Kindle Thoughts
 

Kindles are on sale and I'm debating upgrading. I have the 10th gen (2018) Paperwhite and am thinking of upgrading. The Paperwhite is on sale for $100 and I can get another 20% off plus up to a $30 gift card with trading in my old one. I think the main benefits are more LEDs, adjustable LED warmth, and a bigger screen. Is it worth it? It seems like a really good deal...

I just use the Kindle app on my phone or tablet. No need for a third device.

I specifically like the Kindle device. The phone screen is too small, and the iPad is too heavy and battery doesn't last. The Kindle is a really nice reading experience. My dad used to be in your camp and after I gave him my old Kindle he told me it was life changing.

I did upgrade. It was basically 50% off with the tradein.

Tough call. The only meaningful difference between v10 and v11 is the LED count. I don't read in the dark, so I don't know if that feature is useful.

How did you get the trade-in price already? Don't they have to receive your old one first?

added: Never mind - I see that the 20% off is applied instantly.

I always trade in old kindle (2+ years old) when the new one is on super sales. They get better and better and with the % off and trade in value, you don't really pay much. And if you read a LOT at night, the battery starts to go after 2 years. Instead of charging every week, you have to plug in every 2 or 3 days.

And the newer ones are also waterproof in case you read while taking a bath...

It's 20% off plus an instant Amazon gift card for the trade in. They said my old Kindle was worth $30 but if they receive it and it doesn't turn on or the screen is damaged it would be $5. So I got the 16GB Denim Paperwhite (MSRP $110) for $67 including tax.

Last time I upgraded, they claimed the screen was cracked and/or scratched. It was in perfect condition.Very lightly used and in a case the entire time, never dropped, scratched, etc. Take pics before you send it in. Not sure what was in it for the third party company to lie about it, but they did.

-David

While we are talking Kindle.... has anyone tried the Kindle Scribe? My husband has been asking for years for a Kindle with a larger screen. He wouldn't use the writing feature.

I had a Kindle for a while in the 2011-2012 timeframe, but in a world where I'm constantly trying to travel lighter, it just didn't make sense to pack a Kindle when I was always going to bring my cell phone and laptop. <shrugs>

"But phone and computer screens hurt my eyes!" some say. "Which is why there are brightness controls, dark mode, and background color adjustments in Kindle for PC and the Kindle app for phones," I counter.

"But the phone screen is too small!" some wail. "Which is why there are typeface and size settings in the Kindle," I chortle.

Some 2,000 books later, I've never been inclined to return to a separate Kindle device.

Oh, now... this is what it looks like on my phone. Maybe you should upgrade from your flip phone. :D :D :D

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3ab3662a4c.png

For those that like one handed reading I love the Hisense readers either then Hisense Touch or hisense a9 (turning off the phone features). V flexible w reading all kinds of material and can even run the kindle app to download kindle books.

I have a 2018 Paperwhite 32GB/Cell model and your post made me take a look at their current offering. Overall, I'm passing for now. Historically Amazon has released a new model every 3 or so years. With that in mind, either this September or next September will be the release of the new model. I believe the interface is the same between the 2018 and 2021 models. The larger screen might be nice, but not enough of a difference to sway me.

As far as a dedicated Kindle vs. tablet, phone, or computer, to me there's no comparison. The e-ink screens are still the easiest on my eyes. Long battery life, and most importantly, no distractions. Sure, if I'm in a waiting room my phone will work to kill a few minutes, but if I want to relax and enjoy reading, it's either dead trees or the Kindle for me.

I consider the Kindle screen superior to the phone but not enough better to warrant carrying a separate device unless for some reason I expect to be doing a lot of reading outdoors, or if I really cared about battery life.

I'm in the opposite camp--to me the computer screen beats the Kindle hands down.

High myopia + glasses = all sorts of color aberrations, so B&W / reflective screens work best for me. Point-source colored lights, such as OLED screens are the worst for me, with blue & red breaking up into two different locations depending on the angle.

Of course, the irony about how I developed high myopia to begin with -- I was a complete bookworm as a kid. Reading NY Times bestsellers from 2nd grade, reading well into the night with a flashlight in bed. I wish I knew then what I know now, as it could have been prevented. Oh well.

I read an article in the Economist where they think they discovered that the main correlation (or maybe cause) is lack of sunlight as a kid.

I like the warmth adjustment on the newer models as i like to read at bedtime. Also the older models were not waterproof. But if your current model has those features then I see no reason to replace it. Also the trade in rebates are mediocre for the older models (eg we have a couple the dog chewed lol 😂)

I don’t find iPads or phones suitable for reading for the reasons listed above. Too heavy and/or too small. Also kindle has an awesome battery life - I can go a month+ without charging.

Well, they're wrong about that -- I sailed for many years as a kid. Outdoors for days-on-end. In the summer it was pretty much 5-7 days a week on the water. I have brown hair, but because I was in the sun so much it had bleached out to a pure blonde.

Near-work (and worse, wearing distance glasses for near work) are what cause myopia and make it worse over time. If you mention this in the West you'll get run out of the room in like Barry Marshall and Robin Warren did when they announced that H. pylori causes stomach ulcers. BUT, the science and research is there. Even anecdotally, just look at the incoming class of a medical school or law school and compare it to the graduating class. Darn near 100% of the graduating class will have some form of vision correction. Look at the studies of primitive-type cultures and you'll find they have excellent distance vision. Many Asian countries have recognized this and now have focused on myopia prevention, employing aids to prevent children from holding books and schoolwork close to their eyes and also having them wearing plus lenses (reading glasses) to artificially move the focal point more distant. And they're getting good results.

At my first med school class, Dr. Williams wrote, "Half of what you will learn at this institution is wrong." He insisted we all write that at the top of our notes as well. He then proceeded to rattle off things which he was taught in his medical training and were no longer true or had fallen out of favor. He also acknowledged how much of "modern" medicine is more superstition than science. He wasn't all that old either.

Another Kindle sale... they're selling old ones, but they're priced rather nicely, starting at $19: https://www.woot.com/plus/amazon-kin...t_gw_dly_price

Heh, probably all the tradeins they got.

I'd be happy if they were indeed trade-ins. So much stuff goes straight to the landfill these days. I wish mobile phones had field-replaceable batteries again. That right there would be a nice environmental savings alone.

+1 for me that reading on a Kindle is simply more comfortable and enjoyable than reading on a phone. I'm also very light sensitive (it affects my quality of sleep), and the Kindle backlight seems to be gentler on my system for bedtime reading than the way a phone or iPad glows.

However, the point I came to this thread to make today is THINK TWICE if you love an older model Kindle exactly as it is. They "upgraded" the home screen interface in a way I despise between my Voyage--which is now suffering from battery issues--and newer models. Fewer titles can be seen on the list of books on the device, and there is no way to revert to the old view. As far as I can tell, that's so they could add a thumbnail icon, which is virtually useless to me in grey scale. (Others complain about this on Amazon reviews; I'm not the only one wishing for a reissue of the Voyage design for this and other reasons.)

I hate it so much, I continue to use my Voyage at home and charge daily/keep a power bank at the ready next to my bed. I only use my new Kindle for travel when the sudden battery failure/restart is too annoying to bear on a long flight...