I'm debating on whether I should get the Kindle Fire now or wait until the next version comes out.
With tech gadgets the first always seems to have a few things that need to be fixed.
The biggest thing I'm hearing is that the on/off switch is in the wrong spot and it gets accidentally shut off easily.
Another thing is battery life. Only about six hours compared to the really long life battery regular Kindle users are used to.
Another thing I wonder about is page quality and glare. Kindle readers love the gray no glare screen that makes reading easy- even in sunlight.
How does the new screen compare?
I want to know these things before shelling out $200 for a Fire.
The one thing I know I will like on the Fire is seeing book covers in full color.
After looking at all my Kindle books in the cloud reader on my computer I realized that is what I miss most about books with my Kindle- seeing the gorgeous book covers!
That's one of the main reasons I want a Kindle Fire- full color book covers!
I can organize books by their covers on virtual book shelves.
I don't always remember a book by its title if it is one I haven't read yet, it's the cover that draws me in and makes me want to read it. I miss that on my regular Kindle. Seeing titles in a list isn't the same for me. I don't remember what attracted me without the cover to remind me.
If this full color option could be combined with the non-glare paperback style pages of a regular Kindle it would be awesome.
Full color covers and bookshelves then switch to paperback non-glare pages when you want actually read the book.
Then you could switch back to full color for magazines, non-fiction books, children's books, graphic novels, etc. But you would still have the option to read the paperback style.
Hell, I don't know. Maybe this is possible on the new Fire. (OK maybe not after the newest reviews I just read- the glare is an issue and regular Kindle owners go back to their original Kindles for long time reading)
Most of the reviews I've read are all about the apps and tech aspects of it- I haven't read many reviews by book lovers that want to use it for an ebook reader.
So book lovers who got the Fire, please tell me about it. I want to hear from you before I buy the Fire.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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8 comments:
I absolutely love my Kindle Fire.
For the on/off switch, it could be better placed, but I only accidentally turned it off once. With the screen, you can just flip the Fire around and the screen adjusts itself, so you don't have to worry about hitting the button.
As for battery life, I've only had a couple times I had to stop using it to recharge it. I do tend to recharge it daily, but it lasts long enough for me to use when awake and charges fairly quickly. I haven't tried this out on videos yet, though.
For about two days the page quality bothered me. It didn't glare any worse than my laptop (actually had less glare than my laptop), but it was odd for those two days when I was used to reading on my Kindle 2. After that, I got used to it. I love that I can change the screen color from black text on white to white text on black and even a sepia colored background too. If there is more glare on one, change to the other. There are also glare reducing screens you can buy to put on the Fire. I bought some, but haven't used them yet since it didn't seem an issue.
I absolutely love being able to read in low light, see the book covers in color, and even read graphic novels on my Fire (bought my first one yesterday). I've only read one book on my old Kindle since I got my Fire in November, and I have to say I prefer reading on the Fire.
Oh, and it's really easy to add books to it, such as in PDF formats and such. I can even get them from my email and download them and read them as either a Kindle book or with the Adobe Reader app.
The only thing I wish was different about the Fire was that I wish it had 3G capabilities to go along with the WiFi.
Thank you for the honest review. That helps so much. I know it's personal preference for everyone but I really wanted to hear from readers.
So many reviews are techies complaining about lack of apps and how it doesn't compare to an iPad blah blah blah. I don't want an iPad. I want an advanced ebook reader in color with cool bonus features.
I don't have one but I played with my son's when I was considering getting one. For me, it didn't suit my purposes. I took it out on my deck and tried to read it, with and without sunglasses and changing font color. It just didn't work for me, the glare was just like on my netbook, which I can't read outside. I've read pretty bad reviews on the glare screens. I was also considering it since I do a lot of beta reading and reviews and I was hoping to be able to download the pdfs from my email and not have to convert to kindle format but I've read that google email is not supported. I'm waiting for the next version in hopes the issues will be resolved.
I'm not going to lie, I love my Kindle Fire but I would probably say wait. I don't regret it at all and if you feel like you really need a new one, then go for it! It's much cheaper than a tablet or iPad and it does practically the same things even though it's technically a Kindle.
I have a feeling the next one is going to have a camera which would be cool but it's not a big deal that mine doesn't.
Hi Roxanne –
I bought one for my daughter and after I gave it to her, I got one myself! I love being able to see the covers in full color. And I really like that I can put my Nook library on it as well (Kindle doesn’t advertise that you can do that).
I will say that I still like reading "long term" on my e-ink reader. But,if you want “advanced ebook reader in color with cool bonus features”, I feel it is well worth the money.
I absolutely love mine!! I used to carry both my laptop and my Sony ereader. Now I just toss my fire into my purse. And it easier to read my blogs on it then on my computer.
While I don't have a Kindle, I have a b/w Sony ereader and an ipad, and there definitely is something about seeing the covers in color. And yes, the bookshelf is definitely an attractive feature. Actually, I like reading on that screen (which is similar to the Fire's) better than I do on the Sony, which does have a glare issue in low light.
Smiles!
Lori
Thanks guys this is great.
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