Which Kindle device for a tech dummy?

[noteven]

Which Kindle device should someone like me who regularly uses 4 features out of 2000 available on a device look at buying?

I have the Kindle app on an iPad mini but I don't like reading for extended time on that screen. 

[Mr. Camper]

I've had the original Kindle Paperwhite since it came on the market.  I read daily, it's simple and I can control the brightness on the screen, font script and size, and that is very important to me since I have AMD.  After each book I restart the kindle.  I shut it down at night to charge and even after all of these years it still holds the charge to about 60% by the end of the day.  Every day I read and repeat and it's a great e-reader.  

[agesilaus]

Yeah Paperwhite is you want if are reading books with mostly text in them, if you are looking at books with photos, maps, or other graphics then you want the Fire which is larger with a color display, but gets shorter battery life. The Fire does have a camera. There is some advanced paperwhite which is claimed to be better but it is a lot more expensive, $300 last time I looked.

 

Amazon sometimes puts the Fire on sale for less than $90. And you can hack the fire to use the google store apps.

Edited July 22, 2021 by agesilaus

[RV_]

No matter the electronic device there will always be a learning curve.

I have and would recommend the Fire Tablet 8. Not the + as you don't need extra speed or wireless charging for the extra money. This is about the size of a paperback if you can read a paperback you can set this up nicely. I am including a link to a YouTube video and below it are many more. You need to do due diligence and don't blame me or anyone else if you don't love it like many of us do for reading kindle books. Or get a Paperwhite. I always use the YouTube videos to see what others are saying and see what they look like in operation.

Link to the Fire tablet page:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TMJ1R3X?ref=MarsFS_TAB_FHD8

$89.00

Here's a video reviewing it by a gray hair like me:

There are many online to choose from. I clicked on the cc at the bottom to get closed caption with all these as my hearing isn't great.

Edited July 22, 2021 by RV_

[noteven]

Thank you for the replies

[bruce t]

You can buy any tablet and install the Kindle app on it.

I have a Samsung tablet and use the Kindle app to read all sorts of books on it.

 

 

[SWharton]

I have a Fire 8 and a Kindle Paperwhite. I prefer the Paperwhite, lighter weight and easy to handle. I charge it every week+ and I read every day for an hour+

[justRich]

Another vote for the Kindle Paperwhite.  

[RV_]

I have owned the old button controlled Kindle, then the first touch screen Kindle, two 7" Fire HDX and one 8.9" Fire HDX tablets, two 10" Fire HD tablets, an 8" fire tablet years ago, and my latest the Fire tablet 8 HD Plus.

Think of where you read books now. If you never read outdoors because like me you are online a lot and read books only in bed and sometimes when waking and being lazy, the cost of a paperwhite may not be worth it. Oh we get out but in Louisiana where we lived taking care of parents, we went places, sitting out in the heat or cold with the awful humidity and mosquitoes was not for us.

If you read at the beach and read outside now daily under your awning, at parks etc. then stay away from Fire or any other tablets - the $89 kindle is the ticket. It reads in sunlight as well as the kindle is the ticket.

If you only read in bed or inside in your recliner or chair you'll get more use out of a Fire tablet which cannot be read in sunlight.

Now we live at altitude ~ 6000 feet and sunblock is a must. If we were at the beach younger days we were in the water snorkeling/scuba or grilling. I thought having a Kindle would get me out more because I used to read 3-5 books a week indoors like Dutch in pre-Internet days.

The newest 2020 10th gen Fire 8 is on sale at Best Buy now for $49.99 https://www.bestbuy.com/site/amazon-fire-hd-8-10th-generation-8-tablet-32gb-black/6412935.p?skuId=6412935&ref=212&loc=1&ref=212&loc=BM01&gclsrc=aw.ds&msclkid=aaaa704a3cdf17ee1cbf10b0f377bc9b

Get the Kindle for outdoors. If you opt for the Fire Tablet I can tell you I use it daily for an hour to two hours. A half hour both reading and listening to Music on the throne and when taking a shower too another hour listening to music streaming from it to my Bose Bluetooth speaker.

The battery stays charged and with my few hours a day it does actually do the 12 hour battery life as I charge it about once a week leaving it on and asleep. If you use it 12 hours a day you need to plug it in to charge at night.

Whether a Kindle or a Fire make sure you order a case for it that covers the screen and protects, because pretty much all tablets are left on and the cover has a magnet that puts it to sleep when you close it. I mention that because you mentioned you don't use a lot of functions. I got this one for mine because the magnets hold the kickstand shape much better than the expensive cover Amazon sells for them. You just have to be sure of the generation of the kindle or fire. This one fits the 10th gen 2020 that is in the link on sale above and it protects much better than the Amazon one for three times the price as it has corner bumpers etc. I have had mine for almost a year and it holds up fine.

Are you already a Prime member? If not you get more bang for the buck with it and Kindle unlimited like several of us have on here. If you don't want a Prime membrship then you will likely need to get into the free lending libraries online. I used to use the libraries for books but there are some slobs out there and finding unidentifiable dried organic material like snot and blood made online books a no brainer. Not a bacteriaphobe but an ex Lab tech in one of my lives.

For folks unaware books are not the only thing you can download and watch or read later. Most streaming services you pay for allow downloads. Many Amazon Prime free movies and series can be downloaded to watch later. So you can download a few where there is free WiFi while eating lunch and reading.

If you already read mostly or a lot of the time outdoors get the Kindle not the Fire tablet. If you don't read books outside then having a Kindle won't change that. I sold my Kindle Paperwhite here as I never used it. And I have other Windows tablets but 10" is too big for in bed. That's why I sold both 10" Fire tablets and I had the newest. For me 8" is just right.

The Fire tablets also have a blue blocker I turn on at night so the light that signals staying awake are gone. It makes the screen a warm beige color for reading and I fall asleep with it on often enough.  My covers all have had kickstands.

When I see price drops like above it usually signals a new model about to come out ~ October/Nov. Black Friday time frame. That is the current model.

Amazon pretty much has the best bang for the buck tablets for folks that are not big App users like me. And once out of warranty you can jailbreak it to allow the Google Play Store use. But I never have except for a Nook years ago. I have the skills but most do not and can brick their device. That means it can never be used again.

I am not trying to get you to buy what I have. Just to understand why and why a Kindle may suit much better despite the higher prices.If you already read mostly or a lot of the time outdoors get the Kindle not the Fire tablet.

I repeat: If you already read mostly or a lot of the time outdoors get the Kindle not the Fire tablet.

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by RV_

[noteven]

Good info thanks.

A question on the Paperwhite - can manuals and such technical data available in off be downloaded to it?

[agesilaus]

Yes but they have to be in an acceptable format, .txt, pdf no problem. Epub no good, but there is a conversion software: Calibre that will convert files to a usable format.

 

calibre

Edited July 24, 2021 by agesilaus

[justRich]

1 hour ago, noteven said:

Good info thanks.

A question on the Paperwhite - can manuals and such technical data available in off be downloaded to it?

Yes.  I have several PDF manuals that I've transferred to my Paperwhite. 
It's pretty nifty to have important manuals at hand without resorting to the internet. 

Also, I often use Cutepdf writer to print anything to a pdf file.

 

[TXiceman]

I have downloaded and stored on my computer a lot of the manuals for the RV.  Tis way, I do not need the internet.

Ken

[Pat & Pete]

17 minutes ago, TXiceman said:

I have downloaded and stored on my computer a lot of the manuals for the RV.  Tis way, I do not need the internet.

Ken

I might ask exactly where you're downloading these manuals from ? 

[docj]

9 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

I might ask exactly where you're downloading these manuals from ? 

The user guides for almost any possible device you own can be found online and downloaded.  Just Google "user manual for [brand name and model]" and you'll probably find it.

Edited July 24, 2021 by docj

[Pat & Pete]

54 minutes ago, docj said:

The user guides for almost any possible device you own can be found online and downloaded.  Just Google "user manual for [brand name and model]" and you'll probably find it.

Correct . A lot manuals can be found on line ( the internet ) . 

I asked to find out how TXiceman downloaded his manuals with no need for the internet .

[docj]

33 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

I asked to find out how TXiceman downloaded his manuals with no need for the internet .

I'm pretty sure he means that by downloading the manuals he doesn't need to have internet access when he needs them.

[agesilaus]

Most equipment manuals can be found by looking online for the

manufacture name + model + manual

like Norcold 611 manual

The actual RV manual can be harder to find.

[Pat & Pete]

35 minutes ago, docj said:

I'm pretty sure he means that by downloading the manuals he doesn't need to have internet access when he needs them.

You're just being nice .. LOL

 

[noteven]

Papewhite seems to be what me is leaning to...