With What Should I Replace Kindle Keyboard?

jezebel · 07-29-2012, 04:41 PM

I've had a few Kindle Keyboard 3g's within the last couple years (I think I'm on number 3 right now). Two have had screen issues and one of those also had the fading key issue. My current Kindle now has a screen issue.

Amazon has been really good about replacing them, but I am worried they are going to say "enough is enough" at some point. Maybe now, even though this one is probably still under warranty.

I'm also thinking "maybe enough is enough". It's not like I have money to throw away on stuff like this if it's not going to last long.

So I'm thinking maybe there's better device out there for me. What I like most about the Kindle is the battery life, the speed and especially the e-ink screen. Also liked access to free books from Amazon, and I already have tons of them. Which I won't be able to read on another device.

What I don't like about the Kindle is it's fragility, the fact that I can't change the battery myself - which hasn't been an issue because mine haven't outlived their batteries, the weight increased by having to keep it in a sturdy case for it's protection (which now seems pointless) and not being able to read epubs.

The 3g has probably been less useful than I initially thought it would be because the browser is so slow,so it's not really necessary. I do like the wireless, but even then, I have only used it when I didn't feel like getting up and attaching the Kindle to the computer.

So, I'm asking for advice - what other devices are comparable but better? I would like my reader to last longer than a year!

SteveEisenberg · 07-29-2012, 05:35 PM

As indicated here, there are two companies that make highly break resistant glass:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/6/306...phones-tablets

Unfortunately, I say as someone who also has broken a Kindle 3 display, I believe that no eReader yet uses the above mentioned glass.

The only way to find a more reliable eReader, I think, would be if one of the consumer magazines, such as Consumers Reports in the US, or Which? in the UK, has frequency of repair statistics, like they have for cars. However, unless someone can show me wrong, I don't think there is objective information out there as to which eReader is the most durable.

speakingtohe · 07-29-2012, 08:01 PM

Battery life shouldn't be a big issue with most eink readers today.Even my prs-t1 seems to last approximately a month per charge with 20+ books being read. My 350 slightly longer. Have had 3 Sony's 600/350/T1 and no returns.

I bought my mother a kindle keyoard and had to return it once. The keyboard is fading a bit on the current one, bt out of warentee I am sure. My mother loves her kindle.

But...... she left her kindle behind accidentally when she came to visit me for a few days and I lent her the 350. Not saying she liked it better as I do not know. She never brings her kindle now though.

I would recommend getting another device to supplement your existing one. Maybe secondhand or refurbished. It is not that hard to sell them if you are displeased.

Helen

PS the Sony line is not perfect, but pretty reliable and easier to organise your books on

Pomtroll · 07-29-2012, 08:06 PM

I don't understand why you have been so unlucky with your Kindle3. But I don't think there is any reader out there that won't break or have issues. I've had a Nook Classic, Kindle3, Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch & Nook Touch. All have been fine so far....Well the T1 had issues when it was first out but is fine now. I can't really tell you if any one is better than the other as far as durability goes. All have lasted more than a year.

jbcohen · 07-30-2012, 07:48 AM

Well if you want to buy the one that consumers reports like then you will be buying the Nook Simple Touch with Glow light. Number two is the Simple Touch without the glow light and the third is the Kindle 3G

However I need to point out that anytime you mass produce anything there is always a number of slipups. That goes for the Nooks as well as the kindles and every time you buy an ereader of any brand you select a unit at random from the batch of available units. The likehood of getting one that has issues, as you put it, is always 50/50 and the simple fact that you have had several kindles with issues is purely random. The nooks are subject to the same thing as well. You are just as likely to get a nook with issues as a kindle with issues. The only thing the maker can do is to simply replace the one you have with another, which is sort of like spinning the wheel of chance yet again. Fortunately my kindle has some issues but nothing terminal about it, I still love reading with the thing.

I understand about the tons of free books that you have downloaded already. Simply go to calibre-ebooks.com and download calibre and you can translate those ebooks into any format you desire, this way the free ebooks in your library are sort of a non-issue.

jezebel · 07-30-2012, 10:47 AM

Thanks for the replies.

jbcohen, many of the free books are ones I got through temporary Amazon promotions and are drm'd in AZW format.

The screen "issue" on this one looks a little different that on the others. This one looks cracked, while the others didn't, which is why I'm afraid they will say "no" to a free replacement.

soulfuldog · 07-31-2012, 08:34 AM

One consideration is that if you tend to be 'unlucky' with your ereaders, there's no guarantee that other manufacturers will be as forthcoming as Amazon are about replacing them for you (though if they're less than a year old, they all should do so), particularly for a broken screen.

Personally, I'd probably still go ahead and choose a Kindle, for the Amazon support and ease of getting all those free books. However, you should consider doing as jbcohen suggested, utilise Calibre and google apprentice alf for drm removal. Unless you are really uncomfortable with that, you don't need to let the fact that you already have a load of .azw books restrict your choice of ereader.

jezebel · 07-31-2012, 09:57 AM

Thanks. I'm thinking that maybe I'll choose a different model if they won't replace this one. Maybe with a Kindle 4 or Touch. Of course, my sturdy, beautiful and expensive Oberon case will become useless, but....

HarryT · 07-31-2012, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by l_macd

One consideration is that if you tend to be 'unlucky' with your ereaders, there's no guarantee that other manufacturers will be as forthcoming as Amazon are about replacing them for you (though if they're less than a year old, they all should do so), particularly for a broken screen.

Actually, no, NOT for a broken screen. The manufacturer's warranty covers manufacturing defects, electronic failure, etc. It doesn't cover accidental breakage by the user, which is what a broken screen substrate is. Amazon are exceptional in replacing Kindles in which the user has broken the screen. I don't know of any other retailer who would do this.

soulfuldog · 07-31-2012, 01:54 PM

Is that a definite, even within the 1-year warranty period? I wasn't completely sure but I added the "particularly for a broken screen" as I had an inkling that it might be the case.

jezebel · 07-31-2012, 02:09 PM

As it turns out, since this Kindle was a replacement for a previous Kindle it only has a 90 day warranty. I'm not convinced the problems that the other 2 Kindles I had were caused by me, making me feel like replacements should have longer warranties. However, this screen looks completely different than the other ones did, so I won't argue about it. This one looks cracked and jagged, while the others had straight vertical and horizontal lines.

Amazon support did offer a discounted price for a new device of my choice, including a wi-fi only Touch or a $160 Fire. She said each would have a 1 year warranty.

Since my husband was using it when it went "bad" he's paying. So.... Maybe I'll just go for the Touch, since I seldom used the keyboard anyway after I took the time-wasting games off it.

speakingtohe · 07-31-2012, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jezebel

As it turns out, since this Kindle was a replacement for a previous Kindle it only has a 90 day warranty. I'm not convinced the problems that the other 2 Kindles I had were caused by me, making me feel like replacements should have longer warranties. However, this screen looks completely different than the other ones did, so I won't argue about it. This one looks cracked and jagged, while the others had straight vertical and horizontal lines.

Amazon support did offer a discounted price for a new device of my choice, including a wi-fi only Touch or a $160 Fire. She said each would have a 1 year warranty.

Since my husband was using it when it went "bad" he's paying. So.... Maybe I'll just go for the Touch, since I seldom used the keyboard anyway after I took the time-wasting games off it.

Good decision IMO. You get a newer model at a reasonable price(I hope) that you can still read your already owned books on.

Helen

jezebel · 08-01-2012, 12:54 PM

after reviewing the specs and reviews for the Kindle Touch and the Nook Touch, I'm finding myself changing my mind. The Nook seems better to me, with a better price, and it makes more sense, having both touchscreen page turning and physical buttons.

The Kindle I have right now is damaged in the top left hand corner. It's still useable for some books (especially if I use the page-scrolling hack I found here), and may last for awhile.

Maybe I'll get a Nook Touch now and get a K4 some time in the future.

Any thoughts?

techiemonkey · 08-05-2012, 04:22 AM

well it is your choice but still if i were you i would go with the kindle touch.a rooted one.it is much better in my opinion.if you want to see my view go to this thread started by me:http://https://www.mobileread.com/for...00#post2170600

LandSurveyor · 08-05-2012, 02:19 PM

May I intrude on this thread? I was looking at the 'which to buy' threads and this one stuck out because the model I'm most closely considering is the keyboard model. Since you are discussing dumping yours, it seemed prudent to find out why.

I have a tablet already and don't care for the short battery life so I have decided that whatever I get, it will be e-ink. I was considering the keyboard model because I have found that I really dislike the onscreen keyboard on my tablet and since this model has 3g, I might use it occasionally, even if it is slow.

But primarily it will be a reading device.

My second choice is the Nook Glowlight because it has said light and the Nooks seem to have a micro SD slot.

I don't want to have to bother to root anything if I can help it.

I'm pretty much confining myself to the Nook or Kindle universes but that's only because no other e-ink machines have stood out for me.

I hope this isn't too off-topic and I'd appreciate your thoughts.

07-29-2012, 04:41 PM	#1
jezebel Fanatic Posts: 528 Karma: 131098 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: a ferry ride from Seattle Device: Kindle Fire (5th Gen), Nook Color	With What Should I Replace Kindle Keyboard? I've had a few Kindle Keyboard 3g's within the last couple years (I think I'm on number 3 right now). Two have had screen issues and one of those also had the fading key issue. My current Kindle now has a screen issue. Amazon has been really good about replacing them, but I am worried they are going to say "enough is enough" at some point. Maybe now, even though this one is probably still under warranty. I'm also thinking "maybe enough is enough". It's not like I have money to throw away on stuff like this if it's not going to last long. So I'm thinking maybe there's better device out there for me. What I like most about the Kindle is the battery life, the speed and especially the e-ink screen. Also liked access to free books from Amazon, and I already have tons of them. Which I won't be able to read on another device. What I don't like about the Kindle is it's fragility, the fact that I can't change the battery myself - which hasn't been an issue because mine haven't outlived their batteries, the weight increased by having to keep it in a sturdy case for it's protection (which now seems pointless) and not being able to read epubs. The 3g has probably been less useful than I initially thought it would be because the browser is so slow,so it's not really necessary. I do like the wireless, but even then, I have only used it when I didn't feel like getting up and attaching the Kindle to the computer. So, I'm asking for advice - what other devices are comparable but better? I would like my reader to last longer than a year!

07-29-2012, 08:01 PM	#3
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	Battery life shouldn't be a big issue with most eink readers today.Even my prs-t1 seems to last approximately a month per charge with 20+ books being read. My 350 slightly longer. Have had 3 Sony's 600/350/T1 and no returns. I bought my mother a kindle keyoard and had to return it once. The keyboard is fading a bit on the current one, bt out of warentee I am sure. My mother loves her kindle. But...... she left her kindle behind accidentally when she came to visit me for a few days and I lent her the 350. Not saying she liked it better as I do not know. She never brings her kindle now though. I would recommend getting another device to supplement your existing one. Maybe secondhand or refurbished. It is not that hard to sell them if you are displeased. Helen PS the Sony line is not perfect, but pretty reliable and easier to organise your books on Last edited by speakingtohe; 07-29-2012 at 08:04 PM.

07-30-2012, 07:48 AM	#5
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	Well if you want to buy the one that consumers reports like then you will be buying the Nook Simple Touch with Glow light. Number two is the Simple Touch without the glow light and the third is the Kindle 3G However I need to point out that anytime you mass produce anything there is always a number of slipups. That goes for the Nooks as well as the kindles and every time you buy an ereader of any brand you select a unit at random from the batch of available units. The likehood of getting one that has issues, as you put it, is always 50/50 and the simple fact that you have had several kindles with issues is purely random. The nooks are subject to the same thing as well. You are just as likely to get a nook with issues as a kindle with issues. The only thing the maker can do is to simply replace the one you have with another, which is sort of like spinning the wheel of chance yet again. Fortunately my kindle has some issues but nothing terminal about it, I still love reading with the thing. I understand about the tons of free books that you have downloaded already. Simply go to calibre-ebooks.com and download calibre and you can translate those ebooks into any format you desire, this way the free ebooks in your library are sort of a non-issue. Last edited by jbcohen; 07-30-2012 at 07:52 AM.

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07-29-2012, 05:35 PM	#2
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,412 Karma: 43514536 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	As indicated here, there are two companies that make highly break resistant glass: http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/6/306...phones-tablets Unfortunately, I say as someone who also has broken a Kindle 3 display, I believe that no eReader yet uses the above mentioned glass. The only way to find a more reliable eReader, I think, would be if one of the consumer magazines, such as Consumers Reports in the US, or Which? in the UK, has frequency of repair statistics, like they have for cars. However, unless someone can show me wrong, I don't think there is objective information out there as to which eReader is the most durable.

07-29-2012, 08:06 PM	#4
Pomtroll Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 1341819 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Minnesota USA Device: Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch, Kindle PW1	I don't understand why you have been so unlucky with your Kindle3. But I don't think there is any reader out there that won't break or have issues. I've had a Nook Classic, Kindle3, Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch & Nook Touch. All have been fine so far....Well the T1 had issues when it was first out but is fine now. I can't really tell you if any one is better than the other as far as durability goes. All have lasted more than a year.

07-30-2012, 10:47 AM	#6
jezebel Fanatic Posts: 528 Karma: 131098 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: a ferry ride from Seattle Device: Kindle Fire (5th Gen), Nook Color	Thanks for the replies. jbcohen, many of the free books are ones I got through temporary Amazon promotions and are drm'd in AZW format. The screen "issue" on this one looks a little different that on the others. This one looks cracked, while the others didn't, which is why I'm afraid they will say "no" to a free replacement.

07-31-2012, 08:34 AM	#7
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	One consideration is that if you tend to be 'unlucky' with your ereaders, there's no guarantee that other manufacturers will be as forthcoming as Amazon are about replacing them for you (though if they're less than a year old, they all should do so), particularly for a broken screen. Personally, I'd probably still go ahead and choose a Kindle, for the Amazon support and ease of getting all those free books. However, you should consider doing as jbcohen suggested, utilise Calibre and google apprentice alf for drm removal. Unless you are really uncomfortable with that, you don't need to let the fact that you already have a load of .azw books restrict your choice of ereader.

07-31-2012, 09:57 AM	#8
jezebel Fanatic Posts: 528 Karma: 131098 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: a ferry ride from Seattle Device: Kindle Fire (5th Gen), Nook Color	Thanks. I'm thinking that maybe I'll choose a different model if they won't replace this one. Maybe with a Kindle 4 or Touch. Of course, my sturdy, beautiful and expensive Oberon case will become useless, but....

07-31-2012, 01:54 PM	#10
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	Is that a definite, even within the 1-year warranty period? I wasn't completely sure but I added the "particularly for a broken screen" as I had an inkling that it might be the case.

07-31-2012, 02:09 PM	#11
jezebel Fanatic Posts: 528 Karma: 131098 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: a ferry ride from Seattle Device: Kindle Fire (5th Gen), Nook Color	As it turns out, since this Kindle was a replacement for a previous Kindle it only has a 90 day warranty. I'm not convinced the problems that the other 2 Kindles I had were caused by me, making me feel like replacements should have longer warranties. However, this screen looks completely different than the other ones did, so I won't argue about it. This one looks cracked and jagged, while the others had straight vertical and horizontal lines. Amazon support did offer a discounted price for a new device of my choice, including a wi-fi only Touch or a $160 Fire. She said each would have a 1 year warranty. Since my husband was using it when it went "bad" he's paying. So.... Maybe I'll just go for the Touch, since I seldom used the keyboard anyway after I took the time-wasting games off it.

08-01-2012, 12:54 PM	#13
jezebel Fanatic Posts: 528 Karma: 131098 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: a ferry ride from Seattle Device: Kindle Fire (5th Gen), Nook Color	after reviewing the specs and reviews for the Kindle Touch and the Nook Touch, I'm finding myself changing my mind. The Nook seems better to me, with a better price, and it makes more sense, having both touchscreen page turning and physical buttons. The Kindle I have right now is damaged in the top left hand corner. It's still useable for some books (especially if I use the page-scrolling hack I found here), and may last for awhile. Maybe I'll get a Nook Touch now and get a K4 some time in the future. Any thoughts?

08-05-2012, 04:22 AM	#14
techiemonkey Tech Geek Forever Posts: 230 Karma: 568824 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: USA Device: Kindle Touch hacked	well it is your choice but still if i were you i would go with the kindle touch.a rooted one.it is much better in my opinion.if you want to see my view go to this thread started by me:http://https://www.mobileread.com/for...00#post2170600

08-05-2012, 02:19 PM	#15
LandSurveyor infrequent visitor Posts: 20 Karma: 502444 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Southeastern USA Device: Samsung smartphone, HP Touchpad, searcing for the best e-ink device	May I intrude on this thread? I was looking at the 'which to buy' threads and this one stuck out because the model I'm most closely considering is the keyboard model. Since you are discussing dumping yours, it seemed prudent to find out why. I have a tablet already and don't care for the short battery life so I have decided that whatever I get, it will be e-ink. I was considering the keyboard model because I have found that I really dislike the onscreen keyboard on my tablet and since this model has 3g, I might use it occasionally, even if it is slow. But primarily it will be a reading device. My second choice is the Nook Glowlight because it has said light and the Nooks seem to have a micro SD slot. I don't want to have to bother to root anything if I can help it. I'm pretty much confining myself to the Nook or Kindle universes but that's only because no other e-ink machines have stood out for me. I hope this isn't too off-topic and I'd appreciate your thoughts.

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