By Tech Powered Dad | February 13, 2011
If you are planning to buy an Amazon Kindle for your math studies, you should head on over to Amazon’s website to buy your Kindle.
With so many options to help learn math in a technology age, you may have overlooked using the Amazon Kindle for math. Opinions I’ve read have been mixed on using a Kindle for math, but I think that’s easily explained. Most people have looked at using traditional textbooks ported to the Kindle. Sometimes math textbooks look great on it’s display, but other times, math symbols can be tough to read.
However, there are a growing number of excellent ebooks available written specifically for the Kindle. I’ll talk more about those math ebooks in a minute, but if you’re new to the Kindle, let me give you some basics so you can understand why math on the Kindle is attractive.
What is the Kindle?
Amazon’s Kindle is a ebook reader designed to allow you to read electronic copies of books right on the device, as well as listen to audio files. The Kindle can read a number of formats, including AZW (Amazon’s format), PDF, Audible (AA, AAX), MP3, unprotecteced MOBI, and PRC natively, and a huge number of other formats with a simple conversion process. As those TV ads suggest, it is easy to read a Kindle, even in bright light. That’s because the Kindle uses E Ink, which unlike a backlit display (like a phone or ipod) is easier to read in bright light.
Content can be purchased or downloaded from the web and uploaded onto your Kindle, or it can be downloaded straight onto the Kindle via wireless connection. All Kindles come with WIFI, but for $50 more, you can have a Kindle with unlimited free 3G. I have no idea how Amazon is pulling that off, but it’s an amazing feature considering what the same 3G connection would cost on an Ipad or Android tablet.
Kindle for Ipad and Android
Another option you have for math with a “Kindle-like” experience is to run the Kindle app on the Ipad (on Amazon) or one of the new Android tablets (Motorola Xoom at Amazon wireless). The Kindle apps for Android and Ipad let you use your tablet computer as a math ebook reader. This is a great option if you are a college student or a home school parent. However, be aware that not all schools are welcoming tablets into the classroom. If you are the parent of a school age child, you’ll want to see what your school’s policies are on tablets.
Math Ebooks for Kindle
Unlike ipods, ipads, Android phones and tablets, a huge number of schools are welcoming Kindles into schools with students, the district where I teach included. I’ve just started taking a look into math Ebooks, and I’m already impressed with what I’m finding. Of course, Amazon has a wide variety of ebooks, many of which are math specific.
Bottom Line on Kindle for Math
The Kindle was the breakthrough ebook reader that finally gave people what they needed to make the switch from traditional books: a durable, affordable device with an easy to read display. Using a Kindle to learn math is only going to increase in popularity as the number of math ebooks continues to grow. Regardless of whether you are a college student, home schooler, or just a parent trying to encourage your child to love learning math, it just makes sense to look to an ebook reader. My advice? Head on over to Amazon, where you can buy the Kindle with free shipping today.