Kindles as stand alone devices?

srichards

srichards

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Is it possible to use a kindle only to access the kindle store to buy books and create a new amazon account using the inbuilt 3g in the paperwhite or other versions? I'm wondering whether they'd be good for my parents as they aren't really into the 'internet' as such but I'd think they'd like having access to a gazillion books without taking up any space and maybe having access to a basic email account. They don't have any internet at home and being of a certain age I don't want to spend ages dealing with all the technical problems that having t'internet could cause.

Do amazon offer inbuilt normal email accounts with the kindle? I'm hoping so as I'd imagine they'd be less likely to receive spam and I don't want to be explaining about phishing and all other things either. I definitely think some kind of walled garden option is best.
 
My wife used to have the ordinary kindle for books. Now using Paperwhite which is solely for books alone. great for reading without having a light on as it has it's own. Kindle Fire is used by myself to go on web, listen to music, radio stations and some free films. And of course to read books. Loads of apps to download for Kindle fire.. Even free apps.
 
I have a paperwhite and really love it. There is no email or anything on it and it would be great for anyone who doesn't want to get too involved with the internet. The only thing you can do is buy books from the store. I tend to buy mine on a computer or iPad purely because it's nice to see the cover in colour and easier to navigate around the page for reviews etc. to help you choose.

I just go onto Amazon with my usual sign in and buy books. When I first got the kindle I must have registered that email address to link it to my Amazon account. It was all so easy I don't even remember what I did.

I can sign the kindle out of my account and use my husbands amazon login to access his books, so it can be deregistered and re-registered.
 
You can certainly buy books from any Kindle. I can do it on my elderly Touch and so can my wife on her ancient keyboard Kindle. But the user experience on those devices is pretty sluggish and horrid - in fact we only really access Amazon on it to borrow books for free. It's a _lot_ easier to do it via their website (or on a Fire).

I don't think you can set up a new Amazon account from the Kindle though - I don't think Amazon imagine anybody not owning a net connected computer :)

They offer built in email accounts (which on the 3G version used to be free anywhere in the world you can get a signal - not sure if that's still true). They are supposed to be for receiving books etc but you can certainly receive mail on it.
 
The only computer in the house is running windows 95... Anything made post 2000 is cutting edge!
 
Can you not the set the account up for them, using a gmail address that you also set up or similar? Once done and their payment details added, plus the account set up using those details on the kindle(s) the email is only really used to send confirmation of payments. No need for them to really have anything to do with it, unless they want to keep track of what they have brought and in reality, it wouldn't take you long to go into it once a month and print off either all the emails, or just a quick check on whats there. The device has its own build in email which can be used for receiving ebooks on, but unless they are getting books from somewhere other then amazon, then they wouldn't really need to use that either.
 
I'd forgotten about payment methods. Hmm. Amazon don't take cheques do they? I don't think they'd want to have payment details saved even. Not theirs certainly!
 
srichards said:
I'd forgotten about payment methods. Hmm. Amazon don't take cheques do they? I don't think they'd want to have payment details saved even. Not theirs certainly!
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Not sure there is a way round that unless you a prepared to be the bank of last resort for them ;)
 
srichards said:
The only computer in the house is running windows 95... Anything made post 2000 is cutting edge!
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That will be fine. Trust me, Amazon want you to give them money.

BTW although you can probably use a Kindle as an email device, the user experience is likely to be pretty awful. I read of somebody using it as a last resort when they were travelling and didn't want to pay roaming charges and even then they didn't really like it. Of course a Fire has a great email experience but that's because it's a lot more than a Kindle.

Fun fact of the day: if you were to register the Kindle to your account then your parents could read any books you bought. For, you know, free.
 
I'm just wondering, do they really want a device like that. You know something that you have to charge before you can read s book where you have button and a user interface to select your books.

I don't know them like you do obviously. However it doesn't sound like it would be great for them to use.
 
I completely agree with Yv. Once it's all set up, you just buy the books with one click and never have to think about the payment side again. You can't send or receive emails on a paperwhite kindle and I charge mine about once every 3 weeks. It's amazing how it lasts!

Sometimes older people do have a problem with dexterity on touch screens, but my 85 yr old father in law just loves his iPad. I'm not sure how responsive a kindle might be with a stylus.
 
Bebop said:
You can't send or receive emails on a paperwhite kindle and I charge mine about once every 3 weeks.
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What happens when you send a text file to your secret Kindle email address?
 
My Dad would cope fine as he had a computer. I think he'd be ok with it. My mum keeps rattling on about smart phones and I keep reminding her she stares at the normal DECT phone a bit too long before pressing the right button... so I think it would be basically something for Dad.
 
Bebop said:
There isn't a facility to send emails though.
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Ooo if I were a betting man, I could make some money here :) Go to the settings menu and select "experimental".

gmail-on-kindle.jpg


That's a Touch not a Paperwhite. But Google says you'll be fine ;)
 
It is on Paperwhite too, there is an 'experimental' browser and you can log into your email from it, though I don't think there is a built in mail client as such, it just received its own from its own address for text docs and ebooks, so you are both kind of right :D
 
I stand corrected! I confess in my brief exploration, I was only looking for an email interface and didn't find it. To be honest though, in the spirit of the original question, I don't think elderly people would go looking for, or be confused by emails on the paperwhite... on the other hand I might be ;)
 
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