To Kindle or not to Kindle?

[bigbendtreasures]

I never would have believed that I would be such a fan of Kindle after managing bookstores for over 20 years! I feel a bit like a traitor, but the Kindle gives me instant choices at a good price. I have the Paperwhite 3g which allows me to download books when I don't have wi-fi. I cannot, with this model, search the net, only Amazon Kindle site, but I have an Ipad and didn't need internet. The Paperwhite is light weight, easy to hold (especially if you're petting a cat while reading), and the lighted screen, which you can adjust, lets you read anywhere. I like sitting on the deck and reading into the evening; total darkness is no problem. I have not had a reason to change the font size, but it is easy to do if you want to. Another feature that I love is the built-in dictionary. I read a lot of British books and translated Scandinavian authors, and just pressing a word and finding its meaning immediately is very cool. I find myself ready to press a word in a conventional book:) I have no negatives about my Kindle, and I've had it about 1 1/2 years.

[ze7707]

I recommend the kindle fire because it is cheaper then the new one and it is just amazing!

[nerdyjess09]

I recently got a kindle paperwhite, I had a nook simple touch before. I love my paperwhite. It is so much easier to read on with the backlight, which is great for me because I often read in bed while my husband is sleeping. It is thin and very compact and compared to my nook it is a million times better. It is very user friendly and simple to use. The only con that I have had with my Kindle is the inability to turn the wifi off without going into airplane mode. I got the model that included adds, which I don't mind because I like knowing about the daily deals and new books. If you are going to go for a ereader and are not looking for tablet I would go with the Kindle Paperwhite.

xo
Jess

[PashaRu]

I have a 1st generation Kindle Fire (7"), 4th generation Basic Kindle e-reader and an iPad 4.

Admittedly, I hardly ever use the Kindle e-reader. But I like it because it's very small (less than 6 oz.), with a no-glare screen. Very compact and portable. The battery lasts up to a month. It's older technology (released by Amazon two and a half years ago, which is eons ago in the e-reader/tablet universe), but still available on Amazon. And at $69 it's one of the most affordable e-readers out there. Drawbacks - It is a bit more difficult to use because it doesn't have a touch screen. It has wifi, but it's cumbersome and time-consuming to navigate the web without a touch screen. If you want just a basic e-reader, spend a little extra and get the Paperwhite.

The Kindle Fire is great. Easy to use and still portable. And it's not just an e-reader, it's a tablet. You can get the 1st generation on Amazon for $139. Probably more bang for your buck than any other e-reader, because it has lots of other cool capabilities, and about the same price as the Paperwhite.

My favorite is the iPad. It's not as portable, but I prefer the larger screen. When I read at home, I usually use the iPad. When reading books to review, I use a PDF annotating program so I can make notes right in the book itself. I have the Kindle app, so it syncs with the Kindle Fire and I pick up where I left off reading on either device.

I'd like to try the Paperwhite, but I guess I don't need a fourth device.

[RobertM]

Kindle. Cheapest you can to start. If you search well, you can fill it up with all kinds of free books until it's packed full, read them at your leisure, go back for more anytime. Even the cheapies hold a thousand books. It's a win-win all the way.

[anomalocaris]

I have a kindle fire HD, and love it. It's not good in bright outdoor light. Although, I just downloaded a screen filter and I haven't had time to see if it affects the reflection. I've tried the digital ink versions which have the advantage of being much lighter and easier for outdoors, but the slow page turn was too much for me. I'm a fast reader, and there's so little on one page to begin with that the page turn thing was just torture. The kindle fire HD is particularly good if I'm stuck waiting somewhere, because it functions as a tablet as well. It's hard to maintain proper situational awareness while engrossed in a book, so I like the option to switch to something that eases the boredom of waiting, without totally ditching my alert level.

[AbiBurnett_96]

I love my kindle! I recommend it to anyone! So much easier than reading paperback books, and access to free books and those which are cheaper than to buy the physical copy of

[sabill]

I have the kindle fire HD and love it i read all time. My kids got it for me on mothers day and claim i spend more time with my kindle then them. for an avid read i highly recommend it .

[haleybooks]

I think paper books are better. I feel more connected to real life when I read with a real book. I feel like technology is so deeply ingrained into our lives, so I want to keep some things the way they were before it was like this.

[Sarah1]

I love my kindle fire. I would absolutely recommend that one. I have tried my sister and my dad's original kindle but I do not like it. I love that I can leave "notes" in the book and change the screen brightness depending on the light in the room.

[Gracies Mammy]

I read many books on my Kindle Fire HD. But there are some authors that I would only buy an actual book by --- Anne Rice, James Michener, Karen Marie Moning - I'm diverse when it comes to the books I want on the shelf in my living room versus the books in my Kindle library.

[Nicolespada4a]

I've heard so many bad things about just e readers in general. So I'm wondering if it's really worth getting one.

[Linda B]

I am a serious book reader for most of my life, books in every room in my house. My husband got me a kindle a few years ago and I thought he was nuts, didn't want anything to do with it. Took a couple of days to learn how to navigate amazon books and I downloaded my first e book. Now, I can't live without it. I usually can read 2-3 books at a time and would take them with me everywhere. Now I have hundreds of books on my kindle and I upgraded to the paperwhite so I can read in bed without the lights on. I highly recommend the kindle paperwhite.

[utsargaa]

I kind of have to agree with A_D_Winch here. I have the basic e reader model (the 'Kindle') and I have been very satisfied with it. I has all the basic features you need, comes at a great price (I actually saw Amazon giving a discount at $59 last month) and lasts weeks on the batteries. Plus, as A_D_Winch said, if you are looking to basically only read without other distractions, then this is the model for you.

[Majikalone]

As an avid reader, I have been using my iPad as my E reader for the last several years, however I noticed that I was adding so many Ebooks my available disk space was being used up by my books, forcing me to delete some of my favorite apps! I decided to purchase a Kindle to transfer all my ebooks onto, freeing up much needed space on my ipad. After shopping around and comparing the Ereaders available, I decided on a Kindle Fire 7inch which is about the size of a large print paperback novel. It fits easily in my hand, and to my surprise, comes with an Androd OS enabling it to surf the web thru wifi, get email, and download apps just like my iPad! The price was extremely affordable at less than $100...I paid four times that amount for my iPad...and if you shop at a discount online site like Nomorerack or Overstock, you can get one for around $50. A steal as far as I'm concerned, and now that I have it I wonder how I ever got along without it! It holds well over a thousand ebooks, enough to keep even a constant reader such as myself busy for a very long time, and the added bonus of a web browser, email service, and many other features makes the Kindle Fire an awesome deal I recommend to everyone who loves to read!

-- 29 Mar 2015, 10:58 --

I neglected to mention that the Kindle Fire also has a touchscreen, which makes it even more enjoyable to use, especially with a stylus that keeps my screen clean and not covered in fingerprints, LOL I truly LOVE my Kindle Fire, and you will too!!!