university librarian setting up an ebook reader lending program

[orionpozo]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

... Does an unregistered kindle still allow Wikipedia and internet access.

BOb

Hi Bob, The unregistered Kindles do not have Internet access. However, the user can register the device to their own account while it is checked out, maintain access to all our books, and use their account to get the full Kindle experience.

[orionpozo]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

The register/de-register method sounds like it's too much work. Wouldn't it be easier to control the ebook purchases by enabling and disabling the credit card? Plus, if you keep all the Kindles registered to the account, any new ebook could be sent to all the Kindles over Whispernet simultaneously.

Hi Nate,
David is the Public Service side of this project and he wanted me to post this reply for him:

Enabling and disabling the credit card would be a nightmare. Our corporate credit card is so tightly controlled you'd think it was plutonium. Enabling and disabling purchases on the Amazon account would work, if Amazon gave us an easy way to do this.

The second point about all the Kindles getting the content simultaneously doesn't hold up. All the titles on the account show up under Content Manager, whether they're on the device or not. We do, however, have the ability to download given titles only to the unit(s) we wish.

cheers,
DD

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by orionpozo

Hi Bob, The unregistered Kindles do not have Internet access. However, the user can register the device to their own account while it is checked out, maintain access to all our books, and use their account to get the full Kindle experience.

It was my understanding, from another thread here, that if the Kindle was registered to another account, and books from the previous account would be removed since the eBooks are not transferable. Have you found this not to be the case?

BOb

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by orionpozo

Hi Nate,
David is the Public Service side of this project and he wanted me to post this reply for him:

Enabling and disabling the credit card would be a nightmare. Our corporate credit card is so tightly controlled you'd think it was plutonium. Enabling and disabling purchases on the Amazon account would work, if Amazon gave us an easy way to do this.

The second point about all the Kindles getting the content simultaneously doesn't hold up. All the titles on the account show up under Content Manager, whether they're on the device or not. We do, however, have the ability to download given titles only to the unit(s) we wish.

cheers,
DD

You misunderstood what I meant by simultaneous. Your current method is to transfer content to a Kindle when it is returned (or upon request). I was suggesting that the content be transferred to all the Kindles at the time it is purchased.

I do not see what problem you would have with the credit card. I have a couple card numbers in my Amazon account. When i want to buy a Kindle ebook, I enable one of them under "one-click", and when I'm done I disable it. The number is still in the account, only not active under "one-click".

It doesn't matter, though. Your method is better.

[cbell]

This thread seems to be focussed on Kindles which are mostly applicable to Americans.

If anyone has suggestions for managing iLiad loans, I'd be very interested.

orionpozo, I've sent you a PM with contact details.

[orionpozo]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

You misunderstood what I meant by simultaneous. Your current method is to transfer content to a Kindle when it is returned (or upon request). I was suggesting that the content be transferred to all the Kindles at the time it is purchased.

I do not see what problem you would have with the credit card. I have a couple card numbers in my Amazon account. When i want to buy a Kindle ebook, I enable one of them under "one-click", and when I'm done I disable it. The number is still in the account, only not active under "one-click".

It doesn't matter, though. Your method is better.

Hi Nate,
When a title is purchased using one Kindle, Amazon places it in our account's Content Manager and Whispernet downloads it to that device. We have not found a way to download to all devices at one time. Download is something that is done on each device from the menu. The new title appears in the menu of all the Kindles registered to the account because they are using the same Content Manager file at Amazon. However, we have not found a way to automatically download to all devices as content is acquired.
Magazines, newspapers and blogs, which download automatically can only be purchased for a single Kindle, not shared like our book collection.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by orionpozo

However, we have not found a way to automatically download to all devices as content is acquired.

I think if you buy online you can specify what Kindle to send the content too. Also, from the online media library you can send content to any Kindle you would like.

BOb