My Family on My Kindle

     There are a number of different things my Kindle (ebook reader) is good for besides just reading books. Among those, just about all are useful for genealogists.

     The simplest, and most obvious, feature is the Kindle's ability to read PDF documents. Just about every genealogy software program should be able to create charts and reports that can be saved as PDF documents. These documents can be loaded onto the Kindle via email or a USB cable. Once on the Kindle, I can view these just like I would a book, flipping through the different pages. Also, because these documents are PDFs, I can zoom in for a closer look.  This is a great feature that will allow you to cary around your family tree without carrying around stacks of papers or a computer.

     Here are a few shots of my cascading pedigree chart on my Kindle.


  

     Here are a few other ways to use your kindle for genealogy:

• Collect sets of photos and save them into a PDF document
• Use a hack to set family photos as screen savers
• Save podcasts and other audio files, which can be played using the mp3 player
• Browse websites, blogs and email using the web browser
• Publish your own family history book and publish it on Amazon or send it as PDF for free to family and friends to read on their Kindles
• And of course, read Genealogy books you buy from Amazon or other ebook retailers

     These are just the different things that I can think of right now. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Kindle 2.3 Upgrade Helps Genealogy Research

Yesterday I upgraded my Kindle from firmware version 2.0.3 to version 2.3. This upgrade offers quite a few new useful updates for me in regards to my Genealogy research.

First, my Kindle now support PDF documents, a format regularly used in genealogy publication. Previously, a PDF document appeared jumbled and messy, often missing parts of the document. If there were photos and charts, they would appear sporadically or as blank shapes. Now, PDFs appear just as they do on a computer screen.

Second, my Kindle now supports landscape view. This is handy in viewing PDFs, as there is no zoom and the text cannot be resized. This will also come in handy with viewing websites, or as simply another way to read books. Button placement is a bit awkward in landscape mode though.

So, now I'll load my genealogy PDFs onto my Kindle, such as The Best of the Photo Detective by Maureen A. Taylor and Citations Quick Reference from geneabloggers.com. I can now use these documents, whereas before they were illegible. I hope Amazon keeps on sending out helpful upgrades like these.

Got my Kindle 2

I have my Kindle 2! I got it on Tuesday and have been playing with it since then. Overall, I'm very happy and it's a great device. It's very easy to use and I've only had to check with the manual twice to see how to do something. The main page lists your book and in a click you're reading!

So far, I've bought books from my computer and downloaded them to the kindle wirelessly. I've also downloaded a few samples of genealogy books to see which ones I might like to buy.

Most books come with a cover image and a full table of contents/chapter table. You can click on a chapter and be taken to that section of the book. Done reading? The kindle remembers where you left off and will take you right back to your place when you're ready to read again. The kindle also features an experimental web browser. If there is a url in your book, you can click on it and be taken right to that webpage!

There are a few easter eggs as well. Minesweeper anyone?

going slowly insane

I ordered my Kindle from Amazon on 4 February.  On 9 February Amazon announced the Kindle 2 and that all unfulfilled orders (like mine) were upgraded to this second generation device.  But, it won't be released until 24 February.  I've sprung for 2 day shipping and will receive my Kindle 2 on 26 February.  Until then, I'm going slowly insane.

One thing that makes it a little better: I can go ahead and buy books for my Kindle 2.  Of course, there are genealogy books that I'd like on my Kindle.  Here are some of the many offerings, many of which are cheaper than their print version.

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy - Kay Ingalls
• Genealogy Online - Elizabeth Powell Crowe
• How to Do Everything with Your Genealogy - George G. Morgan
• Genealogy Uncovered - S. Mills
• The Genealogy Sourcebook - Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
• Find Your Roots Now! - Joe Long
• Doing Oral History - Donald A. Ritchie
• The Organized Family Historian - Ann Carter Fleming
• Your Living Family Tree - Gordan Burgett
• Discover Your Roots - Paul Blake and Maggie Loughran

What to choose, what to choose...?