Kindle vs Kindle for PC vs print books & old lady eyes
 

Hello! Been lurking here for quite a while and now find myself with a question.

While researching my potential ereader purchase, I've been enjoying the heck out of reading ebooks on the Kindle PC. But, that is ALL I've been reading lol

I haven't picked up a "real" book in 3 or 4 months. So today I happened to try to read one and I can't see the darn thing! The flat print with these old eyes just ain't working anymore.

So, my question is this: will I be able to actually SEE the Kindle screen? Is it really "just like paper"? Because if it is, I may need to rethink my Kindle dreams and look at something else.

Thanks for any input!! Chris

Hey there. :)

With the regular Kindle you can make the font size really very big. The display is just like paper, pretty much, but you can happily tilt and twist it whatever way you want.

An option you might want to look at maybe, is a Kindle DX, to have the bigger fonts while not pushing a lot of text off of the page.

I don't see why you'd have trouble reading the Kindle, as long as you have the room well lit, and you can read a computer screen fine.

Welcome to MobileRead, bert501.

The beautiful thing about the K3 is the adjustable font...yes, you will be able to see the screen and words beautifully.

Try it already! You have 30 days to return it, no questions asked, if you do not like it. Just pay return shipping. They'll even provide the label.

And......you can download some of the beautiful books here for free to check them out.....Enjoy the forums.

One caution about the DX.........its a LOT heavier, and I didn't find it comfortable to hold at all......

No, it's not just like paper, because its... BETTER THAN PAPER!!!.. (Insert the muhahahhaahaaaa here...)

Being able to adjust the font size makes the Kindle better than paper.

If you need to use a very large font the lines may be too short for comfortable reading, but you can turn the Kindle sideways and read in landscape mode. The trade-off is that you get fewer lines. As Desertgrandma pointed out, you can try it for 30 days with a no-questions asked guarantee return policy.

I am in my seventieth year and my eyes are not good. Many paperback books had fonts so small I couldn't read them even with my glasses on. I don't have any problem with the Kindle. Never having seen the Kindle, I got the DX and that was a mistake. Shortly after I got it I saw a smaller Kindle and could read it fine so I'm going to try to sell the KindleDXG.

I tend to change the font size from daylight to night. If the light isn't excellent, I need to enlarge the font one click.

I think that the K3 and newest Sony devices have the first E-Ink displays that are really readable, and despite all their drawbacks, they are a pretty good buy if you're willing to deal with relatively limited text on a page.

However, if you are used to reading on a high contrast monitor with bright whites and dark blacks, e-paper devices will not be your cup of tea. Even though I have called the new E-Ink readable, it's still at a level of quality comparable to low-end paperbacks and newsprint. It's a very nice step above the old Vizplex stuff, but it just can't compare to the contrast from a backlit screen.

As a side note I notice that they've upgraded the Kindle for PC so that it can do 2 columns rather like a set of pages in a book. So even the Kindle App is getting better. :)

This may well be an indication that you need to see an optometrist. It quite possible that you simply need reading glasses.

As others have said, the adjustable text size on the Kindle can be a aid. It isn't, though, a replacement for getting proper correction lenses.

Real, paperback editions, are with too small fonts and is made of very low quality paper (yellowish, with fibres and grains) so when i bought my Kindle 2 i started reading again two hours a day (instead watching dumb TV shows and films at the evening).

I cannot read on PC. I have two 24" displays with extended desktop but cannot read a books on it. Not suitable. I have two laptops too (15.4" and 10.2") - too not comfortable for reading a book. For a longer than a hour, of course. I have 12 hrs a day on PC, but not reading classics or crime/fantasy books - work, blogging, chatting, etc.

Yeah, nothing beats an eink display when it comes to reading. I am only 25 and I cant avoid reading on the PC as it starts hurting my eyes in an hour. With kindle I can go for 8 hours straight (if I dont fall asleep, i.e. :)) without feeling a damn thing... So, yeah go for Kindle.

With kindle, you need a very good light source. You know how the ads say you can read it in the sun? What they don't say is you practically NEED sunlight to read it :). The more light, the better it looks. I like to go outside, put on sunglasses, sit in the shade while positioning the kindle so sunlight falls right on it. In the evening, I use a bright white light on a flexible arm mount and position it so it points toward the kindle and away from my eyes. This gives the kindle 3 the maximum contrast and makes its background look paper like white.

Of course everyone's eyes are different so you need to figure out what works for you. But don't go cheap and buy a used kindle 2. Buy the kindle 3 with the better screen. If you find you need the font so big that you get too few lines on a page to read enjoyably, then return it and get the DX latest generation. You have 30 days and amazon service is excellent.

Reading on the monitor doesn't bother me the slightest, it's the glare that kills me. Anyway, sounds like KDX will fit perfectly your needs.