I've used this extension, Instapaper's wireless delivery, and Wordcycler (a desktop app that that syncs files from Instapaper when your Kindle is connected to your computer).
This extension is better than Instapaper's wireless delivery because it treats each article as a separate "book". Instapaper, on the other hand, groups all the unread articles in a single book with each article as a different chapter. This means that if you read halfway through one article you can't start another article without losing your place.
The extension also works better for me than Wordcycler because Wordcycler doesn't download the article from Instapaper. In order not to hammer Instapaper's servers, it grabs the URLs when you connect your Kindle, then downloads and formats the articles itself. By the time I connect my Kindle to my computer many of the articles are only available as previews, so Wordcycler doesn't get the full article.
As an aside, I just traveled with my Kindle to Europe and was ecstatic by the ability to load up on (free, from Gutenberg) books, and easily switch between them on the long flight.
However, those who herald the end of books is here are very wrong. Except from the "many books on long trip" or "Netflix-like instant book delivery" (and a few other, like reading long web pages) use cases, I wouldn't event think about switching to Kindle full-time. Gripes are:
* All books appear almost the same, little or no typesetting
* The note taking interface is shockingly primitive, e.g. just to get a questions mark requires several clicks
* AFAIK, pagination depends on you display, so bookmarks may change place among Kindle readers on different devices.
Of course, all of these are easily addressable. The question is: can the device that does these and other cool stuff (e.g. color) be sold around ~ $150.
> The note taking interface is shockingly primitive, e.g. just to get a questions mark requires several clicks
Do you normally make notes in your physical books?
> AFAIK, pagination depends on you display, so bookmarks may change place among Kindle readers on different devices.
The start of the page you bookmarked will still be the start of the page you jump to, whatever display layout you use. The pages might be different length.
Pagination doesn't actually exist because (except for pdf's) there are no pages, only locations (see bottom of screen). Bookmarks mark locations, not pages.
From these you said, I only miss the typesetting.
If they add some new fonts, and differente typography. It would be more awesome!
And one thing, I think all books for people more then 14 years old, are in black and white. Lol.
I considered building something like this for some time (there are similar extensions but they either not work or send only pdf) and will probably do it anyway even if send to kindle kinda work.
The thing i don't like about this particular implementation is that looking at the code (background.js) it looks like that it contains a list of urls with the location of the text content (tag path to the location).
I guess this is done for pages that are not being parsed correctly (the user then select the text manually, and the url+tag path is sent to the server and it will be added to the list in the next release), he should have used readability.
I'd prefer something that doesn't log in any way the urls i'm sending to the kindle (even if only to fix some issue with the text extraction algorithm).
Edit: The contained urls have query parameters too, not good.
I tried RekindleIT but could never get it to work properly, and I didn't like instapapers method of doing things, was looking for something like this - awesome.
I love my kindle, no more piles of heavy coding books that I buy and never read (because I can only read them at home due to their size). I love the ecosystem, I bought ASP.NET Pro MVC 2, and for the walkthrough bits I can read it on Kindle for PC whilst doing the tutorials in Visual studio (I have a 24" monitor rotaed 90 degrees - perfect for reading short instructions). Then when it got into chapters where it is just explaining how things work, I could continue them on my kindle with its awesome screen anywhere I wanted, or on my phone while waiting in line somewhere. Brilliant.
I've gotten to where I hardly ever read from my latest-gen small-sized Kindle Wi-Fi. I prefer the touch screen interactivity of the Kindle app on my iPhone4. This makes me think that reading on an iPad would blow the Kindle away, with the only caveats being battery life and nighttime reading where I wouldn't want a back-light to keep me awake.
I have a Kindle, Ipad, and android phone (Droid X).
Kindle:
Pro:
One great thing about the kindle is battery life and how easy it is on the eyes. For reading fiction, it's great.
Con:
It is horrible for technical work--pdfs in particular. If you're like me and you jump around in a book, it's impractical to do so on a kindle given the slow page refresh rate.
Pro:
The nice thing about the kindle app on the android phone is the convenience--when I'm standing in line at the grocery store (or am on the subway), I can catch up on some light reading and have finished a number of books this way that I wouldn't have ordinarily.
Con:
Screensize. I used to use the kindle app on the ipod touch and find the screensize of the Droid X to be a much better experience--but it's still small.
Ipad:
Pro:
The screensize is great and bookmarking pages is intuitive.
Also, for technical books, I can get them in pdf form and
use GoodReader.
Con:
Battery life--for international flights, if you don't have power, you can survive, but the kindle wins with battery life hands down.
I wouldn't give up the Kindle for anything. The E-Paper screen feels much more comfortable on my eyes. Its size is perfect for having it always with me and reading with one hand in bed or on the train/bus. And I don't interact much with the Kindle anyways except turning pages or opening another book from the main screen.
Unless I'm out in the sun, I prefer reading on my iPad to reading on a Kindle -- but since Amazon has the largest selection of e-books, I end up reading on my iPad using their Kindle application.
I vastly prefer reading in a 'night' mode of amber text on a black background to reading on my Kindle. However the iPad had other issues with it, including low res, and iPhone has too little text on the page, in both cases my wrists end up sore either from weight or repeated paging.
I'm hoping iPad 2 is a little lighter, and does have the 2x linear resolution bump. Then it will be quite a good experience.
On the contrary, I've even started using my 3G as my primary internet device, just for basic web surfing and stuff. My eyes feel more relaxed than they have in years.
iPad hurts my wrists after about 15 minutes. I have the first gen Kindle, and I like how lightweight it is, plus it has a memory card slot, and I can read it in total brightness.
dwwoelfel|15 years ago
This extension is better than Instapaper's wireless delivery because it treats each article as a separate "book". Instapaper, on the other hand, groups all the unread articles in a single book with each article as a different chapter. This means that if you read halfway through one article you can't start another article without losing your place.
The extension also works better for me than Wordcycler because Wordcycler doesn't download the article from Instapaper. In order not to hammer Instapaper's servers, it grabs the URLs when you connect your Kindle, then downloads and formats the articles itself. By the time I connect my Kindle to my computer many of the articles are only available as previews, so Wordcycler doesn't get the full article.
drtse4|15 years ago
Jun8|15 years ago
As an aside, I just traveled with my Kindle to Europe and was ecstatic by the ability to load up on (free, from Gutenberg) books, and easily switch between them on the long flight.
However, those who herald the end of books is here are very wrong. Except from the "many books on long trip" or "Netflix-like instant book delivery" (and a few other, like reading long web pages) use cases, I wouldn't event think about switching to Kindle full-time. Gripes are:
* All books appear almost the same, little or no typesetting
* The note taking interface is shockingly primitive, e.g. just to get a questions mark requires several clicks
* AFAIK, pagination depends on you display, so bookmarks may change place among Kindle readers on different devices.
Of course, all of these are easily addressable. The question is: can the device that does these and other cool stuff (e.g. color) be sold around ~ $150.
philh|15 years ago
Do you normally make notes in your physical books?
> AFAIK, pagination depends on you display, so bookmarks may change place among Kindle readers on different devices.
The start of the page you bookmarked will still be the start of the page you jump to, whatever display layout you use. The pages might be different length.
hobbes|15 years ago
Zeuf|15 years ago
rdl|15 years ago
drtse4|15 years ago
I guess this is done for pages that are not being parsed correctly (the user then select the text manually, and the url+tag path is sent to the server and it will be added to the list in the next release), he should have used readability. I'd prefer something that doesn't log in any way the urls i'm sending to the kindle (even if only to fix some issue with the text extraction algorithm).
Edit: The contained urls have query parameters too, not good.
rodh257|15 years ago
I love my kindle, no more piles of heavy coding books that I buy and never read (because I can only read them at home due to their size). I love the ecosystem, I bought ASP.NET Pro MVC 2, and for the walkthrough bits I can read it on Kindle for PC whilst doing the tutorials in Visual studio (I have a 24" monitor rotaed 90 degrees - perfect for reading short instructions). Then when it got into chapters where it is just explaining how things work, I could continue them on my kindle with its awesome screen anywhere I wanted, or on my phone while waiting in line somewhere. Brilliant.
euroclydon|15 years ago
Anyone else feel this way?
ylem|15 years ago
Ipad: Pro: The screensize is great and bookmarking pages is intuitive. Also, for technical books, I can get them in pdf form and use GoodReader.
Con: Battery life--for international flights, if you don't have power, you can survive, but the kindle wins with battery life hands down.
These are just my thoughts and as always ymmv.
thomas11|15 years ago
gyardley|15 years ago
Amazon wins both ways.
cincinnatus|15 years ago
I'm hoping iPad 2 is a little lighter, and does have the 2x linear resolution bump. Then it will be quite a good experience.
ronnoch|15 years ago
chopsueyar|15 years ago
mbesto|15 years ago
pedanticfreak|15 years ago