Only one strong selection tip. Get an e-Ink Kindle. Not a general-purpose Android tablet (I lived with that as an e-Reader for a couple of years). And DEFINITELY not a Kindle Fire (color screen with shiny glass and a Amazon-customized Android OS). Kindle Fires--I've owned two--are the worst of both worlds. They were lousy as eBook readers and lousy as Android tablets.
My e-Ink Kindle is far, far better for reading. Regular screen technology is just not as readable. I'm not sure I can define the reasons, but it's a big difference. To say nothing of battery life and full-daylight readability. Why, yes, on trips I bring both a tablet AND my Kindle. The Kindle is so compact and lightweight that it doesn't add much to the carry-on bag, and requires such infrequent charging that it isn't part of the every-night-charging ritual.
With regard to book-device compatibility, I'm not sure what the librarian meant by "only about 75% of the free library eBooks would work on the Kindle." They are probably referring to books that are only available in ePub format. There are a noticeable number of them. I run into them mostly when looking for childrens' books in easy English to use with my ESL tutees. It hasn't been a huge problem for me.
The librarian was probably objecting to Amazon's proprietary locked-in ecosystem. Yes, Amazon is annoying. It's also aggressively annoying that Kindles can't read ePub formats, that is almost certainly a marketing and not a technical decision.
There are also a very small percentage of "Kindle" books that are not compatible with e-Ink Kindles. These tend to be large-format "coffee-table"-like books. It isn't just a question of displaying poorly without color, they give an error message like "this book is not compatible with your device." There is a too-subtle warning: if I try to buy one, it will ask what device I want it for, and my Kindle Oasis won't appear as an available choice.
It is also true that any photographs, illustrations, or diagrams are displayed poorly on e-Ink devices.
My experience with Kindle Fires was bad. If you do opt for a tablet, get a standard tablet. Don't be seduced by the bargain price of a Kindle Fire. It is the worst of both worlds. It's not a good eBook reader and it's not a good Android tablet. You don't get access to the Google Play Store, and the Amazon Appstore is far inferior. I constantly read about apps I wanted, and find either that a) it wasn't available in the Amazon Appstore, or b) it was riddled with software glitches. My theory is that many developers don't bother actually SQA-ing their Kindle Fire versions.
But it is what it is, and overall my opinion Amazon e-Ink Kindles provide a far better user experience than a standard color tablet.
I can't speak to current color models. I am a little sorry I paid a hefty premium price for a Kindle Oasis ($250 IIRC) four years ago, because it is clear that the battery is starting to die. Battery life is so long that it's not a problem yet, but I do a lot of reading and it seems that I need to recharge every two or three days instead of once a week. I was seduced by the color temperature adjustment and "waterproof" features, but those are now both available in their low-cost models.
I find the 4¼ x 5¼ screen size to be perfectly acceptable--not like trying to read an eBook on a smartphone--but a little on the small size. When I need to replace the Oasis I will look for a bigger screen. It's a pity that the Amazon physical bookstores are closed, so I don't know where to go to see them in real life and display some real book pages on them.
My e-Ink Kindle is far, far better for reading. Regular screen technology is just not as readable. I'm not sure I can define the reasons, but it's a big difference. To say nothing of battery life and full-daylight readability. Why, yes, on trips I bring both a tablet AND my Kindle. The Kindle is so compact and lightweight that it doesn't add much to the carry-on bag, and requires such infrequent charging that it isn't part of the every-night-charging ritual.
With regard to book-device compatibility, I'm not sure what the librarian meant by "only about 75% of the free library eBooks would work on the Kindle." They are probably referring to books that are only available in ePub format. There are a noticeable number of them. I run into them mostly when looking for childrens' books in easy English to use with my ESL tutees. It hasn't been a huge problem for me.
The librarian was probably objecting to Amazon's proprietary locked-in ecosystem. Yes, Amazon is annoying. It's also aggressively annoying that Kindles can't read ePub formats, that is almost certainly a marketing and not a technical decision.
There are also a very small percentage of "Kindle" books that are not compatible with e-Ink Kindles. These tend to be large-format "coffee-table"-like books. It isn't just a question of displaying poorly without color, they give an error message like "this book is not compatible with your device." There is a too-subtle warning: if I try to buy one, it will ask what device I want it for, and my Kindle Oasis won't appear as an available choice.
It is also true that any photographs, illustrations, or diagrams are displayed poorly on e-Ink devices.
My experience with Kindle Fires was bad. If you do opt for a tablet, get a standard tablet. Don't be seduced by the bargain price of a Kindle Fire. It is the worst of both worlds. It's not a good eBook reader and it's not a good Android tablet. You don't get access to the Google Play Store, and the Amazon Appstore is far inferior. I constantly read about apps I wanted, and find either that a) it wasn't available in the Amazon Appstore, or b) it was riddled with software glitches. My theory is that many developers don't bother actually SQA-ing their Kindle Fire versions.
But it is what it is, and overall my opinion Amazon e-Ink Kindles provide a far better user experience than a standard color tablet.
I can't speak to current color models. I am a little sorry I paid a hefty premium price for a Kindle Oasis ($250 IIRC) four years ago, because it is clear that the battery is starting to die. Battery life is so long that it's not a problem yet, but I do a lot of reading and it seems that I need to recharge every two or three days instead of once a week. I was seduced by the color temperature adjustment and "waterproof" features, but those are now both available in their low-cost models.
I find the 4¼ x 5¼ screen size to be perfectly acceptable--not like trying to read an eBook on a smartphone--but a little on the small size. When I need to replace the Oasis I will look for a bigger screen. It's a pity that the Amazon physical bookstores are closed, so I don't know where to go to see them in real life and display some real book pages on them.
Statistics: Posted by nisiprius — Mon Apr 22, 2024 7:18 am — Replies 4 — Views 249