# Questions!



## Aki (Jan 28, 2009)

Hello there. I have some questions I am wondering about. I do not yet own a Kindle but I am considering buying one. So any answers will be awesome.

1 - Kindle Store, do I HAVE to have a payment plan attached? So if I have no payment plan attached I will not be able to download new books, I am okay with that. I don't have a credit card (still a teenager xD) and most of my books I buy with like visa gift cards family members give me. 

2 - Should I wait until Kindle 2 comes out before ordering? Or if I order more will it automatically become Kindle 2? 

3 - I read that there is no backlight. I like that for sunny days when reading, but when on road trips or something my family usually travels at night and I cannot sleep when traveling will it be readable? Or will I have to buy a light? 

4 - I have some eBooks of Twilight, some classics like Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy etc on my computer, will they work on Kindle? 

5 - Does Kindle have like an Word program for when I need to type an essay I can use the Kindle to do it and transfer it to my PC later?

6 - Can you email from the kindle? If so what is the price?

7 - Can you browse the internet from the kindle? If so what is the price?

8 - Anything else I should know? Please tell me. ^_^


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

1. The Kindle has to be purchased with a credit card in your name (or in this case, in your parents name) purchases for books will be charged on that card too, although your parents could buy you an amazon.com gift card and you could use that by redeeming it in the account that bought the Kindle. 

2. There will be a press conference given by Amazon.com on February 9th. Rumor has it that they will be announcing Kindle 2.0. You might want to wait until then if it matters to you. 

3. The screen on the Kindle is made of a material known as electronic ink. Unlike LCD screens electronic ink is opaque and cannot be back lit because no light would show through it. However it is very high contrast, and much easier on the eyes than a LCD screen. You would need a light to read at night, yes. 

4. If the books were purchased from a retailer, it is likely they have DRM (digital rights management) on them, similar to the protection on mp3s at iTunes. If they are protected files, you will not be able to read them on the Kindle. Kindle reads .txt, .mobi, .prc and .awz (or is it amz?) format, anything else has to be converted into awz format to be read on the Kindle. However Amazon.com will do this for you, you merely e-mail the file to your Kindle. 

5. You can annotate your books, but the Kindle is not a PDA. There is no word processor. 

I should elaborate, in case I misunderstood your question. If you were to type your homework up on your computer, you could transfer it to your Kindle to read it there. But if you're talking about actually typing up an essay on the Kindle and transferring it to your PC later, that is not possible. 

6. I have not tried this, but I assume you can e-mail on the Kindle. Since Whispernet is paid for in the cost of the device, you do not have to pay for e-mail. 

7. Web browsing isn't going to look as neat as it would on an iPhone, but yes you can do it and it's free. 

8. Lastly, if you're looking for a multi-functional device, the Kindle might not be what you want. It's a very good e-reader, but the Experimental Web Browser is clunky although it works perfectly fine. Also you might want to make sure you have Sprint coverage in your area, because the Whispernet wireless is supplied by Sprint.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

> 1 - Kindle Store, do I HAVE to have a payment plan attached? So if I have no payment plan attached I will not be able to download new books, I am okay with that. I don't have a credit card (still a teenager xD) and most of my books I buy with like visa gift cards family members give me.
> 
> 2 - Should I wait until Kindle 2 comes out before ordering? Or if I order more will it automatically become Kindle 2?
> 
> ...


1. I am still a teen, too. I use my parent's card, but you can use gift cards
2. We don't know the features and the price of the K2, but it all up to you.
3. There is no backlight cuz you wouldn't be able to see the text. Epaper/eink is fairly new technology and features are still being developed. for more information on eink: link
4. That would depend on the format of the books. The kindle supports plain text, .prc, .mobi, and amz formats. Classics like Austen are free on sites like Feedbooks. here's the link to the free book site thread: link
5. You could copy and paste documents to a plain text format [.txt] using a program like notepad from your computer.(i STORE..not create... my class notes, essays, and study guides on my k).
6. You can from what I hear, but it takes a bit of effort. Web browser is currently an experimential feature of the kindle and its free for now.
7. see answer 6
8. hmmmm. Nothing I can think up at the moment, but I am bound to figure something out.


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2009)

Aki said:


> Hello there. I have some questions I am wondering about. I do not yet own a Kindle but I am considering buying one. So any answers will be awesome.
> 
> 1 - Kindle Store, do I HAVE to have a payment plan attached? So if I have no payment plan attached I will not be able to download new books, I am okay with that. I don't have a credit card (still a teenager xD) and most of my books I buy with like visa gift cards family members give me.
> 
> ...


If you read Leslie's FAQ ("Kindle FAQ" link up in the banner), most of your questions will be answered. But here are some answers:

1 & 2) You cannot order or buy a Kindle unless you have a credit card in your own name.

3) Yes, you'll need a light.

4) It depends on what format they are in.

5) No. That's not its purpose. But you can do it the other way around.

6 & 7) Yes. No extra charge.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

darn someone beat me to it. lol


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2009)

Vegas_Asian said:


> darn someone beat me to it. lol


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)




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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

VA is that one of your pictures or have you been been digging around in my photobucket? 



Bacardi Jim said:


> 1 & 2) You cannot order or buy a Kindle unless you have a credit card in your own name.


...or a family member willing to support your habit on their credit card. 
I always keep a gift certificate on my account, so there are never any credit card surprises.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Aki said:


> 1 - Kindle Store, do I HAVE to have a payment plan attached? So if I have no payment plan attached I will not be able to download new books, I am okay with that. I don't have a credit card (still a teenager xD) and most of my books I buy with like visa gift cards family members give me.


There is not a payment plan with the Kindle. You do need a credit, debit, or gift card attached to your account in order to buy books from the amazon Kindle store.



Aki said:


> 2 - Should I wait until Kindle 2 comes out before ordering? Or if I order more will it automatically become Kindle 2?


That's up to you, of course. As someone said, amazon is making an announcement about _something_ that may or may not be a new Kindle that may or may not be available in the US on Feb. 9. I seriously doubt that amazon will automatically send you something that you didn't order.



Aki said:


> 3 - I read that there is no backlight. I like that for sunny days when reading, but when on road trips or something my family usually travels at night and I cannot sleep when traveling will it be readable? Or will I have to buy a light?


Yes, you need some kind of book light. Most of them can clip right on the cover (either the one that comes with or any of the several third party ones available).



Aki said:


> 4 - I have some eBooks of Twilight, some classics like Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy etc on my computer, will they work on Kindle?


Like others have said, maybe. The Kindle can natively read .prc, .mobi, and .txt, and you can convert .doc, .html, and .pdf (usually) to a compatible format. If any of these have DRM, though, no go. Note that there are many places that you could re-download classics in Kindle-compatible format, for free.



Aki said:


> 5 - Does Kindle have like an Word program for when I need to type an essay I can use the Kindle to do it and transfer it to my PC later?


No. You can add notes and things to existing documents, but you can't edit documents inline. Trust me, though, you really don't want to text an essay.



Aki said:


> 6 - Can you email from the kindle? If so what is the price?
> 
> 7 - Can you browse the internet from the kindle? If so what is the price?


You can marginally use the internet, including web-based email from the Kindle. Mobile and text-only sites will work best on the Kindle. There is one guy on another group claiming that he has been charged $10 for web use, but it hasn't been verified by anyone else.



Aki said:


> 8 - Anything else I should know? Please tell me. ^_^


The Kindle is great if you love to read. Not so great for most other purposes. If what you really need is a netbook, you'll be happier getting that instead.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

marianner said:


> You can marginally use the internet, including web-based email from the Kindle. Mobile and text-only sites will work best on the Kindle. There is one guy on another group claiming that he has been charged $10 for web use, but it hasn't been verified by anyone else.


From what I hear, the guy claiming to be charged was actually charged for a book he purchased.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> From what I hear, the guy claiming to be charged was actually charged for a book he purchased.


I thought it was probably something like that.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

sebat said:


> VA is that one of your pictures or have you been been digging around in my photobucket?


  I'll let you guess.



sebat said:


> ...or a family member willing to support your habit on their credit card.
> I always keep a gift certificate on my account, so there are never any credit card surprises.


lol...just don't get grounded like me. One-click is dangerous...trust me


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> From what I hear, the guy claiming to be charged was actually charged for a book he purchased.


That's kind of what I thought. I hadn't seen a resolution on it yet.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

marianner said:


> That's kind of what I thought. I hadn't seen a resolution on it yet.


I figure if it's ONE guy complaining, it's either a hoax or a mistake. Call it the cynic in me. If 100 people start complaining, then I'll listen


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> I figure if it's ONE guy complaining, it's either a hoax or a mistake. Call it the cynic in me. If 100 people start complaining, then I'll listen


The annoying thing about his complaint is that it was pretty much an Amazon slam. . . and he posted it before he'd checked into it with Amazon. However, to be fair, he did explain the error when it was resolved.

Ann


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## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

Perhaps the second generation will have a built in light that can be switched on/off for night.


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## mwvickers (Jan 26, 2009)

Kind said:


> Perhaps the second generation will have a built in light that can be switched on/off for night.


If you are referring to a side light, it could. Then again, my understanding is that most who have the new Sony e-reader have complained about the side light.

To me, a clip on light would work fine. I haven't tried it yet, but I cannot fathom why it wouldn't (depending on the light, I guess). With a normal book, the light may get in the way of the pages as you try to turn it. You don't actually turn pages on the Kindle, so I can't see it interfering.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

Kind said:


> Perhaps the second generation will have a built in light that can be switched on/off for night.


A side light, perhaps, but that would add bulk to the Kindle AND drain the battery much faster than the E-ink screen does alone. However it is completely impossible to back light the Kindle's screen, because it is opaque, not transparent.

You can do some research about electronic ink/paper here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> From what I hear, the guy claiming to be charged was actually charged for a book he purchased.


Yes. It was his Amazon Visa bill and he said he was charged for Whispernet and Wiki access. He called customer service and they verified the charge was $9.99 for a book he purchased on Sept 16, 2008.

The charges on the bill don't specify the book title or anything. However, every time you buy a book, you get an email with all the details, so you could print those out and reconcile them with the bill when it comes.

L


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## Aki (Jan 28, 2009)

So I have to at all times have a creditcard attached to my kindle account? Or can I have none at the time and not be able to buy books? I tend to do this with ebooks buy one / remove credit info. I change cards often as I usually pay a family member cash to let me use their card.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2009)

If you do not have a credit card, you can have someone buy gift cards for you or set up your account to take money from your checking account directlly.  Amazon is very adept at providing ways to get your money.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2009)

Aki said:


> So I have to at all times have a creditcard attached to my kindle account? Or can I have none at the time and not be able to buy books? I tend to do this with ebooks buy one / remove credit info. I change cards often as I usually pay a family member cash to let me use their card.


Why would you think you can immediately be able to buy a book online without an online payment plan already set up in advance? Are you of the mindframe that Amazon should sell you books _hoping_ that you will eventually pay for them?

A Kindle is an adult purchase and an adult commitment.

Just my two cents.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2009)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Why would you think you can immediately be able to buy a book online without an online payment plan already set up in advance? Are you of the mindframe that Amazon should sell you books _hoping_ that you will eventually pay for them?
> 
> A Kindle is an adult purchase and an adult commitment.
> 
> Just my two cents.


and yet you managed to get one...


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> Why would you think you can immediately be able to buy a book online without an online payment plan already set up in advance? Are you of the mindframe that Amazon should sell you books hoping that you will eventually pay for them?
> 
> A Kindle is an adult purchase and an adult commitment.
> 
> Just my two cents.





> and yet you managed to get one...


Oh, now fellows really. Lighten up on the poor kid. There are _lots_ of adults out there right now who made payment committments they couldn't possibly meet (and here I'm looking at all the adjustable rate mortgage suckers. Yeah, we understand the odds were extremely slim that rate would ever go way way up. The rest of us with standard mortgages completely understand. ) Why on earth would she think that's unusual? And to be fair, she sounds like she's simply not old enough to have her own credit card, and mentions that she pays her family cash to use theirs.

In this economy, that's enough financial discipline to qualify for a home loan.

If she plays her cards right, she could be named ceo of Chase by this time next week!


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2009)

My comment was at Jim..I was just poking fun at him ma'am.


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> My comment was at Jim..I was just poking fun at him ma'am.


You know how I feel about poking. Once someone comes on this board with a stick, I fear it will be all over.

So you may blast him with a water pistol, but no poking.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Aki said:


> So I have to at all times have a creditcard attached to my kindle account? Or can I have none at the time and not be able to buy books? I tend to do this with ebooks buy one / remove credit info. I change cards often as I usually pay a family member cash to let me use their card.


If you need to have a credit card attached you can buy visa gift cards and apply them to the account. You can pay your family the money and they can buy them for you. I've bought them for my 16 yr old grandson and it works nicely. Hope this helps. Here is a link.

http://www.giftcards.com/?kwmid=4677093&kmcid=1865143823&match_type=&gclid=CMrDwKm5tpgCFQXGsgodsw98Zw


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Not know of what I speak (   ) don't some of your go to a coin star thingy and put money in, do you get gift cards from that or how does that work?  That would be something someone who does not have, cannot get, or does not want a credit card could use, maybe?

Robin is afraid of sticks - water pistols are not listed in the forum rules so have at it boys    to each other not us gentle ladies!


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> Robin is afraid of sticks - water pistols are not listed in the forum rules so have at it boys


Popular rumor has it that if I'm doused with enough water, I might melt. And then one of you could steal my ruby slippers. Can't have that.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2009)

The local POS coinstar we have doesn't do the Amazone thing.  It's just cash only.  grrr!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Aki said:


> So I have to at all times have a creditcard attached to my kindle account? Or can I have none at the time and not be able to buy books? I tend to do this with ebooks buy one / remove credit info. I change cards often as I usually pay a family member cash to let me use their card.


If you go to

www.coinstar.com

and enter your zip code, you can locate coinstar machines that sell Amazon gift cards. There is no charge for this as it would be if you entered coins for cash.

The machines take both coins and bills. I have used up to $20 bills.

A receipt prints out with the card # and you can enter it against your Amazon account. You can 1-click right away.

It's the easiest way to budget for books and eliminates the need for a credit card.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2009)

> If you go to
> 
> www.coinstar.com
> 
> and enter your zip code, you can locate coinstar machines that sell Amazon gift cards


That was a big help. I found a store that does offer amazon gift cards. It's at a market I never shop in, but I know where it is. Thanks.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Vampyre said:


> That was a big help. I found a store that does offer amazon gift cards. It's at a market I never shop in, but I know where it is. Thanks.


You're welcome. It's the easiest way to get the cards, at least for me. I'm still waiting to get my free $10 certificates from Christmas.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2009)

I just fed all my change to the wrong machine last week.  I guess I could just feed real money to one and get gift cards.  I will investigate.  I am tying to get me off my crefit card as much as possible.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Vampyre said:


> I just fed all my change to the wrong machine last week. I guess I could just feed real money to one and get gift cards. I will investigate. I am tying to get me off my crefit card as much as possible.


I went with my bag of coins one day and the machine was full. Plan B, get money from the ATM and use bills instead of coins. I saved the coins for another day, only to find that the machine was full again. 

There's a slot to swipe a credit/debit card, but I haven't tried that, yet. I'm trying to stick with my leftover change and singles.


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## chocochibi (Jan 2, 2009)

The closest Amazon to me is about 50 miles away.... I may have to make a special field trip...


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## Robin (Dec 11, 2008)

How much of a cut of your $$ does Coinstar take? I like the idea since I dump all my change in my "piggy bank" until it gets full. When it's full, it's enough to be real money. It would save all the coin rolling to just dump in the Coinstar machine, but I always assumed they'd take more of  cut that I'm willing to give!


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

I think they take 8%...but if you find a coinstar machine that lets you convert it to an amazon gift certificate there is no charge.


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## Robin (Dec 11, 2008)

Excellent! It looks like there are several near me that should do it. I'll keep an eye out so I'm prepared when the piggy bank fills up.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

RobinT said:


> How much of a cut of your $$ does Coinstar take? I like the idea since I dump all my change in my "piggy bank" until it gets full. When it's full, it's enough to be real money. It would save all the coin rolling to just dump in the Coinstar machine, but I always assumed they'd take more of cut that I'm willing to give!


For the gift certificates you get the full amount of the money. If you ask for cash, the fee is 8.4%. As others have noted, not every machine gives the certificates. You can find if there are any in your area by going to www.coinstar.com and putting in your zip code.

L


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Cool - now I know - if only we had CoinStars here - but then they probably wouldn't take pesos   at the exchange rate I'd be delighted    Oh well DH is glad I am buying gift cards for me on the credit card and it is controlling my purchases


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