Kindle for viewing crochet patterns

[llshiff]

Has anyone used a Kindle or any other ereader for viewing pdf crochet patterns that are downloaded from Annie's attic or the digital crochet magazine. Do the patterns, pdf files and images come out okay?

 

I would love to be able to carry my patterns around without the weight of a book and without having to print them each time.

 

Thanks for your help, as this is a big purchase for me, and I don't want to make a mistake.

[vonnie]

I already have a netbook that I can use anywhere, it has a verizon wireless connection, just like a cell phone, LOVE IT!!! But do I need a kindle too??? I could read off the PC/netbook but am thinking that a kindle would be fun....I am sooooooo close to ordering one off amazon....... I also want a pretty skin and a cover with a light....what do you think? Should I or shouldn't I, it would be great to use on our trip... I will take the netbook too......??????

[vonnie]

Oh, I do know that I can read off the net book but just wanted a kindle...LOL

[acraftylady]

Forgot to say have the kindle off then plug it into the computer and you should see the screen with the USB plug on it, that is how you use it to drag and drop files. If you right click the drive and click disconnect then that is how you read and surf on it. Mary

[acraftylady]

Hmm I am not sure what you are doing wrong. When I have my kindle plugged into the computer with the usb plug on the kindle screen I go into the drive for the kindle and click the documents folder in the kindle and drag and drop the PDF into there then, you should see it transfer. Then I take the plug out of the kindle so it's on battery and it goes to the main screen and after a second you will see it flash and the file will show up in that list.

 

 

When I say main screen the one that it goes to when you hit home that has welcome with your name, kindle users guide and the dictionary the file shows up in that list for me then I have to move it to the folder I made called crochet or what ever folder you want.

 

I got my kindle in December. Is yours a first generation one? Maybe if it's an older one it works different. If you still can't get the file to show up you might need to contact Amazon for some help. There are some great forums there and maybe someone can tell you why it's not working. Mary

[Lynn]

I've never heard that before, for any of the 3G eReaders...if that was the case everyone would buy one just to use the free unlimited use internet.

 

What does happen is you can go on the eReader's brand site, barnes & noble etc., and have unlimited use of THEIR sites from anywhere but once you try to check email or something it doesnt work. It has to be within a hotspot or using their free sites only.

 

Chances are you live in a big city and have hotspots around when you try.

 

I've connected in the car in the middle of nowhere! lol

[DebraKay]

First of all the passworded one worked fine, you just type in the password and hit submit on the kindle and it opens.

 

What I do to load the files is first I click menu on the kindle then hit create new collection and make a folder called crochet patterns. That is how you make folders to sort stuff if you want.

 

Then I use the cable to hook the kindle to the computer, the plug that goes into the wall comes off and becomes a USB plug for the computer. After you hook it to the computer you will get a message that you need to eject if you want to read or shop while continuing to charge so for putting files on you don't want to eject and leave it as is with that message.

 

With the eject message on the screen go into my computer and you will see the kindle drive listed. Click it then click the documents folder and drag and drop the pdf files into there.

 

Then unhook the kindle from the computer and you will see those fies show up in the list. Use the square button and hit it on the right then hit add to collection and scroll to the folder called crochet patterns and it will go in there, can do that for all of them and that's basically it. Mary

 

 

Mary -- Thank you so much for this! I was going to wait for my son to come home from college and ask him to show me. I think I can do it from your instructions. I'll make him proud thinking I figured it out without him! Guess I will have to come clean that I had some help though

 

Thanks again -- when you post to help one person, you are usually helping dozens more without knowing. So, I thought I'd make sure you knew you were a huge help to me as I have been wanting to put some patterns on my Kindle since reading it could be done here! I love my Kindle! I have only used it to read books and play word games til now.

[vonnie]

Mary that is what I am thinking I just downloaded the app for pc from amazon and downloaded some free books to test it and see how it works, the only concern I have is the amount of space I am using on the pc, I have 5gigibits I think a month and also the life of the battery on the pc.... so I might check into that and decide from there... Thanks so much for all your info

[acraftylady]

Well if you already pay for a connection for the net book any where then you can just put the kindle for PC app on it to read the books so I wouldn't get a kindle just to surf the net if you already have a connection any where that is better. I got the retro pink skin and love it. If you follow them on facebook you can get discount codes sometimes and they ship really fast. Trying to decide on a skin for the laptop now. I crocheted myself a case until I can get the cover with the built in light. I posted the pattern over in the freebie section. Mary!

[cris]

I've connected in the car in the middle of nowhere! lol

 

Yup... car, going to dinner, to check son's grades on their school website LOL as long as I have my kindle, he cannot escape the grade-checker-monster-mom

[vonnie]

Thanks to all for all the info, if I get the 3g one do I pay a monthly fee for internet? if not what keeps me from just using it to surf the internet? is there a amount limit? Sorry to keep bringing this up but I don't want to spend money on something and then find it doesn't do what I want. I have a little net book with verizon so don't have a wifi, wireless at home, haven't figured out how to hook up the wireless printer with verizon broadband... again thanks for any info..

[cris]

Yes, I did forget - the 189 has wifi too (which you can turn off and on). I have wifi at home and at work so for me, it is no big deal - I have used the 3G though. If you have wifi off, your kindle battery lasts a LOT longer.

 

I think the library functionality (checking books in and out) isn't available for kindle yet, but I could be wrong... and if I am, someone tell me cuz I'd LOVE that functionality. I think nook has it, but not kindle (yet)

[Captain_Zeep]

I use my nook for all my pdf files, books, patterns etc. I find it easiest and fastest to put files on it over USB. I use a free program called calibre that lets you select, organize, rename files, folders etc. then click which ones you want to move, or move them all, to your device with just a couple clicks. Then it all loads in the background while you surf the web or wait, whatever.

 

Doing it that way you dont need any wifi or anything, just the USB cable

 

Never used the Kindle but I bet the USB transfer rate is still faster than emailing stuff to yourself. I haven't tried it but I wonder if you could save PDF's right to it while surfing, that would be handy. I never surf on mine though.

[acraftylady]

The $189 one comes with both wifi and 3G so if you don't have wifi at home it will just connect using 3g. The 3G is kind of slow for browsing the internet but fine for downloading the books.

 

If you are browsing books on the kindle you just click buy and it will send it free or if on your computer make sure the kindle is connected to the net and hit buy on the computer and it will send it right to the kindle no charge. You can loan books but I think there is a limit of like 5 people you can have on your account and the book is only good a few weeks I think. You can find all that info on amazon as I have not hooked up with any friends yet to loan books as they mostly have all the free ones I do.

 

We have had wifi for ages at home because when my son was small he wanted to get online with his PS3 game system upstairs to play with other kids. I watched the sale adds for when the linksy stuff was on sale and think I paid like $50 for the set up. Then when we got the wireless laptops it was a bonus to have it so now I can surf from the bed. It is so nice to hit print and it goes right downstairs to the printer and I don't have to hook the laptop up to print. What did we do years ago without all these conviences I don't know, he he. Mary

[vonnie]

Thanks Cris, that makes sense, my daughter has the 139.00 kindle and she does her downloads at work off the free wifi, I don't have wifi at home and wanted it so I could download from there so thought I would need the 189.00 (3g) kindle.... one other thing, we were wondering how to "borrow" books from one another, is it possible? I heard it was but does the cheaper one loan to the more expensive one? Thanks for your info...

[cris]

I have the $189 version with 3G. This is what I know: I email myself documents all the time and I have yet to be charged. I know there is one type of transfer they charge for, but it seems what I do is not it.

 

When you register your kindle at amazon.com (I highly suggest you do this), it will register you an email. my name before the @ is the same as the email I registered with. After the @ is kindle.com... so my email for my kindle is myemailthingee@kindle.com

 

You set what email addresses can email files to your kindle (which is very good and secure, if you ask me). So I will open a blank email, set the address to my kindle address, attach the pdf or word document.

 

Now, from here you can done one of two things. Either send them as they are (blank subject line, blank message) OR you can type the word CONVERT in the subject line.

 

Doing either of these has never charged me.

 

I can search amazon using my kindle or going to amazon.com and pick up free books. I have also bought books, which are charged as anything else and sent to my kindle for free via amazon.

 

All this talk of charging makes me think that the newest kindle is not the one being used. I have one of the newest so I dunno. I like it and have only paid for the books I chose that had a price associated to them. Everything else (file transferring via email) is free.

 

When you first get it, you plug it in and turn it on - it'll walk you through all of this.

[vonnie]

ok, now I am totally confused. I wanted to buy the kindle 3g, the one that costs 189.00 so if I do willl I get charged when I download anything? or just the cost of what I buy? I don't understand the email address thing? Thanks for any info. I don't have Wifi at home and don't want to find a hotspot anytime I down load anything, that is why I wanted the 3 g... is that my best bet?

[cris]

I have yet to be charged for sending .doc's and .pdfs to my kindle using my kindle email address.... what version of the kindle do you have?

[teakaycee]

Love my Nook... Books for the kids mostly.. which is perfect... they need to read read read... and patterns galore for me!

I have an iPad on my wish list....so if/when I get it... I'll pass my Nook onto the boys to share!

 

 

[acraftylady]

I really haven't sent anything yet to test it as I don't want to get charged right now for extra stuff, was just getting confused on what Amazon was telling me as they didn't mention a paid address and a free one just says 15 cents per mgb in the beginning bit then it talks about 2 addresses. I think they could word that all better to make it less confusing for people like me. Mary

[DesertCrocheter]

Are you sure you're checking out the @free.kindle address? You have 2 addresses, one free, one not. I have sent pdfs to both to test which came out better, as well as as downloaded directly from my laptop. Sou will be charged to your kindle address, but NOT you free.kindle address.

 

Patty

[acraftylady]

This is all too confusing so I will just stick with USB. I am usually good with computer stuff so don't know why all this confuses me but maybe it's the way it's all worded. Mary

 

 

Hello,

 

I understand your concern about charging you for sending documents to your kindle.

 

Fees for transfer of personal documents to the Kindle via Whispernet are based on the size of the file submitted (before compression if you use a .ZIP file), your home country, and where you're accessing Whispernet. Fees will only be charged for documents that are successfully received wirelessly to your Kindle.

 

- Kindle (U.S. Wireless) user: We'll send personal documents to your Kindle via Whispernet while inside the U.S. wireless coverage area for a fee of $.15 per megabyte.

 

- Kindle (Global Wireless) user living in the United States: If you transfer personal documents to your Kindle via Whispernet while inside the United States, the fee is $ .15 per megabyte. When traveling outside the United States, a fee of $.99 per megabyte applies.

 

- Kindle (Global Wireless) user living outside the United States: We'll send personal files to your Kindle via Whispernet for a fee of $ .99 (USD) per megabyte anywhere in the world you access Whispernet service.

 

Fees are rounded up to the next whole megabyte and apply to each personal document wirelessly delivered to each Kindle. You can transfer personal documents to your Kindle via USB for free at anytime.

 

If you would like to transfer your personal documents for free via USB, you can learn more on our Transferring and Sharing Files Help page:

 

http://www.amazon.com/kindlepersonaldocuments

 

To avoid a fee, or if you're not in wireless range, you can send an e-mail to "name"@free.kindle.com and download the files via USB in a Kindle compatible format to the device(s).

 

You can use the "name"@kindle.com address for wireless delivery or "name"@free.kindle.com for free delivery to the e-mail address associated with your Amazon.com account. If you're sending multiple files, you can compress them into a single ZIP file.

 

For the Kindle and Kindle DX, documents must be 50MB or smaller. No more than 25 attachments can be sent in one e-mail.

[acraftylady]

It's free regardless of using WiFi or 3G IF you use your @free.kindle address. I have a K2, which is only 3G, and have mailed numerous .pdfs to myself using the free address. I have also downloaded them directly from my computer.

 

Patty

 

 

Hmm wonder why the amazon site says 15 cents per mgb with the 3g? If it's free either way they need to update their site. Mary

[llshiff]

Just got my kindle and loaded it up with patterns. I think it is going to work out great for me! Thanks for all the helpful feedback!

[DesertCrocheter]

It's free regardless of using WiFi or 3G IF you use your @free.kindle address. I have a K2, which is only 3G, and have mailed numerous .pdfs to myself using the free address. I have also downloaded them directly from my computer.

 

Patty

[Lynn]

Ok, I juar looked and I hit Aa and select the percentage size I want then when the square with the X comes up on the screen I hit the square key in the middle and that enlarges the PDF. Mary

 

WooHoo! Thank you Mary! That works!!!