# Which Kindle?



## Epona (Jan 21, 2012)

Is it worth the extra £60 for 3G connectivity and keyboard pad thingy?

I can see how it might come in handy, but I can't see myself having a desperate urgent need to connect when on the move (or if our internet connection is on the blink which doesn't happen often), but I'm not sure that "it might come in handy" is suitable justification for me to spend that much more money, being as I'm not swimming in cash.

Is there anything I haven't thought of that would make it worth spending extra?


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## quimcunx (Jan 21, 2012)

i have the kindle 4 one without keyboard and a keyboard might have been a bit handy for making notes as i have text books on there. i've barely used it to look for books online but when i did amazon was very good at bringing up a list of authors i might be looking for so didn't find it problematic.


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## Epona (Jan 21, 2012)

quimcunx said:


> i have the kindle 4 one without keyboard and a keyboard might have been a bit handy for making notes as i have text books on there. i've barely used it to look for books online but when i did amazon was very good at bringing up a list of authors i might be looking for so didn't find it problematic.



Cheers, I would use my PC to look for books anyway so I can't see that being an issue.


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## quimcunx (Jan 21, 2012)

if money was no object i'd prefer one with a keyboard, if only because i find it weirdly small to handle and a keyboard would make it a bit bigger. but if money is an object then it's hard to justify the extra expense if not essential to your purposes, and it sounds like it isn't.


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## Epona (Jan 21, 2012)

quimcunx - Yeah that's pretty much the conclusion I'd come to.  If I could splash the cash I'd get the more expensive one without hesitation, but I don't think I need those functions enough to stump up that much extra for it!


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## toggle (Jan 21, 2012)

i rarely use the keyboard and i haven't missed getting one without the 3g, imagine having it would be great if you travel a lot, but i don't need it


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## Riklet (Jan 21, 2012)

The keyboard's well useful, i'd be fed up having to select letters individually, although I guess you'd get pretty quick at it eventually.

The updated version does look all small and snazzy though, but the cheaper price means you're not getting quite as much really.  So yeah, keyboard non-3g version if they're still selling it? I think it's great value...


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## Epona (Jan 21, 2012)

Riklet said:


> The keyboard's well useful, i'd be fed up having to select letters individually, although I guess you'd get pretty quick at it eventually.
> 
> The updated version does look all small and snazzy though, but the cheaper price means you're not getting quite as much really. So yeah, keyboard non-3g version if they're still selling it? I think it's great value...



Well this is what I was wondering and perhaps if you could give more detail it would help me decide - what are you using the keyboard for?

I can only see the 2 latest versions on Amazon.


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## Riklet (Jan 21, 2012)

I mainly use it to quickly search within books and that, to find specific bits.  I also use it with the dictionary, as being able to look up worths with it quickly is great, especially as it lists the phonemic script on all entries, which is coming rather in handy for me currently.  I also use the keyboard for the usual shit; putting in internet details, changing font size, writing notes onto texts occasionally.

Having to input letters with the direction pad would probably be fine though.  The bigger size is cool too, it's still really light and portable.


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## gosub (Jan 21, 2012)

Me and the Mrs have one of each. Lack of keyboard only a pain in the in rows about words presumably got me the kindle4 to give herself advantage.

3G one means paper on the bus


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## Epona (Jan 21, 2012)

Riklet - thanks for elaborating! How often do you have to do things such as put in your internet details? I will mostly be using it for reading fiction and can't imagine that I will want to search within books, look up definitions, or write notes - at least not on a regular basis.

The main reason I want a kindle is that I've reached a sort of emergency reading situation wrt my arthritis, I can't hold a physical book open for as long as I would like to, I was trying to finish a book the other day and had to keep putting it down because the hand holding it open was aching even though I wanted to carry on reading


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## gosub (Jan 21, 2012)

Pretty much file once and forget. Amazon remembers it all also gives your kindle an email address so you can sort other shit out on PC and email direct to kindle.


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## Epona (Jan 22, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. I have a couple of other questions.

The cheaper one is advertised as having a battery life of 1 month, based on _half an hour of reading a day_. This seems like a very low "commuter" estimate (reading on the way to and from work); when I get stuck into a book I really get stuck in and will sit and read for 12 hours straight, am I going to be charging it up every other day with heavy useage, and will this impact on the battery life over the long-term?

Also wondering about accidental damage cover - I have very boisterous cats who will happily leap up and knock books out of my hands if they want some attention, as well as chewing things and knocking things to the floor in order to play with them, what sort of knocks can a kindle withstand and is it worth getting the 2 year accidental policy with it (I don't have house contents insurance).


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## Shippou-Sensei (Jan 22, 2012)

it lasts about a day if you have the wifi and mp3 going

if the wifi and mp3s are off  it does last for fucking ages.  over 2 days at least i think.

i loved having the keyboard one  when on holiday  but   in  london it's not so benifitial


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## gosub (Jan 22, 2012)

Can be quite fragile but Amazon have excellent returns policy though not sure about pet bites. Battery use will be better than any other gadget you maybe using (excluding bayliss radio)


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## Epona (Jan 22, 2012)

gosub said:


> Can be quite fragile but Amazon have excellent returns policy though not sure about pet bites. Battery use will be better than any other gadget you maybe using (excluding bayliss radio)



Thanks for that, given the number of things my cats have managed to break (including knocking a digital camera into a cup of tea) I think the accidental policy might be a good idea, just on the basis that Amazon are unlikely to believe that it "just broke" when it has obvious fang marks on it, one of the cats especially likes to grab things out of my hands and give it a bit of a chomp if I am not giving him attention for a few minutes!


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## TopCat (Jan 22, 2012)

Epona said:


> Riklet - thanks for elaborating! How often do you have to do things such as put in your internet details? I will mostly be using it for reading fiction and can't imagine that I will want to search within books, look up definitions, or write notes - at least not on a regular basis.
> 
> The main reason I want a kindle is that I've reached a sort of emergency reading situation wrt my arthritis, I can't hold a physical book open for as long as I would like to, I was trying to finish a book the other day and had to keep putting it down because the hand holding it open was aching even though I wanted to carry on reading


Arthritis is shit and the kindle will be a great help to you.


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## Chz (Jan 23, 2012)

I don't miss the keyboard at all. Except, perhaps, during the initial setup because my wifi password is insane.  Even on the Kindle 3, it's easier to use the dictionary by using the direction pad to highlight the word you want.

They're fairly durable, so far as electronic devices go. Nowhere near indestructible, but certainly not delicate. Amazon is usually quite generous on their returns policy anyhow.


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## Epona (Jan 24, 2012)

Cheers everyone!  OH has said he will buy me one for my birthday but I'm not sure I want to wait until April.  Hmmm.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 24, 2012)

3g is pretty much pointless.
go for the keyboardless one and save money.
my mum has very limited mobility in her hands and she manages with one.
she doesn't have to fight with the newspaper anymore and she is very pleased about this - it's improved her life to no end.


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## kabbes (Jan 24, 2012)

Keyboard just seems a pointless waste of space to me.  I read with the thing, not write with it.  I can see that if you need to make notes in textbooks then it's a different matter, but otherwise why bother?


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## Orang Utan (Jan 24, 2012)

i got one when that was the only choice and i use it quite a bit for searching for things and looking up words in the dictionary. pretty sure you can do that with the onscreen keyboard though, except it's more of a faff?


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## kabbes (Jan 24, 2012)

Typing in one word only takes a few seconds, not worth fussing about.  Longer notes would be a pain, but unless you need to make long notes, who cares?


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## mwgdrwg (Jan 30, 2012)

Only £79 on the Tesco Direct site at the minute. Seriously tempted.


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## Riklet (Jan 30, 2012)

Go for it.

definitely makes sense buying one if you're having arthritic problems, or issues with hands and holding things n what not. The kindle makes reading with one hand easy, and no hands possible too (you might have to change pages with some sort of digit, limb or you chin, occasionally though)!

Mine kindle (old style one with keyboard) has got a couple of cracks around the plastic surrounding the screen.  it's a bit annoying, but ive carried it about lots and they're generally tough as anything.  I have good experience with the battery life too, although I don't read for hours daily, mine lasts at least a week if not two.  One of the best gadgets i've ever bought, £110 well spent -- the new ones are a bargain - they're more compact, maybe a bit more solid and £30 less!


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## fakeplasticgirl (Jan 31, 2012)

hello! thought i'd hi-jack this thread rather than make a new one with the same title...

am also thinking of buying a kindle
and have no idea which one
am leaning towards the cheapest? (obviously  ) but is there a good reason to spend more?
i am v uninitiated to the world of the kindle
are they really worth getting in the first place? over just holding a book?


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## Orang Utan (Jan 31, 2012)

there are loads of kindle threads, fpg. check em out! perhaps even read this one!


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## fakeplasticgirl (Feb 1, 2012)

just treated myself to a kindle  £79 from tesco. excited!


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## fakeplasticgirl (Feb 3, 2012)

kindle pick-up time today or tomorrow. eee!


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## dessiato (Feb 3, 2012)

I am still not sure about having a kindle. I think that it would be really useful. But we have a netbook, and an ipad. Do I really need a kindle as well? I'd really don't need anything other than the fact that it would have all our books in one easy to carry place.

Currently I have about 15GB of books on the netbook only some of which would be transferred to a kindle. I like the idea of reading on the ipad, but living here I can't get apps. Of course the fact that I also can't get a Kindle here is an additional issue. But in about ten weeks I'll be back in the UK. So this is for buying in April.

The more I think about it the more uncertain I become. Suggestions?


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## kabbes (Feb 3, 2012)

15GB of books?  How many books is that?  It sounds like a ridiculous number.


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## dessiato (Feb 3, 2012)

kabbes said:


> 15GB of books? How many books is that? It sounds like a ridiculous number.


Full library of teaching books, course books, all sorts. I think it is several hundred now. (Maybe it is time to get rid of some!)

eta: plus about thirty encyclopaedia!


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## kabbes (Feb 3, 2012)

Ah, lots of pictures then.

Most of my ebooks have sizes measured in the kilobytes, not hundreds of megabytes!


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## Epona (Mar 18, 2012)

My birthday Kindle has now been ordered, I can't wait


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## ringo (Mar 20, 2012)

The US edition Kindle Fire is available on Ebay for £145 - worth a punt yet or will the UK release versions be different?

For the same price as the 3G model it looks like a good idea, especially if apps etc will get turned on for it when the UK launch happens.

Anyone have further info or reasons why it's not a good idea? I suppose the annoyance of having to use a power adapter for 110 to 240 v would be a pain for starters.


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## MonkeyRum (Mar 20, 2012)

I've had a Kindle keyboard for several months now, and would definitely recommend it over the touch screen versions as the newer models don't feel as robust, plus the keyboard comes is really handy for site-browsing and making notes. Despite the Touch having a faster processor (or something similar....) which is supposed to improve performance, I haven't noticed much difference. Anyone interested in a keyboard model can get a refurbished one from the Amazon Warehouse at a discounted rate (currenntly only got Wifi only though) - I got my 3G for £110. http://www.amazon.co.uk/b/ref=sc_ca...ode=1352651031&no=304071031&me=A2OAJ7377F756P

I have to disagree with Orang Utan saying that 3G is pointless - being able to browse wap-enabled sites, esp. newspaper one, can come in very handy in the morning! F**k the Metro and it's Daily Mail articles.... Free global internet browsing is a bit of a bonus too, provided that Vodafone can operate in that country.

On a similar topic, Kindle owning Guardian readers should check this page out - http://mythic-beasts.com/~mark/random/guardian-for-kindle/ it generates daily Mobi files of that days Guradian (or Observer) paper. All legit, done under the Guardian's brilliant Open Platform


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## Epona (Mar 25, 2012)

Just over a week until Kindle Day!  Well excited now, it has been delivered but obviously I can't have it until my birthday   I love reading but have trouble holding books open when I get pain and cramps in my hands some days, and I found out the hard way that e-books on the monitor result in bloodshot eyes and headaches, I am convinced that this is going to be a new lease of life for the bookworm part of me


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## Kid_Eternity (Mar 27, 2012)

Good news everybody!


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## Epona (Apr 4, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Good news everybody!


 
Not keen on touch screen things personally, probably for a combination of reasons (not least because my hands seem to sweat quite a lot!)

Anyway I got my kindle and have by all accounts been fairly uncommunicative since! I find it's a little big for my ridiculously small hands (I am sure most adult people can hold it in one hand and have their thumb over the button that moves the page forward, my thumb ends just below it!!!) but so much more comfortable than dealing with physical books - I now no longer have to limit my reading because of hand cramps and pain and it's easier to read/hold in all sorts of positions which is fantastic because I do like to lie down to read! I'm glad I waited and got the newer, smaller, model than the one my dad has, I don't think I'd be able to use his older model as comfortably due to its larger dimensions. And it really is just like reading paper & ink in terms of being easy for the eyes to cope with 

New lease of life for my reading - not so good for my sleep though, I don't reach a point now where I have to put a book down because it's too uncomfortable to hold  Really pleased with it


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## Orang Utan (Apr 5, 2012)

my mother is delighted with hers. she can finally read the paper without dropping it on the floor or getting lost in the big pages. it is a great innovation for people with limited mobility in their hands.


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## sleaterkinney (Apr 12, 2012)

Is the kindle any good for pdfs or should I get an iPad?


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## Sunray (Apr 12, 2012)

I love my kindle, but I would miss the keyboard when searching for books.


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## Kid_Eternity (Apr 12, 2012)

sleaterkinney said:


> Is the kindle any good for pdfs or should I get an iPad?



Kindle does them very well ime.


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## Hollis (Apr 22, 2012)

Any further opinions on the keyboard version v touch screen?  I need one of these things so I can engage in anonymous tube reading..

I can't see much point in 3G if you've a PC to load things up on..


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## Kate Hillier (Apr 23, 2012)

Personally I would. 3G in France connected me where the WIFI was fucked up. Worth every penny in my books.


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## Kate Hillier (Apr 23, 2012)

That does not mean Amazon can screw me. Lots to hate about Amazon.
 Scotland would prove problematic and many other parts of the World so go for the 3G option!


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## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 23, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Kindle does them very well ime.


 
it's okay at doing them. it's not bad by anymeans it's just that after the level of control you had with ebooks the restrictions start to be seen on pdf. if you have text that is split into two colums for display on a4 it becomes a little difficult to read in portrait view and lanscape view is awkward for columns as you have to go down then up again.

what makes it fantastic for novels is it's size and weight. (it's about the same size as a paper back and really really light) and with ebooks you can adjust text size to suit your needs best. i like quite a large text size as it means i never lose my place even when day dreaming a bit and means i very quickly go into the state of not being format concious it's just me and the story.

the fixed layout of many PDF means that you do notice the limitations of the device.

however buy a kindle. even if it's just the cheapest one. i swear to you nothing beats it as an ebook reader. just go on one holiday with the kindle and you will know what i mean. the ipad is a nice all round tablet  but it is not an ebook reader  in the same way your laptop isn't. i was once  a person who felt that  the kindle might not be as nice as a book.  i was wrong  i had  confused format with experience.    when you read  a good book you forget the book is there.  with a kindle there is practically nothing to remeber.  it's easier to hold  than a book.  easier to read than a book (you select type size). it's far far  easier to turn a page in a kindle.  there is nothing  between you and the story.  it took me a little while to realise this  as i got it  more for my own love of interesting and well made technology and a method of having free internet  wherever i roam. (this was actually before i got a smartphone) this mean the first few books i read on the device were  free ones  that i intellectuality wanted to read  but   weren't page turners  like a novel (at least not at first, i need to build up a head of steam first  and  fully engage  with the topic.  it took me  a couple of goes  before i finally "got" the golden bough but once i had  i stopped having to  consciously think about  the topic   and was able  to just take in the idea  i read the thing like it was a novel ) 

plus i would get the 3g version. when i visit ireland what i used to have to do was buy half a suitcase full of books. they never lasted me more than a week. (one year i got through lord of the rings and gormangast in 3 days, my mother told me to slow down.) last time i visited i had my kindle. 3am on a hillside at least a mile form the nearest wifi connection i finished the first book in a series by an author. 15 min later i had the rest of the series on my device. i also managed to use the kindle to check my email (badly) and post on urban (almost worse!) for free. the data rates for doing that on my phone were insane.

if you can afford it (and intend to use the kindle away from home) the 3g really does make a diffrence. the free internet is icing on the cake. wiki on the go in almost any country. it really is practically the H2G2.


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## Kate Hillier (Apr 23, 2012)

Ideally I would have a Touch but beggars can't be choosers unless I am missing something.
 The more connectivity, knobs and whistles the better in my books although Amazon is an arsehole.
 Personally I might also muck them up with a bit of Kobo Action but I am unsure about WHSmiths Academic Selection as in serious shit Academic Textbooks as I am a voracious and proudly independent Self Learner.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 23, 2012)

i've not tried the touch.  

i have noticed that  many people  when first using my kindle (3g + keyboard)  tap the screen when trying to select a book.  which would indicate  that  having a touch would be a good thing.  however after using  the keyboard model  i  can't imagine  having a touch is  better.  the  back forward button  is just where you  would want it to be  so  turning pagesbecomes an unconscious action   and   when i do want to enter  text ( to be honest this rarely happens.  only when searching to buy a book   and when  using the net [and even then 90% of the time i buy books from PC ])


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## Hollis (Apr 23, 2012)

Are they much cop for 'studying'/ note taking.  I am a perennial underliner.. What I've gathered from internet is that books still tend to be better for,err, studying.  Would the book/kindle + laptop combination still be most appropriate for,err, studying? - i.e. note on laptop. <shame we don't have the beardy man no more.. progress. >


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## Kanda (Apr 23, 2012)

3G pointless??? Maybe if you don't travel anywhere. It's bloody handy if you do. I've downloaded books from a few beaches around the world


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## Kid_Eternity (Apr 23, 2012)

Kanda said:


> 3G pointless??? Maybe if you don't travel anywhere. It's bloody handy if you do. I've downloaded books from a few beaches around the world



Agreed for me 3G is a must!


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## Orang Utan (Apr 23, 2012)

I never felt the need to download any books on holiday! I don't think it worth the extra £££s but then everyone uses their Kidle differently.


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 23, 2012)

Hollis said:


> Are they much cop for 'studying'/ note taking. I am a perennial underliner.. What I've gathered from internet is that books still tend to be better for,err, studying. Would the book/kindle + laptop combination still be most appropriate for,err, studying? - i.e. note on laptop. <shame we don't have the beardy man no more.. progress. >


 
Underlining and bookmarking isn't a problem, but note-taking (I have the keyboard version) is a bit of a faff. Plus, something is lost in translation when searching through a Kindle book for your notes. It's far easier to flick through a paper edition, because you can see where everything is, flip backward and forward really easily, keep your fingers in various pages while you switch between one quotation and another, see all your notes in the margins at one time, and so on. Sadly, I don't think the Kindle is where we need it to be yet for academic note-taking and the like. So I'm sticking to paper editions for the moment.

For 'normal' reading though, it's fucking excellent.

Epona, do you have a case for it? It'll make it a little less likely to be ravaged by cats, with help it survive a fall to the floor, plus, if you get the right type, you can use the case to help you stand the Kindle up on your lap or belly or table, so you don't have to hold it at all, and only need to use your hands to turn the page. I've got this http://tuff-luv.com/leather-case-cover-stand-for-kindle-3wireless-6-inch-15-cm-black.html (but a different colour) and I don't even need to use the little stand thing. Just making the case into an A shape makes it stand on my belly when I'm sat on the sofa, and it stays still. Might make the Kindle even more helpful in combating your arthritis


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 23, 2012)

Also, if anyone has accumulated ebooks that aren't in the mobi or amazon file format, try this http://calibre-ebook.com/

It'll convert any ebook file type into any other file type, and you can move files directly from your kindle to its library, or vice versa. Depending on the file type, sometimes the formatting can get a bit screwy, but on the whole it's fantastic. I've found it to be invaluable since I've had my Kindle.


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

Have you tried one in a shop? I was going to get one until I tried one in a shop and then decided against it. I really don't like the feel of them in my hands but I knew I'd get used to it, no, what put me off was the transition between pages. At first I thought the one I tried was faulty, so asked the guy if it was - and he told me no, they really do load the next page like that. 

I am glad I tried one in a shop before I ordered one - because everyone gave them rave reviews and said they loved theres, which convinced me enough to buy one - it was only experience told me to wait and try one for myself and I am glad I did.

If they sort out the god awful transition then I may buy one


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

I don't get what bugs you about the 'transitions'


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

When you "turn" a page, it's pig ugly and very unnatural. I googled it after I was in the shop and found a few people saying the same thing, some even claiming it made them sick (I don't believe that!), It is something to do with the limitations of e-ink and that is why the iPad does it better.


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

Just found a thread here:

http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/Tx1SZEZT93BH241?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG

Most people say they got used to it after an hour but I don't think I could. Some people are certainly more sensitive to it than others.



> Robin L. McLaughlinsays:
> 
> Some people do seem to be much more sensitive to it than what most of us experience. For most people it can be a bit jarring or annoying at first. But then we get so used to it that as Joe said, we just kinda tune it out. I think that a lot of us tend to adapt and subconsciously look away or blink as the page refresh flash takes place. If I actually closely watch the screen each page turn, it can still be bothersome. I think I just on my own developed a habit of not actually paying attention to the screen in that moment, so I really don't notice it. Not sure if I explained that in a way it makes sense.
> 
> Anyway, I agree with others who say the best thing to do is just try it out for yourself and see. Make sure you don't stare at the screen to watch it refresh on purpose. Just try and read like you normally would a paper book. (Usually when turning a paper page your eyes flits to page number or your hand, etc. during that brief moment.) If you read every day for a couple weeks and you find that it's bothering you, then that's probably a sign that you won't adapt to it, and then you can return the Kindle.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

WTF?


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm gonna have to check it out now but LOLWTFOMG


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

It just changes! Why would that bother anyone?


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

If you didn't know what I meant in the first place then there is little point in you checking it out, you're just going to say, "well it doesn't bother me, you're a dick" and then pull someones opinion to pieces as is the way on urban.


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

And I was right.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

no, i genuinely don't understand. you press the next page button and it goes to it. what's bad about that?


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

It's the bit inbetween the next page, it just jars me and googling shows I am not alone. Why are some people sensitive to noise and others aren't, why can't some people be in a room with strip lights? It's the same thing, some people feel it the vast majority don't.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

strrrrange.
poor you


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

but isn't there a certain amount of dissonance between one page and another IRL too?


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm part blind in my left eye, may have something to do with it *shrug*.

No, I don't get it with meatspace books 

But if I do read for too long I get a stinking headache.


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## Firky (Apr 24, 2012)

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=132004

This guy puts it more coherently than myself. 



> Yes it is likely the black which is visually jarring noise to my eyes / brain. It makes no sense to me as an acceptable view for something as enjoyable as reading should be. I use computers everyday and have software where images and text has many possibilities for instant change of pages or types and durations of fades, so this black flash page transition really caught me by surprise. I imagined our technology better than that. But it is still new technology. Last night I was viewing a webpage, previews of a book, where page turn actually curled and then turned, and I don't have a fast internet connection, but it was a pleasant reading experience, as each page transition was smooth and not an abrupt two tone, high contrast, flash of white/light grey to black to light grey/text. Anyway, I was expecting this soft curled page turn or fade type of page transition performance technology and not what I saw on the nearly $300 Sony or the $140 Sony or Kobo, or the Kindle 3's that I saw on YouTube. For me eInk is not appealing. Even the very latest and expensive eReaders that I saw on YouTube had this black flash and it wasn't that fast IMO, no where near instant, clear or clean. The idea of having this flash as my eyes readjusted hundreds of times when reading a book, already gave me a headache. Imagine sitting looking at a screen over the time spent reading a book and having a black to white flash hundreds, if not thousands of times. Sort of like constantly hearing regular intermittant noise. We think that we get used to it, but I can't imagine that it's healthy, at least not for me. It's certainly not normal.
> 
> BTW, I don't mean to belabour this thread, and I'm not meaning to debate the pros and cons of eInk performance, as it seems that it isn't a problem to others. Mine is the only comment against this eReader performance. I guess if I had gone to YouTube first, after my instore hands on experience, then I wouldn't have needed to ask the question. But I was curious if others also found it as annoying and surprisong as I did. I guess not.


 
I'd love a kindle  because I read four or five books at a time (not at once) and am a prolific reader, so much so I have ran out of space to keep them all but this was too much for me. I knew it would give me migranes and piss me off. So I'l still using wood to read.

Also it gives me an excuse to go to barter books once a month.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

i don't see any black


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## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2012)

FWIW i'm kinda going back to books. not sure why, but it's happening. maybe cos i joined a library.


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## sleaterkinney (May 5, 2012)

I've fucked up by getting a Touch, haven't I?. Is the screen smaller?


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## Firky (May 5, 2012)

Much smaller.


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## sleaterkinney (May 5, 2012)

It says the display is 6" on all of them though?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005890FUI/ref=famstripe_kt


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## Firky (May 5, 2012)

Oh I thought you meant an ipod touch


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## Sunray (May 5, 2012)

firky said:


> http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=132004
> 
> This guy puts it more coherently than myself.
> 
> ...


 
The page turn is so quick that I don't even notice it happening. 

IMHO that guy is a tool.


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## Epona (May 14, 2012)

Never bothered me and I can be a bit sensitive to that sort of thing - sure I've vaguely noticed it when I hit the next page button, but it's not at all distracting, certainly not as distracting as having to hold a physical book open and turn a page with arthritic hands.  Anyone who is bothered by it will find it pales into insignificance when their hands are too fucked (although I wouldn't wish it on anyone) to hold a book open for more than half an hour at a time, my Kindle means I can read for as long as I want, which is a complete blessing to a previously distressed avid reader such as myself.  The sort of stuff that has been referred to is extremely minor when compared to not being able to read because you can't hold a book open, and it's barely noticeable anyway.  It sounds more like minor nitpicking that any real complaint.


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## dylanredefined (May 14, 2012)

Buy a case,concrete floor kindle interface


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## Gingerman (Jun 7, 2012)

Thinking about getting the 3g Touch,can you browse the Web with the 3g or is it restricted to downloading books when you have'nt got  access to broadband?


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## contadino (Jun 8, 2012)

I wouldn't bank on browsing too much. The e-Ink thing is too slow for even a half-decent browsing experience. If you want to browse the internet, get a tablet or a Nook, or a Fire. The e-Ink is, however, brilliant for reading.


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## Epona (Jun 8, 2012)

Gingerman said:


> Thinking about getting the 3g Touch,can you browse the Web with the 3g or is it restricted to downloading books when you have'nt got access to broadband?


 
Wouldn't use the Kindle for web browsing at all tbh. If I want to use the internet, I am usually at home so use my desktop at the desk. If I want to read I will grab my Kindle and settle down on the sofa, or in bed with cats all over me, or take it on the tube with me or whatever, just for reading. The Kindle is not so much a mobile device (although it can be, of course), in fact I use mine more when I am at home than away from home, mostly on the sofa or in bed.

I'd imagine there are FAR better devices than a Kindle (such as tablet, iPad etc.) if one of your primary aims is to use the internet on the go. My Kindle is my favourite gadget, simply because I read a hell of a lot and used to carry a bag full of books everywhere I went, and i have filled up all my available living space with books to the point that I worry that if I died, I'd have to be dug out from under my massive library of books, and I don't have room for any more (and as I re-read a lot, I am not going to get rid of any). I don't have much call to do anything else away from my own front room, so my PC does most stuff but my Kindle spares me from carrying round a load of books everywhere I go, or even from taking a handful of books into the bedroom. And having to hold them whilst I read, with arthritis and hand cramps getting the better of me - thing of the past, thank fuck.

I think the screen on a Kindle is more eye-friendly than other devices, if you just want to read then use a Kindle, if you need loads of other functionality (and if you have been cowed into working on your commute, or if facebook is more important to you than reading, you know, just as an example), then go for something else that has better functionality in those areas.

If all you want is to exchange your ever-present heavy bag of books, or room-cluttering obsession (and fellow bookworms will understand what I mean by that!) for a small, light, easy to carry and easy to read device that will not strain your eyes if you decide to try to get through a trilogy of novels in 24 hours, then you want a Kindle.

The Kindle isn't taking the place of other electronic devices, it's just offering an eye-friendly (as in it won't give you eyestrain or make them go bloodshot - which will happen if you read for 8 hours on a monitor or back-lit screen) way to store and access books and other reading material - as such, some of us will rave about it and declare it a lifesaver, but others will think it a bit 'eh, what?'


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## Hassan I Sabha (Jun 14, 2012)

Damn useless Kindle!  I have just had my 4th one die in 19 months of ownership, this one has lines all over the top of the screen. I have had 1 hairline crack in the case, 1 battery bork, 1 just lock up never to release itself again and now this.

I am currently having a reasoned argument about the fact I will not pay £40 for a replacement as I have not had a clear period of warranty on one single unit so far.

I have been escalated to something called 'Executive Customer Relations' who have used the following wording in their response:



> However, as mentioned above, we also comply with our obligations as a retailer under the relevant consumer legislation such as the Sales of Goods Act in the UK, and have no intention of contracting out of any mandatory laws. The European Directive 1999/44/EC allows for a claim to be taken (under certain circumstances) for a period up to two years in accordance with European Law, and up to six years under UK law.  This does not imply that an item has a warranty of two years or six years respectively. It merely permits an individual to make a claim under certain circumstances within that time period if those goods were defective at the time of purchase.
> 
> 
> 
> This may include, in certain circumstances, repair, refund or replacement but only to the extent that doing so is not disproportionate to the value of the goods, having regard to the use the customer has already had of the goods and the nature of the goods.


 
Does anyone know how the leaves me? Can I continue to insist on them either replacing or fixing my Kindle which are my two suggestions or can they say cough up £40 or go away?


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## dessiato (Jun 27, 2012)

Given that you have had a Kindle, arguably, for 19 months they can insist on this. However, you could claim that the goods are not fit for purpose as has been shown by the fact that you have had so many during that time period. It doesn't actually resolve your issue as they will counter with the fact that you have had use and therefore are not able to claim for the whole value.  I would try this line though as it might produce some result. The length of time of the warranty is usually taken from the time of the original purchase and the subsequent replacements' warranty is from that first date too. It is not a new warranty from the date of replacement.


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## Hassan I Sabha (Jun 27, 2012)

I managed to resolve this issue to my satisfaction


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