Saw the 6.8" Kindle for the first time

[rcentros]

I was in Best Buy yesterday and saw a 6.8" Kindle for the first time. They actually didn't have this one in display mode and I was able to give it a very short (less than a minute) trial. For a nearly 6.8" reader it's small and sleek and pretty light. Screen looked good. (I didn't think to try the warm light option.) Page turns were very fast. These were the good points. But the margins were almost a 1/4" on each side and that was at the smallest margin setting. Why do they do that? I don't know if there's a workaround (and I'm not in the market for a Kindle) but those wide margins kind of spoiled it for me.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I was in Best Buy yesterday and saw a 6.8" Kindle for the first time. They actually didn't have this one in display mode and I was able to give it a very short (less than a minute) trial. For a nearly 6.8" reader it's small and sleek and pretty light. Screen looked good. (I didn't think to try the warm light option.) Page turns were very fast. These were the good points. But the margins were almost a 1/4" on each side and that was at the smallest margin setting. Why do they do that? I don't know if there's a workaround (and I'm not in the market for a Kindle) but those wide margins kind of spoiled it for me.

The workaround is to put the negative margins in the css. Works for azw3, not sure if it works for kfx.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The workaround is to put the negative margins in the css. Works for azw3, not sure if it works for kfx.

That also works for KFX.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The workaround is to put the negative margins in the css. Works for azw3, not sure if it works for kfx.

Originally Posted by jhowell

That also works for KFX.

But nothing you can do in the Kindle itself? I remember in the older Kindles there was a configuration change that would work.

[Pajamaman]

I believe the current instore ones can be jailbreaked. Install Koreader. Done. I almost tempted to get one for that reason. But I'd probably wait and get a Libra 2, and avoid all the fuss for a few dollars more.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rcentros

But nothing you can do in the Kindle itself? I remember in the older Kindles there was a configuration change that would work.

No, unless you jailbreak it.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I believe the current instore ones can be jailbreaked. Install Koreader. Done. I almost tempted to get one for that reason. But I'd probably wait and get a Libra 2, and avoid all the fuss for a few dollars more.

Originally Posted by Sirtel

No, unless you jailbreak it.

I "jailbroke" a Kindle once but something didn't take (I was able to clear revert to factory) but I'm always afraid I'm going to brick them. I don't even patch Kobos any more (and that's pretty easy).

Looking at the 6.8" Paperwhite and 7" Oasis next to each other, it made me wish PocketBook had gone with the "traditional" shape for their Era.

[Pajamaman]

Yes, jailbreaking and then installing stuff on Kindles is fiddly. Once Koreader is on, it's plain sailing. You need never see the default Amazon UI again. Bit getting to that point...meh. Li

ke I said, I think I'd rather spend a few more bucks, and get the Libra 2 which has buttons and is slightly larger too.

Though apparently the PW5 has a great battery. But the Libra 2 orange light is really nice. I'm on Onyx at the moment, but if they dilute the orangeness of their light, I will probably change to Kobo. Kobo are doing a lot of things right these days.

[JSWolf]

All Kindles have wide margins. That's what Amazon wants.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

All Kindles have wide margins. That's what Amazon wants.

I know. I have no idea why, though.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I know. I have no idea why, though.

Maybe to more mimic the margins in pBooks. I too find it annoying.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Maybe to more mimic the margins in pBooks. I too find it annoying.

I started to find it annoying after I bought my first Kobo. Before I didn't know any better and was completely content with the Kindle margins. I guess most Kindle users are the same way. And then there are a few folks who really prefer wider margins, no matter what they read on.

[gforgiraffe39935]

Wide margins help me to read faster, less eye travel. Depending on the material, I make the text into a narrow column, like an English newspaper.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by gforgiraffe39935

Wide margins help me to read faster, less eye travel. Depending on the material, I make the text into a narrow column, like an English newspaper.

I read for pleasure, so it doesn't matter how fast or slow I do it. The less text on the screen, the more often you'll have to turn pages and this constant need to turn pages would drive me nuts.

I still want a little bit of a margin, but not so wide as the smallest Kindle margins are.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I still want a little bit of a margin, but not so wide as the smallest Kindle margins are.

Same here. I don't like it right up to the edge, but much smaller than the 1/4" margins I saw on the 6.8" Kindle Paperwhite. But I think you're right, this became an issue after I started using other eReaders, like Tolinos and PocketBooks. (Maybe not completely, because I remember using the hack on my no-touch Basic Kindle, so I guess it was bothering even when I mainly used just the Kindle.)