New Kindle with WiFi announced

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Outside the US = Not living in the United States.
I believe the your IP will be checked as you log on to Amazon.

That isn't my experience, but I am using the iPad to buy Kindle books rather than a Kindle device. For me, all Amazon seems to care about is that the credit card validates a US billing address. (B&N by comparison do check IP address.)

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

That isn't my experience, but I am using the iPad to buy Kindle books rather than a Kindle device. For me, all Amazon seems to care about is that the credit card validates a US billing address. (B&N by comparison do check IP address.)

Yep. They'd have a hard time pushing the selling point that you can buy books over the wireless connection when you're traveling if they didn't let you do it.

[thinkpad]

If you have a U.S credit-card attached to the account you're verified. But a lot of people outside the U.S have to rely on gift cards only and here's where the problems start if you're not careful or you might end up with a mail asking for "proof of residency".

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Outside the US = Not living in the United States.
I believe the your IP will be checked as you log on to Amazon.

No. If you log out, you can select your country (or area) of origin. (only found out by accident ) They use your account address.

[travis]

If they use the account address then I will be OK. For instance, I have been in Colombia for 4 months. I have occasionally been reading a Kindle book here on my PC and Ipod, and it syncs OK, etc., and does not seem to be a problem. Although I have not tried to buy anything while here. I have had no problems with Apple's App Store with extensive use in 3 developing countries outside of the USA but with a USA billing address.

* Since I spend most of my time traveling abroad, I am wondering if the screen is resistant to scratches, I don't plan to buy a cover and instead treat it more like a disposable device. For instance, my Ipod Touch screen is virtually indestructible and I don't have to worry about it.

Anyone know the answer to this?

Thanks! Travis

[Alisa]

As for durability, we can only judge from the past. It's been not so much the glass facing as the screen substrate that has been the week point. I always pack mine in a case so I don't know if it's prone to scratch, but too much flexing or an impact to the screen can easily ruin it.

[jbjb]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

YEs... assuming you have a single Amazon account or at least register his kindle to your Amazon account.. If you each have your own account it won't work.

BOb

On a related note, if I have a Kindle (I don't yet, but will probably put the Kindle app on my iPad when the UK kindle store goes live) and get one for my kids, can I restrict the set of books which is sync'ed to their device?

In other words, if I need to have the kids' kindle registered to my account in order to be able to share some of the books, do they then have to be able to see *all* of them?

/JB

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jbjb

In other words, if I need to have the kids' kindle registered to my account in order to be able to share some of the books, do they then have to be able to see *all* of them?

Yes, there is no way to selectively make books available. Also, sync is with ALL devices... which annoys me no end and makes me unable to use it.

BOb

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by travis

* Since I spend most of my time traveling abroad, I am wondering if the screen is resistant to scratches, I don't plan to buy a cover and instead treat it more like a disposable device. For instance, my Ipod Touch screen is virtually indestructible and I don't have to worry about it.

Probably won't scratch easily, but the glass eInk screens are fairly fragile.

[jbjb]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Yes, there is no way to selectively make books available. Also, sync is with ALL devices... which annoys me no end and makes me unable to use it.

BOb

That seems like a big problem. Presumably it also means that if, say, I have an iPhone or iPod which has restricted memory available (due to being full of other stuff), I'd be a bit stuck if I had a large library - I couldn't get it to just put the book I'm currently reading on that device.

Is syncing the only way to get books onto the kindle (or other device running the kindle app)? Or can they just be put on manually over USB? This would be less convenient, but would allow more control over which books were on which kindle.

/JB

[travis]

Originally Posted by Alisa

As for durability, we can only judge from the past. It's been not so much the glass facing as the screen substrate that has been the week point. I always pack mine in a case so I don't know if it's prone to scratch, but too much flexing or an impact to the screen can easily ruin it.

Thanks. It sounds more fragile than I would like, so I guess I will budget this as strictly a 2 year life cycle item.

Presumably, by replacement time there would be something better available and probably for under $100. So I guess my concern is that I will be overseas, it will break, and I won't be able to replace it until I am back in the USA.

Anyway, that is definitely something that I can deal with. The fact that it is firmware-upgradeable is huge for a new product like this, and the fact that I won't have country restrictions on the purchase of Amazon items is enough for me to take the risk.

Travis

[carld]

Originally Posted by jbjb

That seems like a big problem. Presumably it also means that if, say, I have an iPhone or iPod which has restricted memory available (due to being full of other stuff), I'd be a bit stuck if I had a large library - I couldn't get it to just put the book I'm currently reading on that device.

Is syncing the only way to get books onto the kindle (or other device running the kindle app)? Or can they just be put on manually over USB? This would be less convenient, but would allow more control over which books were on which kindle.

/JB

I don't think it downloads all the books to your device, it's just that you can't block certain books from being available for download to certain devices.

You can certainly transfer books over USB, but Amazon purchased books will always be available for download on the Manage Your Kindle page.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jbjb

That seems like a big problem. Presumably it also means that if, say, I have an iPhone or iPod which has restricted memory available (due to being full of other stuff), I'd be a bit stuck if I had a large library - I couldn't get it to just put the book I'm currently reading on that device.

Ok, that is a different question.

I took your original question to mean:

If I have books in my library on Amazon can my kids see all the books and be able to read them?

To this I answer yes, every book in your amazon library is available to every registered device. I thought you were asking because you had some books you didn't want your children to have access to.

But, from the above it seems like your question is:

Can I decide which books from my Amazon library are on which device?

That answer to that is YES. Your Amazon library contains 100% of your purchased books. You can "send" them to any device you choose. You can also on any device list your "archive" and d/l just those books you want locally on the device.

So, perhaps I misunderstood you original question.

Originally Posted by jbjb

Is syncing the only way to get books onto the kindle (or other device running the kindle app)? Or can they just be put on manually over USB? This would be less convenient, but would allow more control over which books were on which kindle.

Syncing is not how you get books to your Kindle. At least when I talk about "sync" or "Whishpersync" I am talking about the sharing of last read position, bookmarks, highlights and notes. It is this syncing that you can't define. For example, if you enable syncing and you and your spouse are reading the same book on separate devices then you are going to have problems.

As I said, there is no way to pair devices. I can't for example specify that my Kindle syncs with My Mac but not my sons iPod or my wifes PC. Whispersync is all or nothing.

I hope that clears up my answer to you.

BOb

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by jbjb

On a related note, if I have a Kindle (I don't yet, but will probably put the Kindle app on my iPad when the UK kindle store goes live) and get one for my kids, can I restrict the set of books which is sync'ed to their device?

In other words, if I need to have the kids' kindle registered to my account in order to be able to share some of the books, do they then have to be able to see *all* of them?

/JB

Set up two accounts. Make one the kids' account and the other the adults' account. Buy the books you want to share from the kids' accounts, and the ones you don't want to share from the adults' account. Register the devices accordingly.

It's a bit klutzy, but it should work.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Harmon

Set up two accounts. Make one the kids' account and the other the adults' account. Buy the books you want to share from the kids' accounts, and the ones you don't want to share from the adults' account. Register the devices accordingly.

It's a bit klutzy, but it should work.

Not really. Because there may be books you want to share with the kids. Then you'd have to buy them twice.