How to Use a Kindle DX for Web Browsing

Amazon's Kindle DX is an ebook reader with a number of extra functions, including Web browsing capabilities. To get online, you'll need an active 3G connection. The Web browsing technology in the Kindle DX is still being developed, and many pages won't render exactly as they would on a computer; nevertheless, the majority of the text and images will be displayed, making this a useful way of getting online on the move.

Step 1

Launch the Basic Web browser by selecting "launch browser" from the Experimental menu or by selecting a Web link from within a document. You can also enter a URL from the Home screen -- choose "go to" from the list of options to open the page.

Step 2

To navigate to another site from within the Web browser, press Menu and choose "Enter URL" from the available options. Type a URL using the keyboard and press the 5-way controller to confirm.

Step 3

Press the Next page and Previous page buttons to move up and down through a webpage. This is comparable to using a mouse to scroll through a page on a traditional PC.

Step 4

Use the 5-way controller to navigate around the links on the current page (which will be underlined). To visit a link that is highlighted, press the 5-way controller once.

Step 5

Text can be entered into a text box by navigating to it using the 5-way controller and pressing the 5-way once to confirm. Type your input text using the keyboard on the Kindle DX.

Step 6

Press the Menu button and select History to view a list of websites that you have recently visited. Move the 5-way controller to the right to see a list of bookmarks.

Step 7

Press the Menu button and select "Bookmark This Page" to save the current website in a list. Bookmarked sites can be visited with a couple of button presses, saving you the time of typing out the URL each time.

Step 8

To download a file for reading on the Kindle DX, select a compatible file stored on the Web and then confirm your choice. Compatible file formats are Kindle content (.azw, .azw1), plain text files (.txt) and unprotected Mobipocket books (.mobi, .prc).

Step 9

Press Menu and select Use Desktop Mode for a better view of interactive content and complex websites. Switching to this view may make text and simple webpages more difficult to read, depending on the elements and objects on the site.

Tips

• Press the Menu button and choose Settings to clear the cache and browsing history, as well as carry out other maintenance tasks.
• The size of the text on webpages can be adjusted by pressing the Text key on the bottom row of the keyboard and making a choice from the options shown.

Warnings

• The Kindle DX Basic Web browser supports JavaScript, SSL and cookies. However, it won't display media plug-ins (including Flash and Shockwave) or Java applets.

References

• Amazon: Kindle Documentation

Resources

• Amazon: Kindle Support

About the Author

An information technology journalist since 2002, David Nield writes about the Web, technology, hardware and software. He is an experienced editor, proofreader and copywriter for publications including "PC Utilities," "PC Explorer" and "The Windows 7 Handbook." Nield holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and lives in Manchester, England.