FAR/AIM on Kindle?

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Scott_M

Filing Flight Plan
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Scott_M
If anyone uses a FAR/AIM on Kindle,which version of the book from Amazon works best for reference? I am using a Kindle Paperwhite. I love the device, but my success being able to use visual content like maps or diagrams on it is 50/50. That's never been a problem when reading book content. However, if the diagrams and charts in the FAR/AIM are only visible in small or unreadable forms the "book" is much less value to me.

My intended use of "the bible" on Kindle is as a carry-around reference in compact form. I understand the content is available via the internet when on the ground.

TIA,
Scott
 
Have you tried the pdf (AIM at least, not sure about FARs) version you can download for free from the FAA website?
 
There is a Kindle version but it is terrible. Black and white, no index, but more importantly the Kindle isn't good for searching and moving rapidly from one location to another.

If you use an EFB such as Foreflight just add the pdf to it. If you don't use an efb, I would recommend a cheap Android tablet and download the pdf to it. Either of these options works very well.
 
I can't say how much I dislike Kindle and Amazon's kindled books. They dumb down the typography which is OK if you're reading some trashy novel, but sucks if you're reading something technical like the AIM.
 
I have the 2020 version from ASA on kindle for my android phone. It's usable but not great. the images, charts, etc. are typical for kindle stuff.
I personally would rate it as ok for a back-up reference but definitely not as a primary source especially if studying for a rating, etc

I read a lot of historical aviation memoirs /autobiographies and they are typically low on graphics so kindle is ok, but they do usually have some photos included and those are always horribly implemented. It's probably the biggest thing I miss about paper books....was always a fan of hardcover but having my current book in my pocket is nice.
 
@Scott_M … would one of the app solutions for phone and tablet work for you? Or is the desire Kindle only?
 
Dana said:
Have you tried the pdf (AIM at least, not sure about FARs) version you can download for free from the FAA website?
Click to expand...

I will try that. I d/l the newest version to Kindle last night and was reading it. The Kindle version really comes up short compared to the paper.
 
I will look into an app solutions. I'm open to suggestions of which app also.

Thanks
 
flyingron said:
I can't say how much I dislike Kindle and Amazon's kindled books. They dumb down the typography which is OK if you're reading some trashy novel, but sucks if you're reading something technical like the AIM.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. I was trying to read the Kindle FAR/AIM last night.
 
Scott_M said:
I will look into an app solutions. I'm open to suggestions of which app also.

Thanks
Click to expand...
ASA has a pretty good app for both iOS and Android. It's $10 but it's a one-time payment. It includes updates.

i also have home page links to 14 CFR on eCFR and the AIM on the FAA website but the ASA app can be used offline and suffices for a quick reference.

i know there is an eBook version which would probably work on a traditional Kindle but it's more expensive and the updates have to be done manually.
 
Scott_M said:
I will look into an app solutions. I'm open to suggestions of which app also.

Thanks
Click to expand...
For the iOS ecosystem

ASA's FAR/AIM - $10.00 initial purchase, zero recurring subscription costs, frequent updates. Many other useful features.

PilotFAR/AIM - Free to download, $6.99 annual subscription, frequent updates. This I my preferred one due to how it handles organization and formatting. For me it makes finding the regulations easy and once found, simple to read.​

When on my laptop

Cornell Law's E-CFR... Specifically Title 14 which covers what we know as the FAR's​
 
In this day and age, an EFB on an Android or iPad is a necessity. The ASA FAR/AIM app mentioned above hit the nail right on the head. The Kindle just won’t cut it. May as well make the transition now - it’s gunna have to happen sooner or later.
 
flyingron said:
I can't say how much I dislike Kindle and Amazon's kindled books. They dumb down the typography which is OK if you're reading some trashy novel, but sucks if you're reading something technical like the AIM.
Click to expand...
Hey! Not every Kindle ebook is a trashy novel.
 
I Kindle for books that are made for Kindle. Trying to read a PDF, or an "e-book" formatted college text book on Kindle sucks! If it doesn't have a linked table of contents and is word searchable, forget it.
 
flyingron said:
I can't say how much I dislike Kindle and Amazon's kindled books. They dumb down the typography which is OK if you're reading some trashy novel, but sucks if you're reading something technical like the AIM.
Click to expand...

Kindle is great for trashy novels. For anything technical, not so much. PDF is your friend.

Ebooks are oriented for text only content. Not graphics.

Oh and you -could- have an ebook formatted FAR/AIM. How serviceable it is depends on how much time someone spends indexing the sections in a navigable table of contents.
 
It's not even graphics. The kindle typography is useless for anything other than simple prose. Even for fiction, it leaves a lot to be desired. Searching and the like is equally crippled.
 
Domenick said:
Hey! Not every Kindle ebook is a trashy novel.
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Yep - anything that's pure text and read in a linear fashion is perfect for a Kindle. The FAR/AIM? Not so much. :)
 
Traditional Kindle has a specific function, reading books. Text. Period. I still have mine and I use it when reading (y'know, books? Ever heard of them?) poolside or on the beach because there's absolutely no glare and I'm far less worried about losing my 10 year old $99 Kindle Touch than my iPad. Whining it's not something more than what it is is like complaining about chocolate ice cream because it's not strawberry.
 
… or going to Toshe station for some power converters

Referencing the whining, not the subject of FAR/AIM on Kindle
 
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Ugh. Neanderthals! :)

(Yes, you hit a nerve).

Check out the classics available at the Kindle Store. Think they're trashy? How about this trashy novel?
https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Version-Testaments-Active-Contents-ebook/dp/B08RC7T7J6/

I am not arguing ebooks are good for highly technical, heavily cross-indexed, or heavy graphical content, though there are many graphics-heavy graphic novels, children's books, photography books, etc., available in Kindle format. Perhaps y'all have outdated information and/or have not perused the Kindle Store and other ebook vendors in a while.

And remember, someone has to put in the hard work to create an effective, technical ebook. I am not surprised the government has not put out a good e-FAR/AIM. I would expect a commercial repackaging, like ASA, to be a better effort.

What I am arguing is not EVERY Kindle ebook is "trashy."

In case someone does not know, the Kindle App is available for virtually every platform out there. I have it on my PC (Windows), my iPad (IOS), and my phone (Android). There are many other ebook readers/apps out there like Nook, Calibre, Kobo, Libby, and more.
 
Perhaps you should try your reading comprehension on these forums. I never said that Kindle only had trashy books. I said that their abysmal "made for Kindle" typography made books other than simple trashy novels DIFFICULT to read and use.

And while the Kindle might have been a cute idea for their paperwhite devices, it sucks big time on the a regular web browser and most of the real tablets out there. The fact that there are other ebookreaders out there doesn't negate the fact that kindle SUCKS in all forms. I've got probably about two dozen kindle books because it was the most expedient way to get them, and it is PAINFUL to have to deal with the format.
 
flyingron said:
Perhaps you should try your reading comprehension on these forums. I never said that Kindle only had trashy books. I said that their abysmal "made for Kindle" typography made books other than simple trashy novels DIFFICULT to read and use.

And while the Kindle might have been a cute idea for their paperwhite devices, it sucks big time on the a regular web browser and most of the real tablets out there. The fact that there are other ebookreaders out there doesn't negate the fact that kindle SUCKS in all forms. I've got probably about two dozen kindle books because it was the most expedient way to get them, and it is PAINFUL to have to deal with the format.
Click to expand...

The fact that you even mention the web browser and compare it to a tablet tells me that you're not the target market, which is fine. But for many of us it's a much better device for reading than any tablet, and not just for trashy novels.
 
Nope, I mention the web browser to counter Domenick's mischaracterization of things. I carry both an iPad and a Lenovo Android tablet (not to mention a personal iPhone). As I said, the Kindle format might be OK for the original Android e-ink stuff, but it sucks badly on REAL tablets and richer platforms.
 
Folks! Everything gets taken so seriously.

As an author of ebooks, my initial response was feigned indignation and an attempt at humor. I am guilty of confusing ebook formats and the Kindle platform. For that I apologize. I don't even own a Kindle. My mother did, and you're right, the PLATFORM sucked. It was also the first commercial attempt.

There are a number of ebook formats including PDFs. The EPUB and derivatives are based on HTML and ultimately anything possible with HTML is possible in an EPUB.
 
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