Finally bought an eInk device

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by leebase

On the downside…it’s another device to carry around. I always have my phone….and in my house I also always have my tablet with me. I’m typing this from my tablet. The I’m going to set it down to read the kindle.

If I'm not likely to have any large chunk of time to read while out and about, I just take my phone. I can't read on the phone for long periods due to eyestrain but it's OK for short periods (like 15 minutes in the dentist's waiting room).

I take an e-ink reader with me if I am likely to have a longer period for reading (like a whole lunch hour).

[Bembo]

I got a refurbished/renewed Kindle PW3 (the previous generation) last year and it has been great so far after a year. I only wish I had the dark mode/black background with white text. Like you I read often in the night or in low to no light. But for the price it's a great bargain, and it makes 'carrying around' books a lot easier. I can read longer books without issue and I don't have to worry about having fun books at hand. It's easy/light enough to carry around everywhere and read in line or while waiting on the bus, etc. Plus, no distractions.

I am a bit at a loss for having to 'settle' for Amazon proprietary hardware but I'm hoping the competition will continue to improve and I won't have to rely on them forever.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Bembo

I am a bit at a loss for having to 'settle' for Amazon proprietary hardware but I'm hoping the competition will continue to improve and I won't have to rely on them forever.

Why do you have to settle for Amazon? This is not a diss for the Paperwhite, but the reality is that recent Kobos are a good match for Amazon offerings, and in 2 cases now, the Elipsa and the Forma, Kobo actually offers ereaders for which there is no Amazon equivalent.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Why do you have to settle for Amazon? This is not a diss for the Paperwhite, but the reality is that recent Kobos are a good match for Amazon offerings, and in 2 cases now, the Elipsa and the Forma, Kobo actually offers ereaders for which there is no Amazon equivalent.

The current Kindles are not a good match for the current Kiobos. The current Kobos are better then the current Kindles.

I have an H2O and a PW3. Even if someone gave me an Oasis, I would still use the H2O.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The current Kindles are not a good match for the current Kiobos. The current Kobos are better then the current Kindles.

I have an H2O and a PW3. Even if someone gave me an Oasis, I would still use the H2O.

I'm with you both on that. I use my Kobo rather than my Kindle. Perhaps the poster who made the original comment is referring to the connection between the Kindle eBook store and the Kindle device and the DRM used in the Kindle store. There are ways around that, but not everyone is aware of them or is willing to put in the extra effort. IMPO, the Kobo store isn't nearly as extensive for books that I buy as the Kindle store.

For a number of years I used my iPad rather than my eInk device. What moved me into the camp of mostly using my eInk device was buying a device that could hold my entire library.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by Bembo

I got a refurbished/renewed Kindle PW3 (the previous generation) last year and it has been great so far after a year. I only wish I had the dark mode/black background with white text. Like you I read often in the night or in low to no light.

That would have been a deal breaker for me. One of the reasons eInk has never been a priority for me is because I don't read in bright light very often. When I was reading paper books, it was always a hassle having to turn on a lamp...or read where I had a lamp near by.

Apparently I waited long enough to get one that some of the main problems I would have had were already taken care of.

Originally Posted by Bembo

I am a bit at a loss for having to 'settle' for Amazon proprietary hardware but I'm hoping the competition will continue to improve and I won't have to rely on them forever.

I am deeply within the Amazon ecosystem. Even if another eInk device were better, I doubt I'd get it. Now, I often liberate my Amazon purchased ebooks so that I can read them in my favorite ebook app instead of the kindle app. But I only buy ebooks from Amazon. Movies and music I get from Apple

I'm actually starting to really appreciate how light the kindle is. If I go to the kindle device to read instead of my iPad mini...it will be because it's lighter, not that the screen feels better to read for my eyes. I've simply never had a problem reading on smart phones or tablets.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

For a number of years I used my iPad rather than my eInk device. What moved me into the camp of mostly using my eInk device was buying a device that could hold my entire library.

I understand your thinking and yet I've never felt the need to have all my books on me. They are in the cloud and I can download them at will. Yes, it is possible Amazon may pull a book or...well...it's not possible that Amazon's ebook business will fail...but others have.

Still, I only read a couple books at a time. One fiction, one or two professional, and maybe a health book or two.

Maybe I'd feel differently if I didn't get all my ebooks from Amazon?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by leebase

Maybe I'd feel differently if I didn't get all my ebooks from Amazon?

For me, one of the reasons I moved to Calibre for library management instead of relying on Amazon was (besides buying from other stores) the lack of even basic library management features. Like grouping/sorting by genres or by custom tags. I have a huge library (as in tens of thousands) and I simply couldn't find anything in the mess that is the Amazon Cloud. Often I remember only the genre, not the title or the author. Good luck finding such a book on My Content page. In Calibre, I just search by a genre tag.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For me, one of the reasons I moved to Calibre for library management instead of relying on Amazon was (besides buying from other stores) the lack of even basic library management features. Like grouping/sorting by genres or by custom tags. I have a huge library (as in tens of thousands) and I simply couldn't find anything in the mess that is the Amazon Cloud. Often I remember only the genre, not the title or the author. Good luck finding such a book on My Content page. In Calibre, I just search by a genre tag.

I understand. I just have a list in my OneNote of the books I want to read. I have organized my Amazon books into collections. But I have hundreds, not tens of thousands.

I have so many books that I've bought and won't get to them for years. I have a dozen or so series that I buy each new book and read it right away when a new one comes out.

[leebase]

Oh no...my wife picked up my new Kindle Paperwhite - and it was love at first sight. It's all about how light it is.

[Pajamaman]

Welcome to the club. Why not get yourself an upgrade. Then she'll want that, and you'll get your old one back, unless she wants it as backup.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by leebase

I understand your thinking and yet I've never felt the need to have all my books on me. They are in the cloud and I can download them at will. Yes, it is possible Amazon may pull a book or...well...it's not possible that Amazon's ebook business will fail...but others have.

Still, I only read a couple books at a time. One fiction, one or two professional, and maybe a health book or two.

Maybe I'd feel differently if I didn't get all my ebooks from Amazon?

Different strokes for different folks. I do tend to do things a bit different from the norm. I think that most approach it as you do which is why Amazon and Apple don't seem particularly worried about competing with Calibre. I actually do get most of my books from Amazon, but I also tend to juggle a lot of books at a time and have pretty big to-be-read stacks that I like to look through in different ways.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by leebase

I said I'd buy a kindle when they dropped to $50. Well, it wasn't quite that low but I snagged a kindle paper white during this year's Prime Days.

I've been on phones and tablets for more than 10 years. I have zero problems. I read, at times, for hours on end. One of the reason I never bought an eInk device is that I already had tablets and smartphones.

My early thoughts?

Nice and light. Lighter than my phone. Nice size for novels. Would not read PDF's on it, but I still have a tablet for that.

Easy to read. The 300dpi is crisp and clear. Not AS crisp and clear as my iPhone or iPad mini. But better than a lot of pulp paperback books I've read in my life.

It's slow at loading a new book, but that's not something I do often enough to care. The "page to page" is fast enough. Not "as fast" as a smartphone or tablet, but much better than the original eInk devices. Enough, IMHO, to "not be an issue".

Dark mode was sufficient. Not "as nice" as my custom selected colors I setup in my favorite book apps. But, enough to read in the dark pleasantly. I read in dim or low light FAR more than out in the bright sunlight.

I was kind of concerned about the lighting. But, it's definitely "fine". I can read black on white or white on black with plenty of flexibility in the intensity. I can't change the intensity level as quick or easy as an app...but easily enough.

I'm sure it's going to be a lot easier to read outside in the sunlight. I haven't done that yet. Nowhere where I normally read is filled with bright sunlight. But when I need to, it will be nice to have an eInk device.

It is weird that "turning it off" still leaves an image visible. I know the battery life will be crazy good compared to my "charge every day or every couple days" with my iPad. I've never found plugging my devices in at night to be a burden. Still, it will be nice to go on a long flight or go on vacation and simply not have to worry about charging my reader.

It is kinda nice to be free of the many distractions that come from my smartphone or tablet. I always have my phone with me, so it's not like I'm ever far away from distractions. Still...I can see already what some of you have really liked on this topic.

It's a nice device. Worth the $79 I spent. It's an addition to my options. I do not see it replacing on my tablet or phone. Just augmenting.

You can buy a used Kindle for a very low price:
Here is one at Amazon right now tonight.

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader (Previous Generation - 7th) - Black, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers
51,418 ratings
Used - Very Good
$47.04
FREE delivery: Sunday, July 11
Order within 12 mins Details


There are others even cheaper.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by frahse

You can buy a used Kindle for a very low price:
Here is one at Amazon right now tonight.

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader (Previous Generation - 7th) - Black, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers
51,418 ratings
Used - Very Good
$47.04
FREE delivery: Sunday, July 11
Order within 12 mins Details


There are others even cheaper.

Good to know, thanks.

[leebase]

After a few weeks:

1. Best feature is that it is light and a nice size. My wife loves the size as well.

2. I'm always using the light. The battery life, while better than my iPad for sure. I turned off the light just to see what it was like. I'd have to have a pretty bright room in order to read without the light.

3. It is nice to have a distraction free reader.

4. It is an extra device. I still need my phone, and I still want to have my iPad with me. My wife will probably, eventually, claim this device. I'll most likely go back to my iPad. Not because the Kindle is bad - but because I have no problem reading on the iPad and it does so much more.

5. I still don't read outside where clearly an eInk device would be a better experience.