No matter what version of the Kindle you use, being able to send documents at will to your device is a handy feature to have at your fingertips. For years now, several alternatives have been developed to make it easier to send webpages, Word documents, PDFs and more to a Kindle. However, now Amazon has finally received the hint and released its own solution: Send to Kindle.
Send to Kindle is a Windows application that allows you to send personal documents from your computer to your device seamlessly. The app will install a right click option to send files directly to your Kindle. For now, Send to Kindle is only available for Windows XP, Vista and 7 with a version for the Mac OS in the works for release down the line. Send to Kindle is free and as long as you have an Amazon.com account associated with your Kindle and the login details, you can get started with it.
How to use Send to Kindle
Once you have downloaded and installed Send to Kindle, a pop-up will appear asking you to login to your Amazon.com account associated with your Kindle.
Enter your e-mail address, password and then click “Register.”
This will register Send to Kindle to your device so that it can send documents to it without prompting you for details each time.
You will be thanked for registering Send to Kindle, and you can begin using it right away.
Just right click on any document to get started.
This will open the document’s set of context menus. Locate Send to Kindle and click on it.
The main screen of Send to Kindle will give you the opportunity to re-title your document and set an author. From there, you can opt how it will be delivered either through an active Wi-Fi connection or through Whispernet.
Keep in mind that transferring documents to your Kindle over Wi-Fi is free while using Whispernet is a paid service through Amazon.
If you have multiple Kindle devices associated with your Amazon.com account, you can opt which Kindle to deliver the document to. Simply check the box next to it. You can also choose to archive a copy of the document to your Kindle Library so you can always re-send it if you delete it from your computer or Kindle device.
When you are ready to send your document, click on “Send.”
A pop-up will appear letting you know it is uploaded.
Another will appear to let you know it was a successful upload.
Within a few minutes, your Kindle will receive the converted document and you will be able to read it on your device.
When you first open Send to Kindle, you can also click “Options” to tinker with the settings.
The Options for Send to Kindle will open with your registration details. You de-register Send to Kindle at any time by clicking “Deregister.” This will allow you to use another Amazon.com with Send to Kindle on your computer.
Click “Language.”
This will allow you to set the language of Send to Kindle.
Click “Network.”
A network allows you to toy with your Internet settings. Depending on your Internet service provider, you may need to tweak these details but for the majority of users, you should leave them as is when using Send to Kindle.
Click “Feedback.”
Amazon wants to know what you think of Send to Kindle, including complaints, concerns, and praise. It also wants to know what features you would like to see implemented in future updates.
Click “About.”
These are just the basic details about Send to Kindle, including the version number. You can also read the Notice and Terms of Use here as well as check for updates.
Click “Check for Updates.”
This will let you know if a new update is available or if Send to Kindle is up-to-date.
Send to Kindle is easy to install and begin using. It makes sending documents from your computer to your Kindle device as easy as possible.
Pros of Send to Kindle:
- Easy to send documents to your Kindle
- Supports multiple Kindle devices under one Amazon.com account
- Quickly change which account Send to Kindle is associated with
Cons of Send to Kindle:
- Does not support all document formats for transfer
- Not available for Mac OS
- Service may not be available all the time for users
Is Send to Kindle an effective way to send documents to your device?
In my experience, Send to Kindle today has been a quick way to send documents to my Kindle from both my computers. I have not had any issues with uploading and transmitting, although I have read that some users have seen outages in service trying to send documents. If you are sending documents frequently through other means, giving Send to Kindle a try cannot hurt and may actually save you time in the long run.
While not all document types may be supported now, Amazon is actively going to work to make this the app of choice for its Kindle users. That means that while the app is in its infancy, it may still have some kinks but this will be a powerful tool for any Kindle user as it grows, evolves and makes your documents easier to get to your device.
