Every purchase you make from Amazon goes into a special folder called your library. Amazon uses a cloud storage model where the file lives on one of Amazon's computer servers. That means even if you delete a book from your Kindle to conserve space, the record of your purchase will still exist on Amazon's servers. You can download the book again to your Kindle for no additional charge.
There are also free Kindle reading apps for many devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android devices and Mac and Windows-based computers, so that you can buy and read Kindle books without purchasing a Kindle. One advantage to all the available apps is that you can partake of Amazon's Whispersync technology, which synchronizes the last page you read on one device across all your Kindle readers, including your physical Kindle if you have one or more, so that you can read on multiple devices without losing your page when you switch.
There are also libraries of free e-books available online, many of which are in the public domain. And some public libraries even let you check out e-books and read them with your Kindle.
What if you've lost your Kindle, or some unscrupulous person has taken a kindled interest in it and stolen it from you? You should go to your Amazon profile and deregister your Kindle as soon as possible. Otherwise, the thief may use your Kindle to download a library of books on your dime. While some critics said the price tag was too high, the demand for the Kindle soon depleted Amazon 's stock of the device.
He claimed that the company sold out of its stock in less than six hours. Some web journalists and bloggers suggested that Bezos' goal wasn't to offer a sincere apology — it was to drive up more interest for the device. Amazon didn't release sales numbers to the public, leaving many to question exactly how popular the device was. Amazon got a huge publicity boost in October when Oprah Winfrey named the Kindle as her favorite gadget. Oprah devoted most of an episode of her show to promoting the Kindle.
She invited Jeff Bezos to the show to talk about the device, explaining its features to her audience. Oprah also announced an electronic coupon for the device. Kindle readers usually rank at the top in journalists' lists of best readers.
Amazon's advantages help fuel this, especially against other companies with similarly equipped e-readers. But the company hasn't been free of criticism, and the integrated bookstore is often a topic of complaint. Electronic copies of books sometimes cost about as much as physical copies, something that seems unfair to some people. Unlike a physical book, there are very few production and distribution costs associated with an electronic file.
Amazon also got into hot water when it remotely deleted copies of George Orwell's "" and "Animal Farm" stored on customers' Kindles. It turns out the publisher that made the books available didn't have the proper rights. Amazon credited customers the money they spent on the books and apologized for the situation.
The incident brought to light a potential problem with electronic copies of books — a gray area for consumers when it comes to owning digital information.
Turns out these companies doesn't own these e-books, they license them. If something happened to the company you bought these books from, the content would no longer be available to you. You also can't read an e-book you bought via Amazon Kindle on a rival e-reader like Nook [source: Warner ]. In , Amazon was accused of terminating a woman's account and deleting the books from her device, stating that her account was linked to another that had abused its policies.
The company didn't provide much information and gave no recourse for resolution. While this is one isolated incident, it has prompted renewed concern about digital rights management DRM [sources: Aguilar , Mosbergen ]. But despite criticisms, the Kindle certainly has appeal. Amazon reported in May that e-book sales were surpassing physical book sales on its U.
As of , Kindles enjoyed 72 percent of the market in the U. But sales of e-books overall dipped in the s , only to be revived during the COVID pandemic when bookstores were closed. Libraries were also closed, and e-book borrowing skyrocketed. E-books are still behind print in terms of revenue , but it's clear that publishing companies and self-publishers aren't going to quit anytime soon.
And the pandemic also gave e-publishing a shot in the arm. When all is said and done, e-books may not obliterate print books, but they're here to stay. And so is Kindle. HowStuffWorks earns a small affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar.
Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Travel Gadgets. How the Amazon Kindle Works. Visual China Group via Getty Images. Amazon Kindle Layout " ". Features of the Kindle Keyboard " ". Close-up of latest generation Amazon Kindle Oasis e-book reader with a leather cover on floral print fabric in San Ramon, California, Jan.
Inside the Amazon Kindle At its most basic level, the Kindle is just a specialized portable computer. The E-book Reader Display One complaint some people had about early e-book readers was that they found it difficult to read words on an LCD display. The Kindle Range Amazon has released several different models of Kindle over the years, but as of the model lineup consists of the Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Oasis. You can now translate selected words into other languages via Bing Translator.
The Time to Read feature learns your reading habits and can give you an estimate of how much time it will take you to read a chapter or the book. The X-ray feature allows you to view a graphical representation of all the passages related to certain characters, places or recurring topics that occur across a page, a chapter or the book, and to look up information about these items.
This feature is not available in all books in the Kindle store. Amazon's E-book Store If you order the Kindle directly from Amazon, it will come preregistered to your Amazon account, but if you pick one up at your local store, you will need to register your Kindle to download and sync your e-books. Popularity of the Kindle " ". A man reads with his Kindle on a plane trip.
You can read Kindle books on a laptop or desktop computer using the free Kindle Cloud Reader web app, which you can download by searching in your browser's online app store.
What is the best Kindle ereader to buy? If you're looking for a basic ereader, the original Kindle will serve you well. However, if you're wanting a premium model with a bigger screen, adaptive brightness sensors, and a sleek look, the Oasis is a great choice. For a mid-level value option, the Paperwhite is a great choice. It's perfect for taking on vacation or reading by the pool since it's waterproof.
How do I download the Kindle app? The easiest way to visit the app store on your phone or tablet, search for "Kindle", and download the app that coincides with your device type. How do I find my Kindle account?
To find your Kindle account information log into your Amazon account. Here you should be able to see your Kindle devices, ebooks, and account information. Is the Amazon Kindle app free? Understanding how the Kindle works will help you decide if it is the mobile reader for you. When you get a Kindle, you need to download content to it before you can start reading.
Once you find something that you want to download on the Kindle store, it allows you to download the content immediately. The content is downloaded through a cellular network or through Wi-Fi, depending on the type of Kindle you have and the type of signal that is available. You do not have to pay for downloading through the cellular network or through Wi-Fi. The cost of the book is the only cost incurred. One of the attractive features of the Kindle is that it allows you to get your own Kindle email address.
Once you have this email address, anything you send to it will be converted to your Kindle. For example, if you send a PDF file to the email address, it is converted to a file format that the Kindle can use. This allows you to read emails or any other document you may have.
As a final confirmation, Amazon will ask you to enable sharing, too. After you've completed all those steps, you can choose which books you want to share.
Be forewarned that you must trust the person you're adding because they will have access to the credit cards associated with the two Amazon accounts. Sharing ebooks with your kids is also easy. After that, you'll enter your parental controls password and your child's name, birthday and gender then tap Next.
You'll then pick the books you want to share with your child and then tap Next and Done. Amazon lets you lend one book from your Kindle account for 14 days without any account linking.
Go to Amazon. Then, choose who you want to share the book with. Note that some books do not allow this kind of sharing, so if you don't see the option, it is unavailable. If you want to get a PDF or another document on your Kindle for easy reading, you can use Amazon's special Send to Kindle email address.
It should be something like this: johnsmith kindle. If you want to change the email address, click Edit next to your device, enter a new email address, and then click Save to save your changes. Now that you know your Send to Kindle email address, you can use it to send yourself PDFs, documents, and ebooks that you download on sites like Project Gutenberg. Simply go to your email, enter your Send to Kindle email address, and attach the file you want to read on your Kindle. It will send to your Kindle as soon as you sync your device over Wi-Fi.
If the file you want on your Kindle isn't a supported file type, you can write Convert in the email subject line, and the file will be converted into a Kindle-Friendly file.
If you like to read articles online but you wish you could get them on your Kindle, you're in luck. There are plenty of apps that help you do that, though Amazon's methods are the simplest.
You can also use Instapaper and Pocket, two third-party apps, but we find Amazon's methods the easiest. To highlight quotations as you're reading, simply press down on a word, maintain slight pressure, and slide your finger along until you reach the end of the passage you wish to highlight. You'll see options, but highlighting is the default. You can look back on all the parts you've highlighted at any time or even share them on Goodreads , as we explain below.
If you read a lot, your friends read a lot, and you all like to share, review, and talk about what you're reading, you'll love Goodreads. It's an app and website for book lovers to review and share their thoughts on what they're reading. Goodreads is built right into the Kindle, so it's easy to use. Just create an account with an email address, log in, create your profile, and get started. You can share your reading progress, reviews of books, quotations you've highlighted in your Kindle, and more.
Your friends' reading may inspire you to read new things and inspire you to read more. It's a good idea to grab a case for your Kindle to prevent scratches on the screen and damage from drops. Amazon's Kindle case selection is wide — you can choose from fabric or genuine leather cases that fit every model of the Kindle.
We've used both the leather and fabric Kindle cases from Amazon over the years and we love them. They're sturdy and they protect the Kindle's screen and back cover. There's also a nice magnetic closure to ensure that the screen stays covered and your case doesn't pop open in your bag. The cases may be a bit expensive, but they will truly protect your Kindle from daily wear and tear so that your ereader lasts for years.
You can also choose to buy Amazon's Kindle bundles, which net you the case and the Kindle for a good price. If you don't already have a wall charger and a Micro-USB cable, you'll want to buy a set for your Kindle. Kindles don't come with the wall charger — you only get the Micro-USB cable in the box. Subscribe to our newsletter. You can purchase syndication rights to this story here.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews businessinsider.
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