Not another Kindle Thread! I need help!

[LenaGardner]

UPDATED!!!!

So some of you weighed in on my Kindle drama this morning on Facebook. I have a decision to make and I'm not sure what to do!

Quick backstory:

After owning my Kindle 3rd generation for 1 year and 1 week, I picked it up on 1/1/12 and it wouldn't work. The screen saver was stuck half on and half off. The warranty is a year from the purchase date, however, and James ordered it for me a few weeks before Christmas. Definitely out of my warranty window.

Kindle CS didn't want to help but I "convinced" him and he said they would mail me a new one and I could return the damaged one. I was expecting a mailing label to be in my email inbox all morning. It didn't arrive. Because apparently, there has been a change in "Tanner"'s proposed resolution to the problem .

I instead got an email saying the original order was refunded and I have a GC for $156 waiting for me to redeem.

I called again to verify, and the new CS agent said there must have been a problem with his original proposed solution and that this was the new deal. Fair enough.

So, the price has come down over the last year and three weeks though. I have enough to almost buy two of them :lol:

Do I:

Get the Kindle 3rd Gen($79) and use the rest of the gift card for a new cover and some books.

Get the Kindle Touch ($99) and save the rest of the gift card for a new cover and some books.

Get the Kindle Fire ($199) and pay the difference

Get TWO Kindle 3rd Gen and pay the difference, and give one to James. I have a Kindle and so does Nathan, James is the only one who doesn't have one. Even though James is an English professor and librarian, he's never expressed an interest in having one. He likes 'real' books. Still, I think he might like one if he had it. Not in lieu of real books but in addition to them. He got his first smart phone this week and likes it pretty well, so maybe techno progress is being made in his life? I just think it might be sweet to surprise him but IDK.

My BIG concern with getting another 3rdG is that this IS a known problem. And this is an outdated gen. What if this just happens again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsQLUNXkpQg

That's what my screen looks like, BTW. Almost exactly!

My BIG concern with getting a newer version is that I do LIKE that the older versions are not backlit. I love the long battery life. I love the lack of eyestrain. I LOVE that it looks like a real book. I'm not certain I want to upgrade to the fancy ones and give those aspects up.

Does anyone have the Kindle Touch? Is it backlit? I must admit as an iPhone owner, when I go to read my kindle, I try to touch it, out of habit.

Please help me decide!

[nikkiARNGwife]

If it were me I'd do option 1 or 4. I like my good old 3rd generation. I don't want the fire simply b/c when I sit down with my kindle all I want to do is read..all that other stuff would just distract me. I love that it's not backlit and that it looks more like a real book. That's why I have to put my iphone far away from me when I sit with my kindle lol.

[digideb]

I vote for #1! Or, #4 & exchange James' name for Deb's! hehehe.

[Andrea G]

I'm so sorry it died on you, and thrilled to hear they gave you the GC, I think Amazon has awesome customer service.

For me, hands down, option ONE. I have a 2nd generation kindle and love it. I have big issues with the new kindles being backlit, as Nikki is saying, too. I like to read my kindle on the beach, at the park in the summer, plenty of situations where direct sunlight will be hitting my kindle. The idea of trying to read any backlit device outside is a dealbreaker for me.

In fact, all through the holiday season, when family and friends were asking which kindle to get, I always recommended the second cheapest one (which I assume is what you're referring to in option number one) so there wouldn't be ads but you just have the regular magnetic characters pages.

I've seen the kindle fire, it's definitely cool, but for me, I really just like my plain, more basic kindle. I don't want to play games on my kindle, I have my phone and my computer if I have time to do that, which most of the time I don't.

Also, I would use the difference in the amount of the GC and the new kindle to buy more books! (guilt free!)

That's my 2 ¢ - hope it helps! You'll have to let us know what you end up deciding!

[NeverendingJen]

I'm a K2 girl...I love my K2. I'd go for the K3 or the touch.

My biggest complaint with the fire is that it is HEAVY.

[dailydwellin]

I voted for the Kindle Fire and pay extra, but that's before I actually read you post and because I want one myself .

[Libby Pritchett]

I have the Kindle Touch, and I LOVE it! So that gets my vote. It is NOT backlit and still has a long battery life (I got it the week of Thanksgiving and just charged it for the first time - after the intial charge - yesterday). I love that it's just a kindle and not a fancy thing with movies and apps and stuff. Don't get me wrong, that stuff would be fun, but I really don't have a need for it. I just wanted an eeader that's easy on the eyes. Plus, there are a few free wordy games that I've downloaded to play on the Kindle Touch, if you're into that sorta thing.

So, I would totally opt for the Touch and a case/books or even get 2 Touches (one for you and James) and pay the difference if that's what you want to do.

[BrattyMeg]

if you have a smart phone I'd just go with option 1 or splurge for the touch (I don't think it's backlit) I love my old kindle lol

[Libby Pritchett]

Oh and the ads that are on the Kindle Touch are SO not a big deal. They just act as a screensaver. They never interrupt your reading or anything at all.

[Lyd]

Right now, I have the K2, and I really do love it. The next Kindle I get will be the Touch. I'm not really interested in the Fire because I have my iPhone, and if I ever want a tablet type device, I'll just get an iPad and use the Kindle app on it. My niece got an iTouch in November and I really liked the feel of it, so that's probably where I'll go next . . . saving up my SwagBucks and SuperPoints.

[LenaGardner]

I've appreciated everyone's poll votes and responses so far! I am 100% sure I'm going to NOT GET the Fire now that Andrea has reminded me of the beach.

I read my Kindle a LOT this summer while my kids were at the pool. James and I would take turns...one of us would watch the kids, the other could read, and then we'd switch.

I think backlighting is an issue about battery drainage and eye strain but I always forget that backlighting also causes a glare in the sunlight.

I also have eliminated option 4 as I've talked it over and he REALLY DOESN'T want one. LOL. Well it was a nice thought.

But as I've done more and more research I'm more and more concerned about this screen issue recurring. I shouldn't google it, it's like googling medical things LOL.

Does anyone have the Touch?

[Amber1279]

1 or 4

[calvinawalsh]

I vote you get the Kindle Touch. I purchased the cheapest Kindle for my mom. I download books for her and organize it, and I realize I don't like having to use the little control buttons and arrows-it would be much easier just to Touch! Just my opinion

[LenaGardner]

Okay I was posting at the same time as many of you.

Libby my Kindle 3 didn't have ads but the Kindle 3 we got for Nathan this summer does have ads. It just made me giggle b/c they're ALWAYS for cars or CoverGirl. He doesn't use either.

[Libby Pritchett]

Lena, if he really doesn't want one, I'd totally go with the touch and get some new goodies with it. Like I said up above, it reads just like a book (not backlit) and has a long battery life. I believe you can store up to like 3000 books on it (more than twice as many as on the $79 model). I loooooooooooooove mine, and since you're used to an iphone anyway, the touch screen navigation will be a breeze for you!

[Julie Billingsley]

absolutely agree with Libby. I have a Touch and LOVE IT. LOVE IT.

[Shawna]

I've had my Kindle for a few months now and absolutely love it! I just have the $79 one (too impatient to wait for the Touch to be released). It holds battery life really well, I've only had to charge it a handful of times in the time I've had it. It is e-ink so it's not backlit. I have close to 350 books on it (most of them free) and have PLENTY of room for more. I opted for the cheaper one cause I plan on getting an iPad eventually and strictly want the Kindle for reading.

[junebug]

umm....well i'm dying for the Fire...because i LIKE all the extras lol. my kids are usually on my computer playing stupid nickjr games so i like the idea of being able to atleast check facebook occasionally. so i'd go with the fire...but the touch sounds pretty neat too...wow i'm no help lol

[Jennilyn]

I wouldn't get one for James since he hasn't expressed an interest in one and has actually said he likes real books. Since you love the non-backlit ones and how it looks like a real book, I'd go for a Kindle Touch.

Since you said you don't want to play games on it and already have a phone and PC to do so if you have the time, I wouldn't spend extra on something you won't use to it's full potential, like the Kindle Fire.

[carriesmom]

I'm with just about everyone else. #1 or #4 but the Kindle Touch sounds pretty cool, especially if it is not backlit.

[glumirk]

I just bought DH a Kindle Touch for Christmas, and we love it! It's really intuitive for us to use, and the e-ink is so much easier on the eyes. And the ads aren't bad at all, and we even got a free $3 Amazon movie rental so we had a free movie night! I got him this cover, which he feels is classy and makes the Kindle easier to handle. Along with a $5 booklight from Target (just a regular old clip light) he can use the whole GC I got him on books.

[rach3975]

I have a Touch and love it! I'd go with that. The battery life is good--I charge once every couple of weeks. (I keep my wireless on so my Kindle and phone sync, otherwise I'd probably get better battery life). And I love not having the keyboard area since I wouldn't use a keyboard much.

You might want to use some of that extra $ to buy a 3 year warranty. From what I've seen, the problem with screens failing isn't limited to just 1 generation of Kindles. It's too soon to say if the Touch will be prone to it too, and I didn't buy a warranty, but I think if I'd had one fail on me I'd buy the warranty on a replacement.

[ColleenSwerb]

Touch touch touch! I got one for Christmas I love it I love that it's not backlit and it's JUST an eeader.

[MamaBee]

My mom has a touch and LOVES it!! She likes that she doesn't have to "click" it and told my hubby that and now when he would use the 2gen, the click sound annoys him.

I just got hubby a Fire for Christmas because he was on the fence about getting a tablet... so I thought he could try a "tablet" and still have the function of the kindle stuff... he loves it EXCEPT - he is playing words with friends or angry birds while reading and you all know that most guys can not multi-task. LOL! And it is heavy - he doesn't like that part either..


ETA - oh, I see the fire is off the table...

[LenaGardner]

YAY!!!!!!!!

Thank you all SO much for taking the time to weigh in. I really appreciate it.

For the amount they refunded me, I was able to order:

• Kindle Touch
• Neoprene sleeve. I used to have a leather folio but the dog ate it. I don't read in the folio anyway so I went with a sleeve this time, just to protect it in my purse.
• Kindle Skin. After much debate I picked this one.
• 2 year warranty (I'm done taking chances!)
• And, I still have a little leftover for a new book.

Thanks to Amazon Prime (student, through James' .edu e-mail), it will be here on the 5th!

[rach3975]

You're going to love the Touch! That skin looks great, too. I read in my case because I'm a huge klutz and need that 24/7 protection, otherwise I'd get one.

[jessica31876]

I know you already decided but I would have probably went with the Kindle Fire. Well actually I have a Nook tablet but could not decide between the Fire and the Nook tablet. I love that I can use the Nook to go online and check emails and facebook without having to log onto a computer and that I can read on it as well.

[MissKim]

I think you're going to be happy. I'm considering upgrading to the Touch and giving my Kindle 3rd gen to my daughter. I have fallen in love with my Kindle in the last month or so. I have a lighted case/cover and it has changed my world. I read all the time now. I love the e-ink, too. My eyes are tired by the time I get home and the e-ink is so easy on them.

[LenaGardner]

[Libby Pritchett]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!

[ColleenSwerb]

WOOT WOOT!!

[jessica31876]

glad you got it turned around so fast!! (and I have to say that is the funniest smiley icon ever LOL)