Get set up in five easy steps

1 Part of the appeal of e-readers is they’re as easy to use as a kitchen gadget. Sony, Kobo and Amazon all offer cheap readers, but we’ve started with a guide to the basic Kindle, to show that even technophobes needn’t fear the future of reading.

2 You’ll need an Amazon account to use a Kindle. If you buy your Kindle via Amazon’s web store, the device will already be linked to your account when you unwrap it and you can shop instantly. If you receive your Kindle as a gift, it will prompt you to set up an account with credit or debit card details when turned on.

3 Your Kindle comes with several books, including a dictionary and a quick-start guide, which walks you through the basics of how to search for books (you tap the key with a keyboard on it) and how to reach your library. The central five-way controller allows you to navigate through all the menus.

You don’t need to connect your Kindle to your PC. Books download wirelessly via a Wi-Fi network (you’ll need to press the menu button, then select wireless, then choose a network, then enter your password). Books download in under a minute. You can also buy books via Amazon’s page on your PC, then they download to your Kindle when connected via Wi-Fi.

4 The ‘paddles’ on the side of the basic model allow you to flip forwards and backwards through the book, as if turning a page. Pressing the library button returns you to the books stored on your device – but you don’t need to keep them all there, as Amazon stores your purchases online. If you delete a book, it will still be available online to download – either to your Kindle or other devices such as smartphones.

5 You can shop at any time by pressing the menu button, which links you to both your library and the Kindle Store. As you shop, you’ll be recommended books you may like (based on previous purchases). The store (which only works if you’re connected to Wi-Fi), is also laid out with that day’s special offers – including free books from young authors.