Which Kindle?

GigiF

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Hi all.

I want to buy a Kindle device but didn't realise you needed to have a degree in 'Kindle' to wade through the sea of information of different types and what they do. :/

I don't need a touch pad device from it as I already have an iPad - so I want this purely as the best reading option possible.

I'm thinking the Paperwhite looks good but is a bit expensive at £109 so should I go for the basic Kindle instead at about £59?

The only real important things are:

1. I need it to give me as little eye strain as possible.
2. I want it to be as smooth a read as possible - no SLLLLOOOOOWWWWW movement between pages etc.

I've never used a Kindle before so I don't know if the basic one gives me that.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
:)

Oh - one last thing - I have the kindle app on my iPad but the light is too bright to read from comfortably for me.
 

Forbidden Snowflake

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Ok, since you do not need a pad, disregard all fire options.

Just look at paperwhite or the basic kindle or the voyage.

Basic kindle: no glare, easy on the eyes, battery lasts weeks, no background light so just like with a book you need the lights on to read in the dark.

Paperwhite: this one has a built in light... so you can read in the dark

According to amazon: "Paperwhite guides light towards the surface of the display with its built-in front light – unlike back-lit tablets that shine in your eyes – so you can read comfortably without straining your eyes. Adjust your screen's brightness for great reading in any light"

I haven't tried it (I use the basic one) and don't know if that's true. My main reason for the basic kindle was that I wanted something with no light shining at me.

Voyage: the same as paperwhite but it's crisper, better resolution, better contrast etc. It's their newest one. It has an adaptive light that automatically adapts to the right brightness depending on where you are.

All of them will turn the page smoothly. And if you do not care about a background light then go with the basic one.
 

GigiF

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Ok, since you do not need a pad, disregard all fire options.

Just look at paperwhite or the basic kindle or the voyage.

Basic kindle: no glare, easy on the eyes, battery lasts weeks, no background light so just like with a book you need the lights on to read in the dark.

Paperwhite: this one has a built in light... so you can read in the dark

According to amazon: "Paperwhite guides light towards the surface of the display with its built-in front light – unlike back-lit tablets that shine in your eyes – so you can read comfortably without straining your eyes. Adjust your screen's brightness for great reading in any light"

I haven't tried it (I use the basic one) and don't know if that's true. My main reason for the basic kindle was that I wanted something with no light shining at me.

Voyage: the same as paperwhite but it's crisper, better resolution, better contrast etc. It's their newest one. It has an adaptive light that automatically adapts to the right brightness depending on where you are.

All of them will turn the page smoothly. And if you do not care about a background light then go with the basic one.

Wow. How concise was that? Can I send this to Amazon as a guide to explaining their Kindles? LOL.

Thank you so much.

So I'm interested in the paperwhite as long as the light in the dark feature works properly. If not, Basic it is.
:)
 

Forbidden Snowflake

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Awwww, thx :)

I've been worried about the light straining my eyes, it's the only reason I haven't tried the paperwhite yet.

And unfortunately that's not something you can test in a store. Imagine the conversation with the manager: could you please turn all the lights off for 15 minutes and let me read in peace? :D

And I know some people say it's wonderful and others say it bothers them, so I guess it's also something that will vary from person to person.
 

GigiF

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Awwww, thx :)

I've been worried about the light straining my eyes, it's the only reason I haven't tried the paperwhite yet.

And unfortunately that's not something you can test in a store. Imagine the conversation with the manager: could you please turn all the lights off for 15 minutes and let me read in peace? :D

And I know some people say it's wonderful and others say it bothers them, so I guess it's also something that will vary from person to person.

LOL.
 

JimmyB27

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So I'm interested in the paperwhite as long as the light in the dark feature works properly. If not, Basic it is.
:)
I have a paperwhite, and I find reading in the dark to be just perfect. It's hard to explain any better than the quote from Amazon above, but it is utterly different from reading a tablet in the dark.
 

T Robinson

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One opposing view. I got the Paperwhite. I hated it. Got the basic Fire. I love it. Paperwhite was $99. Fire was $139. Well worth the $40.
 

ninja

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I have used the basic Kindle, the Fire (hated it and regifted it), and the Paperwhite. I love the Paperwhite! The lighting is perfect and doesn't hurt your eyes and the screen doesn't glare in sunlight.

You can adjust the light on the Paperwhite to be as bright or as low as you want (even off).
 

K. Q. Watson

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I have a Paperwhite. I have eye-strain and get migraines so ease of reading was very important to me. I love it. It doesn't glare at all. And yes you can pretty much turn the light off. I prefer my light level at 17, myself.

I feel that the page turn is a liiiittle slow though, but I guess no slower than turning an actual page in a book. But it's not mouse-click fast.
 

meowzbark

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I love the Paperwhite also. Light can be adjusted or turned completely off. If you're worried about glare, then stay away from Kindle Fire.

I love the leather cover that Amazon sells specifically for the Paperwhite. It automatically puts the kindle to sleep when you close it. My battery lasts up to a month at a time.

One thing that bugs me a little is that there's dark splotches on the bottom when you read in the dark. It's a cosmetic problem and doesn't affect reading. I agree with Anarchic that the pages are slower to turn than other versions that I've used. There's no text-to-speech, which I kinda miss from the Kindle Touch.

But, if you're looking for a reader. And only a reader, then Paperwhite is the way to go. If you're looking for a tablet with internet browser and apps, then go Kindle Fire.
 

WriteMinded

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Last year I took my sensitive eyes to the stores and checked out all the e-readers. Trust me, nothing is better for reading text than a Kindle Paperwhite. You can adjust the text size from tiny to huge and the brightness level from dim to blinding. And no slowwwwww anything. Get one. You won't be sorry. :)

Oh yeah, and ebay sells really cheap covers of all kinds. Both of mine are auto wake-up and auto-shut down when you open and close. Unlike meowzbark, my Paperwhite doesn't have dark blotches at the bottom when I read in the dark.
 
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