Kindle Paperwhite $35.50

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by haertig

You'll get used to it, and probably end up liking it. I had the same issues when I tried to use a Windows 10 computer, after having given up on Windows after XP. I've been using Linux as my primary desktop for over ten years, and only dabbled in Windows since then when I absolutely had to.

I couldn't figure out how in the heck to make Windows work! Menus slide in from some hidden dock on the side. That is, if you know enough to go over and touch that side of the screen in the first place (this was a touchscreen computer). I finally figured a few things out by randomly touching, swiping, and whatever on every side and corner of the screen. You'd be amazed what pops up (literally!).

The PaperWhite is much the same. Touch the top of the screen to get a menu. Why? There's no indication that you should do that. Touch the top right corner of the screen to set a bookmark. Why? Because that's what you have to do. Touch the lower left corner of the screen and something else changes - some kind of numbers being displayed. Swipe up from the bottom middle of the screen to bring up a little window of something else. And then touch and swipe inside that little window for even more amazing things! Why? Well, you get the picture! Just start tapping and swiping in all directions randomly all over the place and observe the results. Of yeah, and touch two fingers to the screen and then spread them apart or bring them closer together. Why? Oh hell, nobody knows - just do it and see what the PaperWhite does!

I'll bet if I pretend the center of the screen is middle C on my piano and use both hands to try and play Chopin's Nocturne #20 in C-sharp Minor, the display might switch to color or something else equally as entertaining!

Thanks. I have Windows 10 on a touchscreen computer too--an ASUS Transformer with a detachable keyboard. I use it with a mouse, because otherwise I never know what the heck it will do.

I've gotten used to using touch on my Fire tablet, so I expected the PW to work exactly the same way. I don't expect to use the PW much, would have preferred an inexpensive epub reader, but I couldn't pass it up at the price.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Otherwise I would have had to search through nearly a thousand books to find it--since registering, which is practically the first thing in the setup process, immediately populated my library with those thousand books. And why would I search for something that I didn't know was there? (Not to mention that after opening the first book to try out, I didn't know how to get out of it and back to the home page without the manual.)

I'm sorry that I'm ranting and getting far afield--I should move to one of the Kindle forums. I'm thinking of just leaving the PW unregistered, in airplane mode, and sideloading de-DRMed files as I plan to read them--seems easier than trying to organize all the books in the Amazon account.

Quick tip, near the upper left corner, you'll see ALL | DOWNLOADED. Select DOWNLOADED so the device only shows books that are stored locally and not your complete Amazon library. That said, since books are indexed, searching even through a thousand books doesn't really take long.

Granted, organization is definitely a weak point on stock firmware. I actually traded in a perfectly working PW3 on 5.9.x firmware so I can get a PW3 that's jailbreakable. Jailbreak's a must in order to work with the Calibre Kindle Collections plugin.

Funnily enough, I seem to recall my refurbished PW3 Manga purchased from Woot coming with a paper manual. Gonna have to double check the box to confirm.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Quick tip, near the upper left corner, you'll see ALL | DOWNLOADED. Select DOWNLOADED so the device only shows books that are stored locally and not your complete Amazon library. That said, since books are indexed, searching even through a thousand books doesn't really take long.

Granted, organization is definitely a weak point on stock firmware. I actually traded in a perfectly working PW3 on 5.9.x firmware so I can get a PW3 that's jailbreakable. Jailbreak's a must in order to work with the Calibre Kindle Collections plugin.

Funnily enough, I seem to recall my refurbished PW3 Manga purchased from Woot coming with a paper manual. Gonna have to double check the box to confirm.

There was a single-page guide in the box, which just indicates the location of the power button and the USB port and tells you to charge the device. It does mention a user guide link on the home page, but not how to get back to the home page once you've opened a book, which was my initial problem.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Catlady

...what geniuses decided not to include basic instructions, either in a booklet or on the device?

Originally Posted by Catlady

There was a single-page guide in the box, which just indicates the location of the power button and the USB port and tells you to charge the device. It does mention a user guide link on the home page, but not how to get back to the home page once you've opened a book, which was my initial problem.

You must have gotten one of those returned/display devices I was warned about

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Catlady

There was a single-page guide in the box, which just indicates the location of the power button and the USB port and tells you to charge the device. It does mention a user guide link on the home page, but not how to get back to the home page once you've opened a book, which was my initial problem.

That's why I said is funny. Iirc, my brand new PW3 with the same single sheet while I recall my refurbished PW3 coming with an actual manual.

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by Catlady

There was a single-page guide in the box, which just indicates the location of the power button and the USB port and tells you to charge the device. It does mention a user guide link on the home page, but not how to get back to the home page once you've opened a book, which was my initial problem.

I'm new to Kindle, too, and I had to google what to do. Once I did it once, it stuck, though. (tap top for menu, left for back, right for forward, long press to get a definition).