Almost time to replace my kindle 3

[JollyRoger]

I have an old Kindle 3, the one with the keyboard at the bottom. I've never really used the keyboard but what I like about this model is the paired buttons.
There are two buttons each side, one page forward and one page reverse, so whichever hand you tend to be holding with you can navigate with a thumb very easily.
The newer models tend to be touch screen which I dislike intensely. Apart from having to touch the screen which is counter intuitive, you don't get forward and back on each side within easy reach of your thumb.
I've just had a struggle to find a new screen for mine after I broke it but if anything else goes wrong it will have to be a new reader.
So, does anyone know of a decent model that can be operated by buttons? I can't find one.

[Cinisajoy]

I can easily turn the page forward and backwards with my left thumb. Just tried and that was holding it with my left hand.
Have you ever tried the basic touch screen kindle?
However if you want buttons, they make the Voyage and the Oasis.
Now why is it about time?
If it ain't broke don't replace it.

Or alternately, check your local pawn shops. I saw a kindle keyboard the other day in one.

[barryem]

With the new Kindles with touchscreens you have two page turn options, tapping and swiping. If you tap then you're correct. You tap the right side to page forward and the left to page back. If you swipe then it doesn't matter where you swipe. The direction of the swipe determines the direction of the page turn.

Swiping takes only a very small movement and I often swipe with a thumb while holding the Kindle. I can and do swipe with either thumb, depending on how I'm holding it. I do find it easier to use a finger from my other hand most of the time but that's me. I do both at various times.

When I bought my first touch screen Kindle, the original Touch, I had a Kindle 3 also and I was sure I'd hate the touch screen but I made up my mind to use it excusively for a full week before deciding. That left me plenty of time to return it, which I expected to do.

Sure enough, at the end of the week I hated the touch screen and I got out my K3 and called Amazon about returning the Touch. But that day, trying to get used to the page buttons again and trying not to send myself to the next page with a twitch before I was ready, changed my mind. I called Amazon and kept the Touch and about a month later I sold my Kindle 3. That once graceful device had somehow magically transformed into a clumsy and awkward and overly large and heavy PITA.

I have a friend with a Kindle 3 and I help her with it at times and every time I do I wonder why she doesn't upgrade. She's perfectly happy with it but I really don't know why. I've offered to lend her my spare Paperwhite to let her try it out but she isn't interested. Nice to know there's someone somewhere who's more stubborn than I am.

I'm not expecting to change your mind but if you do want to try the touchscreen Kindles you have a month to return it, no questions asked. Amazon is real good about that.

Barry

[Hemmi]

There is a secondhand market for older Kindles and Sonys which have page turn buttons.

I feel your pain about touchscreens. I tried a Kobo Touch exclusively for about a month and we just did not get along. I couldn't seem to tap or swipe correctly for it to work and I ened up more frustrated than ever and wishing for my old Sony.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JollyRoger

So, does anyone know of a decent model that can be operated by buttons? I can't find one.

The Oasis has excellent page-turn buttons which can be used with either hand. The Voyage has page-press sensors, they're almost as good (IMHO).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

There is a secondhand market for older Kindles and Sonys which have page turn buttons.

I feel your pain about touchscreens. I tried a Kobo Touch exclusively for about a month and we just did not get along. I couldn't seem to tap or swipe correctly for it to work and I ened up more frustrated than ever and wishing for my old Sony.

One problem with old Sonys and old Kindles is they get really slow when reading eBooks with large graphics due to a slow processor and a low amount of RAM.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One problem with old Sonys and old Kindles is they get really slow when reading eBooks with large graphics due to a slow processor and a low amount of RAM.

They do???
I have an old kindle and the last 3 books I read had many pictures. It didn't slow down a bit.

[JSWolf]

It's when the graphics are of high resolution like for the newer Readers.

[JollyRoger]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I can easily turn the page forward and backwards with my left thumb. Just tried and that was holding it with my left hand.
Have you ever tried the basic touch screen kindle?
However if you want buttons, they make the Voyage and the Oasis.
Now why is it about time?
If it ain't broke don't replace it.

Or alternately, check your local pawn shops. I saw a kindle keyboard the other day in one.

How did you page forward and backward with your thumb? I tried a basic one in Tesco and it was forward on the right of the screen and backwards on the left.
It's about time because I spent weeks looking for a replacement and finally found one from a friend who had a broken one, but the screen was fine.
There are some on ebay but the price of them is not far from that of a new one with warranty so obviously that's a better bet: if I can find one with buttons

[JollyRoger]

Originally Posted by barryem

With the new Kindles with touchscreens you have two page turn options, tapping and swiping. If you tap then you're correct. You tap the right side to page forward and the left to page back. If you swipe then it doesn't matter where you swipe. The direction of the swipe determines the direction of the page turn.

Swiping takes only a very small movement and I often swipe with a thumb while holding the Kindle. I can and do swipe with either thumb, depending on how I'm holding it. I do find it easier to use a finger from my other hand most of the time but that's me. I do both at various times.

When I bought my first touch screen Kindle, the original Touch, I had a Kindle 3 also and I was sure I'd hate the touch screen but I made up my mind to use it excusively for a full week before deciding. That left me plenty of time to return it, which I expected to do.

Sure enough, at the end of the week I hated the touch screen and I got out my K3 and called Amazon about returning the Touch. But that day, trying to get used to the page buttons again and trying not to send myself to the next page with a twitch before I was ready, changed my mind. I called Amazon and kept the Touch and about a month later I sold my Kindle 3. That once graceful device had somehow magically transformed into a clumsy and awkward and overly large and heavy PITA.

I have a friend with a Kindle 3 and I help her with it at times and every time I do I wonder why she doesn't upgrade. She's perfectly happy with it but I really don't know why. I've offered to lend her my spare Paperwhite to let her try it out but she isn't interested. Nice to know there's someone somewhere who's more stubborn than I am.

I'm not expecting to change your mind but if you do want to try the touchscreen Kindles you have a month to return it, no questions asked. Amazon is real good about that.

Barry

Thanks for the explanation, I didn't know about swiping.
You could be correct. I spent a year thinking about getting a kindle, I love the joy of physical books. After all my research and getting used to Calibre and loading my first book it took me about 30 minutes to fall in love with the kindle.
However I just don't feel ready for touch screens yet. Maybe I am just stubborn

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JollyRoger

So, does anyone know of a decent model that can be operated by buttons? I can't find one.

The Kindle Voyage has solid-state buttons on each side of the screen.

The Kindle Oasis has physical buttons on one side, but it can be turned upside down to put the buttons on the other side.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by JollyRoger

How did you page forward and backward with your thumb? I tried a basic one in Tesco and it was forward on the right of the screen and backwards on the left.
It's about time because I spent weeks looking for a replacement and finally found one from a friend who had a broken one, but the screen was fine.
There are some on ebay but the price of them is not far from that of a new one with warranty so obviously that's a better bet: if I can find one with buttons

I just put my thumb either just right of middle or just left of middle and tap.
For technical sake: my thumb is 3 inches or 7.62 centimeters long.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by JollyRoger

Thanks for the explanation, I didn't know about swiping.
You could be correct. I spent a year thinking about getting a kindle, I love the joy of physical books. After all my research and getting used to Calibre and loading my first book it took me about 30 minutes to fall in love with the kindle.
However I just don't feel ready for touch screens yet. Maybe I am just stubborn

The nice thing about Amazon is that you can buy it and return it if you don't like it. That's a lot more meaningful than trying one in a store for a minute.

As for being stubborn, some people never do like tapping or swiping. That's why the latest Kindles have buttons again. I prefer swiping and even though I read mostly with a Voyage I keep the Page Press feature turned off. At one point I turned it on for a few minutes to try it and forgot to turn it back off. It was a couple of months before I realized it was left on. I just never feel a need for it.

Barry

[JollyRoger]

I've seen the price of new Kindle's too lol I think I'll try and stick with what I have and hope there's no more breakages. Or if there is it's far enough ahead that they'll hvae newer, cheaper models out with page turn keys.

[JSWolf]

You do not tap. You swipe. So with your thumb, you swipe right-to-left to page forward and left-to-right to page back. So if you want to page back, you move your thumb away from the bezel as much as you can and swipe.