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Posted byKindle Paperwhite 2013 (Wi-Fi)5 years ago
Archived

Do you guys miss real books?

I'm considering buying a Kindle or Kindle Paperwhite and want know if you Kindle users miss reading physical books. I haven't bought a book in years, I mostly check them out from the library and borrow from friends. I love to read and love owning books, but they just became to expensive for me to continually buy, and I don't have enough space to store them all.

Do you guys miss the experience of physical books? That's my only reserve in buying a Kindle. I'm big on reading, and I love to flip pages and go back the previous chapters and what not. Do you find books less enjoyable on your eReader? How convenient is it to have all your books in one place? Is it really all that bad if I buy an older, used model for a little cheaper?

Edit: Thanks for the feedback guys; you're really helping me with my decision. Another question, has anybody used their Kindle to get books from a library? I'm not really sure how that works.

103 comments
65% Upvoted
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level 1

I loved the physical feeling of books, but nope! I LOVE my kindle and yeah, like scribe09 says, anytime you want to feel real books they're still there. What I love about the paperwhite is you can highlight and bookmark anything just like you would in a traditional book, and you can skip to anywhere in the book at anytime. It's awesome. :)

level 2
Kindle Paperwhite 2013 (Wi-Fi)Original Poster3 points · 5 years ago

I also read something about the Kindle having adds. What's that about?

level 3

You only have ads if you buy the cheaper model (I think it's $20 less). I didn't feel the need, so I got that cheaper one. Importantly, even with the ad-supported model, you never see ads while reading the book. They are only present as a small banner when you are navigating your library, and they take the place of the generic "screensaver" image when your device goes to sleep.

So the ads are really no big deal at all. I recommend getting the cheaper version, and if you get sick of the ads at some point you can just pay the extra $20 to "upgrade".

level 4
9 points · 5 years ago

One other minor note: if you get the official leather kindle cover, the kindle turns on when you open the cover. With ads, you see the ad screen when you open the cover and have to tap to clear it. If you don't have ads it will take you right to your last position in your book. That alone was worth $20 for me to get rid of ads.

level 5

Did not know that. Still don't really mind.

level 5
-4 points · 5 years ago

Is there anyway to get around this problem other then paying the $20 to upgrade. It was working perfectly before (open flap straight to book) but now since I have added it to my wireless network and upgraded to the latest firmware I have this problem. Was really considering sending a strongly worded message to Amazon. They are meant to have quite good customer service and I would expect some sort of compensense.

level 6
Kindle Oasis4 points · 5 years ago

This is not a "problem" and you'll be a dick to send a message to Amazon. You paid less for the ad-supported version. Pay $20 to get rid of them. They are already selling the device at a loss or near-loss.

level 7

Slightly different perspective. I bought a PW2 two days before they dropped the price by $20. I sent them a very polite chat message, explaining I've used an ad supported Touch for three years, and while I could have been a dick and returned my PW and then immediately reordered it, I just nicely asked if they'd comp the ads off.

They did me one better: Amazon removed the ads, and credited me with the $20 difference on top of it. Which then paid for a couple more books.

Don't be a dick, don't send a strongly worded response, but if you approach it politely, often they'll work with you. I didn't lie, I didn't complain, I explained the exact situation and told them I was a loyal and enthusiastic Amazon customer, and they came through with awesome customer service.

Besides, Amazon runs its entire business at a loss.

level 4

I have a kindle 3G and there are ads, but the ads are really great and normally are for books on sale.

level 3

totally overblown. There are two versions you can buy. You can get the one without "special offers" for like, $20 more, or something close. I chose to get the one with the ads, and it doesn't bother me at all. They only show on the screen when the kindle is off, and right when you turn it on, before you swipe the screen to unlock it. They never show up on a book page or pop up anywhere, ever. Save your money, they're nothing. :)

level 2
Kindle Paperwhite (Wi-Fi)1 point · 5 years ago

Also Kindle fire Hd does this stuff of course!

level 1
37 points · 5 years ago

Nope, not at all. Reading at night without a light is totally worth it.

level 2

This is where Kindle is best.

level 2
Kindle Paperwhite 2013 (Wi-Fi)Original Poster2 points · 5 years ago

Do you feel like the Paperwhite was worth the extra $50, or would you buy the regular Kindle if you could go back and change it?

level 3
3 points · 5 years ago · edited 5 years ago

I just got myself the Paperwhite. To me the higher resolution, backlight magically front-lit display and speedier internals are absolutely worth it.

[Edit] - I might want to add the xRay, dictionary and smart-card functionality.

level 4
Kindle Oasis2 points · 5 years ago

It's actually a front-lit display. Unlike a screen on a tablet, which is backlit and strains your eyes, the Kindle Paperwhite uses a layer of some sort of material on top of the screen that directs light onto the screen rather than into your eyes.

level 5

More info. Looks like you're right :)

It is surprisingly easy on the eyes.

level 3
Kindle Paperwhite (Wi-Fi)1 point · 5 years ago

I figured If I was gunna spend $120 on a paper white, I'd rather spend a bit more and get a Kindle fire Hd. I love it so much so far! Highly recommend Kindle I'm general!

level 4
Kindle Paperwhite 2013 (Wi-Fi)Original Poster1 point · 5 years ago

I was thinking about that, but I'm not really interested in the tablet features. I just want the eReader portion, and I don't want the glare being outside with a tablet and all that jazz.

level 1
Kindle Paperwhite8 points · 5 years ago

Not at all. I remember when I was reading books while in the bed, and sometimes heavy books were really awkward to hold. Not with kindle:)

level 2

Raise your hand if you've ever almost knocked yourself out reading a heavy book lying down at night and fell asleep....

level 2
Kindle Oasis3 points · 5 years ago

Yup. I love that I don't have to hold books open. I can also now read while I eat.

level 2

My mom actually has scars (yes plural) from falling asleep while reading a big hardcover. Now she has a android tablet and the kindle app and her biggest problem is finding the battery dead because she left the screen on.

level 3
Kindle Paperwhite1 point · 5 years ago

What about this:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.android.smartscreenoff All you need to do is to cover a screen.

There is also an application called Gravity Screen. It turns off the screen when the device is in certain position. I guess you can customize it.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plexnor.gravityscreenofffree

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