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Kindle vs Paperbacks

45 replies

Summerx · 07/12/2023 08:49

Trying to decide whether a swap to a kindle is a good idea. I read a lot and like the thought of never being without a book by being able to download one. I do love the feel of an actual paperback though and don't want to waste money if a kindle is not going to work for me!

What are your pros and cons of switching to a kindle?

OP posts:
JanBlue · 07/12/2023 08:54

I love my kindle.

Got my first when the dc were small and it meant when I read, it opened on the page I was on, not the page the dc had decided to move the book mark to!

Now I like that I can adjust the font size and font need to wear readers in bed, have the paper white so can read when I wake in the middle of the night without disturbing dh, it’s lightweight so if I fall asleep it doesn’t wake me up when it lands on my face.

The only thing I dislike - and it might be user error - is I can’t always see images very well and it’s not easy to flip back to useful summary pages etc.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 07/12/2023 08:57

I much prefer to read on my Kindle, it’s easier to read lying down in bed. I have an Oasis so can use a button to turn the page. I find paper novels a bit annoying now, they are bulky and need a light. However it’s personal preference, some people will always prefer physical books.

NonanteNeuf · 07/12/2023 09:00

I was allergic to the thoughts of a kindle. I love physical books.

DH bought me one for Christmas a few years ago and I’m a half convert. I love it for reading in bed and being able to bring multiple books on holidays.

I still buy physical books because I love the experience of reading a physical book.

GoodOldEmmaNess · 07/12/2023 09:04

I like my Kindle a lot. Worth investing in the upper part of the range. I wish I'd paid a little bit more so that I had the option to turn off the touchscreen page turn, which is sometimes a little over-reactive in the bath.
Buying books on Kindle is usually a bit cheaper and it means that, in the case of run-of-the-mill books that you don't adore, you no longer have them filling your house up like sorry collections of old plastic bags.
The only thing I don't like about Kindle is that despite the various options for displaying your progress through the book, I don't 'feel' the arc of my progress through it so I have less of a grasp on the pacing of the story. Especially right at the very end. In a paper book a quick riffle lets you know where the story ends and the after-matter begins, but in a Kindle is is sometimes like being thrown out of a pub mid-drink.

determinedtomakethiswork · 07/12/2023 09:10

I read all the time and absolutely love my Kindle. I borrow library books through it and haven't bought books for a long time. The authors still benefit from you borrowing so that's fine with me!

determinedtomakethiswork · 07/12/2023 09:11

You can't borrow books with the paper right there. I just have an Amazon fire tablet and it's great.

justalittlesnoel · 07/12/2023 09:13

I love my kindle! It's great for travelling, being portable, the ease of buying books when at home. But it hasn't replaced paper books, it's joined along side them. I still buy regular books several times a month, because I love the look and feel of them, the satisfaction of finishing them too!

It's so much easier to be able to just have one little slim kindle and be able to browse for / buy books at a touch, I take it to work for my lunch breaks, travel with it all the time (slim and the battery lasts for ages!) and it's just a handy addition.

Terfosaurus · 07/12/2023 09:19

I use both. I love the feel of paper books.

But the kindle is easier to transport, especially if you're nearly at the end of the book and likely to start another one whilst you're out. You don't need to worry about losing a bookmark. If you don't know what a word means you can press and hold it and it tells you. Like a PP sometimes the pictures aren't so easy to see, and depending on how it's formatted you can't flick from the page you're on to the glossary (sometimes you can but not always)

GoodOldEmmaNess · 07/12/2023 09:39

I like that so many of you have a hybrid approach -- paper and electronic books both wonderful and both having their own advantages and niggles. That's how I feel too, but in the early days of ebooks everyone seemed to be a puritan one way or the other, which was a bit baffling.

FizzingAda · 07/12/2023 09:47

Bookaholic here. I love the kindle, I put paperback novels on it. But any non fiction Imprefer to have the real book, especially if it has pictures or diagrams. I did once buy an embroidery book on kindle, and it was hopeless, because you can't flick quickly through the pages to find an I age you want, it takes ages. But for no els it's brilliant, for all the above reasons. We have a campervan and go away for weeks at a time, so I,load up the kindle with books that would otherwise take up limited space. Horses for courses.

Cattiwampus · 07/12/2023 09:49

Kindle for fiction.
Paper for non-fiction, poetry and plays.
I’ve never managed to get my head round audiobooks though. 🙂

Dingdongkong · 07/12/2023 09:56

Always non fiction in paper form as I need to be able to flick back and forward between pages, but adore my kindle paper white.
I have kindle unlimited so happy to give up on a book if it’s rubbish guilt free. I check out the kindle daily deals everyday as there are often some really good bargains on.
My only and it’s pretty major grip is the kindle store on Paperwhite is awful, slow and always crashing and updating. I often buy books on my phone then sync my paperwhite, otherwise it can take all day.

caramac04 · 07/12/2023 09:58

I use both. The kindle paper white on dark mode is great for reading in bed. I pay for Kindle Unlimited as I read at least one book a week.

ExpensiveDecorations · 07/12/2023 10:01

I use both too, although I rarely use my actual kindle and mainly use the kindle app on my phone instead. It's great for holidays and I love being able to read books on my phone during my lunchtime at work, also being able to download them instantly. But I still have a charity shop paperback habit too.

Trenda · 07/12/2023 10:12

I was in your shoes once OP. Love books and couldn't understand how a screen can take their place. But DH wanted one for when he was travelling so i helped him choose and load up his library. Now I have lots of books ,a kindle and a 10 inch Amazon fire tablet .
On balance I much prefer the tablet which provides lots of options for both reading and non reading activities.
The kindle is fine if i am solely going to read but often i want to veer off and do something else and then go back to the book.
The only problem as a PP said is the lack of physical feedback for your progress through a book. I have found myself thumbing the right side edge of my tablet when trying to gauge how much is left to read.
You dont have to say goodbye to your book collection but a kindle / tablet does open up so many more reading opportunities.

MagpiePi · 07/12/2023 10:25

I’m still a real books person, and use the library regularly, and buy mostly second hand books, but occasionally toy with the idea of getting an e-reader, especially for holidays. However, I’m quite anti-Amazon so am hesitating at getting one. I need to research alternatives, but the last time I looked it seemed that Amazon offered the biggest range of books. Are other book lending platforms as good?

toastofthetown · 07/12/2023 10:45

I use both. My Kindle is small and light, so very transportable and makes going on holiday much easier as I can take my entire digital TBR with me, and it doesn’t take half a suitcase. The Daily Deals often have great books in them.

If you’re not sure, you could always pick up a second hand Kindle and see how you get on with it. That way if you don’t like it you’ll probably be able to sell it for the same as you bought it so no loss (other than any Kindle books you bought).

toastofthetown · 07/12/2023 10:50

MagpiePi · 07/12/2023 10:25

I’m still a real books person, and use the library regularly, and buy mostly second hand books, but occasionally toy with the idea of getting an e-reader, especially for holidays. However, I’m quite anti-Amazon so am hesitating at getting one. I need to research alternatives, but the last time I looked it seemed that Amazon offered the biggest range of books. Are other book lending platforms as good?

I have a Kindle because that’s what I bought years ago and Amazon very much locks you into the system.

Kobo is a good platform and is more flexible with formats than Kindle. I think (but happy to be corrected) a lot of self published books available on Kindle Unlimited have to be Amazon exclusives, but if you mostly read traditionally published books then I can’t imagine anything not being available. Kindle also doesn’t allow library lending on their e reader devices, whereas Kobo would allow you to.

maximist · 07/12/2023 10:51

I have two kindles, but mostly use the kindle app on my phone. I used to find notifications coming through distracting, but I've set up a reading focus which mutes the vast majority as soon as I open the kindle app, which works very nicely.

The main thing I find irritating about the actual kindles is that you can't switch them off completely, so they're usually dead when I do think about using them.

KatBurglar · 07/12/2023 10:52

I thought I would love my kindle but I hated it and gave it away. I stick to paper books now.

YewandOak · 07/12/2023 10:59

I love my signature paperwhite,I've had a Kindle for years,starting with the basic one with no light.For Christmas I'm getting the Oasis which has buttons which being the kindleaholic I am makes me excited. (yes I'm that odd)

It's portable,small enough to go in a handbag/rucksack. Having arthritis in my hands,it's lighter and easier than a thick paperback or a hardback.

I still have shelves of books and still buy the odd physical one,a Kindle isn't the best for coffee table type books with glossy pictures or maps.

Honnomushi · 07/12/2023 11:04

I love my Kobo ereader! They are also getting a lot better with their titles. I've not had any difficulties finding books I like. They've also started their own version of Kindle Unlimited which may be of interest. Kobo often have the same 99p deals that Amazon have as well. I'd definitely recommend it as an alternative to Amazon. I have a Kobo Clara which is a basic model but it's easy to use and has a back light. I've had it for over 5 years now and never had any issues with it

KitchenAngst · 07/12/2023 11:05

It's only a 'replacement' for travel and reading in bed, when the tininess and not having to sit up and switch off the reading light are good things. The rest of the time I still buy/borrow paper books.

I also find I don't retain as much of what I read on Kindle, and I would never buy a book I'm sure I'm going to love/by a favourite author on Kindle, just more disposable fiction and old favourites I also have in book form.

MagpiePi · 07/12/2023 11:25

thanks @toastofthetown and @Honnomushi

I probably looked into Kobo but at the time there didn't seem to be many books to choose from. I would want the same kind of selection that I get at the library, rather than self-published and being able to get e-books from the library would be an advantage.

GalileoHumpkins · 07/12/2023 11:57

I use both, I have a Kindle and a Samsung tablet, I prefer the tablet as the screen is bigger, I also buy lots of physical books. Kindle editions are often cheaper and I've had loads of current releases through the daily deals, which are just over a euro each.
If you have Prime you can also borrow some books for free.