Author Topic: The Technophobe Reader - Technology Help (Read 213628 times)

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #720 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:52:07 PM »

Welcome to The Technophobe Reader

Confused about Iphones, Ipods, Ipads, Itouch, Androids, or anything else electronic? Don't know what a "text" message is? Don't have a Nook or a Kindle and don't know the benefits of an e reader? Feel left out of the rush of the new technology and wonder what all the shouting is about?

Have a new Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, Nook, Kindle, or I headache or are considering same?

Ask your question here! Other sufferers may be able to direct you to a source for help or help with their own experience.

This discussion has no "expert" moderator, we offer here no professional advice but we may be able to answer out of our own experiences, so ask or comment away!

Can anyone please give me the heads up - I know with Kindle you can borrow a Prime book - can you borrow more than one at a time or is this just a one a month deal or can you return it - need to find out how - and upon the return borrow another.

Someone said in another discussion something about a free book a month - is that with a special membership or is it for everyone - I have prime for years now but have not paid for any additional service.

Frybabe · « **Reply #721 on:** January 13, 2013, 11:05:55 PM »

Barb, see post 717. The second like is info about the Kindle Lending Library through Amazon Prime. It looks like you can borrow one book a month with no time limit. The third is how you can lend Amazon books you own or borrow books from friends or others; Amazon Prime is not needed for that feature. The fourth link is about Lendle which is a lending site, not run by Amazon, but where you can borrow and lend your Kindle books. I haven't joined yet, so I don't know what their procedures are. Hope that helps.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #722 on:** January 13, 2013, 11:50:35 PM »

Shoot the advantages of age?!!?? I used the first link and after I tried it out and removed a couple of samples I got caught in another thought that ended up spending hours looking up one thing after the other so that I completely forgot there were more links - I did not remember though if it was one book a month Since i borrowed one in December it appears to me if I hurry up and finish reading I can delete it and them borrow another - still not understanding if I can borrow a second book the next month if I have not returned yet the book from the month before.

I need to read more - oh how I hate reading instructions - my hair stands on end and i get so impatient - I just want to be shown or someone to answer just what I want to know rather than what I need to know - uhhg - I will just have to get into those links tomorrow when I have a bit more patience than late at night. Frybabe thanks really thanks...

Frybabe · « **Reply #723 on:** January 14, 2013, 07:33:58 AM »

It took me a while to locate all of that. I like the screenshots with the instructions. I wasn't clear on whether you could have more than one book out or not either. Also, the "as often as one book a month" phrase kind of indicates you can only borrow one a month, but with the "
no time limit" after that confused the issue for me a little.

I love my Amazon Prime. I cut back on my cable and bought a Roku box which gets me a lot of movies and TV shows - lots of old, but some new. They keep adding things. The latest is that they converted a lot of the CDs I bought from them to MP3 and added them to my Cloud Player - for free. Roku added an app for it, so now I can listen to my music on the TV, computer or Kindle Fire. I understand that other outfits have already done this for their customers, but I forget who. It was just in the nick of time because my multi CD (25) player had just crapped out on me. I don't know if I can fix it. The free two day shipping on many items is nice because I order a fair amount of things from them. Top that with the Lending Library. Can't beat the price. I just love it. I use most of the services available and was able to cut back on my cable bill considerably.

The next thing on my agenda is to see about cutting back on my phone bill. More likely I will only be able to get something with about the same as I am already paying, but will lots more features than I have on the land line.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #724 on:** January 14, 2013, 12:57:12 PM »

I recently went to look for a new phone and significantly reduced our cell phone bills. The woman at Verizon suggested the plan which i thought was very nice of her. I didn't get an iphone so i can't get online w/ it. My DH and i use our cell phones infequently and not to go online. We were paying about $40 a month for our two phones, about $480/ year. She suggested that we prepay a $100 for each of our phones and then it tells us how many minutes we have left as we use them. Since i had used only 4 minutes in 3 months, i'm way ahead w/ the prepay plan. My husband had used about 20 minutes in the previous 3months. At that rate it would cost me about $10 per year.

i think it's $.25 a minute. You might want to check out that plan if you don't need to get online w/ your phone.

jane · « **Reply #725 on:** January 14, 2013, 01:20:31 PM »

Jean...we've had prepaid for years...and, while our plan differs from you, it costs us much less than it did when we were new to cell phones and were with Verizon. Now, we don't use ours a lot either...and we still have a landline. That would go, if I had my way, but my husband is not willing to give that up yet. Our prepaid is a pain in the derriere when we're out of our home area, however. The $$ savings, overall, though override that and we can use them when here in S. Texas, but just not as easily. We have to enter the phone no. we're calling twice...and our calls show up with a Lexington, MA no. when we call from out of our home area. Nobody at U.S. Cellular can 'splain that to me, but that's the way it is!

Another downside is that we have to pay cash to the office to get more $$ on our accounts. I guess prepaid was for people with no credit, and so they stick by that cash only thing. Still, for the savings, I do that and put a lot down before we leave since the closest office while we're in S. Texas is some 1400 miles away!

jane

Frybabe · « **Reply #726 on:** January 14, 2013, 01:38:09 PM »

I use a prepay cell phone which costs me $100 per year for the service and a bunch of minutes that keep accumulating faster than I can use it. I bought it mostly for carrying for emergencies when I worked 2nd shift. Now, I use it mostly for when I call someone long distance, which isn't very often.

My land line is costing around $32 a month. The only feature I have is caller ID. I can reduce it a little by going with Comcast's phone with a bunch of extra features. Verizon is trying to bully everyone to move over to FIOS. They want to get rid of all the copper wire connections. If you go with FIOS, you pay extra electricity to keep the battery powered and every two or three years you have to buy a new battery. Also, they cut the copper, so you can't hook back up to it if you don't like the FIOS.

From what I gather, eventually everyone will be forced to take the fiber optic root. The last call I got from one of their CSR's, the guy started out by saying he was responding to a phone repair call. I immediately was on guard because I never requested one. Oh, no, he says. It's just that a lot of people in my area are having problems with connections and line static. I am having no such problems, says I. Then he tells me that switching now will not cost me whereas if I wait until later I will have to pay connection fees. Or, I think to myself, I can got the root my best friend has - off land line entirely, cell phone only or I can go with VOIP from Comcast or another such without having to deal with batteries. Anyway, Verizon still acts like they are the only game in town. They are not.

JoanK · « **Reply #727 on:** January 14, 2013, 02:53:47 PM »

I hate to show my ignorance, but what is Prime? how much does it cost, and what does it give you?

Frybabe · « **Reply #728 on:** January 14, 2013, 05:20:35 PM »

http://www.amazon.com/gp/prime/signup/videos/ref=nav_menu_combined

You can stream video to you computer or Kindle.

I bought a steaming media player to attach to my TV set so I can also stream Amazon's instant videos to my TV (along with lots of other "channels" not Amazon related including Netflix and Hulu+, TED, my Cloud Player (music) on Amazon, Smithsonian, and oh just a ton of other movie, TV, music, educational and religious channels.

I don't know if anyone else offers such a plan.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #729 on:** January 14, 2013, 06:04:57 PM »

JoanK Prime is lots of perks from Amazon that includes 2 day free delivery on anything that comes from their shipping center - outside vendors for instance used books the charge of 3.99 is still to be paid but sometimes an outside vendor has their books and other merchandise with Amazon and you can get that free shipping. There are free movies - you can borrow using the Kindle free books one a month - when I joined it was a one time payment of $79 - now I understand that is to be paid every year - you just have to figure how often you shop and the cost of shipping and how often you watch a movie that the free movie would offset renting from a Blockbuster etc. to see if the annual fee is worth it - for me it was with the number of orders for books alone. Now I can simply hit the one click check out without going to the order page - I have a credit card registered so everything is very easy.

maryz · « **Reply #730 on:** January 14, 2013, 10:53:44 PM »

Barb, you can do the one-click check out on Amazon without belonging to Prime. I do that all the time. ( but I don't get free shipping

)

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #731 on:** January 15, 2013, 03:13:37 AM »

MaryZ - I try to avoid that one-click thing unless I'm 'buying' free books for Kindle. I tell myself that going through the traditional buying process makes me think twice about whether I really need the item. I often save books on my wish list just so that i remember what they're called, then see if the library has them, - or I just leave them for a few weeks and sometimes I decide that that whim has passed. I know I sound like a terrible skinflint, but in my defence I already have so many more books than I am ever going to get read

Rosemary

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #732 on:** January 15, 2013, 05:08:10 AM »

Rosemary you are not alone - I leave them in the cart as Saved For Later - I am forever realigning the list of books because I try to buy only a max of 4 a month - sometimes I go over to as many as 8 or 9 but then some have to be used - my plan has been for a couple of months now to sell back some but I still have not gotten the job of entering them underway.

maryz · « **Reply #733 on:** January 15, 2013, 08:48:36 AM »

Barb, can you sell ebooks back to amazon?

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #734 on:** January 15, 2013, 10:59:50 AM »

No and that is why I do not plan on getting many - I am a skinflint about buying books because I buy so many - if I find a used book that adding the shipping amounts to more than the Kindle than I go for the kindle - some books I know are going to be keepers before I buy them and so I want the book - most of the current fiction ends up being less expensive on the kindle - i have not done it yet but I understand you can share your kindle purchase with other kindle users -

Frankly I am not in love with the hand held devise - first my thumb gets a cramp if I read for more than an hour and I usually settle down at night for at least 3 to 4 hours and so I am constantly interrupting my reading time to message my finger -

Then while reading I am using the 3rd up from the tiniest fonts - not very large as compared to the next 5 or 6 sizes but I cannot see a whole page and that bothers me -

Bothersome is I have no idea where I am in the book since again you cannot see either by page number or by looking how far you have read -I like to know if I am half through without having to remember the names of each chapter and then remember how many chapters etc. It forces me to be an acrobat with math.

Finally I like to read putting bits of paper between the page I want to go back when I complete a book because of a phrase or some thought - again all these technical ways but they are all hidden inside the kindle where I cannot see - I find this a technical gadget that is not providing a joyful experience - like the difference between a cloth napkin and a paper napkin - cloth adds to the meal where as paper is very utilitarian.

maryz · « **Reply #735 on:** January 15, 2013, 01:22:07 PM »

I'm reading almost exclusively on my iPad now. I cannot hold a "real" book very long - have to sit where I can prop it up on a pillow or something else. I do object to having to buy books, though. I don't want to continue having "things" - even books - and I almost never buy real books. Those we do have usually wind up at the library book sale, or passed along to someone else.

Heaven knows, we still have enough of them that we don't want to part with, and the children will have to deal with some day.

John and I share an Amazon account with each other and with two of our daughters. So we not only have any books we want to purchase, but anything they purchase.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #736 on:** January 15, 2013, 01:32:16 PM »

I guess like many products to some they are a big advantage and others - well all that tapping to turn a page is not my idea of fun - it is driving me nuts. However, I can see how the kindle could be put on a pillow like you were doing with the books and maybe my thumb would not cramp.

Frybabe · « **Reply #737 on:** January 15, 2013, 01:53:41 PM »

The readers have their downsides as well as up. I prefer my Kindle 2ng gen. for reading books that don't have a lot of illustrations. I discovered that I can't read my Fire for long without my eyes "fuzzing out". I even set the book background to ivory and cut the brightness back. Really strange and disappointing. On the Fire, I like being able to go out to the web and directly download Project Gutenberg books with the little app they provided, the few games I downloaded work better on it, and getting around the stores is a lot faster, too. My Kindles come in handy when the cats pile on; it is often difficult to hold a book up high to see past them. I've never taken the time to learn how to bookmark or highlight passages.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #738 on:** January 15, 2013, 04:00:23 PM »

Frybabe when you read a book do you underline or highlight?

Frybabe · « **Reply #739 on:** January 15, 2013, 04:59:52 PM »

I don't do either with a real book anymore. Textbooks are a little different, but now a days they have textbook buy-backs at the colleges so I tended not to contribute to any more than someone else had done previously. I've used both though, highlighters mostly for textbooks and underlining for some of my books (mostly reference, self-help or psychology).

mabel1015j · « **Reply #740 on:** January 15, 2013, 08:04:44 PM »

I get 99% of my books from the library, and i prefer a book to my ipad. I'm very angry w/ Newsweek magazine for going digital, for i put them in the bathrooms and read them when i'm doing other things in that room:). I had just renewed my subscription in November when we got the notice that they were going digital in Jan. Two weeks of subscription have come to the ipad. I realize i am probably never going to read it there, so i may cancel my subscription.

Having said all that about my preference for a book in hand, i have frequently wished i had my ipad in bed w/ me when something has come up in my reading of a book that i'd like to do more research on, or see a picture of, or have a better understanding of..............as my Mother used to say "it's always something............"

Jean

LarryHanna · « **Reply #741 on:** January 16, 2013, 02:03:10 PM »

You can bookmark by tapping in the upper right corner oh the page. I always try to remember to tap again when I start to read again to turn that bookmark off.

Frybabe · « **Reply #742 on:** January 16, 2013, 02:28:43 PM »

Thanks Larry, that will probably work with my Fire but I think I have to do a menu thing with the 2nd gen Kindle. I'll take a look later this afternoon.

JoanK · « **Reply #743 on:** January 19, 2013, 03:03:21 PM »

I do a menu thing with my kindle, but it's straightforward.

ROSEMARY: you aren't alone: I read so many books, if I weren't cost conscious, I would be bankrupt. I love my kindle, but it is a money pit, even with the reduced prices.

I go to the library every two weeks, and try to make a rule that I can't buy kindle books until I've finished all the library ones.

pedln · « **Reply #744 on:** January 20, 2013, 01:49:23 PM »

My Kindle is a "Generation 3," I think they call it -- purchased 2010. So far I have access to every book I"ve purchased, but my understanding is that some are on the Kindle and others are archived.

My question is, as I think an iPad would be nice, would books work the same way on an iPad as they do on the Kindle? Would it be an advantage with the iPad to get maps and illustrations that currently would not appear on the Kindle?

Another question -- all these readers, tablets, etc get frequently updated. Where are we with the iPad, not the mini, but the one with the 10 inch screen? Something about retina display. Is that something new?

maryz · « **Reply #745 on:** January 20, 2013, 02:37:22 PM »

pedln, all my books from Kindle are available on my iPad. In fact, I've given my Kindle to one of our daughters. I have a regular iPad, not a mini. The illustrations are great compared to the way they showed up on the Kindle. And you can make them bigger temporarily, to check out something on a map for instance.

Frybabe · « **Reply #746 on:** January 20, 2013, 02:53:55 PM »

My sister got an IPad. I'm a little envious. She can read a magazine at a reasonable font size AND the whole page is visible. I cannot do that on my little Kindles, so I don't do magazines.

JoanK · « **Reply #747 on:** January 20, 2013, 03:17:11 PM »

My kindle was updated to enlarge pictures. Don't know about magazines.

CallieOK · « **Reply #748 on:** January 20, 2013, 03:55:00 PM »

X Marking my spot so I can come back and read through all the posts, plus keep up with the new ones.

Right now, I have a p c and a basic cell phone that stays in my purse - turned off except when I'm planning to meet someone. I don't need to check in with anyone or have anyone checking in with me - what DO all these people need to talk about every 15 minutes!!!
Family wishes I could/would text "because it's faster". I don't want "faster"!!!

I think I want a hand-held "multi-purpose Something" but have no idea which kind. I just want something I can use like my p c while I'm sitting in the recliner.
Still not convinced I want to read anything on a screen of any kind. (Am furious with Newsweek!) I don't sit and wait anywhere frequently enough to need entertainment.

Looking forward to seeing what y'all have talked about and will be talking about.

Callie, the cranky old lady

JoanK · « **Reply #749 on:** January 20, 2013, 04:11:41 PM »

We should have a cranky contest. I bet I'd win.

maryz · « **Reply #750 on:** January 20, 2013, 04:27:18 PM »

Callie, our daughters gave me an iPad after I broke my arm last summer. I still have my laptop beside me while I type on my iPad . There are a few things for which I prefer mt laptop, but mostly I'm using my iPad now. It'll go anywhere and do almost everything, except phone calls, but I can use it for Skype too. See if you can find someone with one who will let you try it out.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #751 on:** January 20, 2013, 05:12:56 PM »

I've had the first generation ipad for more than two yrs. i use it every single day. I'm having a problem w/ some of the vowels on the keyboard. It seems i need to hit them pretty deliberately or sometimes they don't "type." so i'm zooming along in my normal one-finger "typing" and when i look up at the screen, i discover that several "o's" are nt on the screen - just like the "o" that should have been in "not". LOL . I'm wondering if some letters can "wear out" on the touch screen? Has anybody else experienced this?

Jean

maryz · « **Reply #752 on:** January 20, 2013, 06:11:03 PM »

Haven't dealt with your problem, jean, but I got a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard last week. I love it! Well worth the @$75. ( including tax) at staples.

CallieOK · « **Reply #753 on:** January 20, 2013, 06:26:23 PM »

Maryz, my son is supposed to bring his iPad over for me to "play with". We shall see.

maryz · « **Reply #754 on:** January 20, 2013, 06:52:50 PM »

Have fun, Callie.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #755 on:** January 21, 2013, 11:15:02 AM »

No JoanK - I'm sure I would come out top!!

Jean, I've certainly have letters stop working on my mobile phone, not sure if that's the same thing - it's so annoying.

Rosemary

LarryHanna · « **Reply #756 on:** January 21, 2013, 11:43:07 AM »

I have had the iPad 3 since it came out and it has the retina display, which is just great. I also have a blue tooth keyboard that I paid about $16 for an it works very well. Mary, I am sure your keyboard is probably a lot nicer and heavier than mine. My friend bought the iPad Mini and tried it out and didn't care for it so took it back and got the iPad 4 and gave his iPad 3 to his sister. I read news articles from an app called Flipboard that shows a paragraph or two of an article but if you want to read the whole article just tap on the article and the full one opens up. Mabel, I expect the reason you are having trouble with one or more of the letter on the iPad keyboard is that they operate with little electronic pieces that sense the touch and that may have become a bit damaged with extensive use. I find on my iPad that a light touch works as well as a heavy one and sometimes it works too well and I get extra letters.

pedln · « **Reply #757 on:** January 22, 2013, 11:13:17 AM »

That is all useful information, Larry. But still more questions . .

What is the difference between iPad3 and iPad4?

And never having had an APP (no cell phone until they come with captions), how do you get them, how do you learn about them, are they "device specific," and they range in price from 0 to ?

LarryHanna · « **Reply #758 on:** January 23, 2013, 12:22:55 PM »

pedln, I can't see much difference between the iPad3 and iPad 4, which was put out about 6 months after the iPad3. They both had the great display and supposedly the 4 has more pixels per inch and thus a sharper picture but I don't see it. I think it mainly was a marketing ploy by Apple that used to issue new devices only annually.

An app is an application for a specific type of device. These may be browsers adapted for the iPad or Android tablets or phone, or games, or news readers. There are thousands of apps and each device usually has its own store where you get them. They are very easy to install or delete.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #759 on:** January 23, 2013, 12:31:02 PM »

Thanks all for your responses, a keyboard may be an answer if it gets too annoying.

News:

Author Topic: The Technophobe Reader - Technology Help (Read 213628 times)