The Kindle E-Reader is a GREAT substite for books, AS LONG as you know what you’re getting. Please listen carefully: This Kindle DOES NOT have a backlight. I REPEAT, you will NOT be able to use this Kindle in the dark. Got it? Okay, good.
Now that that’s out of the way… what you do get with this kindle is a lightweight completely portable way to store thousands of books. If you enjoy reading as much as I do, this is a dream come true!
The kindle is lighter than my iPhone 6s Plus but still feels sturdy. Reading on the kindle looks just like reading on a book in my opinion, and you can easily adjust the font if you find the default font to be too small.
Perhaps the coolest feature of the kindle (in my opinion) is the battery life. The battery will last for WEEKS without needing to be charged. This means you can store your kindle away, and pick up where you left off weeks later without having to charge your device, just like as if you were reading a real book.
Does the kindle do anything else? Not really. It has a built in “experimental browser” but it’s really buggy and not worth using. Trust me. If I absolutely needed to look something up, and the Kindle was my only option, I really wouldn’t depend on it. Think early cell phone Internet browsers…
The only other gripe I have with the Kindle is the fact that Magazines are NOT compatible with this device. That means if you bought a nice shiny Kindle Unlimited subscription like I did, you might not be getting the full experience. I may end up canceling my subscription because of it.
All in all, the Kindle is a great E-reader for bookworms all over. Just please make sure you know what you’re buying. This is not a high-end tablet… It is a black and white E-reader which serves only one purpose; To display books.
I have one of the original kindles, and it finally starting to fall apart (dropped it one too many times). So I wanted to get another one just like it... I did not want the back-lighted versions of the kindle (i.e. kindle fire) as I've heard that they can be hard on your eyes. I was disappointed that I could not get the same style as my old kindle, but I purchased this one because it seemed to be the closest I could get to what I had and liked. To my surprise, I like it even better than my original! The screen is the same size, but since it is "touch" controlled rather than having a keyboard, the actual size is smaller and lighter weight than my old kindle. It is the perfect size to stash in a purse or backpack. If you liked your old kindle, and just want to replace it, you will be very happy with this model.
I was so shocked! So, I was going through a book for my PhD dissertation, highlighting parts for further citations in my project. When I was done with it, I realised that instead of scrolling back all the pages of my e-book, looking for the highlights, I can just export them to my e-mail in PDF file. This is life changing for me! I have always preferred paper books to e-books, but this option is a miracle. It saved me hours of work! I am a very happy customer!
There are sadly a lot of negative reviews on here, so I though I would add my positive one.
I had a second-generation Kindle many years ago, and it has since stopped working. I finally decided to buy a new one.
I chose the basic Kindle because that's exactly what I wanted -- a bare-bones e-reader. I have no need for a tablet or anything of the sort. This Kindle delivers on that front in every way possible.
At first, I thought I would miss the page turn buttons, and dislike the touch screen. However, I have been delightfully surprised. Tapping the edge of the screen to turn the page is incredibly easy and less intrusive than pushing a button, which was always a nice little jarring reminder that I wasn't, in fact, reading a paperback. The small, quick tap of my thumb on the edge of the screen has become almost like a reflex and I don't notice it anymore; it feels natural.
I do slightly miss the metal backing of the older Kindles; it made them feel a bit sturdier, whereas this basic Kindle is just hard plastic. However, I suspect that using a metal casing would up the price considerably, and I feel that the cheaper price of this basic Kindle far outweighs that slight drawback.
I bit the bullet and bought one without the special offers. I do not want ads intruding my Kindle experience, even if they only show as the screensaver or on a bar across the bottom of the Home screen. It is just distasteful to me, and the extra 30$ was worth it to me to avoid the ads.
I do not need or want a case for my Kindle. I do not like to read with a case on, and it would be cumbersome to remove my Kindle from its case every time I want to read. That being said, this version of Kindle does seem quite fragile, as mentioned before, so when I carry it with me in my purse, I am covering it with a knit beanie hat for now. Eventually I will buy a small soft pouch to store it in; I have seen them for sale here on Amazon.
Even though the Kindle seems fragile, the size and weight of the device is a definite advantage while reading. It is so comfortable to hold that it just disappears in your hand and you forget that you are reading from an electronic device. It really is a cool experience.
As to the complaints of the screen being dim--it is no dimmer than previous generation Kindles. No, there is no back light. It looks just like a printed page, and can be read easily in all lighting conditions -- whether by lamp or by sunlight. If you find that you are straining your eyes, you can simply adjust the size, font, and spacing of the text to something that better fits your eyes. I personally do not read in bed with the lights off -- I fall asleep while reading like that. However if you are a frequent bed-time reader, you will want to get the Paperwhite, Voyager, or Oasis models.
If you've never had a Kindle before, why should you get one? Simple...anyone who loves to read should get one. Now, which model is your personal choice; I have already explained why I love this one. Amazon has millions upon millions of books that are able to be purchased and downloaded to the device. A good fourth of those available are free, and another good chunk are $2 or less. So if the price of the device itself makes you hesitate, it can easily end up paying for itself if you read a lot of free or cheap titles.
More and more titles become available for Kindle every day -- when I got my original 2nd Gen Kindle nine years ago, the Harry Potter series was unavailable to Kindle. Now with my new device, it is. The Half-Blood Prince is the first book I downloaded for my new Kindle, since that is where I am at in the series right now, and I could not be happier. They even preserved the chapter illustrations for the e-reader format.
Kindle has the ability to store thousands of books, so you shouldn't have to worry about running out of storage. If you do, however, the overflow can be stored on Amazon's Cloud service, so you never have to worry about giving up any of your old favorites. Kindle also gives you the ability to highlight passages, make notes, and bookmark pages. Your Kindle will also always remember what page you left off at, in every book that you have stored on it. Kindle also has the ability to look up words in the dictionary or thesaurus. It really brings reading to a whole new level.
Well, that about sums up my review of this model of Kindle, and Kindles in general. To put it simply, this Kindle does what it is advertised to do, and does it, in my opinion, flawlessly. If you want a tablet or a reader with a back light, stay away. If you are new to Kindle and/or want something basic, this is a great device to start with.
I actually love kindle and have read 100s of books on it.
HOWEVER....pay for the extra $20 or Amazon will advertise on your kindle and show the most irrelevant ads. I am a married heterosexual man with young kids who reads sci-fi and fantasy novels, but Amazon insists on advertising romantic novels. These show up on your device all the time and you have no control over it (you can turn screen off by holding power button for 5 seconds, but they still flash up when you turn screen back on).
Yesterday, I was on the plane and looked down at kindle resting in my lap while I was sleeping. The advertisement was a 90% naked man (with quite impressive abs). Today, I see a man and lady getting intimate together.
99% of the advertisements are romantic novels. You may like that. I don't.
My kids and family make fun of me. My life is destroyed (just kidding).
UPDATE!!! Super cool -- in settings on the kindle, you can drill down and, it seems, disable stuff: Settings -> My Account -> Special Offers, and turn on SPECIAL OFFER FILTERING, and SPECIAL OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS to the ads should be more relevant to you.
Feature Product
- All-new design is thinner and lighter, and now available in your choice of black or white.
- With built-in Audible, access the world's largest library of audiobooks. Easily switch between reading and listening on Bluetooth-enabled speakers or headphones.
- Easy on your eyes-touchscreen display reads like real paper.
- No screen glare, even in bright sunlight, unlike tablets.
- Keep reading-a single charge lasts weeks, not hours.
- Get lost in your story with no alerts or notifications.
- Instant access to new releases and bestsellers, or from over a million titles at $2.99 or less. Prime members read free with unlimited access to over a thousand titles.
- Looking for a light? Try Kindle Paperwhite.
Description
Kindle E-reader - Black, 6" Display, Wi-Fi, Built-In Audible
Don't be alarmed by the overall somewhat low rating: people need to read the product description of what they're buying. No, this isn't backlit. No, this isn't 3G. This is the standard basic Kindle, it does what it's supposed to do and it's amazing at it. Super light and sleek, I got the white one and I'm in love with it. I do own an iPad so if I want to read in the dark I just use that or my cell phone (do use sepia mode and turn on night shift to spare your eyes a bit). I also know very well the differences between this one and the Paperwhite because my mother owns one, and even comparing both, I would still go with this one. Great device, great resolution and great price (if you want to get rid of the special offers later on, just contact customer service and pay the difference, but they're really no bother). I'm extremely happy with my purchase!
This is officially my favorite Kindle. I've owned the 2nd Generation (with keyboard), and the 6th Generation Paperwhite. I can't believe that after I spent so much money on my previous Kindle devices, I got this one for free (as part of an Audible yearly subscription offer) and it's officially my favorite Kindle e-reader device so far.
1. I love that this entry level Kindle version is NOT backlit, like the Paperwhite. Screens projecting blue rays are known to affect our circadian rhythm and being someone who struggles with disturbed sleep, this is a HUGE benefit for me. With the Paperwhite, even when you turn the backlight all the way down, it still emits a small amount of light from the screen.
2. I LOVE that this Kindle e-Reader with its Bluetooth connecticity, along with the latest firmware (5.9.5.1 -- I had to download and install it after receiving the new device in the mail), provides Immersion Reading, allowing you to read a Kindle book and listen to an Audible audiobook simultaenously with real-time word highlighting. Note that not all titles support this feature. Only those that say "Whispersync for Voice." This is a feature I've LOVED on my mobile device's Kindle app, and I'm so pleased it's avalable on an actual Kindle device!
3. I love the size and weight of this device. I'm also very pleased with the screen / print quality.
*** Note: One issue I did notice which I believe is more a software bug than a hardware problem -- speaking from a software developer's point of view -- is that when you pop up the option to change the Font, as you make a selection, the book's page in the background detects the tap as a page turn. So when you close the pop up, you must turn the page back to where you were. I also noticed this issue occurring in my Paperback after the Firmware update. So I assume it's a new bug. I'll make sure to report it to Amazon. Hopefully they can address it with a Firmware update.
I love my Kindle Fire HD 8, however it can be tiring on the eyes for reading any length of time. I decided to purchase this during the Black Friday sales and was not disappointed. The screen is sharp and looks just like paper, the more light hits the screen, the better it looks. This definitely makes me not regret all the book purchases I have made through Amazon now that I can read them on here. The size is perfect and can be held with one hand easily.
Wish I would have purchased this sooner, however I am glad I waited for it to go on sale. If you enjoy reading, even in the slightest, don't hesitate to pick one of these up. You won't be disappointed.
I have a big Kindle Fire HD 10 (actually everyone in the family has one) which I love, but as everyone knows, those are useless outdoors, espicially on the beach. I had a very old B&W Kindle Classic that finally bit the dust recently, so I felt this model would do just fine as a replacement. It's indeed abit small, but no more so than a thin paperback book, and for travel or camping, it's perfect. These things have insanely long lasting batteries, and are perfect for bright sunny days in a chair outside. It has no back-light, so if you plan on any night reading you'll either need a book-light, or you should spring for the back-lit version. My father has one of those and it's great.
Be aware these these Kindles (the Paperwhite versions) are for READING, and that's it folks. Don't plan on email, video, web-browsing or anything else. But for what it's made for, Reading, it excels.
I got this because I wanted an E-Reader but also I wanted something I could listen to my audio-books through Audible using Bluetooth headphones. I was also not wanting to spend a fortune and I already have a tablet device so I was looking for something light, small, easy to read on, and listen to. During purchasing I was able to keep the immediate cost down through the payment plan option; that was really appealing at only $16/month. (If possible with other Amazon products, I might be able to afford one of the Alexas too!)
At first when I got the Kindle, I was unable to use the Bluetooth nor could I find how to play my Audible and it was sorely disappointing because that's hows it was advertised in comparison to the other Kindle's. I read other reviews that seemed to be saying they had the same issue. I then saw that there was an update so I updated the device and sure enough, it worked! I never really review but I want others to know that it does work, if you update.
Maybe one downside is that it is not back lit for night reading but I knew that going into it and I can always get a book light. The E-ink with no glare is worth the inconvenience.
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