Originally posted March 3, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Sharing a Kindle with a family member in the same household is very easy to do if you are each reading a different book. The most recently added or opened books are (by default) listed at the top on the home page. Toggle the 5-way switch to the book you want to read (it will be underlined) and press in on it (think of that 5-way button doing double duty as an Enter key). The Kindle will always take you to the last page you were reading when you last opened the book. It's magic.
Sharing the same book on the same Kindle can be a little tricky, but with a few organizational skills, it is certainly possible. At the bottom of every Kindle page, you will see the Location bar. Depending on which Kindle you have, you can also tell how far you are into your book. On the Kindle 1, there were dots at the bottom of the pages for the progress indicator. I had to smile the other day when my daughter Kelly told me she only had a few dots left on her book and she really didn't want it to end. I am so glad that Kindle 1 is still getting the love and attention it deserves. The Kindle 2 and Kindle DX show the status of your books in the same location, only instead of dots, you see a thin bar across the bottom of the page and the percentage of the book you have read so far.
The Location Numbers Location Numbers are the great equalizer at the bottom of any Kindle screen, including the screens for the Kindle IPod/Touch and PC software. These tell you exactly where you are in a book. The first number is where you are at that moment. The last number is the end of the book. When you are reading a book, make a note of the location number when you are finished for the time being. If your spouse is reading the same book, chances are you will see a different location number at the bottom when you pick up the Kindle again. To quickly get back to your place (and your reading), press the Menu button, then toggle the 5-way down until Go to Location is underlined. Press in on the 5-way. You will see a place to type appear at the bottom of the screen. Type in the number of your location, press in on the 5-way and you will be where you need to be.
Special Note: It might not be a bad idea to make a note of your partner in reading's location number... just in case...
