scouring

Michael Piston asked:


 

The new Amazon Kindle 2’s features and navigation is easy to access with the MENU, and HOME buttons, along with the 5-way navigator. But there are keyboard shortcuts built into the Kindle that can make using your new e-book reader more enjoyable. There also are some special features only available using keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of the shortcuts you should keep in-mind when using your Kindle 2.

Refresh your display - the new Kindle’s screen is a big improvement over the Kindle 1. The new “digital ink” gives the screen a little better contrast and sharpness. It also moves from page to page more quickly. What you’ll find however is that sometimes you get a “ghosting” image on your screen. This can be annoying as you read. To refresh your screen hold down the ALT key then press the “G” key.

Use the Kindle’s built-in Spoken Word feature - you can press and hold down the ALT key then press the SYM key to turn the Spoken Word feature on or off. If you want to pause the Spoken Word feature press the ALT key and the space bar. Press the ALT key and the space bar again to resume playing Spoken Word.

Can’t wait to buy some new books for your Kindle 2? Press the ALT key and the HOME button to go immediately to the Kindle store. 

If you find a key passage of a book that you want to send to someone you can take a screen shot using your Kindle. Press and hold the ALT and SHIFT (up arrow) keys and then the “G” key. The screen will flash when the screen capture is complete. Attach your Kindle 2 to your computer using the USB cable. You’ll find your screen shots there with a .gif file extension. You can copy the screen shots to your computer and attach them to e-mails or print them out.

Are you bored of reading and thinking of something else to do? Of course you could use your Kindle 2 to surf the web - or - you could play a game of Minesweeper. Press and hold down the ALT key and the SHIFT (up arrow) keys and then press the “M” key. The Minesweeper game will appear on your screen. Press the MENU button to change the game options.

If you’ve uploaded your own text files to your Kindle you may need to have the Kindle scan your documents so the new files show-up on your Home page. To do this hold-down the ALT key and then press the “Z” key.

How long have you been reading this book? To find-out press the Menu key and look at the top of your Kindle display. There you’ll see the time, the memory free on your Kindle 2, and details on your wireless network connection (right now mine says “3G”).

Need some detailed technical information on your Kindle 2? From the Home Page go to Menu > Settings and then type “411″. A screen will open showing your Settings and Device Information. Take a screen shot - hold down the “ALT” and “SHIFT” keys then press the “G” key - to save the information on the screen. Press the Home button again to close this window.

Congratulations! You’ve just learned how to get more use and enjoyment from your Kindle 2 e-book reader. To get keyboard shortcuts for your Kindle 1 visit the Guide to Kindle link at the bottom of this article.

 

Travis Lee asked:


Amazon has outdone itself again. Just within days of launching the Kindle 2, Amazon also released its new Kindle iPhone app and sent iPhone users scrambling to download the free app and trying it out. The verdict? iPhone owners have been impressed enough that many of them have jumped on the Kindle bandwagon and have purchased one themselves.

How exactly does this Kindle iPhone app work? For starters, it’s like having an extension of your Kindle with you wherever you go. If you’re one of those who think that reading the Kindle even while waiting in lines or taking subway rides is a bit overdoing it, then the iPhone app is the answer to your reading dilemma. Take the iPhone with you anywhere and take advantage of short bursts of reading your Kindle books whenever you have some free time.

Applicable for both the iPhone and iPod touch, the Kindle for iPhone app has even taken the effort to make reading from the iPhone a pleasant experience. Given that the iPhone is a compact device, the readability is still great with 5 font sizes to choose from. Plus, going through pages is easily done with just a mere swipe of the screen right to left, or back. For bookmarking pages, finding the table of contents, going to the beginning or a specific location, and looking at the image cover, a couple of taps is all it takes as well.

Accessing all your Kindle books even without the Kindle around is also possible with the Kindle iPhone app. Just log-in to your Amazon account and download any of your books stored there straight to your iPhone. Even better, you can continue to read right where you left off from either device, thanks to Kindle’s Whispersync technology. Make sure to sync your Amazon Kindle or iPhone before leaving and either one of them will automatically go to the last page read when you resume reading.

Another great thing about the Kindle iPhone app is that it gives the reader a full-color version of the images from its LCD screen, as opposed to the Kindle’s shades of gray. What it cannot do however, is permanently replace the Kindle as the choice reading device. While the iPhone acts as a perfect foil to the Kindle, the latter’s e-paper technology, wide screen, and superior readability is still the best device for hours of nonstop reading.

However exciting the new Kindle for iPhone may be, it still has a few downsides. First, buying books from Amazon or even just browsing available titles directly through the app is not yet possible. Moreover, the Kindle iPhone app is currently exclusive for ebooks and not for newspapers and magazines as yet. And one more thing, the dictionary feature is not available yet on the Kindle for iPhone app. These are minor drawbacks though, and with the way things are going with the Kindle, these features are surely not far off.

See the Kindle iPhone App in action and then be sure to read the full Amazon Kindle 2.0 review here.

Michael Piston asked:


 

One thing about electronic devices - they know how to put us in a panic every once in a while! The new Amazon Kindle 2 is no different - it sometimes seems to get possessed by one of those demons in the books stored deep inside it’s memory. While the Kindle 2 is a very well designed and durable device, it is subject to strange behavior. The worst of these behaviors is when the Kindle 2 freezes-up. The pages don’t turn, the screen saver won’t turn-off no matter how many times you “Slide and release the power switch to wake”.

There are a few things you can do to “unfreeze” your Kindle 2, but the best cure is a bit of prevention. First, let’s get to the “unfreezing”. In the Kindle 1 you have a few options to unfreeze your device:

A. Use the keyboard reset - hold down the ALT and SHIFT keys then press the “R” button.

B. Manually reset by remove the back cover and insert a paper clip (GENTLY) into the “Reset” hole to reset and unfreeze the Kindle.

C. Remove the battery (with the unit unplugged), turn on the power button to discharge the power in the Kindle, then reinstall the battery.

Unfortunately the new Kindle 2 does not have a keyboard reset, there is no manual reset using a paper clip, and the battery cannot be accessed. So you have one option left for unfreezing your Kindle 2. That is resetting the device using the Power button.

Before doing this it’s a good idea to make sure your Kindle 2 is completely charged. Even if it is “frozen” it should still charge - that is the charging indicator should light when the charger is connected. If the charging indicator does not light-up check your plug and if that’s OK contact Amazon Kindle support.

Once you are satisfied that your Kindle 2 is charged it’s time to reset. To do this -

1. Remove your Kindle 2 from the charger.

2. Slide the power switch to the right and hold it there.

3. SLOWLY count to 15 (the switch has to be held in-place for at least 15 seconds).

4. Release the switch.

5. What will happen? At first NOTHING so don’t panic.

6. After about 5 to 10 seconds the Kindle 2 will flash on and off several times.

7. The Amazon logo will appear along with a progress bar showing the Kindle is restarting.

8. Next the Hope page will load with the ebooks, audio books, and other media you’ve loaded onto your Kindle.

That’s it! You should be back in business ready to read another book.

A few things to remember:

If you only hold the Power button to the right for five to 10 seconds you’ll just turn the unit OFF. You have to hold the power button to the right for at least 15 seconds.

If the process above does not work - contact the Amazon Kindle support team. They are very helpful and may be able to do some other trouble-shooting on your device.

Now - how do you prevent your Kindle 2 from freezing in the first place?

Well, unlike the Kindle 1, the Kindle 2 does not like to be completely turned off and on. The unit goes into a screensaver power-down mode when not in use consuming very little power. Try leaving the unit on continually and take advantage of the power-down feature. This seems to prevent freeze-ups for many owners. Ok, ok, if you’re flying please turn off your Kindle and wait until you get above 10,000 feet before turning on approved electronic devices. And please disable the wireless feature Kindle while flying!

One other thing you can do to prevent Kindle 2 freeze-ups is to make sure your battery doesn’t fall below about 15% to 20% charged. The device seems to work better when the charge is above 20%. You don’t have to charge your Kindle 2 everyday - in fact that is NOT recommended unless you need it. Just watch the power indicator and give your Kindle 2 a charge when the battery level falls below 20%.

OK - by now we trust you are back to enjoying your favorite ebook or audio book. Congratulations! You’ve learned how-to unfreeze your Kindle 2 and prevent future freeze-ups from happening.

 

 

Dan P. asked:


Polyjet technology has found a valuable and functional position in today’s competitive business environment. Polyjet printing technology has helped design companies who’ve been searching for quicker methods to move products from the design and manufacturing stages onto the consumer market. Polyjet technology moves products more rapidly and cost efficiently from the design stage to a finished product. Polyjet printing techniques are easily able to produce prototypes which are clean, smooth and quickly produced with rapid prototyping technology. Utilizing a number of materials available Polyjet technologies are able to produce a wide range of models, products and prototypes. With the number of design companies requiring rapid prototype production, Polyjet printing has become the desired technology and prototyping tool of choice.



Polyjet Technology

Polyjet Advancements



Polyjet Technology

Polyjet printing continues to utilize innovative and new approaches in 3D prototyping hardware, software and fabrication materials. Polyjet printing and a function of rapid prototyping technology is a design process using computer programming to guide the creation of a three dimensional model through the layering of fabrication material. The Polyjet heads deposit fabrication material in a building tray layer by layer and with concise precision until the prototype is built to complete specifications. Polyjet printers are able to use many different types of fabrication materials to build models and prototypes. Polyjet technology uses resins, polymers or photopolymers either singularly or in different combinations to build many different types of models.

Polyjet printing techniques utilize computer assisted design (CAD) which guides the building process step by step and ensures the correct construction of even the most complex of prototype designs. Polyjet printing heads are able to layer precise amounts of fabrication material during the layering process and build prototypes rapidly and accordingly to design specifications. During various stages of the Polyjet building process ultra-violet lights cure the fabrication materials which harden and produce a functional model or prototype. The Polyjet printing process is simple and easy including setup, printing and cleaning of the prototype model or product. Polyjet techniques for producing prototypes assist engineers in solving complex design issues early on in the development process.

Polyjet Advancements

Polyjet technology advancements are assisting designers to solve even the most complex design issues in the production of prototypes. A wide range of design flexibility is available to engineers with Polyjet printing techniques that were not previously available. Advancements in the computer assisted production of models now permits design changes to be implemented during any stage of the process. With the introduction of new polymer fabrication materials and the ability of Polyjet printers to utilize multiple materials in a single prototype project, designers can engineer many new features into their prototypes and models.

The introduction of advanced Polyjet technology allows the production of prototypes using thinner building lines, innovative fabrication materials and design accuracy. Polyjet printing technology continues to advance the ability to produce high quality and sophisticated prototypes. Polyjet printers are easy to program, set-up and rapidly produce prototypes. Instant and fully cured prototypes which need little post production work make Polyjet printing technology faster and very cost efficient for today’s competitive businesses and companies.

Avery Mann asked:


Yes, that’s right. Carrie has been seen around town with something in her hand. Although we have yet to hear a howl out of Cujo on the Kindle. Jack, as of yet, has not uttered those faithful words “here’s” Kindle. None the less, when introduced at the Kindle 2 launch, Stephen King did say he has written a novelette exclusively for the new device. As he stated in a recent article, the prolific author defined the Kindle as “a gadget with stories hiding inside it”. He especially liked that you can adjust the typeface. Something, as he pointed out, that is good for those of us getting on in years. All and all he  says “for what it is, it’s just fine. It’s light, holds its charge, is simple to operate”. So what is Mr. King going to think of the kindle 2? Will we eventually see the Children of The Corn looking up “definitions of words that puzzle you as you read”? Another feature that he seemed to like about the Kindle.

Well Stephen, if you liked the Kindle, you are going to love the Kindle 2, the next generation wireless reading device. Although it has a thin design, it holds over 1,500 books with seven times more storage. For those of you who get so engrossed in what you’re reading, the Kindle 2 turns the pages faster. The new display offers a book-like-reading experience, with a much clearer text and crisper images. Of course for those who can’t put a good book down, it has a longer battery life. Another new feature is “Read to Me”. It actually reads to you, with the new Text to Speech feature.  

The designers of Kindle 2 kept everything that consumers loved about the Kindle. The immediacy of getting a book wirelessly delivered in less than 60 seconds, and Kindle’s ability to “disappear” in your hands so you can get lost in the author’s words. Also, there are over 230,000 e-books available, including Times best sellers, at the Kindle Store.

So here are 8 new reasons to get a Kindle 2.

New Features & Enhancements

Slim & Lightweight: Just over 1/3 inch and 10.2 ounces

Books in under 60 seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for crisp images and text; even reads well in bright sunlight

Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging

More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books

Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns

Read-to-Me: Text-to-Speech feature means Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud.

No Wireless Bills: No monthly wireless bills, data plans, or commitments. Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you won’t see a monthly wireless bill.

Large Selection: Over 230,000 books, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines and blogs available

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

For more info on the Kindle 2 as well as a FREE download of a Stephen King like short story of terror, please go to;

My RecomMANNdations



You will also find other topics of interest like Investment Help, Natural Cures, and much more.

Michael Piston asked:


You’re spending a relaxing afternoon reading an e-book on your new Kindle 2 e-book reader and the thought strikes you - “I need to check my e-mail to see if I’ve heard back from my daughter!” Now normally that means that you have to stop reading, put down your Kindle, and check your e-mail account on your computer. But, if you have a Gmail account you can read and respond to e-mails right on your Kindle!

First, go to your Kindle’s built-in basic web browser (Home > Menu > Experimental > Basic Web). Next, make sure that Javascript for your Kindle’s browser is turned on (Browser > Menu > Settings > Enable Javascript). Finally, go to the Gmail Internet address (Browser > Menu > Enter URL > www.gmail.com), enter your Username and Password.

IMPORTANT - use the standard Gmail URL and not the Google URL provided by default in the Kindle’s bookmark folder. If you try to access your Gmail from the URL provided in your Kindle you will be prompted to load a Google Gmail application. Applications cannot be loaded onto your Kindle so this will fail - you need to use the URL provided above to be able to use your Gmail account.

Are you a Twitter user? If you’d like to send a “Tweet” to your friends and followers about the great new book your reading on your Kindle you can do it right from your Kindle. This popular microblogging service offers a mobile version that works great on your Kindle.

Go to your Kindle’s built-in basic web browser (Home > Menu > Experimental > Basic Web). Next, make sure that Javascript for your Kindle’s browser is turned on (Browser > Menu > Settings > Enable Javascript). Finally, go to the Twitter Mobile URL (Browser > Menu > Enter URL > www.m.twitter.com), enter your Username and Password.

IMPORTANT - The standard Twitter URL is too complex for your Kindle to display properly. Use the URL above for best results on your Kindle. Have you ever wanted to “save” a page you were reading to share with a friend? The Kindle has two different ways to do this. The first way is to take a screen shot of the page you wish to share. To take a screen shot hold down the and the keys then press the “G” key. You will notice that the Kindle screen will “flash” showing that the Kindle created the screen shot.

The screen shots are stored in your Kindle’s “documents” folder as image files with a .gif extension. You can get them by plugging your Kindle into your computer using the USB cable that you got with your Kindle. Open “My Computer” and look for the Kindle drive icon. Double click on the icon to open up your Kindle and then double-click on the “documents” folder. Look for files that end with .gif and you’ll find the screen shots you just made.

To share them with your friends you can save the files to your computer and then attach them to an e-mail message. You also can print-out the screen shots by opening them in a graphic program such as Windows Paint or Windows Internet Explorer. The quality is not great - but is certainly acceptable for sharing several pages.

There is another way to capture and share passages from Kindle e-books. When you highlight passages from Kindle e-books and make notes your Kindle saves them to a file in the “documents” folder called “My Clippings.txt”. You can open this file with a program like Windows Notepad and copy your highlights to save in another program or share.

To do this, go to the passage you wish to share. Move the Kindle cursor to the beginning of the passage you want to save and click the navigation button. Now move the cursor to the end of the passage you want to save and press the navigation button again once all of the text is highlighted. This will save the highlighted text to the “My Clippings.txt” file.

Plug your Kindle into your computer then look for the Kindle icon in “My Computer.” Double- click on the Kindle drive icon then double-click on the “documents” folder. Locate the “My Clippings.txt” file and double-click on it to open it in Windows Notepad. Find the text you highlighted on the Kindle. It should be at the bottom of the file. You can copy the text and paste it into a program like Microsoft Word to save it. Or you can copy and paste the text into an e-mail message.

Up to now we’ve been talking about text - now let’s talk about graphics. If you haven’t noticed, your Kindle 2 offers the ability to enlarge graphics so you can actually see them! To do this simply move your cursor over the graphic and it will change to a magnifying glass. Press the navigator button and your Kindle will zoom-in on the image so that it fills the Kindle’s screen. This is very handy when you are reading books with technical graphics or screen shots. The Kindle 2’s screen is enough better quality that these graphics are worthwhile reviewing as you read through your books. To return to the original page view, press the button or the button.

Congratulations! Now you can use your Kindle 2 to check your Gmail, Twitter, take screen shots to save or share, save or share passages from Kindle e-books, and make graphics in your e-books more relevant by using the Kindle’s “zoom” feature.

Paul Rodgers asked:


The battle of the giants, Sony eBook Reader and Amazon Kindle is fierce. The Kindle reader is now available from Amazon. Amazon Kindle is a revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines and blogs to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight. But overall the most important development in the Kindle reader is that it is going to break the stereotype that eBooks are not usable and convenient like normal books. Actually, Amazon’s Kindle reader is an excellent product and a person can simply order books directly through the device without integrating with a PC or other wireless device - the Kindle has its own wireless connection that operates in the background.

Kindle’s mission statement is to eliminate the need for hard copy documents, by providing you with a all-in-one reference source. Kindle is the first ebook reader with its own cellular wireless connection to let you get new books anytime, almost anywhere when the mood strikes. Kindle has a standard-layout keyboard that makes it possible for users to search the Kindle Store, their entire library of purchased content, and Wikipedia. Kindle simply plays MP3 files in random order as background music without any user control over the order of play. Kindle holds over 200 titles and Kindle does not use WiFi, but EVDO like cell phones. Kindle has no monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments.

Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Amazon has complied with Linux licensing by making its modified source code freely available. But whether you choose to jump aboard now or later, Amazon’s entry into the eBook market is a BIG deal — it forever changes the game.

The same Amazon shopping experience customers are accustomed to is offered in the Kindle Store, including customer reviews, personalized recommendations, Click purchasing, and everyday low prices. The email service supports several formats of open-source books as well as Microsoft Word but not PDFs and text-based, but not image-based PDFs.

1- Amazon has actually out-Appled Apple in ease-of-use. Like the iPhone, Kindle lets you buy media-books and periodicals, in this case - without your PC.

2- Amazon’s $9.99-and-under book pricing means book fans can buy more books. They can look up words in a dictionary, Wikipedia or on the Web right from the device.

3- Amazon already sells books. The company long ago figured out the complexities of online book distribution and most book buyers already trust Amazon.

In many ways, the Amazon Kindle is the ultimate ebook reader, but to see just how far that statement holds true, you will just have to try it for yourself. Recommendation: If you typically carry a large stack of books with you or travel semi-regularly, the Amazon Kindle is a no-brainer. The Amazon kindle is definitely a fantastic selection and can definitely be upgraded.

The Amazon Kindle is the first ebook reader that I have truly loved. The Kindle is a game-changing revolution in buying, reading, managing and using electronic books and other content. It’s also the hottest holiday gift you can buy this year for anyone who loves to read.

Lucy Thatcher asked:


The Ectaco Jetbook is the smallest among the among the leading e-book readers. The screen size is at a mere 5 inches, which can be a great advantage or disadvantage depending on your personal preference. The small size compromises on its readability on one hand, but greatly enhances its portability on the other.

To make up for its size, this e-book reader has a great feature that enables you to rotate the text on the screen. You could either read your e-book straight up, or read it at landscape by rotating the device. The contrast and readability of the Ectaco Jetbook may not be as good as other models such as the Amazon Kindle or the Sony Prs 505, but it is good enough to provide a comfortable read in most lighting conditions.

Because of its small size, the Ectaco Jetbook seems to have a longer battery life compared to many other e-book readers. A single charge can last up to a week of constant use. This little device also boots up faster than many e-book models. There are three conveniently located page-turn buttons that allows for easy page flipping. The page turns on the Ectaco Jetbook are also smoother than many leading e-book models.

A feature that makes the Ectaco Jetbook stand out among the rest is its great built in file manager. Compared to the Amazon Kindle and the Sony e-book reader, the Jetbook has a great file manager that allows you to manage, delete and organize your e-book files. Browsing though thousands of files on this little device is also a breeze. Like many e-book readers, the Ectaco Jetbook has a built in MP3 player.

 

Chris Crowe asked:


The Amazon Kindle, Amazon’s foray into hand held e-book reading devices, was released in November. The reader splashed onto the scene with a cover photo on Newsweek and Amazon hoped the Kindle would do for digital-reading-on-the-go what the ipod did for digital music. That is, make it a viable concept and business, replete with enthusiastic users.

However, there’s not a whole lot of evangelizing going on around the Kindle.

Some people appreciate the palm-sized smallness of the Kindle, while others deride its small keyboard and awkwardly designed casing. The opinions are mixed and there are plenty of them.

Once you have the Kindle, you can visit Amazon’s e-book store, where you can purchase brand new books for $9.99, which is a discount from what new hardcovers generally cost. Even though in this proposition you don’t end up owning a tangible tree-made book, you get to enjoy the reading of it. But that brings up a principal issue for e-book readers.

Do people want to read books the same way they read blogs and news stories, via a computer screen? A lot of the issues that people have had with the Kindle–that’s it’s ugly, that the black and white screen isn’t up to par, that the keyboard and scroll wheel aren’t that well designed, and that it’s too expensive–may stem from the fact that reading books on the Kindle e-book reader is not the same as reading a paper-bound book. The experience is not the same.

You get the information, but part of the joy is stripped from the experience. Another issue is that we expect a lot out of our hand held devices these days. The iphone has set a new standard–and that’s a phone.

An e-book reader should have a high degree of interactivity with other Kindle owners that are friends. It should look as advanced and appealing as an iphone. It should be able to do most of what a high-tech cell phone can do in addition to the e-book reading functionality. It seems like it does too little if you can’t use it to access maps, the yellow pages, and search engines. For $399, it should do some of these things. At the very least, you should be able to do Internet searches.

Computers have become so intertwined in our work and personal lives, that it seems logical that an e-book reader would be the next step. And maybe it is. But it shouldn’t just be an e-book reader. It should be an e-book reader and a cell phone. I think the Kindle’s designers misread the psychology of an e-book reader.

It’s not bibliophiles who will be using this thing. It’s the geek who wants his hand-held device to do more for him than he expects, and that he can wow his friends who don’t have one.

Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, the Amazon Kindle is sold out. Or at least that’s what it says on Amazon.

The Kindle makes sense on paper. But that’s the problem.

Michael Piston asked:


Fans of Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader have plenty of content from which to choose. Amazon offers over 260,000 (as of this writing) e-books, newspapers, magazines, and other publications that can be transmitted by wireless to the Kindle. With all of this content you may wonder if you’ll ever need another source for your reading enjoyment. But think of all of the other content you may have stored away in your computer in the form of Adobe Acrobat .pdf files, text files, or .HTML files you’ve downloaded from the Internet. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to put these on your Kindle as well?

As a matter of fact you can! There are several ways you can do this. Amazon offers a file conversion service for Kindle owners. Check our web site at the address below for an article that provides the steps to use Amazon’s service. But, there is another way that we’ll describe in this article and that is with the Mobipocket Creator software. Mobipocket Creator software is designed to convert documents into the Mobi .prc format that can be read by the Mobipocket e-book Reader software for PCs and for phones using the Palm Os, Windows Mobile, Symbian Os, and Blackberry operating systems. Interestingly Amazon owns Mobipocket and the Amazon Kindle’s book format is based on the Mobipocket format.

What does this mean to you? It means that files you convert with the Mobipocket Creator software can be loaded onto your Kindle through your computer and read as any other Kindle e-book! Here are the instructions for converting your files with Mobipocket Creator software:

1. Realize that this software ONLY works with unprotected files. If the file you want to convert have any sort of DRM (digital rights management) protection then you cannot convert your books.

2. Download the Mobipocket Creator software from Mobipocket’s web site - you’ll find the link below. Make sure you download the “Publisher” edition and not the “Home” edition. The current version is 4.2.

3. Install Mobipocket Creator software on your PC following the installation instructions.

4. Open Mobipocket Creator - you will be at the “Home” page.

5. You will see “Import From Existing File” on the right side of the “Home” page. For this example we’ll convert an Adobe Acrobat file so choose “Adobe PDF” from the menu - this will bring you to the Import File Wizard.

6. Choose the file you wish to convert (using the “Browse” button) and the location in which you wish to place the imported file (again - use the “Browse” button). Click the “Import” button.

7. You will be brought to a work screen that shows you the Publication File or files you’ve imported. From here you can either build your final output to save on your Kindle, or modify some of the options for your e-book.

8. If you wish to add a Cover Image or Table of Contents choose the appropriate menu items under the “View” menu on the left side of the program window. You also can modify a number of settings for your e-book and add or modify the book’s metadata by choosing other options under the “View” menu. Note that you do not have to modify any of the settings under the “View” menu - they are there as options for your use if you choose.

9. When you are done click the “Build” button on the toolbar at the top of the program window. You will be brought to the “Build Publication” window. You can choose the compression settings for your e-book (”Standard” is fine for your Kindle) and also encryption options (choose “No Encryption”). Click the “Build” button just above the progress bars when you are ready to create your e-book.

10. You will go next to the “Build finished” window.  This window will let you know if you’ve successfully created your e-book. You may get a message that says “Build succeeded but with warnings.” Normally this indicates a minor error or notification such as when you choose not to add a cover to your e-book. This will not prevent you from loading the e-book onto your Kindle. 

11. Click the “Open folder containing eBook” then click “OK.” The folder you provided in step 6 will open and you will see a number of files. This will include your initial Adobe PDF file,  plus files with the extension .html, .opf, .xml, and .jpg. You also will see the file you need to transfer to your Kindle, the file with the extension .prc. 

12. Attach your Kindle to your computer using the USB cable. Open your Kindle and locate the “documents” folder. Copy the .prc file you created with Mobipocket Creator into your Kindle’s download folder. Close the Kindle > documents window and disconnect your Kindle by opening “My Computer”, right clicking on the “Kindle” drive icon, and selecting “Eject” from the menu.

13. Your new document will appear on your Kindle’s Home Page. You may need to refresh your Home Page view by pressing and holding down the “ALT” key and then pressing the “Z” key.

14. You can now enjoy your new Kindle e-book.

This process will work for Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Text (.txt), and HTML files. You can download the Mobipocket Creator software from the Mobipocket web site - http://www.mobipocket.com.

By the way - if your new e-book file does not appear the way you expect on your Kindle 2 and you wish to delete if from your Kindle simply highlight the book and move the 5-way navigator to the left.  The “delete” button will appear, press down on the 5-way navigator and then confirm the delete.

Congratulations! You now know how-to convert files into e-books you can read on your Kindle wireless reading device.