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MS-DEFCON 2:
Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don't do it.
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Kindle version of Windows 7 All-In-One For Dummies
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 05:38 7 commentsI’ve had several complaints now about the Kindle version of Windows 7 All-In-One For Dummies. It hurts. I poured my life into that book, and (I think) turned out the best reference book I’ve ever done. At 888 pages, it’s also the biggest book I’ve ever written. Encyclopedic, but fun, too. So I hang my head in shame when I get messages like this one from DR:
First, all the screen shots reproduced in the book are unreadable. If you zoom the images, it is no better, since they are very low resolution. Second, the text formatting of this book is really messed up – sentences end in the middle of a line with the period (.) at the beginning of the next line. Very disconcerting. Third, this book has a number of “side-lite” sections which I assume are formatted differently and highlighted in the book. In the Kindle edition, they are just simply embedded, in-line with the text. Again, this is disconcerting, and interferes with the flow of the book. Finally, this book is meant to be navigated by jumping from section to section – this is very hard to do on the Kindle. The Kindle pages don’t even tell you what “Book” and “Chapter” you are at at the top of each page. That would help a lot. This is all so bad that I have ordered a paper copy of the book – and I wish I could get my money back on the Kindle edition.
Of course, my editors and production staff aren’t involved with the Kindle edition: it’s Amazon’s baby from beginning to end. You can be sure that I’ve made my views known to the people there. After the tremendous job the For Dummies folks did on producing the hard copy version of the book, it’s disheartening to see their layout and artistic work chopped up by Amazon.
A word to the wise: don’t bother with the Kindle edition.
7 responses to “Kindle version of Windows 7 All-In-One For Dummies”
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icemaan001 November 16th, 2009 at 06:41
the effort and support that you put into all your work in books and online dose not go unnoticed you have lot of readers that follow you work, dont’t worry about the few complainers .
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Icemaan -
Thanks! I hate it when people get ripped off, and I’m even tangentially involved… The good news is that DR got his money back.
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Woody,
From what I read in your readers letter, it’s Kindle that’s getting the hard knocks not your book.
Glad DR got his money back too.. betcha he’s going out to buy a hard copy of your book with it! -
Liz -
I hope so!
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rc primak November 18th, 2009 at 11:41
Woody, I have always preferred print (hard copy) books for many reasons. One reason is that bookmarking and flipping through an actual paper volume is just more natural for me than trying to index and search even on the Kindle Reader. The Kindle is not tied to the computer or the Internet, so my argument that just when you need an on line resource, your computer cannot access the Internet does not apply here, AFAIK. I just feel better about having bought the genuine hard-copy book. And it is a great resource — I will probably still be poring over it long after getting a new laptop sometime next year. The book also makes Windows Secrets and this site easier to follow. I highly recommend it.
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JPKonzak November 25th, 2009 at 01:38
Yikes! NOW Woody says to avoid the Kindle edition! (Not your fault, WL. It’s Amazon’s.)
Well, let’s see if Amazon responds to my complaint & request for a refund as they did for DR. Silly me, I imagined that carrying a Kindle (original) with an 888-page book by my favorite Win-guru would be smarter than lugging the physical book. Shame on me.
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Jim -
Yeah, I feel the same way. I expected better out of Amazon, and it’s embarrassing to see the technology fall down so badly.
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