Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Kindle and audiobooks: resource roundup


Kindles & audiobooks – I’ve been searching for information, as I am trying to justify the purchase of a new shiny toy and am trying to decide between devices that can double as both audiobook players and eBook readers. Here’s a random round-up of items that I found interesting:

Kindle User's Guide

Audible’s Kindle User’s Guide

Scott Hansen’s ComputerZen.com on Amazon Kindle

Amazon’s Listening to Audio Books on Your Kindle

Dear Jeff, Please fix Audible.com and, oh yeah, make the Kindle stop hating Mac users

MacWorld’s Why Amazon’s Kindle is Revolutionary (includes what you don’t know)

Audiobooks Easier Than Ever - Amazon Kindle

MP3s on the Kindle

How to Listen to Audiobooks on Kindle

How to Listen to Background Music While Reading on the Kindle - This tells how to listen to an MP3 audiobook while reading on the Kindle – which answers my question about the Tantor Unabridged Classics on a Kindle.

Library Journal Editorial: To Kindle or Not – Must reading for anyone interested in taking advantage of the free loan of audiobooks through the public library

Could iPhone smoke the Kindle? Hmm.. another shiny toy


And here is a great quote from Tom Peters on the ALA TechSource blog about the need for the Kindle to be able to Toggle from print to audio:

The Kindle seems like a nice device, but there's always more that could be included in the next iteration. I like to read both visually and aurally, but usually not at the same time. I did spot a headphones jack on one side of the Kindle in one of the videos, but I cannot find mention of the possibilities for any type of aural reading experience. An immersive listening experience with a good downloadable digital audio book is a wonderful thing. Can the Kindle handle audio books? Better yet, is there good text-to-speech software included so that I can switch from visual reading to aural reading in the middle of a book, as I get up from my easy chair (and watch Max my dog quickly jump into that warm spot) and head off in my car to take my older son to piano practice?

Feel free to add any resources I missed as a comment!


Image from www.amazon.com

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