What are some things to know before buying a kindle?

[ChocolateConnoisseur]

Hi all,
Was thinking of getting a kindle to save space on books etc. Do many people here have one? If there are any tips and tricks, if you'd leave them here I'd really appreciate it.

TIA

The Kindle app for phones/tablets is free, so you don't need to buy "a Kindle". You can download the app to multiple devices (I'm on my PC, an iPad, another android tablet and a phone!) and have access to your whole library with wifi, or selected books stored on your device if you're going to be away from wifi. I think there's some way to share a book with another Kindle user but I'm not sure how.

I've got one, but it's quite old and not backlit. If I were to upgrade, I'd go for a Kindle Paperwhite.

Really, it depends on your budget and how much you intend to use it. If it's just an addition to paper books, a budget one will suffice (or you can get used older models for pretty much peanuts!). If you're going to go fully digital, you probably want to spend as much as you can afford.

If you're bothered by adverts, check whether the model you're interested in has them - you pay a little more for an advert free one.

Kindle versus Kindle App - the battery on a Kindle lasts for ages versus a phone/tablet; it's much lighter than a tablet of equivalent size and it's optimised for reading in terms of the display and layout of functions.

I love my kindle, had one of the first ones but you can nolonger browse books on it or read free books with prime. I love how light it is compared to my tablet. Don't the kindles have less blue light? You can change the text size and colour (black/white). I equally love not having to put a light on to read but hate that I'm looking at a light screen. I'd never give it up though

Yes you can read outside in the sunlight. Not very possible with eg iPad

This is brilliant! I never knew. Thanks!

I love mine. I've had one for over 10 years. One of the best things about it is being able to read in the dark. It's also lightweight and small so easy to carry in my bag.

If you read in the bath, well have rice on hand to dry it out.

I'm dyslexic, I love that I can change the font to one that ie easier for me to read.

I'm currently down to just two, I used to have one in my bag, one in my bedroom and one in the bathroom. As long as you have wifi you can read in bed at night then in the morning pick up the same book in the kindle in your bag at the same place in the story.

If you have Alexa she can read your kindle to you.

If you sign up to BookBub you will get an email everyday with the latest offers.

I am on my third Kindle and would never want to go back to the clutter of physical books.
I prefer the 'Kindle Oasis 10th Generation' to my previous 'Kindle Paperwhite'. The main difference for me is that the backlight for reading in bed at night works in such a way that it doesn't disturb a sleeping partner.
I first bought one in 2010. I have read much more since buying one as I can always have it in my handbag easily to hand if I am waiting somewhere.
There is no downside to them whatsoever and being able to increase the font size is wonderful.

My advice is get a Kobo instead. I have both. They are very similar but with a Kobo you aren't tied to Amazon, and you can borrow books directly from Overdrive/your local library e-book collection with no late library finds and without having to go to the library. You can also use other formats. I also prefer it because I can charge it with USB C not the annoying micro USB Kindle has. No stupid ads too.

I love my kindle- it’s called pappy the paperwhite.

it’s such a good investment as there are loads of free books and if you have prime you can borrow up to 10 books at a time through prime reading. If I had paid for all of the books I’ve read in the last 13 years I would be bankrupt 😂

if you have the budget kindle unlimited is great too.

You can download the books over wifi or transfer via usb.
You can store thousands of books on the kindle
The battery lasts ages- I read every day and charge it once a month

If there are some on ebay Go for one of those. They can be reset.

If you buy directly from amazon they will sync it with your login.

Set up amazon family and you can share books. You can also get loads of kids books too.

I love mine. I would get a good quality one.

The newest ones are waterproof aren't they?

Check your local library, I ended up also buying a Kobo because I can get free books from the library

Definitely look at eBay. They can be ridiculously cheap because people sell when they upgrade.
The are amazing for travelling because you can take your whole library with the for no extra weight.
I currently have a Paperwhite and a Voyage. The Voyage is slightly smaller in size
I would go for a Kindle over the app because the screen is matt, not shiny and I like the fact that it's basically a book and doesn't do anything else so no distractions.
There's a Kindle Deal Of The Date, which offers books for 99p and you often get new releases cheaply.
I thought the Kindle was the best invention since the wheel when it came out. Like an iPod for books. It's genius.

Deal of the day
Also a benefit of eBay is that quite often a case is included and the cases can be expensive.
For example...there's a Paperwhite here, with case for £15!
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155450767158?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=P7FT_HTZSsC&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=4goRqXKbS7q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I love mine as can change text size. Mine isn't backlit which I also love as it's better for my eyes.

Every day there’s a handful of books for around 99p - today’s selection are some Miss Marples, and Ubsettled Ground by Clare Fuller (which is a good read).

Then every month there’s a much wider selection of monthly deals for £1-2, although I can find the lists tricky to navigate.

so for only a few pounds a month you can have quite a big library to read.

Paperwhite is a rip off and no better than the basic one.

It's only worth paying the extra if you want to read in the bath/ might get it wet.

I use a kindle fire. They're an extraordinarily good and easy to use general purpose tablet, well integrated with the Amazon book library. I used to love physical books, but they take up loads of space. For me a digital reader is an absolute no brainer. Hundreds of books in something not that much bigger than your phone. The 7" is only about £65, and the bigger sizes not much more. They aren't the highest performing tablet - but compare their price to (say) an ipad?

I've used a 10" kindle fire as my primary tool to complete my MSc in Computing with AI, using the word processing open office tools, and virtual desktop utilities to talk to the university servers. So there's a lot you can do with them.

If you're sure that you only want the e-reader capabilities then the specialist kindle readers offer a slightly more "paper like" experience.

As someone else mentioned, you can also just buy ebooks on Amazon and use the kindle app. If you already have a decent smart phone then you could start by ordering an ebook and reading it on your phone to see if you like the digital experience. The kindle fire and e-readers offer a better reading experience, but the kindle app actually works pretty well. I often use it on my phone.

Oh - and you're not limited to books. There's a lot of magazines you can download too.

Hope this helps!

Make sure you know which type you’re buying. As Florence says the Kindle Fire is a tablet not an e-reader. If you want the specialist e-readers don’t buy a Fire! If you read a lot I recommend the dedicated e-readers as the screen is so much easier to read on. I can’t read for long on my tablet screen as it hurts my eyes but can read for hours in the proper kindle.

I've had kindle paper whites for years and love them. Fantastic battery lasts weeks and weeks. I can read in the dark without disturbing anyone. I can read in sunlight on holidays etc with no glare. Compact and light. Holds tons of books.

I have Amazon prime so rarely pay for any books. The book shop interface is slightly clunky by modern standards but manageable.
I use mine twice a day every day minimum.

I find reading on the Kindle a far better experience than reading on a phone or tablet. Much easier on the eyes. The Kindle light doesn't seem to strain my eyes and I can read comfortably for much longer.

Try the kindle app on your phone first, I have a paerwhite and virtually never use it because the app does absolutely everything I need it to and is with me wherever I go. The paperwhite feels really clunky by comparison, I miss the side buttons for turning pages on my original kindle. I only tend to use the paperwhite on holiday and probably won't even bother with that this year as I have a new phone with really good battery life.

I like my little basic kindle. It's front lit rather than back lit, but I can't tell the difference. It's kind on my eyes - I have very poor vision in one eye now, and can't look at any glare on a screen.

DH likes his Paperwhite, which is now very old but still going strong.

It depends what you like, really. Personally I wouldn't use a Kindle Fire to read on - I use mine to watch TV. And I find the app on my phone only useful if there's no glare and the screen brightness is turned right down.