# Engadget mentions "reading mode" how?



## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I bought the fire HDX 7 and was reading an Engadget review of battery life. They state "And if you enable Amazon's Reading Mode, which shuts down extra processes while you're reading, you should get around 17 hours of life, ". 
Does anyone know how to get to it to turn it on? 
Here is link to quote I gave http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/02/amazon-kindle-fire-hdx-review/


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I was under the impression Engadget was a reliable site for tech info, but when I used the mayday button to find out about this the lady said it doesn't exist and "anyone can post anything on the internet". Which I know, but as I said I thought they were reliable reviewers. Am I under the wrong impression?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Yeah. . . . I don't know what they were talking about.

HOWEVER. . . .there are a couple of things when reading a magazine time thing or a web page that may be what they're referring to.

When in a magazine that has a mult-column layout and might have little bits of things here and there -- say TV guide -- you can switch to 'article mode' by double tapping the page.  That way you just see it as words. . .and pictures. . .but not in the layout design.  

On a web page, there is a similar thing, but I'm not sure if it's called article mode or not, that lets you pull out just write up and leaves out the pictures and ads and such.  I think. . . . .

Engadget is, generally, a decent site.  I think they just got the words wrong.  But, hey, go back to the article and post a comment asking what they're talking about.

I do think that if all you're doing is reading books, you'll get way more battery life than if you do a lot of games or checking of email or web surfing.


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## MsScarlett (Jan 12, 2010)

On the HDX product page it says, 

"With advanced power management technology, Kindle Fire HDX delivers an uncompromised 11 hours of reading, surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. When you're just reading, Kindle Fire HDX automatically powers down unused system components, extending battery life to 17 hours."

But I'm not sure how it works...how does it know you're just reading?  When you are in the Kindle app maybe?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

'kay. . . .so that means engadget was a bit misleading.  Amazon doesn't call it 'reading mode'. Which explains why the Mayday person didn't know what they were talking about. (Though you'd think s/he'd be able to quote the same bit MsScarlett found and put in the previous post  )

But, yeah, I think the Fire knows when you're just reading and puts all but the Kindle app part of it in standby to conserve energy.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Maybe you should ask in the Comments area on that Engadget article what they mean by "enable Reading Mode".


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Meemo said:


> Maybe you should ask in the Comments area on that Engadget article where to find "Reading Mode".


After I suggested that earlier I decided to do it. . . .but I'm not sure my comment went through. . . . . and I don't care enough to try again.  'Specially as I think MsScarlett has hit on the answer.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Yeah I'd written my post, then decided to try to download the User's Guide to see what I could find, got distracted by a toddler, then finally got back and posted my comment without really reading closely what had been posted in the meantime!

Anyway, I do think Engadget is generally reliable, but I have a somewhat jaded view of any of these sites, and the media in general, because I see so many things they get wrong about the things I know something about. If they're getting that stuff wrong, how much are they getting wrong about the things I *don't* know much (if anything) about?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Meemo said:


> Anyway, I do think Engadget is generally reliable, but I have a somewhat jaded view of any of these sites, and the media in general, because I see so many things they get wrong about the things I know something about. If they're getting that stuff wrong, how much are they getting wrong about the things I *don't* know much (if anything) about?


So true!

They're better with the Fire tablets though than with the eInk models -- I think because they do more than let you read books efficiently. They're all about the bells and whistles. Movies! Email! Game! Apps! Pictures! Web-surfing! Wait. . . .you just want to read books? Oh, well, yeah, it does that too. The reviews of the eInk models were always tinged with a sort of "why would anyone want a gadget that just lets you read books?"


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## MsScarlett (Jan 12, 2010)

Has anyone noticed a difference in battery life when you're mostly just reading?  I can't stop playing around with the extra "stuff" long enough to read for long stretches yet.  So far, the battery life is pretty good, but not nearly as good as my iPad mini.  I think I've been spoiled by that.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Slashgear.com says Reading Mode happens automatically whenever the Kindle App is being used.

http://www.slashgear.com/amazon-kindle-fire-hdx-7-review-01299910/



> What sets the Kindle Fire HDX apart from other tablets, when it comes to digital books, is the new Reading Mode. By powering down the quadcore processor automatically, whenever the Kindle ebook app is running, as well as pushing the text into a lower-power chunk of memory, Amazon claims up to 17 hours of battery life: 6-7 more than in regular use. We'll look at how well that performs later, in the battery section.


Betsy


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I just read by tapping the book cover on the carousel and.. read..  I've never used an app to access book.

and I happen to be using the browser to read a blog and there is something called "Reading View" that sounds like what Ann is talking about.

I tend to flit about so probably wouldn't go into reading mode too often but it sounds like a good thing.  Certainly I've noticed on the HD and Original Fire that battery life isn't gobbled up when just reading as opposed to playing games.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Seamonkey said:


> I just read by tapping the book cover on the carousel and.. read.. I've never used an app to access book.


Yep . . . that's basically using the Kindle "app". . . .and automatically puts it in 'reading mode'. At least, that's what I understand from the various things that have been posted.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Thanks, I kept thinking I was missing something and meaning to ask, but for once I had the keyboard on my lap so I didn't have to lean my lazy self forward to grab it (and to be fair, sometimes besides my Fire I may have newspaper, magazine, mail or a 15 pound black cat on my lap..)  so the time was right!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

MsScarlett said:


> Has anyone noticed a difference in battery life when you're mostly just reading? I can't stop playing around with the extra "stuff" long enough to read for long stretches yet. So far, the battery life is pretty good, but not nearly as good as my iPad mini. I think I've been spoiled by that.


The Slashgear says the battery life is noticeably better when the Fire HDX is used as a reader.

Betsy


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

On my Fire HD, if I know I'm going to be reading most of the day, I just make sure wifi is turned off. Haven't run out of battery yet (of course, I don't think I've read 17 hours straight either).


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