What can I say about the Kindle that hasn't been said a thousand times over in so many different ways? I just got this ad-free version of the Kindle and I made some observations. Hopefully they will shed some new light. Here they are:
BATTERY LIFE
It is important to note that I maintained the Kindle in Airplane Mode (with the Wi-Fi off) since day one, except in moments when I would turn on Wi-Fi to download books and I use the device daily for at least two hours per day. That said, the battery lasted 3 full weeks before the low battery notice came up on screen and an additional 4 days, with no change in usage, before I actually had to recharge.
READING EXPERIENCE, LOOK & FEEL
I was worried whether I would like reading books on the Kindle. I thought I would miss reading paper books but that hasn't been the case. I've really like reading on the Kindle. I find it natural, comfortable and easy. I was surprise the contrast on screen. It is a bit darker than I expected it to be, which doesn't bother me but I can see how it might bother others. The contrast, if I had to make a comparison, is similar to a newspaper page.
I don't like reading on my phone or computer because it makes my eyes too tired. I have read 4 books on the Kindle so far. I love the E-Ink. It is super easy on the eyes and looks great. I've taken the Kindle with me everywhere and read under all different lighting, including natural sunlight. I have to disagree with those who say that the Kindle screen is completely matte. It actually looks more like a magazine page to me. This is not to say I have had any problems. I haven't had any visibility or glare problems. I have read perfectly under every lighting arrangement that I have tried, indoors and out. However, I would caution not to try to read in the dark. Just like a regular paper book, light is necessary in order to read.
This is the first Kindle I have ever had, so I have nothing to compare it to in terms of page turning speed and the like. In my experience the page turns have been instantaneous. I think the interface in general is very intuitive. Anyone with minimum intelligence can figure out how to use this Kindle in moments and without a manual. The buttons are accessible and easily visible; the device itself is sleek and aesthetic.
For someone who likes to read on the bus and subway, like me, this device is great. The Kindle is compact - it doesn't take up much space, is light to carry, and easy to use with one hand. This was an important deciding factor for me in purchasing because I really wanted something that made reading easy under any circumstance and didn't make my bag heavy.
It's also great for reading in bed. Sometimes with paperbacks my arm will get tired and the book will end up hitting me flat in the face. This hasn't happened with the Kindle my arms haven't gotten tired yet in nearly a month of use.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
One thing I didn't know is that the Kindle never actually shuts off - it "sleeps". I bought the Kindle with no special offers because I didn't like the idea of being persuaded to buy things when I am not reading. So instead of ads there are screen-savers, which I actually really like. The screen-savers are all elegant, black and white close-ups of writing tools and lettering.
I also didn't know about Whisper sync. Books download to the device in less than 10 seconds over the Wi-Fi connection, with no cables necessary. I don't even mind that there is no 3G connection, which was something that I was iffy about before purchase. There is usually a Wi-Fi connection where ever I am. And if not, I can always download a few books at a time for long trips since there would be no change in space or weight.
I like that Amazon lowered the price point. I am thrilled to be able to borrow books from the public library as well. That, combined with the low price and free books for Prime members, made this Kindle infinitely appealing to me. I think there is no better deal out there for book lovers.
A couple of other things that I consider nifty are the ability to change font size, the fact that highlights are saved on to the device in "My Clippings", and that books can be saved on Amazon's cloud drive instead of cluttering the device. These things just add to the Kindles charm in my eyes.
It's also much sturdier and well constructed than I expected. Hopefully it withstands the test of time.
CONCLUSION
Overall, I must say I love the Kindle. I am so happy to have bought it. It has made something I really enjoy a lot better and has saved me a lot of space on my shelves. Amazon did a really good job in providing a quality product. I will edit my review to reflect my experiences with it over longer periods of time but, thus far, I have no complaints about it. I think that any avid reader would enjoy this device.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2012
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2013
I already own the Kindle Fire HD but I wanted to buy a reading-only-capable device that wouldn't distract me from a book with movies and apps and I wanted an ereader that I could tote around easily without it being too heavy or big.
When I was looking for the ereader to fit the bill I was originally considering the Kindle Paperwhite, but then decided against it because I didn't really need the glow in the dark feature since I already have a lit Kindle Fire HD so I bought the regular Kindle instead.
The experience started from the very beginning. The shipping was so incredibly fast; I ordered it on a Friday and received it on Saturday! It was so unexpected, it was set to arrive by Tuesday! Amazon really wowed me there.
Okay so I've owned this for a little more than two months now and thought I should share my thoughts on this Kindle for those people who can't decided whether to buy this Kindle or not.
First of all it's incredibly light. At just 5.98 ounces it's the perfect weight for those marathon reading sessions I usually have, but it's not too light to the point where it feels delicate and easily breakable.
The page turning buttons are different from the Kindle Keyboard's buttons because they are pushed in at an angle instead of straight down and I actually like them better because when I grab the Kindle from both sides I don't trigger a page turn.
I've heard a lot of negative reviews on the five way controller because it's pretty much the only way to interact with the stuff on the screen. You have to use it to control the on-screen keyboard, navigate through a book, search up a word, highlight sections of a book and take notes. I highlight things in books all the time and search up words and using the 5 way isn't bad at all for these commands, but I have to admit that using the 5-way controller for the on-screen keyboard and taking notes is really annoying. I mean it moves around the keyboard really quickly when you scroll through, but it's still annoying for people who use the keyboard a lot. I really don't use the keyboard all that often so it's not too big of a deal for me.
The screen is really nice too. It has a matte screen that has really no glare in even the brightest of lights and the words are crisp and dark. This has to do with the black bezel that makes it contrast with the off-white kind of grey 'paper' background and therefore makes the black printed words jump out at you. I have absolutely no problem with the screen's readability.
I know there's only like 1.25 GB of space or something, but that's enough to fit about a thousand books and although having more memory would be nice, I don't think I'll ever be exceeding the memory space soon. And if I do, I would not only pat myself on the back, but I would just archive the books I've already read and make space for more. See no problem there right?
Battery life is fantastic. Since ereaders really only use energy to turn pages and use wifi, ereaders have incredibly long battery life and the kindle is no different. It says it last for a month or so with wifi off and I find that pretty true. I almost always have the wifi off unless I'm downloading a book and if I do leave it on for a while it lasts for about three weeks and that's incredible. I love not having to plug in another device at night.
I also really like that most books I download have the ability to use the publisher's font. I think it makes reading on the Kindle seem that much more like reading from and actual book.
Now with any amazon device I feel like I have to mention Amazon's ecosystem. It's unbeatable in terms of books and I have yet to search up a book and not find it. The classics are free and most books are $9.99 and under and it's just great.
And for those of you who aren't sure about getting and ereader because you feel that it diminishes the importance of physical books I say this: It doesn't matter whether you read a book from a phone, computer, ereader or physical book; it's all about the story. Where you read a story from is just the transportation. I think getting an ereader allows you to read more because it's more portable than an actual book, you never have to leave your house (if you have wifi) to get a book, and you can carry around hundreds of books around with you without carrying a lot of weight.
If you're looking for a inexpensive, light and simple entry ereader this Kindle is perfect. I adore it and I pretty much always have it on me because it's just so easy to carry around. This Kindle is putting my Kindle Fire HD to the back of the room to the point where the Fire is getting barely getting used now. Once you receive this ereader I think you'll fall in love with it's simplicity and size and will be like me in the fact that you won't be able to put it down.
When I was looking for the ereader to fit the bill I was originally considering the Kindle Paperwhite, but then decided against it because I didn't really need the glow in the dark feature since I already have a lit Kindle Fire HD so I bought the regular Kindle instead.
The experience started from the very beginning. The shipping was so incredibly fast; I ordered it on a Friday and received it on Saturday! It was so unexpected, it was set to arrive by Tuesday! Amazon really wowed me there.
Okay so I've owned this for a little more than two months now and thought I should share my thoughts on this Kindle for those people who can't decided whether to buy this Kindle or not.
First of all it's incredibly light. At just 5.98 ounces it's the perfect weight for those marathon reading sessions I usually have, but it's not too light to the point where it feels delicate and easily breakable.
The page turning buttons are different from the Kindle Keyboard's buttons because they are pushed in at an angle instead of straight down and I actually like them better because when I grab the Kindle from both sides I don't trigger a page turn.
I've heard a lot of negative reviews on the five way controller because it's pretty much the only way to interact with the stuff on the screen. You have to use it to control the on-screen keyboard, navigate through a book, search up a word, highlight sections of a book and take notes. I highlight things in books all the time and search up words and using the 5 way isn't bad at all for these commands, but I have to admit that using the 5-way controller for the on-screen keyboard and taking notes is really annoying. I mean it moves around the keyboard really quickly when you scroll through, but it's still annoying for people who use the keyboard a lot. I really don't use the keyboard all that often so it's not too big of a deal for me.
The screen is really nice too. It has a matte screen that has really no glare in even the brightest of lights and the words are crisp and dark. This has to do with the black bezel that makes it contrast with the off-white kind of grey 'paper' background and therefore makes the black printed words jump out at you. I have absolutely no problem with the screen's readability.
I know there's only like 1.25 GB of space or something, but that's enough to fit about a thousand books and although having more memory would be nice, I don't think I'll ever be exceeding the memory space soon. And if I do, I would not only pat myself on the back, but I would just archive the books I've already read and make space for more. See no problem there right?
Battery life is fantastic. Since ereaders really only use energy to turn pages and use wifi, ereaders have incredibly long battery life and the kindle is no different. It says it last for a month or so with wifi off and I find that pretty true. I almost always have the wifi off unless I'm downloading a book and if I do leave it on for a while it lasts for about three weeks and that's incredible. I love not having to plug in another device at night.
I also really like that most books I download have the ability to use the publisher's font. I think it makes reading on the Kindle seem that much more like reading from and actual book.
Now with any amazon device I feel like I have to mention Amazon's ecosystem. It's unbeatable in terms of books and I have yet to search up a book and not find it. The classics are free and most books are $9.99 and under and it's just great.
And for those of you who aren't sure about getting and ereader because you feel that it diminishes the importance of physical books I say this: It doesn't matter whether you read a book from a phone, computer, ereader or physical book; it's all about the story. Where you read a story from is just the transportation. I think getting an ereader allows you to read more because it's more portable than an actual book, you never have to leave your house (if you have wifi) to get a book, and you can carry around hundreds of books around with you without carrying a lot of weight.
If you're looking for a inexpensive, light and simple entry ereader this Kindle is perfect. I adore it and I pretty much always have it on me because it's just so easy to carry around. This Kindle is putting my Kindle Fire HD to the back of the room to the point where the Fire is getting barely getting used now. Once you receive this ereader I think you'll fall in love with it's simplicity and size and will be like me in the fact that you won't be able to put it down.
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