Should I get a Kindle?

[Rottie454]

So I'm a book lover and have always been against kindles as I love the feel of holding a book. However I'm running out of storage now to keep my books and my partner doesn't like it when I read at night with the light on so I am now thinking about getting one. Anyone made the transition and are you glad you did? Also any recommendations for which kindle to go for would be great 

You can have the book in the ether, on the inter web, and just put it on when you need it SDTG - Kobe’s come with an sad card slot too so you can extend the memory (I don’t work for them honest! Mine is a touch. I’d love a backlit one)

Yep love it! Although I now use the kindle app on my iPad and my kindle is just gathering dust.

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

The books are stored on an Amazon Cloud so you don't have to store them on your Kindle if you don't want to. There's lots of room on a Kindle, though - you won't have to keep deleting books to make room for others.

Wait until Black Friday - kindles etc heavily discounted.

Yes.
I love mine - only got the basic one at the minute as I killed my beloved paperwhite (soon be christmas so I can justify buying a new one for myself)
I have 230+ books on mine (at last count) and still have loads of room for more.And have four bookshelves of books plus loads on the stairs!

SDTG I've just upgraded to Oasis, and it's even more fabulous, but Paperwhite does a perfectly fine job.

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

If you want to get a feel for how it all works, you can download a Kindle app onto your usual device.

App is not the same though, at least for me the screen makes all the difference. I can't read books on my normal tablet.

Count me as another one who'd swore she'd never get a Kindle..... only to find a book I really wanted to read but which was only available as an e-book. So I got the basic, old-fashioned touch Kindle in John Lewis, and love it. I travel quite a bit, so the advantages of the Kindle are obvious. Yes, you can just get the free app for your tablet, but reading on the custom designed Kindle screen is just so much easier on the eyes, particularly in bright light. Plus, it's much smaller and lighter than even the slickest tablet, and the battery lasts ages without having to charge it.

All things being equal, would I prefer a tradititonal book? Yes. If I don't expect to read the book when I'm travelling, and if the price of the paper book is the same or just slightly expensive than the e-book, I'd still preer the paper book. Thre's just something nice about looking at shelves fullo of book spines. I reckon a Kindle and 'real' books complement each other, if that makes any sense.

Thank you for all the good advice!

Yes, I have a Paperwhite I think it's the best value. I had the basic one but I soon realised I wanted to read in dark places, in bed, whilst waiting for DC to sleep, travelling, camping etc. I was sceptical like you but never looked back. After 5 minutes you forget you are on an e reader and just get absorbed in the book as usual.

I have a Kindle Paperwhite but only use it in extremis

OP I was you about 8 years ago. I now have a Kindle paperwhite and love it - I think I might have to replace it soon though as I've noticed that the battery isn't lasting as long as it used to.

You can download the Kindle app to any computer or tablet and try it out that way. My books are synced to kindle fire, lenovo tab ,Lenovo 19in all in one and phone. can take up anywhere.
ALso I had eye surgery and continued reading with much increasēd size of text.
l love my Kindle Fire as it is a normal tablet. so can play games and look at bank etc.
So much i bought the 10in one. so i have two. Battery back up as it were.
Yes and books are heavy to me now!

But the PaperWhite can't access Overdrive, for library books, so it's not good value. Though it is great to read on.

I think you can if you use calibre management software but you have to port them over via computer. With the kobo they go straight on.

I mean you still have to put them in adobe digital editions but you don’t need to do the extra step you have to do with the kindle.

www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165676 There are instructions how to do it here but it looks complicated. Hence why i. got a kobo.

Can someone explain to me the difference in lighting between the basic Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite? Can you read the basic one in the dark or only on the Paperwhite? And does the Paperwhite have the same advantages as the basic one in terms of not straining the eyes, or does it work more like an ordinary ipad/tablet in that sense?

The paperwhite doesn't strain your eyes, no. It is just like reading a book.

LaDame the ordinary one is just like a book - screen has no light whatsoever. If you want to read in dark, you need an external reading light.

The Kindle Fire is a tablet so has a screen more like a computer/phone, which can strain your eyes after a while.

The basic kindle is an ereader which isn’t backlit at all, so it’s much more like reading a book and therefore much easier on the eyes. You can’t read it in the dark although you can get covers with built in lights.

The Paperwhite has the ereader screen so also easier on the eyes than a tablet, but it does have a backlight so can be read in the dark.

There’s also the oasis which is an ereader and a bit fancier than the paperwhite.

All the ereaders can be used easily outdoors, whereas the screen on the Fire can’t be seen when it’s sunny.

I was just like you but got one of the early e-readers in the early 2000's and now I LOVE my kindle!! How else can you take 100 books on holiday with you? I also have the kindle app on my iPad (back up!) but the beauty of the kindle is the screen doesn't get glare so you can always read, and it's super light so you can easily read with one hand

I think a kindle or the kindle app can be great for traveling and you don't want to cart a load of books around. I used one for while but got tired of it. It dawned on my that it is a rather one-dimensional reading experience. Everything looks the same, the same font etc, you can't flick back to remind yourself of something, obviously no cover. I went back to books and I love the whole thing, different fonts lovely covers, the simple feel of a book in your hand, the small and feel of a brand new book. Can't be beaten to my mind.

But the PaperWhite can't access Overdrive, for library books, so it's not good value

Dont agree, never found much on overdrive from my local library. Love my kindle paperwhite, can read in bed without disturbing dh

I’ve got loads of ‘real’ books and about 2500 on my kindle, fabulous for holidays, commuting etc. Mines a paper white so doesn’t strain your eyes and I can read it in bright light. I got 3G so I can download books without WiFi.