Kindle - for or against?

[bettertoreceive]

Rightly or wrongly, I've always been against buying a Kindle.

But it's becoming increasingly apparent that I am in the minority, and now I think maybe I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face as I hate change

Obviously it's cheaper long term, no trekking to the shops, and more environmentally friendly.

But for me, it surely doesn't come close to reading an actual book, and it's one thing I can do to get away from screens.

Has anyone felt like me and is now converted?

Or did you try it and hate it?

I agree with this and that’s why I still buy non fiction books from book stores. I don’t use Kindle for anything with pictures (biographies, recipe books, history etc.).

I have been using a kindle for years now.

For me reading is something I just do, rather than it being done sensual or emotional activity. I don't need to feel the pages or smell an old book. I read for a minimum of two hours almost every day, often longer and almost always at night time in bed.

I love the convenience. It's light and easy to hold - the Oasis which I currently have is particularly comfortable to hold, even when lying down on my side in bed.

I don't need to turn the light in so I don't disturb anyone else at night, such as Dh or Dd when in holiday in hotels.

I can use it anywhere: bed, sofa, indoor, outdoor, in the bath, in the beach, on a plane, round the pool - I've even used it sat in the pool on holiday.

It has an automatic bookmark so I never lose my place.

I have thousands of books available at any time pretty much, so long as I have Wi-Fi or can use my mobile data I can download a book in a minute or two max.

We also pay for kindle Unlimited so Dh will download magazines to his iPad app, plus all three of us can access books without additional charge whenever we want, as well as paying for books any time. We find that kindle books are often cheaper than paper based books.

All three of us use Kindles.

Dd started using one when she was in primary school. She has some dyslexic tendencies and found the kindle easier as she could increase font size and type to make it easier, esp as she was reading a lot but found the smaller text trucker when younger.

Dh needs glasses to read but with his kindle he doesn't need to as he can enlarge the font. This is easier in bed, on a plane or round the pool, etc. he also uses the iPad app for magazines. He was the last to convert to Kindle and does still sometimes read books as he and his mum often share them (he will read ones she sends over or buys) , but he doesn't buy paper based books himself now - only Kindle.

We wouldn't be without ours now.

A proper Kindle screen is very different to a phone or tablet screen, due to the way they light. You don't have the same blue light issues.

We've also found that they last for years.

I have had 4 over many years. The original, I then chose to upgrade to a paper white for the light, I lost one on a plane so replaced it and then Dh got me the Oasis as a gift in the last couple of years.

Dd has had two over that time. An original and then upgraded to a Paperwhite.

Dh has never had a new one. He had my original one first and then got my paperwhite when I upgraded to Oasis.

The two original and one paperwhite are still in use at my school.

I have to say that I don't find the Kindle Unlimited subscription a good deal at £7.99 a month. Although there are a few well known books on there (all the Harry Potter books I believe?), most of them seem to be genre fiction and self published type stuff by writers you've never heard of. Although some of it is fine, when I've had a subscription I end up reading a lot of what I'd categorise as B grade stuff to get my money's worth, leaving me less time to read the books I'd prefer. Kindle Unlimited does have out of copyright classics too, but a lot of those you can get outright for free or very cheap anyway.

There are always daily and monthly deals on Kindle books, often by better known authors. Like I think yesterday there was a Lee Child book for 99p, an Ian McEwan book last week, Kazuo Ishiguro, Kate Atkinson, Stephen King, etc etc, many well known names. And you get to keep the digital copy, it's not a loan like with KU.

I only have a subscription at the moment because I got a free 3 months due to buying a new Kindle. They do frequently have offers on KU subscriptions, but it's really not for me. But it all depends on what you want to read I suppose.

I have found the Kindle Unlimited to be good value and have found some great books on there. It's worth the free trial to see if there's stuff that appeals.

I think KU depends on your preferred genres... if you like thrillers and crime there is a wide range.

Not so good for childrens.

Huge difference between using a proper kindle and a phone app.
The light to begin with is so much better on the Kindle rather than needing to use the more damaging light if a phone or tablet.

Not at all!

I teach primary and we have some kindle e-readers (not the fire tablet) at school.

All children will experience real books anyway but there is nothing wrong with an e reader.

Infact we got one for Dd as due to dyslexic issues it made reading more enjoyable for her.

If you like reading for the words, rather than the aesthetic of reading, nothing beats a kindle.
The e-ink screen makes a huge difference compared to other screens. It is a very good simulation of an actual page.
The ability to carry tons of books, the backlight, the battery life (you can go weeks without having to charge). The newer versions are even waterproof, so you can read them in the bath without worries.
I only buy actual books for things that are heavy on diagrams/pictures nowadays.

I love my Kindle, even though it is a very early, no bells or whistles model - an absolute Godsend during lockdown.
However, I feel it's very much in addition to real books rather than a replacement.

Recipe books for me. I love them. I simply don't have the space to keep books for my everyday fiction reading.

It's a massive shame but realistically, once bought, most books are just recirculated by lending, donating or second hand book shops. Printed books only make the author and publisher money once, (less profit with costs of physically making them) but with e-books, they get a payout every time someone wants to read them whether it's 1 penny of a kindle subscription reader or full price buy to keep.
I do like a genuine book and buy them for special occasions, gifts or for children. I've also got copies of my favourites like the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and the Harry Potter collection (don't judge!) but I don't want to keep copies of random shite I like to read for mindless entertainment.

I don't use my phone in bed

Yes, same here, with cost of reserving books and the opening hours.

Currently on my bedside table, I have my Kindle and a non-fiction book. I'm definitely a 'both' person, it's not either/or.

My commute is 3 hours a day, so I "travel' every time I go to work 😂

I've been looking into eReaders on the back of this thread. I've only really used the library or bought second hand books but I like the idea of being able to carry the whole collection and pick what I fancy reading at the time instead of only taking 1 or 2 books when I'm away travelling. I don't want to go down the Kindle route as I don't want to be locked into the Amazon ecosystem. Maybe a Kobo is my christmas gift this year.

I know someone who uses a kindle for most things, but they buy books they want to own (so, maybe a favourite, an important or a beautiful version of a book).

It's fair to say that you don't always want to have your own copy of every book and not everyone can get to a library.

I do both - prefer books and magazines, but take a kindle when I need to pack light 👍

I love my paperwhite, I buy books on offer so read a load of genres I wouldn’t normally. I read a book in 1/2 days so I hate a pile of books gathering dust

@Blackdiame no you can't access library books on a Kindle, you can subscribe to Kindle Unlimited for a monthly fee, but it doesn't include all books. If you want to borrow free library books via an app like Libby/Overdrive (my library has an excellent selection, much better than Kindle Unlimited), you'd need a Kobo.

Oh I've just seen you've posted again @Blackdiame , sorry. Yes, I'd 100% recommend a Kobo. Their prices for decent books that I actually want to read seem pretty similar to Kindle's. I'd you're getting one for Xmas, you can stock up in their January sales. They usually have loads of really good titles, that are usually pricey, on offer then.

I am both for and against. I love it can hold lots of books and I can buy or borrow a new book without leaving the bed. And it's easier to hold. But I miss really owning a book and it's physical presence.

@SilverLiningPlaybook I think it depends which ebook service your library uses. Mine uses Overdrive, there’s a phone app for it called Libby. I signed up to Overdrive using the instructions on my library website, then logged into Overdrive on my Kobo. I can then either borrow books directly on my Kobo, or via the Libby app on my phone, then they appear on my Kobo. As with a regular library book, I can borrow ebooks for three weeks, unless I renew. When that time is up, they’re automatically returned and I can no longer access them. I can reserve books, (my library only seems to have a few copies of each book, and each copy can only be borrowed by one person, just like physical books) and I get a notification via Libby when they’re ready to be downloaded. It’s really good, I don’t buy much at all, most of what I read are borrowed ebooks.

I love my Kindle - I can borrow library books via Borrowbox (it’s not just a Kobo thing!), read in bed without disturbing my husband with a bedside light, read white print on a black background, which I find more restful (especially with the blue light taken out), and alter the font size. Mine’s a Fire HD, and I use my Unlimited membership to read magazines each month, and get most of my books through the daily 99p deals, including a lot of £25 ccokbooks.

My mum was quite resistant to getting an e-reader, but her arthritis made it painful to hold a paperback open - she wouldn’t be without her Kindle now. She doesn’t have an Unlimited membership but gets plenty out of the 99p or free books, and through her library via Overdrive.

Yes, you can borrow library books via Kindle Fire’s, just like you could on a phone or any other tablet. But a Kindle Fire is not an e-reader with an e-ink screen. It’s really quite a different reading experience reading on a regular tablet screen screen vs reading on an e-ink ereader (such as Kobo/Kindle Paperwhite). An e-ink reader is pretty indistinguishable from paper, whereas a Kindle Fire is just like a large phone screen. If you want to read library books on an e-ink reader, you need a Kobo. You cannot read library books on an e-ink Kindle.

My library doesn’t charge for reserving books. That seems a strange system. Where we lived previously in a different area, it was free to reserve them yourself, online or using the digital system in the library. There was only a charge for asking the librarian to reserve them.