Kindle help!

[Wendy]

I am looking for advise on a kindle or similar. I want to get my daughter one for X-mas and I have zero exposure to them.
I have heard so many conflicting arguments about what to get from different friends so I thought I would lean on B&B. I do not really want to get her a tablet, just a reader.

Thanks for any suggestions or info you can provide!

 

[Commander Quan]

I bought a Kindle Touch a year ago, I would buy the Kindle Paperwhite if I were buying one today. For me the 3G option is unnecessary. If you go with the special offers kindle you can save a couple bucks, and the ads don't change the experience at all.

 

[SilentTuba]

I have a Kindle Keyboard that is a few years old. For simply reading books, no device can beat an e-ink screen. It really does look just like paper. I own an iPad (typing this post from it), but when I want to read, I reach for the Kindle.

If I felt the need to replace my Kindle, I'd do exactly what Commander Quan said, though I would get the 3G (which I have used several times to download a book on the go).

 

[Lmarkow]

I agree with Derrick. If your daughter is just going to use it for reading, then the Touch or Paperwhite are the way to go. The others, like the Fire, are not as easy to read outdoors, as there's too much glare on the screen.

 

[maxman]

I have a Paperwhite (not the newest generation) and I love it.
My dad has been a kindle user from day 1 and he just upgraded to the paperwhite.
It's really a nice machine.

I would encourage the amazon case/cover that goes with it.
It's molded to fit and it folds around all the way back to make it really comfortable.

Once you go to a kindle you'll never want to pick up a print book again!

 

[Wendy]

Well this is making it easy. Everyone is agreeing.

 

[OldAF]

I own both a kindle touch and a paperwhite. Think of the cost of the software (books). I've been watching and comparing Amazon/B&N for a couple years and I can honestly say Amazon has more and better sales and more features than B&N. Plus they match nearly every B&N sale. Amazon owns audible so you can often get a reduced price whispersync audiobook is you own the kindle book. How reduced? I bought Jaws and the whispersync audiobook for $4 on sale. I owned From Here to Eternity and got the audiobook for $4.

 

[Wendy]

Good to know. We have spent so much money buying books for her, she flies through books so quickly. She will also be able to check out books from school online with this. The school only lets kids get two books a week and she is given 4 only because she is a bit of an advanced reader.

 

[dpm802]

I bought a Kindle Fire two years ago, but if I had it to do over again, I'd opt for a general Android tablet, probably one of the Samsungs. I don't like that I am locked in to the Amazon skin, and loading apps from other sources is difficult at best.

I added an anti-glare screen to my Kindle Fire, and it is usable outdoors in sunlight, although having a factory anti-glare screen is probably better. After 2 years, my Fire is starting to show signs of "ghosting," in that it will retain a faint image of the previous app I was using when I switch to another, although this fades out in a few seconds. Its a minor nuisance, but does not impact the usability.

If I were looking for an e-reader, I'd probably pick the Paperwhite. Don't fall for the discounted prices where your daughter will be bombarded by ads in exchange for a few dollars off the purchase price. You want her to be reading, not distracted by shopping.

+1 to getting the Amazon fitted case, but don't be surprised if she stops using it after a while. The case adds an awful lot of bulk to the device. I relegated mine to the closet, and now I can slip the Kindle into my pants pocket when I don't want to hold it. It has picked up a few scratches along the way, but nothing I can't live with.

 

[Mike H]

I have been having trouble locating the new Paperwhite, I thought it did not come out tell next week. With regard to the ad-free version, how much of a nuisance is it. Derrick says not any, dmp says it is.

 

[Lmarkow]

I have been having trouble locating the new Paperwhite, I thought it did not come out tell next week. With regard to the ad-free version, how much of a nuisance is it. Derrick says not any, dmp says it is.

I have the Touch version with ads. They are not a nuisance to me; I would be surprised if they even catch a kid's attention (they don't move, aren't in color, etc.).

 

[SilentTuba]

I have the ad free version, largely because the "special offers" version of the Kindle didn't exist yet when I bought mine. From what I've seen, the ads are not a big distraction (and NEVER appear in a book, only on the lock screen and menu screen). If I were replacing my Kindle, I'd probably just live with the ads.

 

[infotech]

The Kindle Paper White is the pinacle of Kindle readers. The lighting system took it to the next level.

I have the wifi version with special offers and don't even notice the ads. I guess my only complaint is the unlock procedure. First, you hit the button and then swipe the screen with your finger to start using it. With the non-special offer version the screen is unlocked as soon as you hit the button. You can buy the special offer version and unlock it for $20 afterwards if you decide you don't like the ads.

 

[blary54]

I have a Kindle Paperwhite. Its pretty high quality for the price.

 

[OldAF]

Good to know. We have spent so much money buying books for her, she flies through books so quickly. She will also be able to check out books from school online with this. The school only lets kids get two books a week and she is given 4 only because she is a bit of an advanced reader.

You should certainly check and see what format(s) your local school and community library support. I can see where that would be a big factor. My local supports both kindle and epub and I suspect yours does too but you should check... Not all even have ebooks.

 

[Jack Burton]

I have a Nook from Barnes and Noble and a Nexus 7 tablet. When I want to read an actual book I love the e-ink screen on the Nook. It beats the tablet by a mile for reading. I haven't used a paperwhite, but I will also attest to the superiority of dedicated e-readers. And, for me, the Nexus has so many shiny buttons I don't read as much because I'm doing other stuff.

 

[Commander Quan]

I have been having trouble locating the new Paperwhite, I thought it did not come out tell next week. With regard to the ad-free version, how much of a nuisance is it. Derrick says not any, dmp says it is.

On mine the ads show up in one banner bar at the bottom of the Menu page, and as screen savers, however I haven't turned my wifi on for so long that all the ads have expired and don't even show products anymore.

 

[Rumwood]

My girlfriend has a new Paperwhite that came out on the 10th and I have a basic Kindle from 2011. Get the Paperwhite, especially if she wants to read in dimly lit areas.

 

[Andy]

Another +1 for the kindle.

I have a 4th gen and it travels everywhere with me.

 

[tinashubby]

I've used a Kindle for about 5 years. I've had two keyboard non 3g models, and I now have the non keyboad cheapest version that they sell. The paper white version would be my choice if I read in the dark very often, but I don't and I'm a cheapskate! I've personally have never needed 3g, I do all of my stuff through my computer, or just use the wi fi if I need to purchase with my kindle. I don't see the attraction to touchscreens, especially if it is one that you are trying to read, and I really prefer the buttons on the edge of my Kindles. My father in law has a nook touch and I think he eats cheetos while reading, tough to read thru the orange smudges!