VistraNorrez
Member
All the latest Kindles are touchscreen devices.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Amazon Kindle |OT| of eInk superiority
- Thread starter HiroProtagonist
- Start date
All the latest Kindles are touchscreen devices.
Recently I have been considering getting a Kindle and Kindle Unlimited account, however I have a few questions that I hope someone could answer.
I've been looking at the paperwhite models since they have a good pixel density which I need for reading Japanese. Amazon has 2 different models, they have a paperwhite with wifi and 3G and they have a paperwhite Manga edition. What are the differences? I would like to read manga, but don't like that the Manga edition has no 3G, is it easy to pair to my iPhone so that I can download content while away from home? How do they compare in storage?
I'm a prime member, is there a best time to buy a kindle, or did I miss my chance with Prime Day?
Oh, and the screen, is it soft like a 3DS screen and need some type of case, or is it okay to throw in a pocket in my bag?
I've been looking at the paperwhite models since they have a good pixel density which I need for reading Japanese. Amazon has 2 different models, they have a paperwhite with wifi and 3G and they have a paperwhite Manga edition. What are the differences? I would like to read manga, but don't like that the Manga edition has no 3G, is it easy to pair to my iPhone so that I can download content while away from home? How do they compare in storage?
I'm a prime member, is there a best time to buy a kindle, or did I miss my chance with Prime Day?
Oh, and the screen, is it soft like a 3DS screen and need some type of case, or is it okay to throw in a pocket in my bag?
Ben Morales
Member
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only difference, besides the lack of 3G, is the storage size. The regular Paperwhite is 4GB while the manga edition is 32GB.
You should be able to pair it to your phone no problem. Just input the info from your iPhone's hotspot to the wifi settings and you're golden. I've done this before on my Paperwhite.
Edit: Are 3DS screens soft like DS screens? If so, it's harder than that. Not the same material as you would get on a smartphone, but it won't get scratched up in your pocket/bag unless you put it in there with your keys. =P
I still put a case on mine though, since they are cheap and pretty looking.
Got this one for $9 on AliExpress:
DOWN
Banned
Skip the 3G. Very unnecessary, especially with a phone that can tether.
Paperwhite Wi-Fi goes on sale for $89.99 several times a year. Thats the same deal as Prime Day. At the very least they will sell it for that price in November.
Also I find Kindle Unlimited kinda useless. Prime members get the Lending Library for free which is basically a parallel program. But more importantly, most US public library systems let you log into an app called Overdrive and check out free Kindle books from wherever you are and send them remotely to your kindle to borrow for weeks at a time. Most major books, more than youd find in kindle Unlimited, can be checked out easily from your library system this way for free.
Thanks good to hear.
If it's easy to tether maybe I will just do that. As to Kindle Unlimited, I live in Japan and not the US, so the lending library is pretty much useless here. However thanks for letting me know about Overdrive, if they don't block foreign IPs maybe I can use my parent's local library. Does the sale price stack with the Prime member discount (4000 yen)?
DOWN
Banned
?
Kindle format books just display in whatever font and spacing that you last left your kindle set to display
DyslexicAlucard
Member
According the my daily deals email I received this morning, 'The Last Wish' by Andrzej Sapkowski (from the series of novels that The Witcher is based on) is supposed to be on sale. However, I can't even see a Kindle version available to purchase on either the US or Canadian version of the site. I also tried buying it right on my phone and Kindle too. Nothing.
Is this just a mistake or something? Not the first time it's happened either. Kind of dumb to send out emails highlighting specific deals, only for them not even be available to purchase on the platform at all. Imagine is Sony sent an email that was like, "Flash Sale! Download Halo 6 on PS4 today at a discounted price!", then you click through and find out that it's not even on PSN.
That's kiiiinda what it's like, haha.
Is this just a mistake or something? Not the first time it's happened either. Kind of dumb to send out emails highlighting specific deals, only for them not even be available to purchase on the platform at all. Imagine is Sony sent an email that was like, "Flash Sale! Download Halo 6 on PS4 today at a discounted price!", then you click through and find out that it's not even on PSN.
That's kiiiinda what it's like, haha.
Here's the Amazon.com link to the kindle book, shows at $2.99 for me - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010SIPT4/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I can't find an English kindle version of that book on .ca though, even though the rest of the series is there. There's a French one though - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0099OP2MO/
DyslexicAlucard
Member
I can't see a Kindle price from the US site (says "Kindle titles are available for CA customers on Amazon.ca. Continue shopping on the Kindle Store at Amazon.ca."), and it's not even showing up on .CA (which I need to use, and it's what my Kindle is linked to.) It's pretty common in Canada, from my experience. =/
DaBargainHunta
Member
No, there are definitely some that kind of override your settings.
DOWN
Banned
In the kindle format? Or like just PDFs and epubs?
DaBargainHunta
Member
One of the books in my Kindle Library, The Baum Plan for Financial Independence: And Other Stories by John Kessel uses its own original font. Looks like a scan that was OCRed and chopped up into words to allow easy reformatting across different screen widths.
(I took SF literature from Kessel as a young man. Great class and a fine writer. Still replies to my emails, even though I'm fairly sure he wouldn't remember me. If anything, he might remember the paper I did on Cordwainer Smith, since that's probably not a typical subject in his course.)
Ben Morales
Member
PHOENIXZERO
Member
Oh hey, an OT I can vent in...
So there was (and still might be) a $30 discount for Kindle Paper Whites with Prime Student and I have six or well now eight free months of Prime student for some reason thanks to a promotion and I thought this would be a great time to finally get one, 10 days later, one shitty delivery experience where one day shipping turned into five day shipping and three Paper Whites later all with issues of black and white specks under/in the screen (especially the white ones since some were near the center of the screen) and one of the three with really uneven lighting and a long line of helpless possibly clueless CSRs who promise things they can't deliver on or are possibly on another planet with responding to the issue with something unrelated... I give up.
There's supposedly a new version coming out in November and Amazon will probably have a decent discount since it'll be out just before Black Friday if there's any significant improvements to it maybe I'll give it another try. =\
So there was (and still might be) a $30 discount for Kindle Paper Whites with Prime Student and I have six or well now eight free months of Prime student for some reason thanks to a promotion and I thought this would be a great time to finally get one, 10 days later, one shitty delivery experience where one day shipping turned into five day shipping and three Paper Whites later all with issues of black and white specks under/in the screen (especially the white ones since some were near the center of the screen) and one of the three with really uneven lighting and a long line of helpless possibly clueless CSRs who promise things they can't deliver on or are possibly on another planet with responding to the issue with something unrelated... I give up.
There's supposedly a new version coming out in November and Amazon will probably have a decent discount since it'll be out just before Black Friday if there's any significant improvements to it maybe I'll give it another try. =\
Ok I guess I should wait.
DaBargainHunta
Member
New Kindle Oasis announced
- $249 for 8GB with Wi-Fi and special offers (ads)
- $279 for 32GB with Wi-Fi and special offers (ads)
- $349 for 3GB with W-Fi and Free Ceullar Connectivity (no special offer ads)
- And various other pricing combinations
There's also a bundle for an 8GB with special offers, leather cover, and power adapter for $309. Not sure if there's actually any savings here though.
Features:
Hands-on: https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/11/amazon-new-kindle-oasis/
According to the Engadget piece, there will be a "night mode" of sorts (dark background with white text). It's software-based and will apparently make its way to earlier Kindles as well in a future update. It's not on the Amazon listing, so I assume the Oasis won't launch with that feature.
- $249 for 8GB with Wi-Fi and special offers (ads)
- $279 for 32GB with Wi-Fi and special offers (ads)
- $349 for 3GB with W-Fi and Free Ceullar Connectivity (no special offer ads)
- And various other pricing combinations
There's also a bundle for an 8GB with special offers, leather cover, and power adapter for $309. Not sure if there's actually any savings here though.
Features:
The major features seem to be a bigger screen, battery completely built-in (unlike the previous Oasis which shared its battery with the cover), more storage space (8GB or 32GB), and waterproofing. The inclusion of Audible doesn't excite me because it sounds like there are no speakers built-in - you apparently need bluetooth headphones or a bluetooth speaker to listen to audiobooks.Amazon.com said:
Hands-on: https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/11/amazon-new-kindle-oasis/
According to the Engadget piece, there will be a "night mode" of sorts (dark background with white text). It's software-based and will apparently make its way to earlier Kindles as well in a future update. It's not on the Amazon listing, so I assume the Oasis won't launch with that feature.
Ben Morales
Member
Damn... I need more disposable income. I would buy this in a heartbeat.
Definitely want to try out Night Mode on my Paperwhite if they really do roll that out.
New Kindle Oasis announced
- $249 for 8GB with Wi-Fi and special offers (ads)
- $279 for 32GB with Wi-Fi and special offers (ads)
- $349 for 3GB with W-Fi and Free Ceullar Connectivity (no special offer ads)
- And various other pricing combinations
There's also a bundle for an 8GB with special offers, leather cover, and power adapter for $309. Not sure if there's actually any savings here though.
Features:
The major features seem to be a bigger screen, battery completely built-in (unlike the previous Oasis which shared its battery with the cover), more storage space (8GB or 32GB), and waterproofing. The inclusion of Audible doesn't excite me because it sounds like there are no speakers built-in - you apparently need bluetooth headphones or a bluetooth speaker to listen to audiobooks.
Hands-on: https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/11/amazon-new-kindle-oasis/
According to the Engadget piece, there will be a "night mode" of sorts (dark background with white text). It's software-based and will apparently make its way to earlier Kindles as well in a future update. It's not on the Amazon listing, so I assume the Oasis won't launch with that feature.
the non-justified alignment on that text bothers me :O
Easystride
Member
I am having difficulty getting my pages to sync between my Kindle Voyager and my Kindle Keyboard. I have checked all of my settings and Whispersync is on, my Kindles are both connected to wi-fi and linked to my Amazon account, but they aren't picking up the last page read.
Does anyone have any suggestions, or have had a similar issue?
Does anyone have any suggestions, or have had a similar issue?
charlemagne
Member
Dammit I want that waterproofing, but I really don't need to upgrade from my voyage.
Yeah, the price of the Oasis really isn't worth the upgrade from the Voyage, the screens are basically the same.
Edit: I mean in resolution, I realize the new Oasis is 7" as opposed to 6"
I blew the budget and got a 32 GB Oasis. Oh well. Was only using discretionary income for the rest of the year on Mario Odyssey, Pokémon Ultra Sun, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2...though I also use that money to buy Kindle books and Christmas gifts. Sheet. I think I can manage though ironically enough by cutting out some extra books I was planning on getting.
I know right? Also going to cut back to one audible book a month, which is something else I could do with it.
I can still get a ton of books free from my local library, I just won't own them. I also have enough of a backlog that I'll still have plenty to read.
It means I am going to go from four-ten books a month to one-two until March or so to make up the cost.
DOWN
Banned
I barely buy books or audiobooks anymore thanks to Overdrive (thats the library app your local library uses in the USA for people not in the know like I am)
The ambient light sensor in the Voyage (and now the new Oasis) is a significant quality-of-life thing for me as I do a lot of reading in bed. Without Night Mode, I'd be up for hours reading in the dark. With Night Mode and the auto-dimming, I get maybe twenty minutes in before dozing off.
So I guess this is the place to ask, but I'm having a slight yet annoying issue on my Fire HD 8
Ever since I downloaded the Google Play store onto it, I keep getting non-stop notifications stating that Hulu "requires a manual update". When I try to update it, the download fails, and the update is canceled.
Is there anyway to fix that?
Also, does anyone know if the new Fire HD 10 has better performance than the 8? Mine is starting to get sluggish.
Ever since I downloaded the Google Play store onto it, I keep getting non-stop notifications stating that Hulu "requires a manual update". When I try to update it, the download fails, and the update is canceled.
Is there anyway to fix that?
Also, does anyone know if the new Fire HD 10 has better performance than the 8? Mine is starting to get sluggish.
DaBargainHunta
Member
Is there any way to accept new permissions? That's usually what triggers a manual update.
If all else fails, try uninstalling and reinstalling.
Hmm perhaps, I'll have to find out how to do that. I've tried reinstalling a few times, but no luck
Thanks though
Curious Puppy
Banned
The 7 inch screen seals the deal for me. I always thought 6 inches was too small as someone who usually reads hardcover, but the extra inch makes a big difference.
TimeEffect
Member
Even with the waterproofing and audiobook support Kindle is not perfect. I mean, waterproofing is extremely late to Kindle and not something to be excited about in 2017.
The next big thing is warm-lighting options, and I have to say, I cant stand the blue screen anymore haha. Reading with the light is definitely straining on the eyes and I use a warm light on my phone and computer at all times.
The wait for yet another device with such a feature is going to be painful (Im aware Kobo already does it, but I want it from Amazon)
Edit: Just noticed a firmware that lets users invert the black and white. Is this a suitable replacement for night reading?
The next big thing is warm-lighting options, and I have to say, I cant stand the blue screen anymore haha. Reading with the light is definitely straining on the eyes and I use a warm light on my phone and computer at all times.
The wait for yet another device with such a feature is going to be painful (Im aware Kobo already does it, but I want it from Amazon)
Edit: Just noticed a firmware that lets users invert the black and white. Is this a suitable replacement for night reading?
Curious Puppy
Banned
Yeah I feel the same way. I guess some people like to read in a bathtub but I never do that.
TimeEffect
Member
Aww boo the new font and invert is only for oasis?
VistraNorrez
Member
I don't think there is a new font, just new font options. Which you can update manually right now on 6 gen and newer devices, or wait until it is wirelessly updated on it's own.
The invert might be Oasis only, but it could also come in an update to other devices. No confirmation yet.
Loving the new boldness options.
UltimaKilo
Member
I’m still rocking the OG Kindle PaperWhite and I have had zero issues with it after almost 6 years.
Before this I had the Kindle Keyboard which I absolutely loved and would not had upgraded had it not been a gift.
I have yet to see an upgrade over the last 6 years worth upgrading for.
But maybe I’m wrong about the Oasis 2? Does anyone see it as a major upgrade from the PaperWhite 1? What are the pros and cons?
Before this I had the Kindle Keyboard which I absolutely loved and would not had upgraded had it not been a gift.
I have yet to see an upgrade over the last 6 years worth upgrading for.
But maybe I’m wrong about the Oasis 2? Does anyone see it as a major upgrade from the PaperWhite 1? What are the pros and cons?
n64coder
Member
I have the 32GB Oasis 2. Bought it in December by trading in my Paperwhite 2. The deal was 25% off Oasis 2 + $25 if I traded it in so in effect, it was like I used my Paperwhite for 5 years for $20.
The features I like are: more storage space for books, touch screen is more responsive, better lighting, and physical page buttons. Is it worth $200 (this was my cost after trade-in), yeah, I think so. It's also waterproof but I haven't tested that yet.
Cons - it costs more and the battery life is not as good as Paperwhite 2 but it's still decent.
The features I like are: more storage space for books, touch screen is more responsive, better lighting, and physical page buttons. Is it worth $200 (this was my cost after trade-in), yeah, I think so. It's also waterproof but I haven't tested that yet.
Cons - it costs more and the battery life is not as good as Paperwhite 2 but it's still decent.
UltimaKilo
Member
I always wonder about the "is it worth it" argument. I ended up picking up the Oasis 2 32GB and I don't regret it for all the reasons we know, and handed down my OG PaperWhite to the wife.
My take is that this is a device with the speed, storage and form factor that can easily last you 7+ years. Of course I understand that not everyone wants to spend that much on a dedicated device, but for me, in the end it wasn't as big of a deal because of the years I'll likely get out of the device.