Kindle, 6" E Ink Display, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers (Previous Generation - 5th)

I got my first Kindle. This is a nice ebook reader. I'm going to jump right in and tell you what I found to be its Pros and Cons. Then I'm going to tell how it compares to its biggest competitor, the Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch.

Kindle's Pros:

Great Screen: Many people do not find LCDs hard to read on (e.g. smartphones, tablets, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, etc.), but virtually everyone will find E-Ink easier to read, any time of day. Especially the newest E-Ink Pearl displays. They simply look like paper and ink. I have never experienced any eye strain reading E-Ink book readers, but I have with LCD based phone/tablet screens.

Thin and Lightweight: This Kindle is thinner than any paperback and lighter too. This makes it very easy to hold in a sitting position, and for long periods too. It also makes it easy to transport in a purse, backpack, or messenger bag (or in luggage for traveling). Many people like to take a few books when travelling, and this Kindle lets you take as many as you want and adds virtually nothing to your travel burden.

Good Value: Even without a touchscreen, the Kindle is a good value. It is a well-made product, it offers cloud storage of your books (and well it should, since it offers no ability to expand storage capacity with an add-in microSD card), the screen is excellent, Amazon is a dogged competitor in book pricing. The Kindle 4 is the best value of Amazon's E-Ink readers. Some may be tempted to get the version with the built-in light. If you can afford it, sure, go ahead. But let me point out you don't have to spend $20 for a fancy-schmancy book light. Your local dollar store has them for ... wait for it ... a buck. They work perfectly well to light the screen, don't suck down your Kindle's battery, and best of all, don't add $50 to the price of the Kindle.

Amazon Customer Support: I've dealt with Amazon for years, and they have always done the right thing in terms of customer service when I have had issues with products or deliveries.

Kindle Lending Library for Prime Members: Prime members get their own library. That's a great benefit to them. I'm an "adjunct" Prime member, though, so I don't get to benefit from it, but it's great for primary Prime members.

Library Support: I was happy to see Amazon join the program for Overdrive and public library ebook lending. This is such a huge benefit to everyone who has ebook readers. Especially people on fixed incomes, who like ebook readers for the ability to change font sizes, and love them for the ability to borrow library books.

MicroUSB Port for USB Charging: Good call for Amazon to support the universal USB standard for charging. You can charge from a computer USB port, an AC adapter, car charger, etc. Don't worry about buying one: if you have a smartphone (other than apple) or Bluetooth device that came with a microUSB cable charger, it will do the job.

Parental Controls: Another good choice for Amazon to implement parental controls, where they can restrict access to the Kindle's web browser, store, and archived items.

Long Battery Life: I couldn't even put a dent in the battery gauge using the Kindle for several days, for several hours a day.

Excellent Highlighting and Notes Features: I really liked the highlighting and notation capabilities, and that I can access the highlights both in book and from the home screen. You can also choose to show highlights and notes by other users (general population), or by a selection of Amazon users you follow.

Cons:

No Touchscreen: Yes, I know they offer a touchscreen model. But they charge a bunch more for it. Their main competitor offers touchscreen in their most basic model, for only a few dollars more (don't let the $99 list price fool you ... the Simple Touch is usually available for 10 bux more than the Kindle).

No Expandable Storage: Personally, I like to add free books from Project Gutenberg to my ebook reader. I can add thousands, with graphics, if I can add a microSD card for storage. However, Amazon chooses not to include that feature.

Not Easy to Hold Laying Down: For those of you who like to read in bed (that's where I do all my book reading), the Kindle 4 is not very easy to hold and be able to turn pages. The front bezel is slippery plastic and thin, so it's hard to grip one-handed. But if you manage to, it's nigh impossible to hit the page turn buttons. Most of the time, I found I had to let the bottom edge rest on my belly, hold it upright with one hand, and reach down with the other hand to turn pages. Sometimes I think products are designed and tested by people who just sit in their cubicles and never try the products in real-life situations. The ads show people sitting on the beach reading. Sure, pretty easy to hold the thing in that position. But try laying down! That's how real people read!

Button Design: Have they always been like this? I found the buttons prone to inadvertent presses whenever I held the Kindle. I prefer to hold it one-handed, and it seems that the button size and location makes it hard to grip the thing without accidentally hitting a page forward or back button.

Proprietary Format: Amazon's use of its proprietary format for ebooks means you have only one source of contemporary books: Amazon. Now, Amazon is a fine company, but personally, I find choice - being able to shop for the best deal - to be a benefit.

Kindle vs. Nook:

I have used Nook ebook readers for a couple of years, so I am very experienced with B&N's products and services.

Here are the winners and losers in various areas:

Ties:

* E-Ink screens are equal quality
* Battery Life: really long for both
* Page Turns: both used to be pretty slow, both are now acceptably fast
* Book Prices: whenever I've checked, Amazon has better prices sometimes, Barnes & Noble has better prices other times, and they're very close a lot of times

Nook Wins:

* Touchscreen
* Use your own screensaver and wallpaper
* In store reading for free
* Expandable Storage
* Comes with charger (EDIT: 1/14/13: some commenters report that B&N now charges for the charger; be sure to check before you buy!)
* More universal book file format (epub) vs. proprietary Kindle format
* Fonts: more fonts, more sizes, more margin selections, more leading (line spacing) selections
* Easier to navigate: the user interface is just more logical and it's easier to find what you're looking for
* Better ergonomics: Nook is easier to hold, sitting OR laying down. The buttons don't get in the way of fingers. The touchscreen give alternative options to page turning (touch edge or swipe). The Nook Simple Touch and the Glowlight version have a large dimpled back that make it easier to hold.

Kindle Wins:

* Highlighting and Notes: much easier to use and access with Kindle
* Kindle Lending Library: this may be Amazon's answer to B&N's in store free reading
* Device is Lighter and Smaller: easier to transport, though the smaller size and lighter weight do not make it easier to handle
* Support: Amazon's product support is legend, in my book. B&N released a software update for Nook Simple Touch once that broke Wi-Fi, they refused to acknowledge the problem for many weeks, and took over 2 months to fix it. Inexcusable.

Bottom Line:

For me, Nook Simple Touch is the superior ebook reader. Comparatively, Amazon has few advantages in design or use. Nook is easier to hold and has better ergonomics and navigation, has expandable memory, has more display adjustments, uses a more universal ebook format, lets you read books for free in their store, and has a touchscreen. Kindle has the Lending Library for Prime Members as an advantage, it's a little lighter and smaller, has better product support, and a better highlighting/notation function. Now, with that said ... the Kindle is an excellent ebook reader too. When I choose Nook as superior, it does not negate that Kindle is a great product. And if you have a compelling reason to go with Amazon's product, then by all means do so. You will love it and enjoy it, almost surely.

I have owned a Kindle for several years now. I have had the 2nd generation Kindle and I have had the Kindle Keyboard. When my mom expressed interest in getting a Kindle I decided to give her my Kindle Keyboard because she doesnt have Wifi in her house and my older Kindle Keyboard had 3G, which is what she needed. And I decided to buy the Basic Kindle for myself because (1) I didnt want to wait for the Paperwhite to come out and (2) I just needed Wifi and (3)and most importantly I JUST WANT TO READ A BOOK, not listen to text-to-speach, or go shopping on Amazon, or listen to music, etc. All I want to do is read a book...thats it! This Kindle is perfect for that. Its smaller and lighter, the pages turn faster than the Keyboard version, it basically has everything I need to download a book and read a book with a much better price than the Paperwhite or Keyboard. Yes, you have to navigate through the keyboard on this kindle with a 5-way controller, but I rarely use the keyboard anyway. To download a book, I just search and buy books on my computer and send them to my Kindle...which is much quicker no matter what version of Kindle you have. So if you dont need, want, or use all the extras then I would definitely recommend the Basic Kindle for $69 with special offers, because who really pays attention to the screen savers anyway.

I've had this a week now. I also have a Kindle Fire HD I have had for about a year, with the case on, the Fire HD is heavy. I love the HD, and never leave home with out it, but many times I wish I could just slip my books in my pocket and run. I go a lot of places on the run, take others places where I wait for them to shop or what ever, and there is not WiFi to play on my Fire HD. I just want to read. My reading time has come up from one book a year to 50 books a year, and now my reading will go up even more.

This was the perfect answer. So feather light It is incredible. It is taking me a bit to not swipe the screen to turn a page, and get used to the lay out and use of the various buttons, but after an hour I had read the built in owners manual, learned the ins and outs of the buttons and had it set up. It connected to my WiFi instantly. The on screen key board has taken a bit to get used to but once you use it a few times you can do it pretty fast.

I wondered how all my content, library of books would be transferred from my Fire HD, to this device. To my pleasant surprise after connecting to my Wi-Fi, the next time I looked at the home menu my entire library of over 300 books was there, archived. I just click a title and it down loads in seconds.

I honestly can't tell the difference between the print on this and the print on my Fire HD. Pixel wise, my eyes can't differentiate a thing.

I love the texture look of a "page from a book look". The no glare is amazing. There are times and places I can't read or see the screen on my Fire HD, and this just runs circles around the reading in bright light. Yes!

We travel or go camping where one can't just plug it in, so the battery life will be awesome, to be able to read weeks at a time and not constantly wondering where you are going to plug it in for a charge. UPDATE: After reading several hours a day for several days, the battery indicator shows little signs of going down, and that is with the Wi-Fi on continuously.

PROS: Love the screen. Super feather weight, You can arrange books by authors and so on. (I can't do that on my Fire HD!) Plus, it's easy on the eyes and my wallet. My power adapter charger are interchangeable with both the Kindle Fire HD and this Kindle 4th generation E-reader. So I don't have to buy a new cord or charger. It came with a spare cord (No, it didn't come with the charger.) My cat has chewed up my cord pretty good so I will use it until it dies and still have one on the side waiting.

CONS: Key board on screen takes some getting used to. No light, but I knew that before I bought it.

I had VERY seriously considered the latest greatest Kindle Paper White 2013. After reading so many disappointing feed backs I decided that all I want is a light weight book reader, small, and I could not justify the extra expense to have the touch screen. The more I thought about it the more I thought how I could use that extra money, such as on more books to read.

I love the latest technology. I am a grandma of eight. I will be the first to want what ever new gadget comes out, so for me to decide on a lower tech device says a lot. I do my home work. After reading user reviews and talking to people at a well known electronics store, I was sold on this 4th generation Kindle. I was impressed by how many said they liked the quality and build. This is the main reason I went with the tried and true before they are no longer available.

I did call every local store from here to Timbuktoo to find last year's 2012 Paper White. I tried eBay and Amazon themselves to no avail. I would have went with that, had I been able to find one. If you have the last 2012 model I would hang onto that baby! Buy new but don't let go of the old.

Bottom line, for the money, and quality, easy on the eyes reader, that is feather weight light, you can't go wrong. I'm very happy with my decision.

UPDATE: After owning this for more than a month I have only had to charge it twice, I read three to four hours a day, not every day, but I'm extremely happy with my Kindle reader, it's staying power, and reliability!