Can you stand another Kindle thread?

[Libby Pritchett]

So Jeff is INSISTING that I order a Kindle, and really, who am I to disobey my husband? *snort*

I'm leaning toward the cheaper new $79 option as opposed to the Touch because of a couple of reasons. 1) the cheap one ships now as opposed to the end of Nov. and 2) I don't really care one way or the other about the touch screen. The touch does have a couple of extra perks like a bigger hard drive for holding more books and a longer battery life. I'm not sure if those things are worth waiting for though. Thoughts?

Secondly, I was looking at all the different covers they have. Is this really necessary? I mean, I know I'd never use my phone without a cover on it, but is the Kindle in that same group? I'd think adding a big bulky zipper cover would make it feel more like a book and less like a light-weight handheld device. If you have a cover that you love, can you recommend the style?

and Finally, I was just reading about the Kindle lending for books both between individuals and now through libraries. How cool is THAT? My library has a lot of kindle books on the website, but unforunately, most of them also have massive waiting lists. If we don't already, we really need to start a group of Kindle users here at SSD with a database of what books we have that are available for lending to share with each other here.

OK, I think that's it. Just not sure I'm ready to push that order button yet, and wanted to get some thoughts out!

[NeverendingJen]

I love my kindle. I have a book style cover for mine, back when the K2 was new. I always have the cover on it because it protects it, but like I said, mine is book style.

As for which model, I'm a fan of the kindle + keyboard. I know my mom is expecting to get the new kindle within the next week, and has the ktouch and the kindle fire preordered as well(we work for a developer of kindle apps, so we have to have all models availble).

[nun69]

I have no advice but I relly want the Kindle Fire

[Gemma]

I have the Kindle keyboard one and I love it. I bought a sleeve thing from Etsy when I got mine so it's not too bulky.

I'm so jealous about the Kindle lending, I don't think it's available here, we always miss out on the good stuff

[adrianka]

I'm going to watch this, because I've finally given in and plan to get a Kindle for Christmas. I still prefer paper, but I think my bookshelf space is too precious to store silly fiction that I only read once. :-)

I really don't know how many Kindles there are or what's the difference between them, I'm kind of thinking about this:

http://www.amazon.de/Kindle-Wireless...7402270&sr=8-4

or this:

http://www.amazon.de/Kindle-Wireless...7402270&sr=8-3

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by Gemma

I have the Kindle keyboard one and I love it. I bought a sleeve thing from Etsy when I got mine so it's not too bulky.

I'm so jealous about the Kindle lending, I don't think it's available here, we always miss out on the good stuff

At least you can still buy legal mp3s unlike us... We miss out on everything I think!

[Darcy Baldwin]

Originally Posted by NeverendingJen

I love my kindle. I have a book style cover for mine, back when the K2 was new. I always have the cover on it because it protects it, but like I said, mine is book style.

As for which model, I'm a fan of the kindle + keyboard. I know my mom is expecting to get the new kindle within the next week, and has the ktouch and the kindle fire preordered as well(we work for a developer of kindle apps, so we have to have all models availble).

Jen - I'd just about settled on the touch yesterday - why do you like the keyboard better? (I've been waffling hard between the two)

[Tracie Stroud]

We have the keyboard one and love it. I think I would actually prefer it over the touchscreen, b/c I read in bed, and I just hold my finger over the button to turn the page. It's in the natural place where my fingers would be holding a book, and I don't have to move to turn the page. I know that sounds incredibly lazy, but when I'm comfy in bed and going to sleep, it's a nice feature.

Libby, I would recommend a cover, for protection obviously, but also because you can get a cover with a pop out light that's the perfect size for the Kindle. Since there's no backlight in the e-ink ones, that extra little reading light makes a big difference.

[taracotta7]

I have a kindle 2 and a cover. Mine is this style though.....(image linked)



I love it because it protects it but I can still read one handed. I never take it off.

I am excited that Jeff is MAKING you get a kindle! The least you can do is submit to his authority, right?

[Julie Billingsley]

I'm not considering the basic Kindle only because of my carpal tunnel and I don't want to have to hold the Kindle in a certain way to reach the buttons. I have an ipod touch currently and love the touch navigation. If I wasn't as mobility limited on my hands, then I'd certainly consider the basic Kindle.

My debate is between the Fire and the Touch wi-fi. I think I'm going with the Touch wi-fi. I have a wonderful iMac for all the internet surfing, games, movies, that I want to watch. The Fire was appealing, but I don't *need* a do-it-all unit. Just want to read on it, so I'm probably getting the Touch wi-fi.

[Gemma]

Originally Posted by adrianka

I'm going to watch this, because I've finally given in and plan to get a Kindle for Christmas. I still prefer paper, but I think my bookshelf space is too precious to store silly fiction that I only read once. :-)

I really don't know how many Kindles there are or what's the difference between them, I'm kind of thinking about this:

http://www.amazon.de/Kindle-Wireless...7402270&sr=8-4

or this:

http://www.amazon.de/Kindle-Wireless...7402270&sr=8-3

I have the 2nd one you posted, mainly because I have problems with 3G so I didn't want to spend the extra knowing I probably won't be able to use it.

[Julie Billingsley]

oooh, let me piggyback onto your discussion. What does everyone think of the "with offers" version or the more expensive no-offers version??

[Shawna]

Those are the exact reasons I went for the $79 one, it ships now and I don't really care one way or the other if I have a touch screen. I've never had a touch screen phone so I don't think I'll miss it. Plus I can't imagine ever having 1400+ books on there so the smaller hard drive size is fine with me. I usually only read a book once so once I'm done with a book I can remove it to save space.

I didn't order any type of case, I'm planning ordering a cute little sleeve from Shelly at Pink Punk Boutique to store it in when I'm not using it. For as much as the ones on Amazon cost I'd rather have one that's a pretty fabric for about the same price!

[Stacey42]

I have the kindle keyboard with wifi and a book style cover, though usually I fold the cover part behind it to make holding it a little easier on my hands. The kindle is thin & I find holding it by itself makes my hands cramp, but with the added thickness of the cover they don't. The side buttons to turn the pages are in just the right place and I prefer a regular keyboard to a touch one. I make far far fewer typos if I can feel the buttons.
I used to be so attached to paper books too & thought I wouldn't be able to give up all the sensory input you get when you hold a book in your hand, the feel of the weight of the book,the smell of the paper & ink. But that lasted all of 15 minutes after I got my kindle I still get most of my reading material from the library in the form of paper books but I find myself missing the lightweight ease of the kindle when I am holding a big bulky hardback on my lap & it is SO much easier to pack for a trip with a kindle. I no longer have to worry about how to fit a half a dozen books into my suitcase.
Don't worry about the storage size of the cheaper one. The nice thing about the kindle is you can delete a book once you are done with it and if you want to read it again in 6 months or a year you can redownload it. I generally have about 20 books on my kindle. All the rest live in the kindle cloud & if I want them I just go to archived items and download it again.

[Libby Pritchett]

Oh, I'm totally doing the "with offers" version no matter which one I get. I'm way too cheap to pay extra to avoid the ads. I don't think they'll be that big a deal.

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by Gemma

I have the 2nd one you posted, mainly because I have problems with 3G so I didn't want to spend the extra knowing I probably won't be able to use it.

I'm actually not sure whether I need the 3G at all. :-)

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by Darcy Baldwin

Jen - I'd just about settled on the touch yesterday - why do you like the keyboard better? (I've been waffling hard between the two)

Functionality, for me. I use my kindle for notepad, an address book, and occasionally play word games on there as well, and I prefer having the keyboard. I also use it to take notes in my books, and highlight sections and quotes that I love, and I can't see it being as easy on the touch.

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by NeverendingJen

I love my kindle. I have a book style cover for mine, back when the K2 was new. I always have the cover on it because it protects it, but like I said, mine is book style.

I'm kind of lost. What is a book style cover? Yes I tried Google, but I'm not any wiser. :-)

[marlathrall]

I have an iPad, but use the Kindle app to read... I would love to set up something where we swap books on here. What a fabulous idea! My library is so far behind the times that they will never get the kindle books. Ever. The don't even have all the twilight books right now.

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by adrianka

I'm kind of lost. What is a book style cover? Yes I tried Google, but I'm not any wiser. :-)

this is what I have, but in pink

[Julie Billingsley]

I'm not planning on getting a cover. Just a screen protector and hopefully a skin.

[NeverendingJen]

Oh, adn as for 3G vs WiFi, I have the 3G, my husband has the WiFi. Both of them work great, his biggest complaint is that its not easy for him to get books when he is away from home, and he uses his more than he expected and is away from home quite a bit.

[Andrea G]

I have my Kindle 2 - it has the 3G stuff built in (it's before there was the option to choose to have it or not) and I LOVE it! I've almost had it for 2 years.

Here is the case I have on mine:


it was at Target for like $30 so I snagged it and have loved it! It's lightweight,
and I like that I don't to open it to read it. Sometimes I only a few minutes to sneak a chapter in, and this makes it easy for me.

I also have an orange sleeve that zips all the way around (I was worried about purse dust, etc. and wanted it secure).


(just like this, but it's orange)

I can cram my kindle with the plaid cover into the sleeve, but I usually don't because it's too big of a pain. If I were going somewhere really cool, like Europe, I would prolly take the orange sleeve.

If it were me, I would get it now, so you can start to enjoy it. I don't think the size is an issue, and the touch screen will be the first from Kindle, and I'm always weary of any 1st generation features to an electronic gadget.

I'm just so happy you're getting a kindle! Wahoo, Libby! Congrats! You wil it!

[aggiefamily]

Ok I don't have a kindle but I use the Nook version of this in the tub, beach and pool:

http://www.medgestore.com/products/k...device=kindle3

[nikkiARNGwife]

I didn't read all the posts so I may repeat something.

I have the keyboard 3rd Generation and I LOVE it. I also have this cover...



It opens like a book but you can fold the top cover all the way back and actually use the band that holds it closed to hold it open. I don't find that it adds too much bulk to the kindle when it's in my hand. I would recommend some kind of protection though.

As far as the special offers go I don't have that b/c it wasn't available when i purchased my kindle but I don't think I'd mind them at all. They only show up on the screensaver which you only see when it's sleeping. The default screensaver on mine is literary-type images...famous authors etc. I don't see how having ads in place of those would bother me at all if it saved me money initially.

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by NeverendingJen

this is what I have, but in pink

I see! Thanks! :-)

[Libby Pritchett]

Thanks all! I think after talking to Jeff about it, I'm gonna preorder the touch. I was really leaning toward the cheaper one, but Jeff thinks I'll end up regretting it when everyone is talking about how much they love the touch. Plus, I AM used to the touch screen navigation on my phone, so it seems like a natural option. With the added battery life and hard drive space, I don't think I'll regret it. Plus, I have some paper books that I need to finish, and I'd feel guilty doing that if I had my new toy here sitting unused while I read the other ones. LOL

I do think I'm going to wait on the cover since the Touch is in preorder now. It's scheduled for a delivery date of Nov 30-Dec 5. By that time, I'm sure there will be more options for this size (a lot of the ones you guys mentioned aren't available for the new Kindles yet). So, I will wait and see what I can find then.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

[origami]

I'm still seriously considering the iPad, but there are very specific educational apps that I want. The school that my kids attend have adopted Macs and iPads in the classrooms. (Not individually, but I'd like my kids to have better access to the iPad and the apps.) I do have an older Kindle and I'm pretty sure you can read Kindle books on the iPad too. And the new Kindles are cheap enough that if I feel like I have to have one, I'll eventually probably get one.

[mummytothree]

I'm kind of late to the party but here is my 2 cents.

The Touch needs a longer battery life because it will die faster, touch screens suck a lot of juice. Also I have the original 3rd generation Kindle, it toots a Two month battery life (with WiFi turned off) and for me it lasts about a month if I remember to turn it off instead of letting it "go to sleep", it last as about 3 weeks if I leave it in sleep mode, no WiFi on at all....on a few minutes once a week to download books. When I get the "low battery" warning light I can read it for about 4 more days. So if I'm in the middle of a book I don't really need to stop. It charges in about 2 hours.

I'm not sure how big my "HD" is but it says it can hold up to 3500 books. Right now I have 447 books on my Kindle and I still have 2672MB free!!

I have a touch screen phone and I hate it...so i would never ever get a touch screen kindle. Also with mine I can read one handed (with everything else snuggled under a blanket) just by holding it near the page turning button...can't do that with the touch. Also if you are soon to be holding a baby all the time (or so it will seem), it will be hard to turn the pages on the Touch while doing that!!

[misfitinmn]

I don't have one (yet!) but I wanted to chime in on the "with offers" stuff - I was just reading a blog post yesterday and they said that they had been getting lots of reports from people that not only are the "offers" not intrusive at all (more like a screensaver) that they were getting some GREAT offers - like $1 books, $25 off a $50 baby purchase, $10 for a $20 amazon gift card, etc! So when I get mine, I am totally getting it with offers!!

[Teresa]

I'm a little late to the party, but wanted to chime in that I love my plain old "special offers" basic Kindle. DH thought I should upgrade to the touch, but honestly, I don't care about it being a touch screen at all. The "special offers" aren't intrusive at all and I really enjoy them. I've received about $30 in Amazon money from them over the past 4-5 months. It will pay for itself eventually!

I have this sleeve and love it:



Looks like they're coming out with models for the new Kindles too.

ENJOY!!

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by mummytothree

Also with mine I can read one handed (with everything else snuggled under a blanket) just by holding it near the page turning button...can't do that with the touch. Also if you are soon to be holding a baby all the time (or so it will seem), it will be hard to turn the pages on the Touch while doing that!!

That's a good point! I wasn't planning to get one, but if I keep reading Kindle threads I'm going to end up ordering...

[Julie Billingsley]

Originally Posted by mummytothree

I have a touch screen phone and I hate it...so i would never ever get a touch screen kindle. Also with mine I can read one handed (with everything else snuggled under a blanket) just by holding it near the page turning button...can't do that with the touch. Also if you are soon to be holding a baby all the time (or so it will seem), it will be hard to turn the pages on the Touch while doing that!!

It probably depends on how responsive the Kindle touch is. I read all.the.time with the Kindle ap on my Apple iTouch and I don't even hold it. It's typically propt up on my knee or a pillow or the table and I just touch anywhere on the right side of the screen when I want to turn the page. It's so awesome. I'm hoping the Kindle Touch is the same way because it's super easy and comfortable to turn pages.

[juliemarie]

I have had the keyboard special offers kindle since last spring. I think the value of the special offers has nearly paid for itself. But I have seen a decline in the quality of the offers the last few weeks, I hope that isn't a sign of things to come.

Because I use it at home (I use my iPhone away from home) I didn't need/want a cover, however a light was a necessity for me to be able to read in the living room or bedroom at night, so I opted for the built in light cover after trying someone elses. That was actually one of the first special offers I got - it was normally $59.99 (the price must have gone down since then) and the special offer was for $29.99

[NeverendingJen]

My mom has received the new $79 kindle and so far likes it. She says it feels super lightweight and is even smaller than the K3, size wise, though the screen is the same size.

[Libby Pritchett]

Yeah the Touch touts an easy "tap" to turn pages so that it's perfect for one-handed reading. No need to "swipe." I've had a touch-screen phone for years and love it, so I really think I'll be happy with this choice. Here's what Amazon says about it:

New Touch Experience - EasyReach
Amazon invented a new type of touch experience that eliminates the fatigue caused by continuously swiping to turn the page, and that allows readers to hold Kindle with either hand while still turning pages comfortably. With EasyReach, Kindle Touch users can effortlessly page forward in a book or a periodical while holding the device with either hand. Tapping on most of the screen area will page forward, the most common action done when reading; tapping in a narrow area near the left edge of the device turns to the previous page; and tapping on the top part of the screen brings up the toolbars for further options. This is another way that Kindle helps readers get lost in the author's world.

[Kara]

I love the special offers! Some are really good ($10 for $20 gift card, $1 books, etc) and I do not find them intrusive at all.

[EliseDF]

I am new here but figured I jump in on a topic I kind of know about. I have had a Kindle since the very first one came out. I currently have the Kindle 2, but I am totally drooling for the Kindle Fire. The one thing that I really love about the Kindle is that it is not an LCD display. The screen is so much easier on the eyes! I realize that the Kindle Fire will not have that advantage, but it has lots of other nifty features. If I manage to get a Kindle Fire, I expect I will still do the bulk of my book reading on the Kindle 2. I have the kindle app on my phone and on my mac, but I only read on those if I am desperate.

To me, the most important and valuable feature of the Kindle is the Amazon customer service. My Kindle screen went wonky about 6 weeks ago. I called and spoke to a live person in less than a minute. It turned out that my warranty had expired 3 days earlier, but they sent me a brand new replacement Kindle anyway. Unfortunately, the replacement conked out on me this week, but I called again! 1 minute to connect to a live person, 5 minutes to have my replacement shipped to me with 2-day delivery. On the other hand, my MacBook Pro has given me all sorts of trouble since I got it 18 months ago and most recently went in for service. Apple had my computer for 1 solid week before anyone would take my call and give me an update. A week later, they still have it, couldn't tell me what the problem is, think they have it fixed but aren't sure and wanted to charge me $300. That is not good customer service, in my opinion. Amazon takes care of their customers and that, to me, is worthy of brand loyalty.

[Libby Pritchett]

That's really good to know, Elise! Good customer service seems to be so rare these days. I'm glad to hear that Amazon stands behind their products.

[adrianka]

So, for about a minute I thought deeply about the Touch Kindle, since Julie mentioned touch screens are better if you have a carpal tunnel... I was also wondering if the offers would be valid for me (logically, they should be, realistically, they wouldn't because that how e-commerce works).

So I went to the US Amazon, remembering that two of my colleagues got theirs at the site when Kindle was still unavailable in Europe. Guess what. They don't deliver the new ones to Europe (with or without offers). Those they do deliver they sell at a higher price than to US customers. So I'll just get a normal one at the German Amazon (which I kind of planned to anyway, but still).

I'm always deeply impressed when companies don't want my money. :-)

This is not even a rant (I don't care that much), it's just, well, a sigh.

[rach3975]

I wasn't going to get one, but I may be caving, LOL. I preordered the Touch with offers, and I'll decide within the next few weeks if that's going to be my holiday present or if I'm going to cancel. I was very tempted by the Fire until I saw the battery life. I definitely need one that can be measured in weeks or months, not hours.