Kindle or PRS-650 for a kid?

sun4384 · 10-11-2010, 11:34 AM

Hello all. First post to seek for advice. I'm about to get a Kindle 6", and want to make sure if I'm getting the right one. Here is my situation.

The reader will be a present for my son's 7th birthday. He reads a lot of books, mostly chapter books and some thicker ones like Harry Potter series. I want to keep it going that way. Since he is more than fine without color or pictures in books, I think it's OK to get an e-book reader.

The single most important thing is the screen quality. I absolutely don't want get a reader that might negatively affect his eyesight. So far I checked Kindle and Nook in person, and found Kindle's screen quality and readability is surprisingly acceptable. Nook was too slow, and black is not dark enough. I heard PRS-650 uses the same screen as Kindle's.

It looks we will not buy many books for quite some time. I hope to get as many free books as possible from Internet, esp. classic ones from Gutenberg. It looks Gutenberg already has Kindle formats for download. I plan to use Calibre for e-book management and conversion.

Kindle's wi-fi feature, if I can access websites like wikipedia, gmail, google calendar, google voice, weather.com, and the like, will be very handy I guess. If not, I'll just block its wireless access in my router. I like the dictionary feature, and If it can be looked up by typing words while reading books, it would be excellent. I don't want my son to use D-pad to navigate and lookup words. Mp3 feature, I don't care. It doesn't even support shuffle, and without expansion slot, there is no point, I guess.

I'm hesitant if I should get PRS-650 instead. It has the same Pearl screen. Though I think the touch feather is not necessary to me and my son, I greatly want to have an expansion slot. From time to time I'll be using the reader, and I hope to have my collection of documents separated from his (I want him to read his). I don't know the details yet, but I think if I put my docs in an SD card and plug it only when I need, it seems doable. Problem is I'm not sure it justifies extra $100 for PRS-650.

Any experience or advice, I'll appreciate.

desertgrandma · 10-11-2010, 11:43 AM

Welcome to MobileRead, sun4384

Just realize one thing......these devices are extremely fragile, cannot be handled roughly or dropped.

If your son is very careful with his stuff, perhaps it is a good buy.

There are thousands of wonderful books from PG downloaded here, and formatted by our own members, much better reads.

Click on the link for more info.

Salgueiros · 10-11-2010, 11:50 AM

I would not recommend such a device for a 7 year old. The screen IS very fragile, both for the Kindle and the 650.

ProfCrash · 10-11-2010, 12:21 PM

If you were to get an e-reader for your son I would go with the Kindle. It is less expensive and it has a password feature on it. That should allow you to lock the Kindle so he cannot read it without your permission.

I would get a good cover also.

Salgueiros · 10-11-2010, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

If you were to get an e-reader for your son I would go with the Kindle. It is less expensive and it has a password feature on it. That should allow you to lock the Kindle so he cannot read it without your permission.

I would get a good cover also.

Sony also allows you to lock the device using a 4 digit code.

doreenjoy · 10-11-2010, 01:58 PM

I share the caution about a 7-year-old and a fragile screen.

Personally I prefer the Sony to the Kindle for one reason -- Kindle has an odd font that tires me out after reading it for an hour or two. The letters are made up of strokes of equal thickness; the downstrokes are as thick as the cross strokes. I find it much easier to read a font that has variation in thickness.

You can find comparison shots on the web if you do a Google search. The contrast is slightly better on the Kindle, but IMO the font derailed the Kindle for me.

ProfCrash · 10-11-2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salgueiros

Sony also allows you to lock the device using a 4 digit code.

ohhh I did not know that. Good to hear. I don't use the password on my DXG all that often but it is nice to have it when I leave the house.

dordale · 10-11-2010, 03:38 PM

Welcome sun4384!!

You've gotten some good advice here. As Desert Grandma says there are a lot of great public domain books here at this site that are specifically formatted for both the Kindle and the Sony.

A couple things to consider--the Sony doesn't have any wi-fi access. This could be a good thing if giving this to your son. You could load it up with books and wouldn't have to worry about him finding a way to download stuff you'd rather he not have/see.

I have a Sony (love it) and it seems fairly sturdily built. The frame is metal as opposed to the Kindle's being plastic. But, the screen is the fragile part and I'd be uncomfortable giving my Sony to my eight year old niece.

The Sony is considerably more expensive than a wi-fi only Kindle ($229 compared to $139) so that's another consideration.

Good luck making your decision!

dordale

grooks · 10-11-2010, 03:50 PM

To the OP. You could look at some of the 5" devices as they may be easier to hold and read for a 7 year old.

sun4384 · 10-11-2010, 08:43 PM

Thank you all for valuable advice. I didn't know the screen is that fragile. It looks the screen cover is a necessity. Then, if the screen cracks, does the warranty cover that? Amazon's website doesn't make it clear.

Would it less likely to crack the screen on PRS-650, since it has sturdier housing? Then I think I would seriously consider getting it.

Salgueiros · 10-11-2010, 11:23 PM

I think screen breakage is not covered by the warranty since it does not qualify for manufacturing or hardware defect. It is something inflicted by improper use. I tried to exchange my first Sony because of the broken screen but with no success.

The sturdier casing of the Sony protects the sides and the back, but the screen is open, so anything that hits it of falls on top of it is capable of producing damage and is independent of what is used on the other sides of the device.

Xanthe · 10-11-2010, 11:25 PM

You might want to look at the Aluratek Libre Pro or the Etaco Jetbook. They use a reflective LCD screen, which while slightly grayer than the e-ink screens, are still eminently readable. I think the screens are sturdier on those. My 2 year old nephew is fascinated with my "books" (as he calls them) and he has dropped the Aluratek a few times on a hardwood floor and it has survived. My Sony I only let him play around with when he's sitting on his bed.

An ebook reader is a cool gift for a kid, and I can understand your reasons for getting one. My 5 year old niece wants one after seeing mine. But I've decided not to get her one anytime in the near future, mainly because it's not something that she would be using in school, and IMO, the under-12 age group needs to learn how to navigate paper books, how to use an actual dictionary (because looking up words in a paper dictionary introduces the reader to new words as they search out the one they want, something that doesn't happen with the electronic versions), how to take notes in long hand rather than by just highlighting and copying, and to appreciate the actual physical aspects of books with all their variations.

SpiderMatt · 10-11-2010, 11:30 PM

Amazon has been very good at replacing cracked screens but it's not something they have to do regularly since, as Salgueiros pointed out, it's not technically covered by the warranty. I think Amazon has been doing it to develop brand loyalty, which has worked pretty well for them by far. Still, I wouldn't rely on Amazon to replace it if it cracks from misuse. Amazon could decide to be pickier anytime they like.

SaraD · 10-11-2010, 11:33 PM

There is a somewhat similar thread in the General Discussion area titled " Safe to gift Sony reader to my younger sister?" (sorry, I'm not sure how to make a link to it) and it may answer some of your concerns. Please especially look for Wallcraft's recommendation about getting the 5" Sony PRS 350 for the little girl. He owns both 5" and 6" devices as well as being very knowledgeable.

I highly recommend reading both the Sony and Amazon warranty policies very carefully regardng the screens before purchasing. There are lots of "ifs, ands, & buts" involved for screens.

As to the fragility issue, it is a "yes and no" thing. The screens are made of GLASS and therefore can crack. Some people have fantastic experiences and others have had miserable ones so you will get all kinds of answers about how breakable or tough various units are. My concerns about it have made me wait far too long to finally make this purchase (2+ years), but prices have dropped by almost half in that time as well. Yet I could have enjoyed a unit for that long, too...

Overall, my view is that if you would trust the child to hold onto your smartphone for a day and have it come through physically intact then you are probably okay giving him/her a e-book reader. It very much depends on the individual child's responsibility level.

Good luck!

ThomasC · 10-12-2010, 03:09 AM

Paperbacks and comics, with a booklight (for reading under the bed-covers), is all a kid really needs in my opinion.

10-11-2010, 11:34 AM	#1
sun4384 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 1052 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: none	Kindle or PRS-650 for a kid? Hello all. First post to seek for advice. I'm about to get a Kindle 6", and want to make sure if I'm getting the right one. Here is my situation. The reader will be a present for my son's 7th birthday. He reads a lot of books, mostly chapter books and some thicker ones like Harry Potter series. I want to keep it going that way. Since he is more than fine without color or pictures in books, I think it's OK to get an e-book reader. The single most important thing is the screen quality. I absolutely don't want get a reader that might negatively affect his eyesight. So far I checked Kindle and Nook in person, and found Kindle's screen quality and readability is surprisingly acceptable. Nook was too slow, and black is not dark enough. I heard PRS-650 uses the same screen as Kindle's. It looks we will not buy many books for quite some time. I hope to get as many free books as possible from Internet, esp. classic ones from Gutenberg. It looks Gutenberg already has Kindle formats for download. I plan to use Calibre for e-book management and conversion. Kindle's wi-fi feature, if I can access websites like wikipedia, gmail, google calendar, google voice, weather.com, and the like, will be very handy I guess. If not, I'll just block its wireless access in my router. I like the dictionary feature, and If it can be looked up by typing words while reading books, it would be excellent. I don't want my son to use D-pad to navigate and lookup words. Mp3 feature, I don't care. It doesn't even support shuffle, and without expansion slot, there is no point, I guess. I'm hesitant if I should get PRS-650 instead. It has the same Pearl screen. Though I think the touch feather is not necessary to me and my son, I greatly want to have an expansion slot. From time to time I'll be using the reader, and I hope to have my collection of documents separated from his (I want him to read his). I don't know the details yet, but I think if I put my docs in an SD card and plug it only when I need, it seems doable. Problem is I'm not sure it justifies extra $100 for PRS-650. Any experience or advice, I'll appreciate.

10-11-2010, 12:21 PM	#4
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	If you were to get an e-reader for your son I would go with the Kindle. It is less expensive and it has a password feature on it. That should allow you to lock the Kindle so he cannot read it without your permission. I would get a good cover also. Last edited by ProfCrash; 10-11-2010 at 12:27 PM.

10-11-2010, 11:25 PM	#12
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	You might want to look at the Aluratek Libre Pro or the Etaco Jetbook. They use a reflective LCD screen, which while slightly grayer than the e-ink screens, are still eminently readable. I think the screens are sturdier on those. My 2 year old nephew is fascinated with my "books" (as he calls them) and he has dropped the Aluratek a few times on a hardwood floor and it has survived. My Sony I only let him play around with when he's sitting on his bed. An ebook reader is a cool gift for a kid, and I can understand your reasons for getting one. My 5 year old niece wants one after seeing mine. But I've decided not to get her one anytime in the near future, mainly because it's not something that she would be using in school, and IMO, the under-12 age group needs to learn how to navigate paper books, how to use an actual dictionary (because looking up words in a paper dictionary introduces the reader to new words as they search out the one they want, something that doesn't happen with the electronic versions), how to take notes in long hand rather than by just highlighting and copying, and to appreciate the actual physical aspects of books with all their variations. Last edited by Xanthe; 10-11-2010 at 11:34 PM.

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10-11-2010, 11:43 AM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462841 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Welcome to MobileRead, sun4384 Just realize one thing......these devices are extremely fragile, cannot be handled roughly or dropped. If your son is very careful with his stuff, perhaps it is a good buy. There are thousands of wonderful books from PG downloaded here, and formatted by our own members, much better reads. Click on the link for more info.

10-11-2010, 11:50 AM	#3
Salgueiros Eudaimonia Posts: 898 Karma: 9164418 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Sony PRS T2, Sony PRS T3, Sony DPT-RP1	I would not recommend such a device for a 7 year old. The screen IS very fragile, both for the Kindle and the 650.

10-11-2010, 01:58 PM	#6
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I share the caution about a 7-year-old and a fragile screen. Personally I prefer the Sony to the Kindle for one reason -- Kindle has an odd font that tires me out after reading it for an hour or two. The letters are made up of strokes of equal thickness; the downstrokes are as thick as the cross strokes. I find it much easier to read a font that has variation in thickness. You can find comparison shots on the web if you do a Google search. The contrast is slightly better on the Kindle, but IMO the font derailed the Kindle for me.

10-11-2010, 03:38 PM	#8
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	Welcome sun4384!! You've gotten some good advice here. As Desert Grandma says there are a lot of great public domain books here at this site that are specifically formatted for both the Kindle and the Sony. A couple things to consider--the Sony doesn't have any wi-fi access. This could be a good thing if giving this to your son. You could load it up with books and wouldn't have to worry about him finding a way to download stuff you'd rather he not have/see. I have a Sony (love it) and it seems fairly sturdily built. The frame is metal as opposed to the Kindle's being plastic. But, the screen is the fragile part and I'd be uncomfortable giving my Sony to my eight year old niece. The Sony is considerably more expensive than a wi-fi only Kindle ($229 compared to $139) so that's another consideration. Good luck making your decision! dordale

10-11-2010, 03:50 PM	#9
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	To the OP. You could look at some of the 5" devices as they may be easier to hold and read for a 7 year old.

10-11-2010, 08:43 PM	#10
sun4384 Member Posts: 11 Karma: 1052 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: none	Thank you all for valuable advice. I didn't know the screen is that fragile. It looks the screen cover is a necessity. Then, if the screen cracks, does the warranty cover that? Amazon's website doesn't make it clear. Would it less likely to crack the screen on PRS-650, since it has sturdier housing? Then I think I would seriously consider getting it.

10-11-2010, 11:23 PM	#11
Salgueiros Eudaimonia Posts: 898 Karma: 9164418 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Sony PRS T2, Sony PRS T3, Sony DPT-RP1	I think screen breakage is not covered by the warranty since it does not qualify for manufacturing or hardware defect. It is something inflicted by improper use. I tried to exchange my first Sony because of the broken screen but with no success. The sturdier casing of the Sony protects the sides and the back, but the screen is open, so anything that hits it of falls on top of it is capable of producing damage and is independent of what is used on the other sides of the device.

10-11-2010, 11:30 PM	#13
SpiderMatt Grand Arbiter Posts: 447 Karma: 1574837 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Arizona Device: iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle, Motorola Droid	Amazon has been very good at replacing cracked screens but it's not something they have to do regularly since, as Salgueiros pointed out, it's not technically covered by the warranty. I think Amazon has been doing it to develop brand loyalty, which has worked pretty well for them by far. Still, I wouldn't rely on Amazon to replace it if it cracks from misuse. Amazon could decide to be pickier anytime they like.

10-11-2010, 11:33 PM	#14
SaraD Groupie Posts: 161 Karma: 2670 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mead, WA, USA Device: Sony 650, Basic Kindle 7th generation	There is a somewhat similar thread in the General Discussion area titled " Safe to gift Sony reader to my younger sister?" (sorry, I'm not sure how to make a link to it) and it may answer some of your concerns. Please especially look for Wallcraft's recommendation about getting the 5" Sony PRS 350 for the little girl. He owns both 5" and 6" devices as well as being very knowledgeable. I highly recommend reading both the Sony and Amazon warranty policies very carefully regardng the screens before purchasing. There are lots of "ifs, ands, & buts" involved for screens. As to the fragility issue, it is a "yes and no" thing. The screens are made of GLASS and therefore can crack. Some people have fantastic experiences and others have had miserable ones so you will get all kinds of answers about how breakable or tough various units are. My concerns about it have made me wait far too long to finally make this purchase (2+ years), but prices have dropped by almost half in that time as well. Yet I could have enjoyed a unit for that long, too... Overall, my view is that if you would trust the child to hold onto your smartphone for a day and have it come through physically intact then you are probably okay giving him/her a e-book reader. It very much depends on the individual child's responsibility level. Good luck!

10-12-2010, 03:09 AM	#15
ThomasC Thunder Down Under Posts: 210 Karma: 29154 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: kindle dxg, K3, K4nt, iPhone	Paperbacks and comics, with a booklight (for reading under the bed-covers), is all a kid really needs in my opinion.

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