Question about Kindle Browser

AEA64 · 10-18-2011, 08:33 AM

Hi. I'm considering getting a Kindle 4 and one of the things I expect from it is reading stuff on the internet using Wi-Fi. But Kindle 4 (even K3) isn't available in any stores near me and I can't try the device before I buy

I have a question about the browser. As I've seen in review vids, if you type in a web address, the browsers shows the whole page with button-controlled rectangle area for zooming in, you push the middle button and you see the zoomed in area that was in the rectangle. This may sound stupid, but can you move the zoomed area with direction buttons or page turners? Or you have to go to the full page view again and zoom the new area with the rectangle? I'm asking this because some of the web pages I read have multiple text areas or columns. And this question also applies to PDFs and images.

And does anybody know, will the upcoming Kindle Touch be able to move zoomed area in the browsers/PDFs/images with a move of a finger on the screen, just like in tablets?

Thanks

Blossom · 10-18-2011, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AEA64

Hi. I'm considering getting a Kindle 4 and one of the things I expect from it is reading stuff on the internet using Wi-Fi. But Kindle 4 (even K3) isn't available in any stores near me and I can't try the device before I buy

I have a question about the browser. As I've seen in review vids, if you type in a web address, the browsers shows the whole page with button-controlled rectangle area for zooming in, you push the middle button and you see the zoomed in area that was in the rectangle. This may sound stupid, but can you move the zoomed area with direction buttons or page turners? Or you have to go to the full page view again and zoom the new area with the rectangle? I'm asking this because some of the web pages I read have multiple text areas or columns. And this question also applies to PDFs and images.

And does anybody know, will the upcoming Kindle Touch be able to move zoomed area in the browsers/PDFs/images with a move of a finger on the screen, just like in tablets?

Thanks

On the browser you can pan around after you're zoomed in. It doesn't matter if the area is covered in the original zoom box. Once you are zoomed in you use the 5-way to navigate the cursor arrow around the page. I don't know about PDFs someone else will know more. There is also Article mode which I think it great for multiple text columns. The K3 and the K4 browser are exactly the same You tube has several videos you can watch to get a better idea.

jbcohen · 10-18-2011, 11:31 AM

Everything blossom has said is true, however I would like to add that the main job of a kindle is electronic book reading not web browsing. That said the kindle can do web surfing via wifi however thats not its main job. I would recommend a laptop or a tablet to do this job such as: Samsung's Galaxy Tablet and the forthcoming Amazon Kindle Fire tablet. Most tablets can do electronic book reading as well however they tend to be a bit ackward for that job and most people preferr a dedicated electronic book reader for reading books.

ucfgrad93 · 10-18-2011, 01:26 PM

Personally, I find the web browsing so awful that I have only used it once, maybe twice. If I want to browse the web, I'll use my iPhone.

theducks · 10-18-2011, 07:19 PM

I use it with the Calibre Content Server as destination.
Navigation contrast of selected item is the only issue.

BrowseTheStacks · 10-18-2011, 09:27 PM

I use www.sendtoreader.com for web content i want to read.

RainingLemur · 10-18-2011, 10:05 PM

I don't do too much browsing on the Kindle if I can help it. Maybe having a few Wiki links or something handy, since the browser handles those ok. Past that, though... The browser is not the main selling point of the Kindle.

tomsem · 10-18-2011, 11:50 PM

I think either K3 or KTouch will be better than K4 for web browsing, if you need to do much typing. However, K4 is faster, so that may be helpful for browsing. I'm hopeful that KTouch will be significantly better since you should be able to navigate links, pan/zoom more easily. If it weren't significantly better, they would not have crippled 3G functionality (restricts web browsing to wikipedia).

But as others note, web browsing is still rather painful on a Kindle. Still, I would not be without it for wikipedia access alone, and you can even use it to borrow library books without needing a computer, or to visit the Manage Your Kindle page on amazon.com.

K4 and K3 are mostly the same for PDF, the only difference is that K4 has a faster CPU. But then, it has less storage, so it's more limited in how many you can load on.

I'm hopeful that on KTouch PDF will be somewhat better for PDF, since it will be easier to pan around a page, and again KTouch has a faster CPU. But I doubt they've enhanced PDF functionality beyond that, for example to support PDF reflow or PDF bookmarks/TOC.

Images are supported in a few ways: you can convert them to .azw (using Amazon conversion service), package them into .pdf (using 3rd party tools), or use the undocumented picture viewer (still there in K4, unknown status for KTouch). On Kindle, .azw images can only be zoomed to fit the viewing area (a little less than 800x600), while PDF and the picture viewer allow pan/zoom. Again, this is not what Kindle was designed to do.

Kozzi · 10-19-2011, 03:48 PM

Try http://klip.me if you are interested in those RIL services. Klip.me support google reader with scheduled delivery, ("Send to Kindle") to save&send directly right away or you can use their "Klip for reading" option to package contents and send later.

markdek · 10-19-2011, 05:43 PM

If you use good "mobile" sites, and if you are patient (patient, similar to when you read), then the browser is not so bad. Use it to check email, sports scores, some social networks, etc. It's better than nothing.

Klip.me has opened up a whole new usefulness to the Kindle for me.

SteveEisenberg · 10-19-2011, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AEA64

As I've seen in review vids, if you type in a web address, the browsers shows the whole page with button-controlled rectangle area for zooming in, you push the middle button and you see the zoomed in area that was in the rectangle.

The Kindle browser is misunderstood. It is better than a PC for reading a web page that consists primarily of long blocks of text. It is much worse for interactive and graphics-rich web sites, such as those seeking to sell you stuff.

Seeing that rectangle area for zooming is usually a sign that a web page is much better suited for viewing on a PC rather than for e-reading.

For ideas on how to find Kindle-friendly web pages, look through the "Links Every Kindle Owner Should Have" thread on this board.

pearlrose86 · 10-20-2011, 10:56 AM

The browser has saved me a few times when traveling. I don't have a smart phone, but I can at least use the browser to pull up Google Maps, check Twitter, and check my e-mail. It's slow and kind of a pain, but it's better than nothing. I use the browser a couple times a week, I'd guess.

10-18-2011, 08:33 AM	#1
AEA64 Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Considering getting a Pocket eDGe or Kindle 4	Question about Kindle Browser Hi. I'm considering getting a Kindle 4 and one of the things I expect from it is reading stuff on the internet using Wi-Fi. But Kindle 4 (even K3) isn't available in any stores near me and I can't try the device before I buy I have a question about the browser. As I've seen in review vids, if you type in a web address, the browsers shows the whole page with button-controlled rectangle area for zooming in, you push the middle button and you see the zoomed in area that was in the rectangle. This may sound stupid, but can you move the zoomed area with direction buttons or page turners? Or you have to go to the full page view again and zoom the new area with the rectangle? I'm asking this because some of the web pages I read have multiple text areas or columns. And this question also applies to PDFs and images. And does anybody know, will the upcoming Kindle Touch be able to move zoomed area in the browsers/PDFs/images with a move of a finger on the screen, just like in tablets? Thanks

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10-18-2011, 11:31 AM	#3
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	Everything blossom has said is true, however I would like to add that the main job of a kindle is electronic book reading not web browsing. That said the kindle can do web surfing via wifi however thats not its main job. I would recommend a laptop or a tablet to do this job such as: Samsung's Galaxy Tablet and the forthcoming Amazon Kindle Fire tablet. Most tablets can do electronic book reading as well however they tend to be a bit ackward for that job and most people preferr a dedicated electronic book reader for reading books.

10-18-2011, 01:26 PM	#4
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,360 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	Personally, I find the web browsing so awful that I have only used it once, maybe twice. If I want to browse the web, I'll use my iPhone.

10-18-2011, 07:19 PM	#5
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,782 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I use it with the Calibre Content Server as destination. Navigation contrast of selected item is the only issue.

10-18-2011, 09:27 PM	#6
BrowseTheStacks BrowseTheStacks Posts: 127 Karma: 24316 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Tampa FL Device: Kindle 3 3G + WI-FI	I use www.sendtoreader.com for web content i want to read.

10-18-2011, 10:05 PM	#7
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	I don't do too much browsing on the Kindle if I can help it. Maybe having a few Wiki links or something handy, since the browser handles those ok. Past that, though... The browser is not the main selling point of the Kindle.

10-18-2011, 11:50 PM	#8
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,468 Karma: 25996225 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I think either K3 or KTouch will be better than K4 for web browsing, if you need to do much typing. However, K4 is faster, so that may be helpful for browsing. I'm hopeful that KTouch will be significantly better since you should be able to navigate links, pan/zoom more easily. If it weren't significantly better, they would not have crippled 3G functionality (restricts web browsing to wikipedia). But as others note, web browsing is still rather painful on a Kindle. Still, I would not be without it for wikipedia access alone, and you can even use it to borrow library books without needing a computer, or to visit the Manage Your Kindle page on amazon.com. K4 and K3 are mostly the same for PDF, the only difference is that K4 has a faster CPU. But then, it has less storage, so it's more limited in how many you can load on. I'm hopeful that on KTouch PDF will be somewhat better for PDF, since it will be easier to pan around a page, and again KTouch has a faster CPU. But I doubt they've enhanced PDF functionality beyond that, for example to support PDF reflow or PDF bookmarks/TOC. Images are supported in a few ways: you can convert them to .azw (using Amazon conversion service), package them into .pdf (using 3rd party tools), or use the undocumented picture viewer (still there in K4, unknown status for KTouch). On Kindle, .azw images can only be zoomed to fit the viewing area (a little less than 800x600), while PDF and the picture viewer allow pan/zoom. Again, this is not what Kindle was designed to do.

10-19-2011, 03:48 PM	#9
Kozzi Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Aura H2O	Try http://klip.me if you are interested in those RIL services. Klip.me support google reader with scheduled delivery, ("Send to Kindle") to save&send directly right away or you can use their "Klip for reading" option to package contents and send later.

10-19-2011, 05:43 PM	#10
markdek Addict Posts: 202 Karma: 1015348 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: Kindle 3	If you use good "mobile" sites, and if you are patient (patient, similar to when you read), then the browser is not so bad. Use it to check email, sports scores, some social networks, etc. It's better than nothing. Klip.me has opened up a whole new usefulness to the Kindle for me.

10-20-2011, 10:56 AM	#12
pearlrose86 Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 1152 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Kindle	The browser has saved me a few times when traveling. I don't have a smart phone, but I can at least use the browser to pull up Google Maps, check Twitter, and check my e-mail. It's slow and kind of a pain, but it's better than nothing. I use the browser a couple times a week, I'd guess.

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