowski]

Q: Can I use the Kindle in ....?

A: Let's back up a step and talk about what it really means to "use" the Kindle.

The Kindle has two switches on the back: one for on/off of the device and the other for on/off of the Whispernet.

If you turn the Kindle on and it has content on it (book, magazines, newspapers, etc) you can use the Kindle anywhere in the world and even out of it. The Kindle will work in your home, business, or car. You can read it on busses, subways, planes, monorails, cruise ships, sailboats, submarines, and trains. It will work in every state in the US and every country in the world. There is no limit to where the Kindle can be read.

What does not work everywhere is the Whispernet. That means that you will not be able to acquire content via the Whispernet service if you are in a place that it does not work. This includes the states of Alaska and Montana. The Whispernet does not work everywhere in the US -- this link provides a coverage map so you can see if it works where you live: http://www.showmycoverage.com/mycoverage.jsp?id=A921ZON. In addition, Whispernet does not work anywhere outside of the US, at the present moment.

If you are on a cruise ship far away from land, it will likely not work. It will not work on a plane, where you shouldn't be using it anyway (but remember, you can read your Kindle on a plane, once they give the okay for electronic devices).

[Michael Kozlowski]

Q: What is Whispernet?

A: From the Amazon Kindle product page comes this description: We wanted Kindle to be completely mobile and simple to use for everyone, so we made it wireless. No PC and no syncing needed. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Unlike WiFi, you’ll never need to locate a hotspot. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills—we take care of the hassles so you can just read.

With Whispernet, you can be anywhere, think of a book, and get it in one minute. Similarly, your content automatically comes to you, wherever you are. Newspaper subscriptions are delivered wirelessly each morning. Most magazines arrive before they hit newsstands. Haven’t read the book for tomorrow night’s book club? Get it in a minute. Finished your book in the airport? Download the sequel while you board the plane. Whether you’re in the mood for something serious or hilarious, lighthearted or studious, Kindle delivers your spontaneous reading choices on demand.

And because we know you can't judge a book by its cover, Kindle lets you download and read the beginning of books for free. This way, you can try it out—if you like it, simply buy and download with 1-Click, right from your Kindle, and continue reading. Want to try a newspaper as well? All newspaper subscriptions start with a risk-free two-week trial.

Whispernet utilizes Amazon's optimized technology plus Sprint's national high-speed (EVDO) data network to enable you to wirelessly search, discover, download, and read content on the go.

Unlike WiFi, you don't have to find a hotspot. Amazon pays for Kindle's wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store. There is no wireless setup—you are ready to shop, purchase and read right out of the box.

Note: There is no wireless coverage available currently on Sprint’s data network for Kindle in Montana and Alaska.

Once again, the coverage map: http://www.showmycoverage.com/mycoverage.jsp?id=A921ZON

[Michael Kozlowski]

Q: What do you mean when you say "acquire content"?

A: Let's start with a visual: imagine your Kindle is a bookcase. When you first take it out of the box, the bookcase will have 2 items: The Kindle User Guide and a welcome letter from Jeff Bezos. As the new owner, you have the fun job of filling up the shelves. This is acquiring content.

I say content rather than books because you are not limited to just books. From Amazon you can buy books, obtain sample chapters of books, and subscribe to newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

You are not limited to getting content only from Amazon. You can buy books that will work on the Kindle from other sites, such as fictionwise.com. You can obtain thousands of free books from sites such as the Gutenberg Project and feedbooks.com. Content can also come from you in the form of documents that are converted (either by you or Amazon) and loaded onto your Kindle.

Content that is acquired needs to be put on your Kindle so that you can read it. This can happen using the Whispernet service (see previous answer for more on Whispernet). If you are in a location without Whispernet, you can transfer the content using a USB cable that is connected to your computer and your Kindle. Whispernet is the easiest, of course, because you don't have to do anything except flip a switch to turn it on, but using the USB cable is pretty simple, too.

[Michael Kozlowski]

Q: So I can use the Kindle even if I don't have Whispernet?

A: Yes. You will be able to read content that is on your Kindle. You won't be able to 1) browse the Kindle store from your Kindle; 2) buy books or other content directly from the Amazon store on your Kindle; 3) send email to your Kindle; 4) use the experimental web browser feature; or 5) obtain sample chapters from Amazon.

To acquire content, you'll need to rely on your computer to browse Amazon or other sites that offer books (paid or free). Once you buy the books, you can download them to your computer and transfer to your Kindle using the USB cable. When you plug your Kindle into the cable, it will show up on your computer as a drive (on mine it is G. Just copy and paste the files from your computer to your Kindle. Make sure you put them in the documents folder on your Kindle, otherwise they won't show up on the Kindle home page.

[Michael Kozlowski]

: I don't live in the US. Can I buy a Kindle?

A: This is Amazon's stated policy on this topic:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...=200127480&#us

"At this time, we are unable to offer the Amazon Kindle and associated digital content from the Kindle Store to our international customers due to import/export laws and other restrictions. When you place your order for an Amazon Kindle, both the billing address for the payment method and the shipping address for the delivery must be recognized by our systems as valid U.S. addresses. To successfully purchase digital content from the Amazon Kindle Store, the 1-Click payment method listed on the Manage Your Kindle page must be a credit or debit card issued by a U.S. Bank with a U.S. billing address. We value our international customers and hope to make Kindle available internationally in the future."

So the short answer to your question is no, you can't.

People have gotten into lengthy discussions about ways to circumvent this policy but that is beyond the scope of this FAQ and will not be discussed here.

[Michael Kozlowski]

Q: But I have a Kindle and am traveling to...?

A: If you have a Kindle and are traveling to any country in the world, your Kindle will work just find to read books and content. The Whispernet will not work so you will need to rely on using the USB cable to transfer content to your Kindle. Many people going on vacation just opt to "pre-load" their Kindle with lots of books and things to read so they don't have to worry about it during their trip.

Note that the Kindle charger will work in countries outside of the US. You will need an adapter for the plug for the country you are traveling to.

[Michael Kozlowski]

Q: Can I share my Kindle books with other Kindle owners?

A: You can only share your Kindle books with other Kindle owners who are registered on the same Amazon account. Up to six Kindles can be registered to one account. If you have a friend who owns a Kindle, but is not on your account, you cannot email the book file to him/her. You cannot copy it to a SD card and give it to him/her. The other person won't be able to open or read the file. Kindle files are encoded so that they can only be read by Kindles on a shared account.

Note that on a shared account, only books can be shared. If you have newspaper or magazine subscription, that can only be read on one Kindle and not copied or downloaded to another. If you tried to do it, when you open the paper, you'll get a message to contact customer service.

[Michael Kozlowski]

Q: But I really like sharing my books with family and friends!

A: I share too, but this is the way I look at it: When I buy a book, it is for my own enjoyment and entertainment. Taken as a whole, books are a good source of relatively inexpensive entertainment. I don't generally buy a book with the intention of sharing it or giving it to someone else. I buy it for myself.

A Kindle book costs, on average, $9.99 (or less). A movie ticket is about the same. If you go to a movie, once it is done, you can't give that movie ticket to anyone else. All you can do is tell someone whether or not you enjoyed the movie and recommend that they see it. A Kindle book is similar: entertainment that you buy for yourself. You can't give it away when you are done reading it.

You can always remind people of the best source of free books in the world...the public library!

If you really can't get over the sharing hump, then maybe the Kindle is not the right device for you.