Old K1 may die, advice on new models?

KlondikeGeoff · 02-14-2012, 03:55 PM

My old reliable, four-year-old Kindle 1 is still plugging along, but recently I began having some glitches. Customer support, surprisingly, could not help. Probably because nobody there ever saw a Kindle 1.

Anyhow, it ain't dead yet, but may soon be, so I hied myself to the Kindle site to see whether I would want a Kindle 2 or Kindle 3.

To my surprise, I see there are now several flavors, including the Fire. It is a little difficult to decide which I want. I really am not interested in a touch screen, so that seems to narrow it down to the $79 (WHAT a bargain!) or the Keyboard 3G at $139. Considering what I paid for the original one and what you get with the new models, these prices are amazing,

OK, I have to admit I am tempted by the Fire. My wife has an iPad, which is cool, as the things it does well, it does very well. She would have gotten the Fire, except it does not have a camera which was a deal breaker for her.

But, here is the thing. I very rarely need to get online or receive email except on my desktop computer, although that feature would be helpful now and then. I have absolutely no interest in games, music, all those "apps" (which I call "programs") or any of the other bells and whistles.

I would like it as a reader because I do often read in bed and the backlighted screen really is nice, although I admire the iInk screen too. As it is only $60 more than the Keyboard 3G model, it may be hard to resist.

So, finally, I am wondering if anybody has any or pros/cons about either model? There are so many user reviews that I can't wade through too many of them, and I don't get a clear idea of strengths and weakness of either of these.

Opinions?

AnemicOak · 02-14-2012, 04:10 PM

I'd suggest hitting a Target, WalMart, BestBuy, Staples, etc. as most of them stock a variety of Kindles and you can sample them yourself. If you're fine reading from a backlit screen the only other thing I can think of that might be an issue/might not with the Fire is that the battery needs to be charged a lot more often.

Two things have me reading almost exclusively on my eInk devices as opposed to my tablet devices. I often read for hours at a time and find eInk more comfortable and my eInk devices don't provide the potential distractions that a device which does games and the internet does.

wallcraft · 02-14-2012, 04:43 PM

The differences are relatively minor. The new K4 has a shorter battery life (1 month vs 2) and half as much storage space as the K3 (1.3GB vs 3.3GB user accessible) . Amazon says that the K4 can hold 1,400 ebooks vs 3,500 on the K3, and that is about right if some of your ebooks have many illustrations. The K3 also has a 3.5mm headphone jack (audiobooks). The K4 is lighter and probably turns pages faster. The screen is the same, and much better than on the K1.

Obviously, the K3 has a physical keyboard and you can judge from your K1 how much that matters (probably not much).

AnemicOak · 02-14-2012, 04:49 PM

Oh, one thing none of the newer Kindle's have that your K1 does is a memory card slot to expand the memory. Just in case that matters.

Latinandgreek · 02-14-2012, 05:06 PM

The newer models don't have the free 3g web surfing, but the Kindle 3 (the Kindle Keyboard) does. Or at least, that is what I remember reading. This may not be important to you, however. I'm tempted to get the Kindle DX myself, as I'd love to have a large screen e-ink reader. I have a tablet, but I find that I only use it to read PDFs that don't render well on smaller devices, and which I need to make extensive notes on (in pages, on my iPad). I much prefer reading on an eink screen with a lighted cover, personally. I don't mind the backlit screen for short periods of time, but I would still be interested in getting a 9.7 (or larger) eink screen.

Blossom · 02-14-2012, 06:15 PM

If you take notes alot. You will want Kindle Keyboard or Kindle Touch.

The Kindle 4 which is the $79 model has a game controller type keyboard. This reader is great if all you gonna do is read on it, don't need TTS or audio or alot of storage. I love mine because it's tiny! It's like having a pocket reader with a 6" screen. It's the smallest Kindle and perfect for traveling.

I own a Kindle Keyboard and it's a nice reader. I find it slower then the newer Kindles but I still use mine. It sits by my bed and with Personal Document sync the newer Kindles have I can switch back and forth between my K3 or K4.

I also own a Kindle Fire. It's a nice tablet. I use it for reading when the lights are out. It's a little heavier than eInk Kindles but nice to hold but I find I prefer Eink when the lights are on.

The Kindle Touch seems to be the popular choice at the moment but it has no turn page buttons.

dwig · 02-14-2012, 09:24 PM

Another negative with the Fire is that it is 70% as heavier than a Kindle3, over twice as heavy at the basic "Kindle" (aka Kindle4 or Kindle4NT). Its not that its heavy for its class; its just that the newer eInk ereaders have become very light compared to any of the similar sized tablets.

Kindle 1 = 10.3oz
Kindle 3 (aka Kindle Keyboard) = 8.5oz WiFi (8.7oz WiFi+3g)
Kindle 4 = 6oz
Kindle Touch (5) = 7.5oz WiFi (7.8oz WiFi+3g)
Kindle Fire = 14.6oz

ucfgrad93 · 02-14-2012, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blossom

The Kindle 4 which is the $79 model has a game controller type keyboard. This reader is great if all you gonna do is read on it, don't need TTS or audio or alot of storage. I love mine because it's tiny! It's like having a pocket reader with a 6" screen. It's the smallest Kindle and perfect for traveling.

Lets not forget that this model has half the memory that the Kindle Keyboard has. Since you are not interested in a touch screen I would recommend the Kindle Keyboard.

Blossom · 02-15-2012, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

Lets not forget that this model has half the memory that the Kindle Keyboard has. Since you are not interested in a touch screen I would recommend the Kindle Keyboard.

Not really an issue. You get 5GB of personal cloud space. You can upload your books to Amazon servers and retrieve and remove them like Amazon books. The Kindle gets cranky and slow when you put too many books on it.

giorgio130 · 02-15-2012, 03:19 AM

With all these new models "old" kindle keyboards are popping up on ebay, craigslist etc... you can get a 3g Kindle 3 for as low as 80$, I'd keep an eye on that.

AlexGrama · 02-15-2012, 05:53 AM

I guess you forgot to mention that it's impossible to compare a tablet with an e-ink reader regarding the effect on long-term reading on the eyes. Basically, you compare two different technologies. As for "reading at night in bed", an external light will do the thing.

Koko · 02-15-2012, 01:05 PM

Based on what you wrote I think you should go for the 79$ kindle. If you travel some, you might want the 3G keyboard.

KlondikeGeoff · 02-15-2012, 01:39 PM

Thanks for a load of great information, all of which is very helpful.

Sounds indeed as though the $79 new Kindle is a bargain all right, as all I want to do is read, so that is very attractive.

One more question. My K1 of course has Whispernet that connects everywhere on the Sprint network. As the K4 does not have 3G, I don't quite understand whether it is possible to get a book sent wherever I am if it is in ATT territory, or only via WiFi. I know I can do this at home with my network, but often I want to buy (after reading the sample) a book while away from home. I can do that now, can I with the K4?

Disclaimer: In my post, I wrote "iInk" rather than what I well know is "eInk." Just shows how persuasive that damned Apple advertising is.

AnemicOak · 02-15-2012, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KlondikeGeoff

One more question. My K1 of course has Whispernet that connects everywhere on the Sprint network. As the K4 does not have 3G, I don't quite understand whether it is possible to get a book sent wherever I am if it is in ATT territory, or only via WiFi. I know I can do this at home with my network, but often I want to buy (after reading the sample) a book while away from home. I can do that now, can I with the K4?

The K4 is WiFi only (either your home WiFi or WiFi at places like restaurants & coffee shops), no 3G of any kind so you need a WiFi connection to get books over wireless.

For 3G you'd need the Kindle Touch (3G only for books [& Wikipedia?]) or the Kindle Keyboard 3G which can be used for books and also web browsing. Both use AT&T for their cellular/3G connection.

KlondikeGeoff · 02-15-2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The K4 is WiFi only (either your home WiFi or WiFi at places like restaurants & coffee shops), no 3G of any kind so you need a WiFi connection to get books over wireless.

For 3G you'd need the Kindle Touch (3G only for books [& Wikipedia?]) or the Kindle Keyboard 3G which can be used for books and also web browsing. Both use AT&T for their cellular/3G connection.

Thanks, Oak. Too bad, but there goes the K4. I'll go back and take a closer look at the Touch.

02-14-2012, 03:55 PM	#1
KlondikeGeoff Wombat Aficionado Posts: 455 Karma: 733 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Arizona Device: Fire, Kindle1, Sony PRS-500 Reader, Rocket 1100 eBook	Old K1 may die, advice on new models? My old reliable, four-year-old Kindle 1 is still plugging along, but recently I began having some glitches. Customer support, surprisingly, could not help. Probably because nobody there ever saw a Kindle 1. Anyhow, it ain't dead yet, but may soon be, so I hied myself to the Kindle site to see whether I would want a Kindle 2 or Kindle 3. To my surprise, I see there are now several flavors, including the Fire. It is a little difficult to decide which I want. I really am not interested in a touch screen, so that seems to narrow it down to the $79 (WHAT a bargain!) or the Keyboard 3G at $139. Considering what I paid for the original one and what you get with the new models, these prices are amazing, OK, I have to admit I am tempted by the Fire. My wife has an iPad, which is cool, as the things it does well, it does very well. She would have gotten the Fire, except it does not have a camera which was a deal breaker for her. But, here is the thing. I very rarely need to get online or receive email except on my desktop computer, although that feature would be helpful now and then. I have absolutely no interest in games, music, all those "apps" (which I call "programs") or any of the other bells and whistles. I would like it as a reader because I do often read in bed and the backlighted screen really is nice, although I admire the iInk screen too. As it is only $60 more than the Keyboard 3G model, it may be hard to resist. So, finally, I am wondering if anybody has any or pros/cons about either model? There are so many user reviews that I can't wade through too many of them, and I don't get a clear idea of strengths and weakness of either of these. Opinions?

02-14-2012, 04:10 PM	#2
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 7,389 Karma: 18766781 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: AuraHD, Nook HD+, Kindle 2,3,T , Opus, TF101, Nexus7, iPT, iPhone5	I'd suggest hitting a Target, WalMart, BestBuy, Staples, etc. as most of them stock a variety of Kindles and you can sample them yourself. If you're fine reading from a backlit screen the only other thing I can think of that might be an issue/might not with the Fire is that the battery needs to be charged a lot more often. Two things have me reading almost exclusively on my eInk devices as opposed to my tablet devices. I often read for hours at a time and find eInk more comfortable and my eInk devices don't provide the potential distractions that a device which does games and the internet does. __________________ ~Brian "The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell together, as quickly as possible." — Mark Twain

02-14-2012, 04:49 PM	#4
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 7,389 Karma: 18766781 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: AuraHD, Nook HD+, Kindle 2,3,T , Opus, TF101, Nexus7, iPT, iPhone5	Oh, one thing none of the newer Kindle's have that your K1 does is a memory card slot to expand the memory. Just in case that matters. __________________ ~Brian "The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell together, as quickly as possible." — Mark Twain

02-14-2012, 09:24 PM	#7
dwig Guru Posts: 890 Karma: 1089705 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Paradise (Key West, FL) Device: Current:Kindle 3/WiFi Retired:Clie - UX50, T415, ...	Another negative with the Fire is that it is 70% as heavier than a Kindle3, over twice as heavy at the basic "Kindle" (aka Kindle4 or Kindle4NT). Its not that its heavy for its class; its just that the newer eInk ereaders have become very light compared to any of the similar sized tablets. Kindle 1 = 10.3oz Kindle 3 (aka Kindle Keyboard) = 8.5oz WiFi (8.7oz WiFi+3g) Kindle 4 = 6oz Kindle Touch (5) = 7.5oz WiFi (7.8oz WiFi+3g) Kindle Fire = 14.6oz __________________ ----- dwig

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02-14-2012, 04:43 PM	#3
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,979 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3 and Fire	The differences are relatively minor. The new K4 has a shorter battery life (1 month vs 2) and half as much storage space as the K3 (1.3GB vs 3.3GB user accessible) . Amazon says that the K4 can hold 1,400 ebooks vs 3,500 on the K3, and that is about right if some of your ebooks have many illustrations. The K3 also has a 3.5mm headphone jack (audiobooks). The K4 is lighter and probably turns pages faster. The screen is the same, and much better than on the K1. Obviously, the K3 has a physical keyboard and you can judge from your K1 how much that matters (probably not much).

02-14-2012, 05:06 PM	#5
Latinandgreek Warrior Princess Posts: 4,876 Karma: 8504847 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505; PRS-350, PRS-T1, iPad 2, HP Touchpad	The newer models don't have the free 3g web surfing, but the Kindle 3 (the Kindle Keyboard) does. Or at least, that is what I remember reading. This may not be important to you, however. I'm tempted to get the Kindle DX myself, as I'd love to have a large screen e-ink reader. I have a tablet, but I find that I only use it to read PDFs that don't render well on smaller devices, and which I need to make extensive notes on (in pages, on my iPad). I much prefer reading on an eink screen with a lighted cover, personally. I don't mind the backlit screen for short periods of time, but I would still be interested in getting a 9.7 (or larger) eink screen.

02-14-2012, 06:15 PM	#6
Blossom Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,743 Karma: 4481274 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Eastern TN Device: PW/K4B/K4S/K3+3G KFire/SGP 5.0/LG Vortex	If you take notes alot. You will want Kindle Keyboard or Kindle Touch. The Kindle 4 which is the $79 model has a game controller type keyboard. This reader is great if all you gonna do is read on it, don't need TTS or audio or alot of storage. I love mine because it's tiny! It's like having a pocket reader with a 6" screen. It's the smallest Kindle and perfect for traveling. I own a Kindle Keyboard and it's a nice reader. I find it slower then the newer Kindles but I still use mine. It sits by my bed and with Personal Document sync the newer Kindles have I can switch back and forth between my K3 or K4. I also own a Kindle Fire. It's a nice tablet. I use it for reading when the lights are out. It's a little heavier than eInk Kindles but nice to hold but I find I prefer Eink when the lights are on. The Kindle Touch seems to be the popular choice at the moment but it has no turn page buttons.

02-15-2012, 03:19 AM	#10
giorgio130 Addict Posts: 214 Karma: 82666 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kobo Glo	With all these new models "old" kindle keyboards are popping up on ebay, craigslist etc... you can get a 3g Kindle 3 for as low as 80$, I'd keep an eye on that.

02-15-2012, 05:53 AM	#11
AlexGrama Writer Posts: 275 Karma: 345042 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Nexus 7	I guess you forgot to mention that it's impossible to compare a tablet with an e-ink reader regarding the effect on long-term reading on the eyes. Basically, you compare two different technologies. As for "reading at night in bed", an external light will do the thing.

02-15-2012, 01:05 PM	#12
Koko thinking thing Posts: 47 Karma: 29556 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Paperwhite & android	Based on what you wrote I think you should go for the 79$ kindle. If you travel some, you might want the 3G keyboard.

02-15-2012, 01:39 PM	#13
KlondikeGeoff Wombat Aficionado Posts: 455 Karma: 733 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Arizona Device: Fire, Kindle1, Sony PRS-500 Reader, Rocket 1100 eBook	Thanks for a load of great information, all of which is very helpful. Sounds indeed as though the $79 new Kindle is a bargain all right, as all I want to do is read, so that is very attractive. One more question. My K1 of course has Whispernet that connects everywhere on the Sprint network. As the K4 does not have 3G, I don't quite understand whether it is possible to get a book sent wherever I am if it is in ATT territory, or only via WiFi. I know I can do this at home with my network, but often I want to buy (after reading the sample) a book while away from home. I can do that now, can I with the K4? Disclaimer: In my post, I wrote "iInk" rather than what I well know is "eInk." Just shows how persuasive that damned Apple advertising is.

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