On Computers

When we briefly mentioned the new $50 Amazon “Kindle Fire” tablet, ours hadn’t arrived yet.  Now that we have it, we’re more impressed than we expected. Here are a few things we haven’t seen in other reviews: First off, the full content of the Washington Post  is free for the first six months, $4 a month after that. That’s because Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, recently bought the Post, so he can offer any deal he wants.  A catchy headline from the newspaper on the main screen of the tablet lures you in. This is totally addictive: Joy hasn’t gone a day yet without reading the Post’s featured story.

Read more

Filed under: Amazon, apps, Kindle, tablet | Comments Off on STILL HOT FOR THE LATEST KINDLE FIRE

A reader wrote to say his wife has a Kindle and loves reading outdoors. His iPad costs hundreds of dollars more but he can’t read it in sunlight. “Not fair!” he said. “My wife grins at me as I struggle.”

Read more

Filed under: iPad, Kindle | Comments Off on READING IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT

Joy’s friend Frieda is going to France but leaving her Kindle behind for safe keeping. Joy said to her: “Why not use your phone as a Kindle?” Here’s how to do that:

Read more

Filed under: apps, books, Kindle | Comments Off on BOOK EM!

We were at a launch party for “Suffer No Fools,” a new PBS documentary, when a guy asked us if he should get the latest Kindle or the new iPad Mini. This is a tough question – and he was a tough-looking guy.

Read more

Filed under: books, iPad, Kindle | Comments Off on KINDLE OR IPAD

We heard from a reader who has a Kindle just like ours but its battery failed to take a charge. Amazon customer service told her to buy a new one, though her Kindle was only a year old. (They’re pushing it; don’t buy a new one.)

Read more

Filed under: batteries, Kindle | 2 Comments »

Joy’s Kindle Fire went into a coma for several months and the battery wouldn’t charge. So we got an iPad Mini, a smaller version of the iPad for $278 from Amazon.

Read more

Filed under: Apple, iPad, Kindle | Comments Off on THE IPAD MINI

Boundless.com is being sued by textbook publishers for offering cut-rate and cut-down versions online.  They cover 21 subjects and all the books are $20, which is quite a bargain compared to $100-200 for many printed textbooks. Here’s how it works: Instead of an actual textbook, Boundless summarizes all of the key information, chapter by chapter into a condensed version about 90 percent shorter. You’ll miss the author’s style, but you’ll get what you need to know, complete with flashcards, quizzes, and reminders. Their own research shows Boundless users study far less than other students and get better results.

Read more

Filed under: books, discounts, education, Kindle | Comments Off on BACK TO SCHOOL

Some readers have asked our opinion about whether to buy a Kindle, a Nook, an iPad or the new Google Nexus 7 for some home reading and viewing. So here’s our take.

Read more

Filed under: books, iPad, Kindle | Comments Off on E-READER DECISION

Amazon’s Kindle Fire has 54 percent of the Android tablet market. (The Barnes and Noble “Nook” is considered an e-Reader, rather than a tablet.) With that in mind, we thought it a good idea to take a look at “Kindle Fire: the Missing Manual,” by Peter Meyers; $20 from MissingManuals.com.

Read more

Filed under: books, Kindle | Comments Off on BOOKS: KINDLE FIRE

Joy loves having a reading light on her Kindle 4. Sure it’s great that you can read the Kindle’s e-ink screen in bright sunlight, but sometimes you want to read it under the covers. We bought the Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover for $60. It weighs only 4.8 ounces, comes in four colors and works well.

Read more

Filed under: Kindle | Comments Off on KINDLE COVERS