advice on buying a new Kindle

[JackieLikesVariety]

I am roughly 80% sure a new Kindle is what I want rather than another e-reader or tablet, leaving 20% because I know my chromebook is "old" (in tech years) and I probably could use a new something, maybe a tablet, for things generally....

meanwhile, I LOVE having a kindle except the one I have currently (an old Kindle Fire) doesn't work well in full sunlight.

it's been super easy checking out library books on Kindle and I can highlight quotes and then share them on goodreads.

like a good Geeber I searched before starting another thread and found Smartie doesn't like the Kindle App but how is an actual Kindle different from the app on a tablet?

and Wring loves her Kindles but which one is best?

[SmartAleq]

My problem with Kindle in general is that it requires a proprietary format and won't play anything else regardless of what Amazon says about it. They don't play epub files for shit and that's the most common format around so you're basically enslaved to Amazon and its stupid rules. I like my Galaxy tablet just fine and if I'm out in the sun I just turn up the brightness on the screen.

[silenus]

I have no problems using epub stuff on my Kindle Fire. Yeah, you have to tweak the files a little, but there myriad apps that will do that for you. I have both a Fire and a standard 7" Kindle and love them both. Plus the Kindle app on my phone. I am never without reading material.

[SmartAleq]

I have Lithium installed on my phone as well with a couple of stout story anthologies I can dip into if I don't happen to have my tablet with me. Sure, it was nice having Kindle sync up my books across both my devices but the downsides got to be too annoying for me to deal with--I don't want to have to "tweak" a book I just started while reading before bed because twenty pages in I found out Kindle can't render some bog standard punctuation mark and every time I see it I'll get stabby. Maybe Amazon intentionally changed the app on its own devices to be more capable in order to drive Kindle app users to buying one of their tablets but if that's the case then it makes me even MORE intransigent about avoiding the Kindles. Besides, Lithium can find a book anywhere on my tablet, like in the BOOKS folder I set up and when I link my tablet to my laptop I can transfer books and, unlike Kindle, I can actually see what books I have on the device. Go ahead, try to find the names of books on your Kindle without using the Kindle app, see how far you get. It's just annoying.

[wring]

I have a kindle paperwhite. Because I only use it to read books on, it works great for me. and since I often borrow from the library, most of the books (at least through my system) work on kindle, the epub I just don't use - tried once to download and lost interest in the project when I couldn't get it to immediately work (instant gratification takes too long).

I prefer it to the Fire 'cause I don't need all the other stuff. I always have my kindle w/me as well as my two cell phones (I know, idiotic, but there you go) so what little I want to do other than read, one of the two phones will work.

the paperwhite has virtually no glare, and I've used it outside w/o problems.

[hilarity n. suze]

I had an original Kindle, which I could use to get on the internet but it was clunky. Then it got to where it needed to be charged after about 5 minutes (as opposed to in the beginning, when it only needed charging like once a month), and my son worked for Amazon at the time and got me a Kindle Fire.

Now the Kindle Fire is a different thing altogether, a tablet, and in fact I could watch streaming shows, movies, get email, log onto Giraffeboards, take pictures (pretty good ones), and all that. And a lot more that I never even tried. But I had to charge it every day. Like my phone at the time.

So a few months ago it fizzled out, and I mean--snow crash. And I got a Paperwhite.

So far, I love it. I can only read books on it, which is fine as that's basically what I want it for. I can also read books on my phone but that doesn't work as well for me. I see no downside to the Paperwhite and in fact it is very visible in all light--at night, outside in the sun, whatever. I can read a whole book without charging it. Well maybe not Infinite Jest.

The bad thing about all Kindles IMO is that there is a certain point when you want to keep reading and it wants to get more juice. That happened a lot less on the original and also on the Paperwhite I have now. It was bad on the Fire.

I do wish though that Amazon had been consistent in how you do things like go to a certain page, go back to something you'd bookmarked, see how far along you are in the book, etc. This stuff has been different on every single one of them.

[wring]

oh, if you want to talk about things you wish kindle would do...

I'd like it if you could easily see if you've read a book before. yeah, I can do a search, but when I click on a link to the book it will tell me if I bought it but not that I've read it.

I also wish there was a feature where you could designate interest or more importantly lack of interest in an author. there's been tons of books where I read one and thought "this person should never be allowed near a computer/typewriter/pen/paper/tablet/pile of sand - any way they could put words down to be read by others."

I will also say: I read a fuck of a lot. like close to 3000 books in the past decade or so. all on my kindle. (s - I'm up to my 5th, though one got run over by the car and one was defective). so, am on it for hours per day. it holds a charge well (if it starts not being able to do that, that's a signal to me to get a new one), but I do have to 'reboot' about once every 4 to 5 weeks. likely 'cause of the amount of use.

[JackieLikesVariety]

I read Travel and Leisure's reviews and am torn between the $80 Budget suggestion and however much more a paperwhite would be.

I also want a cover for it - the kind you can prop it up with - and of course I want free shipping.

I really want to be able to read it when I'm in sunshine, does it have to be the paperwhite for that? if I believe the Q & A on Amazon the $80 is just as good for reading outside in the sun.

Originally Posted by silenus

I have both a Fire and a standard 7" Kindle and love them both.

what is the difference? I had one I don't remember well first, but now I've had the Fire so long I don't recall.

I know the Fire is supposedly good to also surf the internet but WTF is Silk, the shittiest browser ever? I HATE doing anything on the Fire besides read books because it's so awful, but I have no idea how to tweak any of it.

Originally Posted by wring

the paperwhite has virtually no glare, and I've used it outside w/o problems.

I think I want the Paperwhite for the no-glare thing but it's more money for sure. Bestbuy has one for $109 (I think) and it's waterproof which would be good if I ever have a bathtub again...or a hot tub (think big!)

[thylacine]

Or if it rains on you while reading in the sun. I hope you love whatever you get.

[hilarity n. suze]

Actually something that came with my Paperwhite said it was waterproof--or very vaguely waterproof, as in, if you dropped it in the tub and got it out quick it would be okay.

I still put it in a Ziploc when I read in the tub though.

I think I got a cheapo "refurbished" one, whatever that means. It was somewhere around $80. There was a reason (other than being cheap) that I got it instead of the newest Paperwhite version but I don't remember what it was. But it is definitely a Paperwhite.

Right now, it does tell me if I've read a book, at least the most recent ones. I had to change some settings to get that instead of just seeing all the covers.

The thing I miss about the Fire is not seeing the covers in color. I don't miss it that much. I would rather read the title and author.

[kayaker]

I love my kindle paperwhite. If it died tomorrow I'd order a replacement immediately.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by kayaker

I love my kindle paperwhite. If it died tomorrow I'd order a replacement immediately.

yes, but the regular (non paperwhite) is cheaper and works just as well in sunshine.


Imma ask on the dope.

[kayaker]

I've had my paperwhite for a long time, but I remember when I "upgraded" it looked much better than my previous kindle.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by kayaker

I've had my paperwhite for a long time, but I remember when I "upgraded" it looked much better than my previous kindle.

yes, it used to be you HAD to have the paperwhite to read it in the sunshine but I don't think that's true now.

[SmartAleq]

Originally Posted by hilarity n. suze

I do wish though that Amazon had been consistent in how you do things like go to a certain page, go back to something you'd bookmarked, see how far along you are in the book, etc. This stuff has been different on every single one of them.

That's another thing I love about reading epub books on Lithium--consistent pagination. When I open up a book it tells me there are 276 pages and every time I tap to move on it increments by one PAGE, not "location" or whatever the fuck that is. How does it help me to know THIS book has 7068 "locations?" How many goddamned PAGES is that? Oh yeah, and when I change the font size (because that can be a little wild depending on how the epub was set up in the first place) not only can I change it by PERCENTAGE (not just big or bigger, WTF?) but when I do it also changes the page count so each time I increment a page it consistently tells me where I am in the book. BIG advantage to the open source app.

[blondbear]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

I know the Fire is supposedly good to also surf the internet but WTF is Silk, the shittiest browser ever? I HATE doing anything on the Fire besides read books because it's so awful, but I have no idea how to tweak any of it.

It may seem intimidating, but it's actually pretty easy to install Google Play on a Fire Tablet to get access to most (but not all) Google apps. I've done it on three different HD tablets without a problem and it's a nice upgrade/improvement. There are many websites and videos that provide step-by-step instructions like this one from Android Police: How to install the Google Play Store on every Amazon Fire tablet. For the price I don't think you can beat an HD tablet that has access to apps from the Google ecosystem.

NOTE: if you have any problems with the modifications you can always reset the tablet back to factory settings and try again...or return it to Amazon and get your money back.

[Dazzling White Diamonds]

Originally Posted by blondbear

It may seem intimidating, but it's actually pretty easy to install Google Play on a Fire Tablet to get access to most (but not all) Google apps.

I did this on my Fire. Took me a minute, but it worked out well.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Dazzling White Diamonds

I did this on my Fire. Took me a minute, but it worked out well.

well, I would have been willing to try Blondbear's suggestion but my Fire is no longer working right consistently. not only does the battery run down FAST, it takes a super long time to charge.

so, my new paperwhite on the way.

but...I don't otherwise have a plan for the old Fire. I guess once the new kindle is working I could try to install Google Play on the Fire and use it as an old/slow tablet.

[wring]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

so, my new paperwhite on the way.

but...I don't otherwise have a plan for the old Fire. I guess once the new kindle is working I could try to install Google Play on the Fire and use it as an old/slow tablet.

hope you like it as much as I do mine.

Friend of mine got a new paperwhite and there was some deal where Amazon would purchase her old one for 5$...

[JackieLikesVariety]

I saw a link to "trade in" my old one but couldn't make it work.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by blondbear

It may seem intimidating, but it's actually pretty easy to install Google Play on a Fire Tablet to get access to most (but not all) Google apps. I've done it on three different HD tablets without a problem and it's a nice upgrade/improvement. There are many websites and videos that provide step-by-step instructions like this one from Android Police: How to install the Google Play Store on every Amazon Fire tablet. For the price I don't think you can beat an HD tablet that has access to apps from the Google ecosystem.

OK, I have my new Kindle Paperwhite and that's going to be my device for reading ebooks.

but I have the old Kindle Fire that still works, just doesn't want to hold a charge like it used to.

@blondbear I want to try your advice and turn my Old Kindle Fire into a tablet I can do other things on.

I'll read at the link you provided but stand by, as there are likely to be questions.

[JackieLikesVariety]

I am stuck at the "before you start" first step

Remove your Fire tablet's microSD card if one is installed unless you use adoptable storage

I don't see anything removable and I don't know what adoptable storage is so pretty sure I don't have that.

OK, this kindle Fire is OLD and maybe I can't use it as a tablet by downloading google stuff


but meanwhile I have a rave so Imma go do that.


ETA despite googling how, I'm not even sure what fire I have. it was registered in 2013 (holy crap, remember that year? I wonder where I was living?)


the amazon website just says "kindle fire" and on the fire itself under settings, device, about it gives me a system version 10.5.1 so I googled that and it's 3rd generation.

meanwhile, I had about 20 million other things to do and I'll never get that half hour back.

[JackieLikesVariety]

now I'm stuck on the fact that there is no "allow apps from unknown source" under security like the link says there is.

I'm giving up for now and will go pick cherries. yay, cherries!