Free Kindle Apps

I think most writers know this, but it's a good idea to sometimes remind our readers of this, too. I've found my Droid X2 with Kindle and Nook apps is a fantastic ebook reader. Something about the screen makes it highly readable even in direct sunlight, and I've taken to using it more than my Nook Color. It's become my e-reader of choice, and is where I do most of my reading now. As much as I hate the screen for absolutely everything else, the e-reading capability makes up for all that.

BTW, most major e-readers have free smartphone versions available.

First thing, I'm very much NOT gadget girl, 'kay? That means speak slowly and in little itty bitty simple words.

So, I just bought my first smartphone, an Xperia Ray. I downloaded/installed the Kindle app, and I downloaded an ebook from Project Gutenberg in .mobi format. I created a folder (using Windows Explorer) on my phone called 'ebooks', and put the ebook file in there. But when I launch the Kindle app, it can't find any ebooks.

Can someone tell me what to do to get the app to find my ebooks? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Try going to the folder and opening the book. The device should be able to find and know what app can read that file.

Medievalist said:

Try going to the folder and opening the book. The device should be able to find and know what app can read that file.

Click to expand...

Okay, that didn't quite do the trick, but in attempting to follow that instruction, I solved the immediate problem.

See, I can't figure out how to just open my folders within the device! I tried an app that I thought might be it; it wasn't, but in that app I saw a list of folders, and discovered that there was now a 'Kindle' folder on the phone. So I plugged the phone back into the computer and used Windows Explorere to move the file from my 'ebooks' folder to the new 'kindle' folder, and when I went back to the Kindle app, it found it.

But as long as I'm bending your eye, how do I simply open folders on my device? I haven't found any icons, shortcuts, or widgets labelled with a term that suggests 'browse device folders' to me.

I warned you...I'm sooooo not gadget girl!

Oh, and THANK YOU!

Terie said:

How do I simply open folders on my device? I haven't found any icons, shortcuts, or widgets labelled with a term that suggests 'browse device folders' to me.

Click to expand...

Not having your particular phone, or knowing what OS it's running--I can only speculate.

In broad terms--is there a way to select a folder or item, possibly with an arrow or cursor key?

Is there then a button or key that functions as an "OK" button or like a Return or Enter key on a computer?

And, in loyalty to my fellow tech writers, might there be a booklet or documentation that came with the phone or is on the maker's Web site that explains the procedures and basic functions?

(No one reads our docs and our FAQs. Where's the LOVE?)

Terie, I think you might have already figured it out. I don't know how the XR works, but on a Kindle (the older ones, at least), your only way to access folders is to plug the device into the computer and use Explorer (or equivalent). iPad is more difficult. You have to use iTunes on the desktop to get to where the books are on the iPad.

P.S. I tried to download the user's manual, but the only one I found is in Spanish.

Medievalist said:

Not having your particular phone, or knowing what OS it's running--I can only speculate.

In broad terms--is there a way to select a folder or item, possibly with an arrow or cursor key?

Is there then a button or key that functions as an "OK" button or like a Return or Enter key on a computer?

And, in loyalty to my fellow tech writers, might there be a booklet or documentation that came with the phone or is on the maker's Web site that explains the procedures and basic functions?

(No one reads our docs and our FAQs. Where's the LOVE?)

Click to expand...

Well actually, as a high-level tech writer myself, it's the first thing I do. Unfortunately, as a high-level tech writer myself, I have little patience with poor design and badly written instructions.

In this case, the phone came with virtually no printed materials except for the set-up guide, and it didn't cover this topic. The rest of the user manual is on the handset, and despite having accessed it several times, I've never yet found the information I was looking for. I've even googled the question, with no luck. (Also as a tech writer, I understand how, after accessing the documentation a few times and never finding what you need, you stop accessing the doc. Sad but true.)

Luckily (for certain values of 'luckily') I have to go back to the shop during my lunch break on Monday because the handset isn't picking up wifi other than at home, so I already need some help from them. Three of my super-duper-techie game-mates tried to get it to pick up the wifi in my friend's flat, and none of them could figure out why it wasn't picking it up, either. So I don't feel quite so dumb about that.

Al, thanks, but the current problem isn't with the Kindle app, being as how I figured out how to get the ebooks to be found by the app (thanks to Medi). The problem is how to access my folders via the handset. I shouldn't have to connect my phone to my computer to move a file from one location on the phone to another. I don't buy ebooks from Amazon; I will occasionally acquire ebooks in .mobi format to be handy on my phone. These will mostly be ebooks from Project Gutenberg.

Terie said:

I shouldn't have to connect my phone to my computer to move a file from one location on the phone to another.

Click to expand...

I agree you shouldn't, but that's how Kindle and iPad work for files downloaded from other than their own stores, and it wouldn't surprise me if Android does the same dumb thing.

Please jet us know what you find out. As self-e-publishers we need to know how to tell readers how to install the books, and as the varieties of e-readers grows, it gets more and more complicated.

And good luck with it.

ETA: My Kindle and iPad are both version 1. Things might have changed.

Terie said:

I shouldn't have to connect my phone to my computer to move a file from one location on the phone to another.

Click to expand...

I suspect that it may in fact be the case that they expect you to engage in file management from your desktop; there are a couple of phones OSs that work that way.