Are you going to buy the now $79 kindle?

[patrickt]

I have the Kindle Basic. It arrived Friday so I've been reading on it for four days. I like it. Mine isn't the $79 because I am in Mexico. No special offers. I wish I could. I see no difference in the screen on my K3 and the Kindle Basic.

Why the Kindle Basic? I read books with my Kindle. That's all I do. I don't play games with my Kindle. I don't surf the internet or do my email with the Kindle. I don't want to watch movies with my ereader.

I just want a convenient device for reading books and, for me, the Kindle Basic fills the bill. I consider it an upgrade from my Kindle3 because of the on-screen keyboard. For me, it's far superior to the blasted mechanical keyboard.

[Sydney's Mom]

I bought the $79 Kindle. I refused to buy the Kindle keyboard with ads, but see I may have been paying too much. Although the ads did bother me at first, just because I wasn't used to seeing them, as of the second day, I no longer see them. Although today when I took out my kindle to read on the train, I noticed $5 for $10 Amazon gift card. Thought about it for 2 seconds, then went to my book.

[roebeet]

Already bought one, and it just showed at my door. Used it for 5 minutes and it's already better than my Kindle 3 (because it fits in my back pocket).

This thing is basically replacing my PRS-300 and my Kindle 3. The PRS-300 slipcase even fits the K4 non-touch -- barely.

Originally Posted by patrickt

....Why the Kindle Basic? I read books with my Kindle. That's all I do. I don't play games with my Kindle. I don't surf the internet or do my email with the Kindle. I don't want to watch movies with my ereader.

I just want a convenient device for reading books and, for me, the Kindle Basic fills the bill. I consider it an upgrade from my Kindle3 because of the on-screen keyboard. For me, it's far superior to the blasted mechanical keyboard.

Same here. I don't need games or a web browser. I just want a device to read with. and the Touch doesn't have side buttons which definitely would have annoyed me.

[tubemonkey]

Won't be getting it, because another $20 gets you many more features:

• touch screen
• audio player -- audiobooks, MP3s, text-to-speech
• speakers
• larger battery -- two months vs one month
• more storage -- 3+GB vs 1.25GB
• X-Ray

[Kubizo]

I would be curious to see whether the touch screen makes the readability worse.

The Sony (one of the first e-ink based touch screens) has a lot more glare and less contrast than the non-touch readers (Kindle, Cybook, etc...)

A touch screen can't be anything but a layer on top of the e-ink screen, then it must affect the contrast and reflect more light.

Anyone has already made a direct comparison?

Ciao!

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Kubizo

I would be curious to see whether the touch screen makes the readability worse.

The Sony (one of the first e-ink based touch screens) has a lot more glare and less contrast than the non-touch readers (Kindle, Cybook, etc...)

All recent touch screen e-readers, including Sony, use infra red beams.
Readability is not affected.

Originally Posted by Kubizo

A touch screen can't be anything but a layer on top of the e-ink screen, then it must affect the contrast and reflect more light.

Yes it can, and no it does not. See above.

Originally Posted by Kubizo

Anyone has already made a direct comparison?

Ciao!

[GA Russell]

I am saving up for the $79 Kindle.

I am very happy with my jetBook Lite. However, over the past two years I have downloaded a number of free kindle books thanks to koland. I have stripped them of their DRM so that I can read them on my jetBook Lite, but many of them don't look as good as they should once they have been DRM-stripped. I suppose it is a formatting issue.

So I will spend the $79 to enjoy the free Kindle books, and hope that Amazon continues to offer more free books, while I will continue to use the jetBook Lite as my primary eBook reader.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I am saving up for the $79 Kindle.

I am very happy with my jetBook Lite. However, over the past two years I have downloaded a number of free kindle books thanks to koland. I have stripped them of their DRM so that I can read them on my jetBook Lite, but many of them don't look as good as they should once they have been DRM-stripped. I suppose it is a formatting issue.

So I will spend the $79 to enjoy the free Kindle books, and hope that Amazon continues to offer more free books, while I will continue to use the jetBook Lite as my primary eBook reader.

Removing the DRM doesn't change the look of a mobi book unless it's a topaz book. I am happy to see those are less and less being given away now.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kubizo

The Sony (one of the first e-ink based touch screens) has a lot more glare and less contrast than the non-touch readers (Kindle, Cybook, etc...)

A touch screen can't be anything but a layer on top of the e-ink screen, then it must affect the contrast and reflect more light.

You are mistaken. The infra-red touchscreen used by the Sony (and all other current touchscreen devices) is not "a layer on top of the e-ink screen", but a grid of completely invisible infra-red beams emitted from the side of the screen bezel. It has no effect whatsoever on screen clarity.

[patrickt]

I find the attitude of "more features is clearly better" to be ludicrous. Not wanting what someone else wants is not synonymous with inferior.

I want a small, compact, lightweight ereader. I want buttons on the left and right for moving pages. I want an on-screen keyboard instead of the nasty mechanical keyboard with tiny keys and letters you can't read. I have no interest in 3G and a WiFi-only is perfect. Oh, and I just want to read books. I don't want to play games, surf the net, do email, or make phone calls with my ereader.

Let me see, which Kindle meets "my" needs? Oh, golly, it's the $79 Kindle Basic.

[Noughty]

I am considering touch model. But I don't like the need to move your finger every time to turn the page instead of just press. The reading is most important to me and it might be annoying. Will have to wait for reviews and hope it comes to UK too. Buying from US, might be too costly

[JoeD]

I considered the touch rather than the basic kindle since it'd be quicker to type on than using the 5-way, but the lack of buttons is a real put off. I'd rather make do with the 5-way for the odd time I need to enter some text and have physical buttons for page turning.

I don't enjoy reading on the iPad as much because you have to either tap in certain regions or swipe. I much prefer e-readers that have well placed buttons accessible when held with either hand.

Touch only wouldn't be too bad if you could manually tweak the touch regions so that you can setup regions based on how you prefer to hold the device in both hands.

[Kubizo]

All recent touch screen e-readers, including Sony, use infra red beams.
Readability is not affected.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kubizo
A touch screen can't be anything but a layer on top of the e-ink screen, then it must affect the contrast and reflect more light.
Yes it can, and no it does not. See above.

You are mistaken. The infra-red touchscreen used by the Sony (and all other current touchscreen devices) is not "a layer on top of the e-ink screen", but a grid of completely invisible infra-red beams emitted from the side of the screen bezel. It has no effect whatsoever on screen clarity.

I have to say thank you to both for correcting my wrong opinion. I really should try out a recent touch then. Thanks again

What about battery life though? Keeping those infrared beams always on must use some energy!

Many thanks again

[cmforums]

Originally Posted by SmokeAndMirrors

Man, there's a solar-powered e-reader only available in Japan. I was in a bit of a huff about that. Why can't they sell everything everywhere?

I agree 100%

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by JoeD

I considered the touch rather than the basic kindle since it'd be quicker to type on than using the 5-way, but the lack of buttons is a real put off. I'd rather make do with the 5-way for the odd time I need to enter some text and have physical buttons for page turning.

I don't enjoy reading on the iPad as much because you have to either tap in certain regions or swipe. I much prefer e-readers that have well placed buttons accessible when held with either hand.

Touch only wouldn't be too bad if you could manually tweak the touch regions so that you can setup regions based on how you prefer to hold the device in both hands.

My point exactly, and the reason why I have decided to stick up to non touch for the time being. Quite happy with the K4NT and the buttons disposition I must say.