Anyone got a Kindle fire (not HD wrsion) ?? advice please

[JohnYoung]

I am thinking of buying a Kindle Fire for my Wife for her birthday. She LOVES books and although in the past she has snubbed ebook readers her friend has one and she has mentioned it a few times recently.

I know there is the Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus 7 but they are a little to expensive (she would kill me if I spent that much on her) but regardless of the price we already have a very good tablet computer so I am thinking a Nexus would be a waste just to have another tablet computer in the house. But the kindle is different as its an ebook reader .....right ?

So anyone got the Kindle Fire ? Not the HD and I know there are original kindles (which my wife's friend has) but If I am getting one I might aswell get the fire version

Are they any good ?

Would anyone recommend them ?

 

[HughGuessWho98 13]

I have both. The Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD are essentially the same thing except that the HD has better video. Both Kindles are ebook readers, yes. However, they also have a web browser (wifi connection required) and apps can be installed that also install as on any Android device. I use my Kindle all the time. Love and recommend either version.

 

[sm4him]

I also have a Kindle Fire, the pre-HD version. I think of it as a cross between an e-book reader and a tablet.
I've always been an avid book reader, and I loathed the idea of an e-book reader. I like my books, my REAL books, stacked up on my bedside table, lining my shelves. I like curling up on the couch in the winter, with a fire roaring in the fireplace and a REAL book in my lap. I resented that e-books were taking market share and endangering the future of real books.

I am also absolutely addicted to my Kindle Fire! I love it!! I'm one of those people who often has several books going at once; now, I don't have to decide which one to take with me to the doctor's office, or on a trip, or to work for reading at lunchtime. I just grab the Fire and go.

Plus, I've got my camera manual on it, several Field Guide apps that I use for nature identification, where I used to have a bunch of field-guide books in the trunk of my car.

However, you should be aware that the Fire does not use the e-ink of the regular Kindles, so it's not as easy to read out in the sun. I've considered buying a regular Kindle just for that, but honestly, I just don't find myself in a situation where I can't see the screen well that often. If your wife spends a lot of time poolside in the summer, or you live by the beach, that might be something to consider, though.

Also--I don't have a tablet so I can't compare, but the battery life of the Fire rocks! I can go for days on end without having to recharge it, even if I've done a good bit of reading on it. Now, if I get started playing Angry Birds, all bets are off.

That's it in a nutshell. For me, the advantage of the Fire over a regular Kindle came down to having color--I get my magazines through the Fire, use Field Guides, Photography guide books, etc, and having color photos and illustrations is a huge benefit for me. I also love that I can access most of the same apps that are on my smartphone, so if I need a bigger screen for something, I can use the Fire instead of the phone. And did I mention Angry Birds??

 

[JohnYoung]

Thank yo both that is VERY helpful, I to love reading but my wife is mad about reading and is in a book club and always swapping books about.

Can you lend, swap books with a kindle ? and how much do the books cost ?

 

[MLeeK]

I have a kindle fire (not HD) and I have it on my phone and tablet. I read more often on my phone because it's the perfect size for me and I can fall asleep with it in hand and not have a problem later. If there wasn't reason for that? The kindle fire would be anchored to my side!

 

[sm4him]

Thank yo both that is VERY helpful, I to love reading but my wife is mad about reading and is in a book club and always swapping books about.

Can you lend, swap books with a kindle ? and how much do the books cost ?

You can lend SOME books. Oops, no, wait. I *believe* that is only true in the US--someone else can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they offer the lending feature outside of the US yet.
Also, just fyi, when you loan a book, it's for two weeks and during that two weeks you cannot access the book yourself--so it's kinda like loaning out a hard copy, it's no longer available to you until it comes back. You can't "share" the same book at the same time, I think, unless you actually share your Kindle account with someone.

Kindle books, in my experience, tend to be slightly less expensive than the hard copy of the same book.

 

[LisaCadwell]

Thank yo both that is VERY helpful, I to love reading but my wife is mad about reading and is in a book club and always swapping books about.

Can you lend, swap books with a kindle ? and how much do the books cost ?

The Kindle will be a great gift for your wife. My husband bought me one this year and I use it all the time. Price for books can get a bit much if you are going through them fast. BUT there are web sites like through your local library where you can borrow books for free. You can also get an Amazon Prime account for I believe $90 a year (not sure as my husband got that too) and you can download tons of free books. You can borrow a book once a month that would normally cost to buy. You can also share books with other Kindle users but there are limits to that. I've only shared once so I'm not really up on that.

Best of luck!

 

[Overread16 4]

DON'T get a Kindle Fire for reading books on.


Kindle Fires are tablets and as such have an LCD screen interface, its a good screen don't get me wrong, but its like reading from your computer screen. Thus you gain glare all over the screen as you read and many find it distracting or annoying to read - certainly not as relaxing as reading paper text.

If you want an e-reader get a proper dedicated e-reader like the Kindle or you can now get the Kindle White which has the bonus of a built in light whilst still delivering long term battery life (basically you can now read with a night light on the unit itself if you need to). The e-ink used on dedicated e-readers is outstanding and resembles real ink on a page very well. This gives you an e-reader that reads just like a book will, without the glare problems of bright LCD screens.

UK side as far as I know you cannot gift books from one kindle unit to another - however what you can do is have two units registered to the same Amazon account (when you buy them unless they are set as a gift they are auto registered to the account they are bought from). You can then buy books and use them on the two devices at the same time (from memory there is a limit as to how many simultaneous copies you can have on various devices of the same book - I think 3 from memory but it will be detailed on the Amazon pages).
That would give you the ability to have your own if you so chose to have one. There is also a lending service however I'm unsure if that is running in teh UK at present (if it is I've never tried it).



So Tablet for tablet thingies - e-reader for reading

*ps one nice bonus about the kindle regular and the kindle white is that as they really only do reading of books they don't have things like emails and websites to tug and distract you away to doing other things instead of just relaxing into the reading of a book).

 

[MLeeK]

Hmmm, I have had no problem with reading on my kindle fire or my gloss screen phone or even my tablet. I haven't used it in the sun, on the beach or anything. I use it most at night in the dark and or in the house where glare isn't a problem. I used it all summer at camp both inside and out, but I could have easily been in the shade where glare wasn't an issue. Our pool has a sun sail over all of the deck and outside where I frequent is not in the extreme sunshine.

 

[dbvirago]

Many libraries in the states have books you can 'check out' in Kindle format. Not sure if it's the same across the pond. Worth checking out. We have Nooks and keep a steady supply of library books on there.

 

[JohnYoung]

Thanks everyone... yeah we will probably be years behind with any innovations like the book lending thing (unless its already here in which case we will be charged twice the price as any other country)

This Kindle fire is looking good so far I reckon, and I know you can get free kindle books as I get them now offered through email (service I signed up for) and look at them using the kindle app on my tablet

 

[JClishe]

Agree 100% with Overread. My wife and I each have both Kindles and Kindles Fires. Our Kindle Fires have ended up being toys that the kids play games and watch movies on. Neither of us can stand to do much reading on them, it simply isn't a pleasant experience.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express

 

[JohnYoung]

Agree 100% with Overread. My wife and I each have both Kindles and Kindles Fires. Our Kindle Fires have ended up being toys that the kids play games and watch movies on. Neither of us can stand to do much reading on them, it simply isn't a pleasant experience.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express

So you think the standard Kindle would be best ?

 

[Big Mike]

I recently bought a standard Kindle (for the wife & I to share). I agree that reading on the E-ink screen is more pleasant than reading a backlit screen. I haven't tried a Fire but I do read on my iPhone and of course, monitors etc.

I haven't see the new Kindle White but it's supposed to be a self-lit screen that isn't backlit. I think this would be ideal, for me at least, because I read in bed before going to sleep.

I think you mentioned cost being a factor (she wouldn't want you spending too much), so the basic Kindle might be a good option. If you/she really likes it, then next birthday, get another one, maybe a White or Fire (or whatever).

 

[HughGuessWho98 13]

To each, his own, I guess.

As I mentioned, I have the original Kindle Fire and the new HD version. My wife has the original version as well. We have both read hundreds of books on them and have had zero issue reading on the LCD screen. It is true that it does not look like reading a paper book, but it IS crystal clear and sharp. We do both have screen protectors from day one, so maybe that reduces some of the glare that has been mentioned.

The main advantages that I see of the Fire vs a standard e Reader, is;

Books that have high res pictures, such as a photography book, displays far better than a standard eReader. If you are just interested in reading novels, this would not be an issue.

When reading a book that has reference links, it is handy to click on the link and it bring up the linked site or reference, which I don't think would be an available feature on an eReader.