Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Customers like the quality, size and ease of use of the Amazon ereader. For example, they mention it works well with online library systems, the font size is easy to change and that its good value for money. Customers also appreciate readability, and weight. That said, some complain about the brightness and screen.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
2,893 customers mention2,531 positive362 negative
Customers like the readability of the Amazon Kindle. They say that the display is comfortable to read from, and easy to navigate. The text appears very crisp and easy on the eyes, making it easy to read for a few minutes while waiting for an appointment. The device is fantastically suited for text-based book reading, and customers appreciate the quick and easy way to see what books or documents they have on the device. The resolution of the display seems fine and very close to what you would get in a real book. Customers also love having Goodreads right there on the menu.
"...The resolution of the display seems fine to me and very close to what you would get in a normal sized book...." Read more
"...I liken it to looking at an expensive etch-a-sketch. Text is crisp and easily readable. Contrast excellent...." Read more
"...With the E-ink I can read for a longer time...." Read more
"...that I finish books more quickly, and enjoy having the ability to read for a few minutes while waiting for an appointment, etc...." Read more
2,778 customers mention1,997 positive781 negative
Customers find the Kindle's interface to be incredibly easy to use. They mention that the navigation is easy, setting it up was absurdly easy, and it's perfect for every day convenience. Customers also appreciate the anti-glare feature and the Page Flip feature.
"...Amazon itself has its own helpful user guide for you to DL right off the bat, so if you do ever get lost that thing should save you a lot of..." Read more
"...I did this for the first time last week. I checked out two ebooks. Process was easy and ebooks delivered to my kindle in under a minute...." Read more
"...To summarize, a fine single purpose device. Hard to navigate, but as a reader, you will spend hours reading, which it is great at and seconds..." Read more
"...What it is: It is very lightweight It uses WiFi to download books It uses E-ink to display titles, words, etc. It has a touch..." Read more
2,732 customers mention2,373 positive359 negative
Customers like the quality of the Kindle. They mention that it's very usable, works well with online library systems, and is incredibly useful. They also say that the touch mechanism works perfectly, and the electronic ink technology is amazing.
"...No problems with the screen as of now and the touch mechanism to me is working perfectly. Updating the thing was a breeze...." Read more
"...No visit to the library required. I did this for the first time last week. I checked out two ebooks...." Read more
"...lightweight It uses WiFi to download books It uses E-ink to display titles, words, etc. It has a touch screen that is very..." Read more
"...I ran to pick it up. (Available until 12/27, FYI.)It's a nice device. The screen is very readable with good contrast...." Read more
1,723 customers mention1,634 positive89 negative
Customers like the weight of the Kindle. They say it's easy to hold for extended periods, and it' s easy for them to carry around and use. Customers also appreciate the thin, small form-factor and the non-glare screen.
"...What it is: It is very lightweight It uses WiFi to download books It uses E-ink to display titles, words, etc. It has a touch..." Read more
"...It is much lighter than the more advanced (more expensive) kindles as well.Overall, I really like the kindle...." Read more
"...The device and screen have a good "hand feel". It's heavier than the previous Kindle, but not by much...." Read more
"...The latest Kindle sports a 6-inch non-glare screen, in a very thin, small form-factor that is perfect for people who dislike bulky tablets...." Read more
1,496 customers mention1,104 positive392 negative
Customers like the size of the product. They mention that it's small, yet easy to read, with or without reading glasses. They like that the font size is easy to change and that the weight is nice. They also like that it fits perfectly in their old Kindle Touch case. The bottom bezel is also bigger than the paperwhite's, making it a good place to rest. Customers also appreciate the variety of font options, saying that it doubles your home screen display area.
"...-You can adjust the size of the font as needed.-It's a good size that is large enough to be about the size of a paperback book but small..." Read more
"...This will double your home screen display area, and enables you to preserve the picture format for book display (as opposed to a list format)...." Read more
"...read normal sized print in physical books, but my Kindle lets me adjust the font size to make reading easier...." Read more
"...Another drawback is that Kindles are TINY...." Read more
1,040 customers mention941 positive99 negative
Customers appreciate the value of the Kindle Fire. They say that it is a great investment for book-worms and worth the price.
"...Cheap, fast, easy to use, and all around a nice product to own with good and simple build quality...." Read more
"...In nay case, the kindle is a great investment for book-worms with its multitude of features and has potential for web-browsing (on occasion),..." Read more
"...So, minus the light, this device is incredibly well priced (even at full retail)...." Read more
"...One of my favorite features is that this particular Kindle is the cheapest because IT HAS NO BACKLIGHT...." Read more
1,025 customers mention566 positive459 negative
Customers are mixed about the screen of the Amazon Kindle. Some mention that the touch screen is great, the infrared touch screen works much better than expected, and it's easier to lightly tap the screen as opposed to the buttons on their previous device. However, others say that the screen needs improvement, it sometimes seems a little more sensitive than expected and that it turns multiple pages if not touched quickly enough. They also say that it doesn't even autorotate, although it can be put in landscape mode.
"...I can see nothing that would suggest much use for sure. No problems with the screen as of now and the touch mechanism to me is working perfectly...." Read more
"...There is still a notable lag when pressing a button on-screen, and there is also a delay in showing text while typing on the virtual keyboard...." Read more
"...It uses E-ink to display titles, words, etc. It has a touch screen that is very clearly laid out It is very easy to use without all..." Read more
"...The screen doesn't even autorotate, although it can be put in landscape mode. This is a text reading machine. Period. But a useful one...." Read more
1,445 customers mention317 positive1,128 negative
Customers are not happy with the brightness of the product. They say that it has no built-in light, and is not as bright as the Paperwhite. The screen is also not as dark as they had expected.
"...Lighting ****It needs a light when it gets dark... but that is because it's supposed to be like a book...." Read more
"...This is a very BASIC Kindle.What it is not: It does not come with a light It does not use 3G or 4G and does not have the..." Read more
"...-This kindle does not include a light which means that you will need to have an actual light on to read this just as if you were reading a regular..." Read more
"...is that this particular Kindle is the cheapest because IT HAS NO BACKLIGHT...." Read more
It still works and has loads of room for more. I wanted to upgrade to the scribe but I enjoy keeping this task separate, reading solely opposed to the added business with the scribe. I'm still fond of the scribe option but, I'm willing to wait a bit longer before I transition. I have the app on all my devices but it gets busy there on that side of town. I'll stay here where it's safer to just read.
I got this thing as a refurb and it's basically brand new. I can see nothing that would suggest much use for sure. No problems with the screen as of now and the touch mechanism to me is working perfectly. Updating the thing was a breeze. So let's get into detail on the device...
The normal Kindle I suppose is the poor man's e-reader at this point in Amazon's lineup. But I am waiting until the 16nm tablet revolution to get one of their high-end tablets. I didn't want to pay more than I needed for something that I just read text on, and the paperwhite seems to have its fair share of screen problems. This one was only 64 dollars base price. I got a used case to go along with it.
For that price the device is positively charming. It's my first Kindle and I really could not ask for more. Amazon's software if very mature at this point, so you have a variety of fonts, readability settings, and core attributes to modify to your liking. After a couple minor fixes for my own personal use I was off downloading my entire Kindle on PC library. Easy. Fast. I could not ask for anything easier. The experimental browser also gets the job done. Bookmarks and decent website compatibility as long as it doesn't use too much Flash or Java. The device works perfectly for a college accessory and textbook device when needed.
Not all textbooks are compatible with the lower end devices though. That was the only downside to the cheapest one in the lineup. My Glossary of Literary Terms was sadly not okay with this e-reader.
Navigating and using features like highlights, x-ray, dictionaries, and the page functions took about 20 minutes for me to get the hang of it all. Again, everything is set up to help the customer get up and running very easily. The various swipes are easy to remember and incredibly intuitive at this point. I can flip, preview, cancel, and just all around enjoy the book I am reading without hardly any hassle at all. I for one did not think the page turning was too sensitive on mine. Seems about right for such a device. Amazon clearly has some very mature software here that complements the Kindle hardware in synergistic fashion.
I don't use too many of the community features like Goodreads, but that is there for you too if you want to be involved in the gigantic Kindle community. Other great community functions that are less pervasive include notes on what people highlighted in the book, which I found to be a nice feature. And then you have other functions like about the book, which gives you some really nice info about what you are reading the first time.
The one thing some people are going to not like is probably the storage. 4GBs is not really what I call enough space for the future. Luckily, I do have a lot of Delphi collections and my books fit on here nicely at this point. I have about 2.3GBs left after DL'ing 70 or so products. Amazon itself has its own helpful user guide for you to DL right off the bat, so if you do ever get lost that thing should save you a lot of time.
The resolution of the display seems fine to me and very close to what you would get in a normal sized book. The somewhat dim display works very well for and is basically about the brightness of a normal literature page. I was comparing it to a bunch of my books and came away quite pleased with what they have here. Of course a bit more resolution would be nice, but for what is here you can still get fairly small fonts and good detail. This is not a reader for the dark, obviously.
Anyway, I don't think there is too much else to say. I'll update the review as I go along, and take a note on battery life, but for now this thing is a great little device. Cheap, fast, easy to use, and all around a nice product to own with good and simple build quality. It sync'd up with my Amazon account right away and there was absolutely zero trouble getting this thing to work correctly. Highly recommended to those on a budget or to those that do not have any need for the higher-end tablets and readers. Unlike some of the other products, this one doesn't have any inherent screen issues, either.
This review is for the 7th Generation Kindle, which is now touch-screen only and has no buttons except for the lock/power button. All typing has been transferred to an in-screen keyboard popup. I love mine but some people really like their old kindle with the QWERTY keyboard buttons at the bottom. In nay case, the kindle is a great investment for book-worms with its multitude of features and has potential for web-browsing (on occasion), especially if Amazon improves on the experimental browser in the future (see review below).
**** READABILITY & TEXT SCALING ****
Kindle's e-ink technology re-creates an experience similar to reading a paperback book. I liken it to looking at an expensive etch-a-sketch. Text is crisp and easily readable. Contrast excellent. Despite its screen size (3 '' W x 4.75'' H or 9cm x 12 cm), you can scale text from the very smallest all the way up to the very largest. Like a book, reading in daylight or sun, is not a problem (but you may need sunglasses, obviously). At night, you'll need a light source to read.
**** SEND CONTENT TO KINDLE. FROM ANYWHERE. AMAZON CLOUD ****
Kindle servers will convert your content for the kindle for free. Works with most file formats -- even the text will be scalable. PDFs, however, are not scalable (and treated like an image). All content you send to yourself will be stored on the AmazonCloud drive (5GB of free storage). Be sure to read up on this cool feature--- I love it-- a definite plus for me: http://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle/
**** LIBRARIES AND EBOOKS ****
Many libraries in the US now allow you to access digital content (not just ebooks) and check them out while at home. No visit to the library required. I did this for the first time last week. I checked out two ebooks. Process was easy and ebooks delivered to my kindle in under a minute. If an ebook is checked out, I can put a hold on it (and, optionally, have it delivered to my kindle once it is available). Amazon will email you if a book becomes free, or when a book is due. Be sure you learn how to return a book (hint: deleting will be required).
**** HIGHLIGHTS & ANNOTATIONS **** Kindle has incorporated ways to highlight and annotate passages using your finger. The best part is that all your markings and text will be uploaded to the cloud when you sync your kindle (along with page location of the book). Access and manage them here at anytime -- this is a really cool feature when writing yourself notes to look-up things later: https://kindle.amazon.com/your_highlights
**** DICTIONARY / WORDWISE ****
Keep learning words you don't know. Select an unfamiliar word and kindle will look it up for you using a standard dictionary and/or wikipedia (with a WiFi connection). Kindle can even keep track of words you've looked up. Test yourself using the the flashcards feature. WordWise is a predictive dictionary feature (available in some books) to suggest alternate meanings for complicated words (in between lines of text, pre-empting a dictionary search). Respected language dictionaries are available for English and most languages (for free!).
**** COLLECTIONS ****
"Collections" allow you to sort books into your kindle and sync across multiple devices, instead of paging through multiple screens of all your content. Two important things to know before doing so: * collections are not file folders--merely tags-- but it will appear as if your books are in a folder on the kindle (but they actually are not) * collections created using kindle software apps on PC or Mac will not sync to your actual kindle. (Spare yourself my initial frustration and sort books into collections using only the a kindle or ipad. Trust me, I called Amazon upset because my collections wouldn't sync and update to the kindle from my computer. Apparently, the sync-ing of collections was disabled a while but there is no documentation of this anywhere)
DRAWBACKS
**** Experimental Browser **** I like this feature, but it is buggy. You can use the "experimental browser" to surf the web, amazon.com, check email (limited). It will frequently crash, especially with flash content (which it does not support). Amazon.com is fine, however (so you can buy more ebooks). The frustrating part is that when the browser crashes,it re-loads your last visited page... a catch-22 because it loads the page causing it to crash in the first place. * you'll need nimble fingers to hit the back button or the stop loading (x) button in the address bar to resolve the crashing
**** Lighting **** It needs a light when it gets dark... but that is because it's supposed to be like a book. Solution: kindle cover/case with in-built or clip-on light.
**** Screen Bursts/Reloads **** Eventually, you will get used to that split-second screen burst when the e-ink re-sets itself. This is frequent, but not always, it just depends on the e-ink formatting needs from screen to screen. (Remember, the kindle is like a souped up etch-a-sketch)
**** ADDITIONAL TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS *******************
**** WiFi vs. Whispernet **** Be sure you learn the difference between sending content to yourself for free (via a WiFi connection) or Whispernet (not free, charges apply--I haven't used this feature so far).
**** Kindle Case/Cover **** Protect your investment with a kindle case or cover. I could imagine the screen getting scratched or marked by objects in a backpack, purse, or murse. My $10 case should get here in a couple of days.