When will you finally make a proper Kindle, Amazon?
- m
- mampfer
- 0jX
- 17 Jul 2020
After accidentally dropping a pen tip-first on my original Kindle and causing a permanent dark spot on the screen, I've switched to a Kindle Paperwhite.
Having an illuminated screen is a god-send for reading in bed, but I really miss the buttons, and I don't want to shell out the additional cost for the Oasis for what should be a +5$ additional cost in production. Why remove a feature you already had?
And being bound to Amazon is no issue to me, I procure my ebooks from alternative sources, simply convert them to AZW3 and load them over the cable.
I've got about 200 books on my Kindle, probably more than I will ever need, and still there's still 3/4 of space free ^^
My next e-ink purchase would probably one of those android tablets, to be able to read manga as well as books. I heard that some even manage to keep the classical e-reader battery life :)
- P
- PeterThePanda
- t7x
- 15 Aug 2018
Jane, 13 Aug 2018I see this criticism a lot and it's strange to me. The form... moreHaving to convert files like ePub using some other software to use them on your Kindle is proof of just how closed sourced some products are like the Kindle, and thus one more reason to avoid them. Why buy a Kindle which requires you to convert ePub files when you can but other e-readers like Kobo which natively supports ePub files.
- M
- Mad
- 3AK
- 13 Aug 2018
use Kobo :)
- Jane
- 3PL
- 13 Aug 2018
PeterThePanda, 13 Aug 2018Why buy a Kindle when there are other brands that allows op... moreI see this criticism a lot and it's strange to me. The format is the least of your problems since there are great programs like calibre which take care of file conversion without a fuss.
- Jane
- 3PL
- 13 Aug 2018
Os, 13 Aug 2018Use calibre! It makes managing your kindle collection so mu... moreI use calibre! And it's a life-saver for library management (although books from the Amazon store don't automatically appear in calibre's library). I doubt there are ebook users who aren't using it.
- O
- Os
- JwK
- 13 Aug 2018
Use calibre! It makes managing your kindle collection so much easier… I have it configured with plugins to automatically strip DRM from the books I purchased (it can't do it without linking to your kindle app) because I prefer other reading software on my PC. Also converts almost every format to another (ePUB, AZW, pdf, doc, etc...)
- P
- PeterThePanda
- t7x
- 13 Aug 2018
It's true that many tablets and smartphones can be used as e-readers by installing the Kindle app or some other e-reader app, but they still don't have two (or three) things that dedicated e-readers like the Kindle and Kobo have:
1. Long battery life. Most tablets and phones won't last half a day, or a day at most if used (probably if you turn down display brightness to the minimum) as an e-reader. That's because they still have to light up pixels while displaying text, hence they consume power while displaying text.
On the other hand, Kobo, Kindle and other dedicated e-readers usually have battery life in days, weeks or even months. That's because e-ink only uses power when flipping or changing pages. However, if you're gonna use your e-reader at night, battery life is gonna go down significantly when using a backlight. But still it's gonna be way longer than any tablet or smartphone.
2. Eye comfort. That's one reason why people still buy dedicated e-readers. All tablets and smartphone still need some light to display content on the screen. Of course, that causes eye discomfort or bad effects to your eyes after long periods of time staring at your phone or tablet. E-readers, while not completely removing eye discomfort, significantly reduces this since e-ink does not need a backlight (unless you're reading in the dark) and uses only the reflected light from the surroundings to illuminate the display.
3. Sunlight legibility which is related to 2. Since e-readers pretty much uses light from surroundings, no need to crank up the display brightness unlike smartphones and tablets for content to be readable in direct sunlight.
Of course, e-readers have some disadvantages:
1. Slow refresh rate for screen. To change content, you have to refresh the entire screen. It usually doesn't suffer from things like burn-in though since it's pretty much ink in capsules which changes position depending on the current applied.
2. Monochrome content. Of course, it's not much of a disadvantage if it's used for text purposes. There are colored e-readers as well, but these are kind of rare and expensive.
3. Limited memory capacity. Nost e-readers have like only around 4 to 8GB of storage, usually non-expandable. Depending on the books being loaded, it might not be enough. Some e-readers do have MicroSD card slots though.
- H
- H-1
- aja
- 13 Aug 2018
kobo and onyxboox are more versatile options, some feature android OS so you can even download your favorite e-book readers.
My only complaints about kindles are the small selection and lack of sd-card support.
E-ink is still an expensive technology so prices are expected to be high.
My take on e-book reading?
I bought the cheapest iPad replica I could find 3-4 years ago (was ~$80 at the time, reason: it's really thin, read on to know why), cracked it open, took off the battery (~2500 mAh) soldered two wires in its place and put them through the headphone jack (I think that makes me the first to remove the Jack ;p) then stuck two 5000 mAh batteries on the back, soldered them to the wires and that's it: A huge 8" tablet which lasts 9+ hours of constant reading and cost me about $90, I replace batteries yearly and it's still cheaper than a full-fledged reader. I have it inside a cover all the time to protect the batteries which is a downside, but it's a fair trade-off.
- V
- Vegetaholic
- sX2
- 13 Aug 2018
Still reading old school style - physical books. But I am intrigue to know you can translate words by marking them. I hope kindle app can do that
- ?
- Anonymous
- D0i
- 13 Aug 2018
I just bought a new Kobo Clara hd.It has some issues but I am enjoying it very much.After a long time reading without any distraction.Buy a Kobo compared to a kindle.they are so much better and flexible.
- C
- Chau
- 2T4
- 13 Aug 2018
I bought books from different bookstores: Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Amazon. I wish there was an eReader which can download and read ebooks from all these different bookstores.
- W
- Walker
- XMp
- 13 Aug 2018
apertotes, 13 Aug 2018I do not pity those that willingly enter closed ecosystems ... moreI doubt it bothers them much. I imagine they are okay with it if you read on Kindle app on your phone. Kind of feel the market for ereaders is saturated.
- W
- Walker
- XMp
- 13 Aug 2018
303tk4, 13 Aug 2018Non-Amazon device can't access purchased books on Amazon an... moreNot entirely true. There are many e-reader devices running Android. You can run Kindle or Kobo app on those.
- W
- Walker
- XMp
- 13 Aug 2018
Onyx Boox has no service in India. German reseller is helpful but shipping back for repair costs. A lot of trouble if you get a defective device. Also Boox software sucks. People often lose ALL their annotations and notes. They are always promising to fix bugs but new bugs show up in every new update.
The HUGE 13.3" screen is gorgeous. But I would suggest waiting. Maybe Boyue or Dasung or somebody could come out with a better device.
- g
- guillermooo
- 8E}
- 13 Aug 2018
kindle 8 is pure crap!!! ugly sunken screen. I wanted a tiny portable ereader and my kindle 5 is much much better, even plastics are more expensive. Next time I migrate to Kobo all the way. First 8" then 6".
- 3
- 303tk4
- s}N
- 13 Aug 2018
Non-Amazon device can't access purchased books on Amazon and that leave us no choice.
, no matter how the device lags behind
This is where all that issues lie
- P
- PeterThePanda
- t7x
- 13 Aug 2018
Geric.770, 13 Aug 2018If only the battery is bigger, then it would sell better.Big battery capacity isn't really that important with e-readers (although it would be nicer), since they only consume power when flipping pages. Once they stay on a page, it hardly consumes any power if none at all. Using the backlight at night consumes more power though.
- B
- Brandstifter
- wuq
- 13 Aug 2018
I've used the first generation Nook for some time. Got a Kindle 4 but it wasn't good: yeah, it was lighter and had better battery life, but the buttons were far worse, and it's all about the buttons when you are reading.
Then my life changed, my reading habits shifted and I discovered that I only read in the bed before sleep. That meant that I couldn't use an e-ink reader anymore. The ones with backlight are absolutely useless as they destroy the main point of e-ink screens - the same lighting level with the environment. Having a screen blast light into my eyes when I'm getting ready for sleep? No thanks.
So I switched to a phone, white letters on black background, low backlight. That's how I've been reading for the last five years, and it's almost perfect. I mean, AMOLED might be even better for than (truly black background), but I'm yet to see a great phone with this screen. It's not my top priority, so I choose a phone for other advantages.
- P
- PeterThePanda
- t7x
- 13 Aug 2018
LG Superfan, 12 Aug 2018 It would have been even better if the nightlight didn’t ju... moreSome Kobo e-readers already have blue light filter or rather changes the backlight to a warmer color like their Aura One. Not sure about others brands like the Nook though.