Kindle Tip #7
Your Kindle is a wireless device with access to the Internet (connects free to Sprint’s EV-DO 3G network), so why not email? Kindle does support some webmail, but not all.

The Kindle’s web browser is called Basic Web and it does not support plug-ins like Flash or Shockwave, Java applets and it can’t read XML pages. It does support cookies, JavaScript and SSL, however. This may limit your webmail choices a bit. But Gmail and Yahoo work.

Using Gmail on a Kindle is slower than you will be used to. With the large screen size, it is not that bad. Kindle does not have a scrolling feature so e-mail is presented one page at a time. You click one of the “Next Page” bars, like all navigation on the Kindle.

Google’s free “mobile” version of Gmail is a good choice for using e-mail on a Kindle. If you are already a Gmail user this is ideal.

Using Gmail on Kindle
From the Kindle’s Home screen, use the Select wheel to choose Menu at the bottom, then select Experimental.

Choose Basic Web, then press the Select wheel to bring up the Enter URL box.

Probably it will already have “http://” so type m.gmail.com (this is the mobile version of Gmail), then press the Select wheel on the Submit option to enter. You can now read and send email. You have to kind of forget attachments.

Some Additional Tips:

  • Press the Next Page bar until you see the Compose Mail option. Use the Select wheel to choose that grouping of links, then choose Compose Mail from the menu.
  • Select the To: box with the Select wheel, then choose INPUT FIELD. Enter your recipient’s e-mail address and choose Done. Add a subject, then the body of your message in the same way.
  • Click on the row of buttons under the main message box, then choose Send.
  • You’ll get an error message that says, “Your Kindle is unable to access this Web site at this time. Please try again later.” Choose Close. Despite the error message, your e-mail was sent.
  • Press the Kindle’s Back button (under the right-side Next Page bar) to go back to the main Gmail page.
  • To reply to e-mail, select the message with the Select wheel, and choose the Subject line from the menu. Select Reply with the Select wheel, then, either Reply or Reply to All.
  • To return to the in-box, press the Kindle’s Back button twice to go back to the main Gmail page.

I certainly suggest that a Kindle should be the main way you correspond with email. It is convenient however when you are out and about with your Kindle to be able to send or answer an email.

You can also use Google Reader and Google Calendar on a Kindle.

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