Kindle E-readers on sale for $20 off

[Docjon]

The three low-end Kindle E-readers are on sale:

https://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=6669702011


I don't know if the upper-tier Kindles are on sale, but the low-end ones are plenty nice. The Paperwhite is on sale for $99.99, has a 300dpi screen and 4 levels of built-in lighting. Seems like the sweet spot, if you like a dedicated e-book.

[Paladin]

I still think putting the money towards a full tablet is the way to go. About the only thing they have an advantage over tablets are battery life, but good tablets are not bad, and reading in direct sunlight.

Still good info.

[Lurchmonster]

I LOVED my original Kindle, 2nd generation. I used it until the battery life started dropping down to about 3 weeks between charges. Got the paperwhite but it honestly didn't have enough contrast for my bad eyes, it wasn't white, so I sent it back and bought the next version down, which had a bit better contrast. Read on it almost every day. Can't recommend them enough.

[Docjon]

I broke my Kindle Touch around Thanksgiving. It fell about 3 feet onto linoleum and about half the screen turned to random shapes and characters. Weird, both it and the Kindle Fire have taken much worse hits than that. When it broke, it was about a week between needing charged. If I started a new series of books, I might charge it every 2-3 days due to heavy use. I guess I got my money's worth out of that one.

I got a damn nice Android tablet to replace it, and as an upgrade to my 2-year-old Kindle Fire. I love it. It's really quite nice, and thanks to Paladin for steering me to it - but I bought the Kindle Paperwhite yesterday just the same. I found I didn't read as much on the Android tablet. I'm a heavy reader, but I've hardly read anything since my Kindle Touch e-reader died! There's a certain comfort to a purpose-built device used only for reading. It's more than twice as light as the Android, which counts for a lot when you read for hours. I like the E-ink display. I don't have to charge it all the time, either(this tablet has pretty good battery life, but it's not measured in WEEKS).

The Moonreader App on the Android tablet is pretty damn cool, especially with the parchment background and dark brown text, but in the end, I'd rather use that for surfing and games, and have my old Kindle back for reading - with a few upgrades .

They have an option now at Amazon: You can pay $20 +shipping/tax, they'll ship it to you, and they'll charge your card $20 a month for four months thereafter. That option, combined with the $20 discount, got me to bite.

Think I'll break in the new Kindle with the Discworld books. I've heard glowing things about them and Terry Pratchett, and I've never read them.

[Lurchmonster]

You're going to love Discworld...though the last couple of books, and the last one in particular, you can tell he was slipping. You can tell in the last one that he apparently wrote scenes, and someone else stitched them together... My favorites in the series are the ones dealing with the Watch. Saddens me every time I think there won't be any more Discworld books.

I wonder why you aren't getting the battery life I did? I read hours per day at my heaviest, and at first it lasted just 2 weeks, but with updates they made to the system that crept up to where it actually hit a month between charges. Around about then I started running out of time to read, so my time started dropping, I don't know what the longest it might have gotten up to with heavy use was. After awhile I had too much to do and was too tired at the end of the day for recreational reading, so stopped awhile, but when I pulled it back out and casually read I was getting a month out of it, and it slowly started dropping. As I started getting more warnings about the battery getting low, without reading it more than usual, I got the new one. I haven't tested this to dead battery, though I have gotten a low battery warning. It's got a touch screen, backlight, and good contrast, but I don't remember which model it is, maybe the Touch you mentioned.

No, Maggie just corrected me, the one I have now is the Paperwhite, the other one didn't have good enough contrast. Her niece had the same problem and sent it back and got the Paperwhite as well.

I'm old, I get confused...

[Docjon]

You're going to love Discworld...though the last couple of books, and the last one in particular, you can tell he was slipping. You can tell in the last one that he apparently wrote scenes, and someone else stitched them together... My favorites in the series are the ones dealing with the Watch. Saddens me every time I think there won't be any more Discworld books.

I wonder why you aren't getting the battery life I did? I read hours per day at my heaviest, and at first it lasted just 2 weeks, but with updates they made to the system that crept up to where it actually hit a month between charges. Around about then I started running out of time to read, so my time started dropping, I don't know what the longest it might have gotten up to with heavy use was. After awhile I had too much to do and was too tired at the end of the day for recreational reading, so stopped awhile, but when I pulled it back out and casually read I was getting a month out of it, and it slowly started dropping. As I started getting more warnings about the battery getting low, without reading it more than usual, I got the new one. I haven't tested this to dead battery, though I have gotten a low battery warning. It's got a touch screen, backlight, and good contrast, but I don't remember which model it is, maybe the Touch you mentioned.

No, Maggie just corrected me, the one I have now is the Paperwhite, the other one didn't have good enough contrast. Her niece had the same problem and sent it back and got the Paperwhite as well.

I'm old, I get confused...

Yeah, what you said before sounded like you didn't like the Paperwhite due to lack of contrast, and preferred the cheaper, greyer model. I wasn't gonna say anything - opinions vary after all - but that sounded like crazy talk

I didn't have the battery life you had, I suspect, because my Kindle Touch was 5 years old when it died and had seen heavy use, both as a reader and the occasional MP3 player. I even turned off wi-fi to save power. I think if we compared notes we'd find we both read quite a lot. That's why I had to have my dedicated e-reader back, though I'm sorry the new one won't have an MP3 player like my old Touch. That fucker about saved my sanity when I was in the hospital for a month. The BEEPING, oh God, the FUCKING CONSTANT, ENDLESS,RELENTLESS BEEPING of random equipment! Shit, just thinking about it, I can almost hear it again. That's fucked up. The rehab center wasn't as bad with the beeping, but I had a racist, misogynistic redneck in the next bed that I offered to beat with my IV pole. The built-in MP3 player might have saved him, too.

My Kindle Fire played Youtube music videos, but I didn't figure out how to make it play them and let me surf at the same time, so surfing won the day there. Sitting in bed for weeks at a time, I needed to surf to distract myself, but between my old Touch and my new Fire, I had tunes, books and the internet. I bought a cheap MP3 player when I got out of the hospital too. I was making DAMN sure I wouldn't ever go through something like that again without tunes. Come to think of it, I believe ALL my portable electronic purchases are affected and informed by that hospital stay.

It's a shame about Pratchett, but all good things, etc. I was worried in 2014 that I'd never get to find out the ending to the Dresden Files, because I might die. That would piss me the fuck off, and I don't want to die pissed off. I made a decision then that I'd NEVER AGAIN start another book series with an overarching storyline that wasn't already finished. Speaking of. . .Jim Butcher better get his shit together and quit writing other books when he hasn't finished the Dresden Files yet! What the hell is it with writers? Seriously, The Dresden Files have been going for 17 years, and it looks like it might be another 10-15 more at this rate.

We should book-dweeb sometime. I'll need some suggestions when I finish with the Ringworld books at the end of the month

[Prophet]

My wife prefers the ereaders to a tablet for pure reading. It's easier to read, especially at night with the backlit ones vs a tablet. At least for her.

[Lurchmonster]

Yeah, this one being backlit is a plus I hadn't figured on. I always looked at it as if I am reading a "real" book, I need a light to see by to read it, so having to have one for the kindle wasn't a stretch for me. Maggie hates when I have the light on in bed though, so backlit is the way to go. I just wish I could reverse the print/page. Make it dark page and light text. Pretty sure the one I originally had would do that.

My original Kindle was the 2nd gen one, still had the physical keyboard, but not the huge buttons on both sides. I think I had it for longer than 5 years, but not sure. When I bought it the warranty was only a year, and the tech support guy at Amazon told me the battery would start to go bad after a year, so I wanted to get the extended warranty to make sure I could just swap out the Kindle when it stopped taking a charge. I opted not to do that, and turned out I didn't need it. As I've said before, single best present Maggie has ever given me.

I understand Butcher not wanting to burn out on Dresden so writing other series too, I just wish he were more like Asimov and could write 10 books a year...but then he might be dead like Asimov too, so eh...

At present to find books I am using Bookbub, it sends you a daily email with all the ebooks that are $3 and less, and if a book is free and I think I might REMOTELY be interested in reading it, I "buy" it and have it in my library...then if I read a little and don't like it, I just delete it and I'm not out any money. I can't afford to buy all the books I'd want to read...I save buying books for hardcovers of Dresden and when they were being written, the Discworld books. Things I want to own physical copies of.

[Paladin]

Sorry, tablets are way better. It is my opinion of course. You guys obviously disagree and that is cool. If you hate reading on it you are doing it wrong.

I played with a Kindle a bit, borrowed one for awhile. This was before I got my full size Android tablet. I was thinking about buying one at the time. It was so so.. Font looked a bit blurry to me, not enough customization. I just did not like it much, it felt so limiting. Just lacking.

The whole not needing a charge for a month etc.. is really a who cares... How often are you away from home not near an outlet THAT long? All you need is enough battery for a day if you think about it. You will most likely charge your whatever device every day... But to be fair I can see a need in certain situations but those are very very rare.

A table is slightly heaver sure but it is not that bad depending on the tablet. I don't hold it in mid air out in front of my face that often. I never do that with real books either so..

The tablet is much more flexible. The font is MUCH clearer and easier on the eyes and that is the most important thing. Total control over the font, which font, which size, the font spacing even, how the paragraphs are formatted etc...You can have a reverse font or even change the font color if you wanted to. Want to read white text on black you can. Also a tablet can read many more Ebook formats. I can choose what color the background is or even use a picture. I also like the library integration. I can load up books directly from my Google drive. It also has hooks directly into the public books libraries. I can also have easier and much more access. I also love that witht he full ziew tablet I can read magazines and full PDF's on it that are meant for 8 /12 X 11.

When I have time to read (sorry I work full time) I sometimes read between my phone and tablet and Moonreader keeps them synced. I was just at traffic court yesterday and loaded up the book, it seen my reading position from the tablet and allowed me to go to that page. Very cool for me. I also sometimes just read while waiting for a table at a restaurant etc...

I just cannot see the comparison. It is like watching B&W TV versus color. Sure both let you watch the show but come on... i i

Either way enjoy you new gadget that you really didn't need to spend money on*... i i


*KIDDING!!!!

[Docjon]

Sorry, tablets are way better. It is my opinion of course. You guys obviously disagree and that is cool. If you hate reading on it you are doing it wrong.

I played with a Kindle a bit, borrowed one for awhile. This was before I got my full size Android tablet. I was thinking about buying one at the time. It was so so.. Font looked a bit blurry to me, not enough customization. I just did not like it much, it felt so limiting. Just lacking.

The whole not needing a charge for a month etc.. is really a who cares... How often are you away from home not near an outlet THAT long? All you need is enough battery for a day if you think about it. You will most likely charge your whatever device every day... But to be fair I can see a need in certain situations but those are very very rare.

A table is slightly heaver sure but it is not that bad depending on the tablet. I don't hold it in mid air out in front of my face that often. I never do that with real books either so..

The tablet is much more flexible. The font is MUCH clearer and easier on the eyes and that is the most important thing. Total control over the font, which font, which size, the font spacing even, how the paragraphs are formatted etc...You can have a reverse font or even change the font color if you wanted to. Want to read white text on black you can. Also a tablet can read many more Ebook formats. I can choose what color the background is or even use a picture. I also like the library integration. I can load up books directly from my Google drive. It also has hooks directly into the public books libraries. I can also have easier and much more access. I also love that witht he full ziew tablet I can read magazines and full PDF's on it that are meant for 8 /12 X 11.

When I have time to read (sorry I work full time) I sometimes read between my phone and tablet and Moonreader keeps them synced. I was just at traffic court yesterday and loaded up the book, it seen my reading position from the tablet and allowed me to go to that page. Very cool for me. I also sometimes just read while waiting for a table at a restaurant etc...

I just cannot see the comparison. It is like watching B&W TV versus color. Sure both let you watch the show but come on... i i

Either way enjoy you new gadget that you really didn't need to spend money on*... i i


*KIDDING!!!!

Dude, you just finished a book you started last year. Lurch and I kill books in a day, all the time. You might as well tell a F1 racer be doesn't need a custom car, a butcher that be doesn't need his $500 knife set, or a sniper that he doesn't need hand-loaded ammo. I've had both devices, and I know what I like. Amazon does brisk business selling both, even though you can get decent color Fire tablets at the same price as an e-reader.

EDIT: My internet's sporadic right now, I'm having issues with my IP

[Paladin]

Dude, you just finished a book you started last year. Lurch and I kill books in a day, all the time. You might as well tell a F1 racer be doesn't need a custom car, a butcher that be doesn't need his $500 knife set, or a sniper that he doesn't need hand-loaded ammo. I've had both devices, and I know what I like. Amazon does brisk business selling both, even though you can get decent color Fire tablets at the same price as an e-reader.

Read a book in a day. Must be nice to have an extra 11 hours a day to do shit like that. Yeah I get up at 7am (6:45 actually) and am home around 6PM. 5:45 on a good day so I will give you 10.5 hours a day hehehe i i

Some days this working thing is higly overratted. I woul dlove to have time to sleep in more if I want or just play more single player games or just browse the web.

Seriously I know the shit you deal with but the one advantage you have is time... At least more than me in between the other stuff.
And yes of course I understand that you don't have that much free time over me and have stuff to deal with. Still you have more oppertunity.
I have very little free time and I don't even have a family or kids. Seriously weird. Or I guess I just don't magane the time I have very well.

I may get 5 hours after work, after I eat/exercise I am left with maybe 4 hours to watch TV etc...5 if I stay up later than i should. i i
I need to spend more reading but just never seem to be able to.

BTW I never said you don't know what you like. I don' t give a shit what you guys use obviously but you cannot compare like that. You are saying that the tablet is not a custom car in that analogy? That the Kindle is that much better? Hardly... I say the opposite. The kindle is the compact car compared to the SUV. i i

Anyway use what the hell you want, I am not telling you otherwise. I am just stating my opinion that the Kindle is kind of blah... i i

[Lurchmonster]

For me, personally, it comes down to the Kindle does one thing, does it impressively well, and just works. I like things that work. I have yet to have a tablet that worked like it should. The Nexus 7 you loved so much was a piece of crap for me. I easily accept that I got a bad one, because you raved about yours, and a local friend of mine's wife had one that she raved about as well, and neither of you had the problems with it I did. The next two tablets I owned had problems as well, one barely worked out of the box, and the other one started screwing up on me 1 week into using it. I took them both back and washed my hands of tablets, and instead got me a phone (sadly 3 years out of date when I got it, but until Android 6 it worked great) and used it as a "tablet replacement". Now I have the Chromebook, but haven't really started using it a lot yet, the screen resolution is lower than I would have liked, but it works... I COULD read on it, but it's just a lot more comfortable reading on the Kindle.

I'm a big fan of things that work like they are supposed to...and it does.

[Docjon]

For me, personally, it comes down to the Kindle does one thing, does it impressively well, and just works. I like things that work. I have yet to have a tablet that worked like it should. The Nexus 7 you loved so much was a piece of crap for me. I easily accept that I got a bad one, because you raved about yours, and a local friend of mine's wife had one that she raved about as well, and neither of you had the problems with it I did. The next two tablets I owned had problems as well, one barely worked out of the box, and the other one started screwing up on me 1 week into using it. I took them both back and washed my hands of tablets, and instead got me a phone (sadly 3 years out of date when I got it, but until Android 6 it worked great) and used it as a "tablet replacement". Now I have the Chromebook, but haven't really started using it a lot yet, the screen resolution is lower than I would have liked, but it works... I COULD read on it, but it's just a lot more comfortable reading on the Kindle.

I'm a big fan of things that work like they are supposed to...and it does.

Yeah, the Kindle E-readers aren't as customizable as Android tablets - they are already customized for one thing. They are MUCH lighter, which you really can't fully appreciate unless you read for hours and hours. The screen really IS easy on the eyes, and I'm going by the old screen. The new one I ordered has twice the resolution, and I really like the new backlight option. You can read it in broad daylight unlike color tablets, and now you can read it in dim conditions without a lamp. The E-ink is low-powered, so the battery can be smaller and still last a very, very long time.

You seem to have had REALLY bad luck with tablets, though. You can't hate on cars, for example, because you had a couple lemons. Hell, I had to return my first Kindle Touch because it wouldn't connect to my network. Second Kindle Touch connected right away. Just bad luck. Color tablets are awesome for many portable uses.

BTW, my Kindle Paperwhite is scheduled to be delivered on Sunday. That Sunday delivery thing weirds me out. I love it, but can't get used to it.

[Lurchmonster]

Sunday delivery by the USPS...just got an Amazon package last Sunday. It is odd.

For years my brother couldn't own a 12 gauge, they ALWAYS screwed up on him, sometimes in really inventive ways. Seems mine is tablets...they ALWAYS screw up on me. So far the Chromebook has only rebooted itself randomly once, but I'm not using it a lot yet...it's one of the cheaper ones, but has the touchscreen and flips around to be a tablet. Being basically retired, I don't need it so much for "work" or mobile applications, which is one of the reasons I didn't mind not having Windows on it. I mainly got it so I could sit somewhere besides at the computer and get some stuff done, and if I WANT Windows on it, in theory I can use the Chrome screen share and use my computer from the Chromebook, though I haven't even looked into setting it up yet.

[Docjon]

Sunday delivery by the USPS...just got an Amazon package last Sunday. It is odd.

For years my brother couldn't own a 12 gauge, they ALWAYS screwed up on him, sometimes in really inventive ways. Seems mine is tablets...they ALWAYS screw up on me. So far the Chromebook has only rebooted itself randomly once, but I'm not using it a lot yet...it's one of the cheaper ones, but has the touchscreen and flips around to be a tablet. Being basically retired, I don't need it so much for "work" or mobile applications, which is one of the reasons I didn't mind not having Windows on it. I mainly got it so I could sit somewhere besides at the computer and get some stuff done, and if I WANT Windows on it, in theory I can use the Chrome screen share and use my computer from the Chromebook, though I haven't even looked into setting it up yet.

Harry Dresden has technology mess up on him for no good reason.