Amazon Kindle, 3rd Generation: FAQ plus shortcuts and tricks

[phil_ga]

Primary Dictionary
To check which dictionary your K3 is using, look up a definition within a book and then press the return button (the one to the right of the Sym button) and it will open up the dictionary and the title will be at the top of the page.
To change your Primary Dictionary, on the Home Screen go to Menu --> Settings --> Change Primary Dictionary.

Thanks for this tip, but I must have looked here 20-30 times, and the "Change Primary Dictionary" simply is not there.  Then I discovered by accident that there is one step missing, and the correct directions on my K3 are:

on the Home Screen go to Menu -> Settings -> Menu (yes, hit menu a SECOND time) -> Change Primary Dictionary.

[Jaffa]

I've put up a list of K3-specific keyboard shortcuts and some other tips at http://bit.ly/k3shortcuts.

...full URL for those who prefer it: http://blog.diannegorman.net/2010/09/kindle-3-keyboard-shortcuts-et-al/

As new K3 owners may find it useful, this is a note to add that the shortcuts and tips are now up to version 1.10. The TOC has expanded a bit:

• Searching
• Text-to-Speech
• Voice Guide
• Background Music
• Games
• Home
• General
• Reading
• Sorting Collections
• Adding Books to Collections
• Photo Albums
• Web Browsing
• Archives and Deleting Books Forever
• Books File Formats
• The K3 Keyboard
• Just the Keyboard Shortcuts

[Laurasaur25]

Is there a way to delete some of the screensaver images. I'm completely new to kindles so I'm not all that great at navigating it yet. I know there is a hack to actually customize the images but from what I understand if it goes wrong it may void the warranty so I figure with my lack of knowledge I better not mess with it at least for now. But I really don't mind some of the images and am not a fan of others. Is there a way to delete some without actually changing them (requiring a hack)?

[911jason]

No Laura, it's the hack or nothing... unfortunately.

With 30,000+ members though, we have yet to hear of anyone having their warranty voided or any assistance from Amazon refused due to the screen saver hack.

[Sandpiper]

Phooey.  Same here.  I am no techie.  Some screensavers I love and some I'd like to send bye bye.

[kindleong]

My preference file keeps getting reset to default.

Reason I think is my lack of understanding of Step#2.  Can anyone clarify what I need to to do to "close all books?".  Do I need to delete the books that I have read or partially read?  How do I know which books I have that are open?

Thanks a lot !

On the MobileRead forum (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94129) isotherm and others pointed out that the K2 trick to decrease margins works on the K3. I can confirm that it works on my K3. To decrease the margins on the K3 follow these steps:

Step (1): If using Windows be sure to set Folder Options to Show hidden files, folders, and drives and uncheck the Hide unprotected system files option.

Step (2): Close all books and go to the K3 Home screen.

Step (3): Connect your K3 to your PC via the USB cable.

Step (4): Using windows Explorer locate the following file KINDLE:\system\com.amazon.ebook.booklet.reader\reader.pref. Where KINDLE equals the drive Windows assigned to your K3.

Step (5): Using Notepad edit KINDLE:\system\com.amazon.ebook.booklet.reader\reader.pref and change the setting HORIZONTAL_MARGIN=40 to a smaller number like HORIZONTAL_MARGIN=20.

HORIZONTAL_MARGIN=40 equals 20 pixel margins on left and right for a total of 40 pixels. So decide how many pixels you want your margin left to be and multiply it times two. Using 20 works well. Using 10 it gets a little small. Using 0 (zero) gets rid of margins but makes it difficult to read.

Step (6): Save the file KINDLE:\system\com.amazon.ebook.booklet.reader\reader.pref.

Step (7): Eject and unplug your K3.

Step (8 ): From the K3 Home screen press Menu and select Settings to go to the Settings page.

Step (9): From the K3 Settings screen press Menu and select Restart to restart the K3.

NOTE: Once the K3 restarts your margins are reset and will remain reset unless you change the Words per Line setting which will return to margins to factory settings.

[nogdog~6op6ou]

My preference file keeps getting reset to default.

Reason I think is my lack of understanding of Step#2.  Can anyone clarify what I need to to do to "close all books?".  Do I need to delete the books that I have read or partially read?  How do I know which books I have that are open?

Thanks a lot !

No, just click the Home button so that you are back to the home screen.

One "gotcha" to look out for is to be sure you are saving the file in question with the exact file name of "reader.pref". In Windows, if you use an editor like Notepad, it will likely stick a "txt" suffix at the end of the file name, making it "reader.pref.txt". But, if you have your Explorer preferences set to hide known extensions, you will not see it and think you have the right file name, so make sure that preference is turned off.

[kindleong]

Thanks for clarifying step 2.

Everything working fine now !  Really like the "new" look with left justification and margins set at 20.

No, just click the Home button so that you are back to the home screen.

One "gotcha" to look out for is to be sure you are saving the file in question with the exact file name of "reader.pref". In Windows, if you use an editor like Notepad, it will likely stick a "txt" suffix at the end of the file name, making it "reader.pref.txt". But, if you have your Explorer preferences set to hide known extensions, you will not see it and think you have the right file name, so make sure that preference is turned off.

[DreamWeaver]

As new K3 owners may find it useful, this is a note to add that the shortcuts and tips are now up to version 1.10.....

Jaffa, thanks for compiling so many helpful Kindle tips on your blog and making that information available in free .mobi and .azw ebooks too!  Wonderful!

[Jaffa]

I've put up a list of K3-specific keyboard shortcuts and some other tips at http://bit.ly/k3shortcuts.
...
full URL for those who prefer it: http://blog.diannegorman.net/2010/09/kindle-3-keyboard-shortcuts-et-al/

I'm now up to ver 1.12. The last couple of versions have added a section on using the K3 as a calculator plus bits and pieces on TTS, adding books to collections, and web browsing. The web site itself now also has links to each section to make it easier to find what you are looking for. Cheers.

[Jaffa]

I've put up a list of K3-specific keyboard shortcuts and some other tips at http://bit.ly/k3shortcuts.
...
full URL for those who prefer it: http://blog.diannegorman.net/2010/09/kindle-3-keyboard-shortcuts-et-al/

Just updated to Ver 1.13:

Added a 'FAQs and Hacks' section, with plans to gradually expand the FAQs. Also added info on searching for date/time when in a book, ejecting the Kindle from Vista/Win7, how to create/rename a collection, using Alt+M to bring up the new message dialog in Facebook, using radians for trig functions, info on .phl files.

[Jaffa]

I've put up a list of K3-specific keyboard shortcuts and some other tips at http://bit.ly/k3shortcuts.
... full URL for those who prefer it: http://blog.diannegorman.net/2010/09/kindle-3-keyboard-shortcuts-et-al/

Just to let you know that Version 1.14 of the web site and mobi/azw files are now available:

• Updates in various sections for page numbers in ver 3.1 firmware (and the new files associated with the update);
• Additions to Collections and Sorting Collections;
• Additions and updates to the FAQs and Hacks section.

[SJHanson]

QUESTION RE: Collections

I scrolled through this thread and didn't see anything about this.  I just got my Kindle 3 yesterday and downloaded some books.  I want to put all of the books into a collection so that my home screen isn't cluttered.  I put all of the books into a collection, but they are still showing on my homescreen.  So all of the titles are in the collection and on my homescreen at the same time.  Has anybody had this happen and/or know how to fix it?  Thanks in advance!!

p.s. If I should have posted this somewhere else, please let me know where 

[pidgeon92]

If you sort by Collections, you will only see your collections and any books that are not in a collection.

If you sort by Title or by Author, you will see your collections and all titles.

[SJHanson]

Thank You Pigeon92, that worked perfect.  I don't think I had to do that with the Kindle 2, so I was confused when everything was still on my homepage. 

[gates4100]

can some one please help me?? I recently just got my K3, and I have no idea what I am doing!! LOL! I have just a couple questions.

Collections-I see the selection in the menu-but right now the few books I have and games I have are just on my home screen, in no certain order---Does Create New collection help you oragnize? If possible I would like to put books in ceratin collections like, paranormal romance, my dog books(total animal lover here), etc, etc. If so, how do I do it? Will the clutter I have now be off my main home screen? Can you put them in order by Author etc inside those collections?

Is there any other cool or unique things I should know??

Thanks for any help I can get

[Ann in Arlington]

gates, have you looked in the users guide?  Section 2.2, location 618, covers organizing with collections.  That might answer some of your questions. . .then if there's anything specific you can't figure out we can help you with that.

[Scholarcat]

It does. It makes the screen flash a bit. Then when you hook your Kindle up to the computer, you'll find the screen shot in the Documents folder.

(it looks like it's just doing a screen refresh, but it's really capturing a screen shot)

I am following your directions, and the Kindle is taking screen shots, but I can't locate the GIFs. I have looked in My Documents, also in My Documents/My Pictures and also in My Documents/My Kindle Content.
Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong here?
Thanks in advance.

[pidgeon92]

I am following your directions, and the Kindle is taking screen shots, but I can't locate the GIFs. I have looked in My Documents, also in My Documents/My Pictures and also in My Documents/My Kindle Content.
Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong here?
Thanks in advance.

You need to look in the documents folder on the Kindle. To do this, connect your Kindle to your computer using the USB cord.

[unwellnana]

Very Interesting 

[Jaffa]

I've put up a list of K3-specific keyboard shortcuts and some other tips at http://bit.ly/k3shortcuts
...
for those who prefer long URLs, http://blog.diannegorman.net/2010/09/kindle-3-keyboard-shortcuts-et-al/

I've just updated the K3 shortcuts/hints web site and mobi/azw files to version 1.15:
Mention of library lending coming for US people later this year, getting to the beginning of a book, disappearing collections, viewing books in your archives, getting rid of popular highlights (which don't seem quite so popular with everyone), and a little bit extra about page numbers. Just search the website or book for 1.15 to see the changed sections.

[Jaffa]

http://bit.ly/k3shortcuts
http://blog.diannegorman.net/2010/09/kindle-3-keyboard-shortcuts-et-al/

One last post after a very long time to say my keyboard shortcuts/tips web site (and the mobi/azw files) has now been updated to version 1.16, with updates on library lending, archiving of personal documents, the long overdue keyboard shortcut for Voice Guide in ver 3.3, and various minor additions and changes.