Kindles - what's the (real) difference

JonathanRyan

JonathanRyan

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So Amazon day is coming up and I thought I'd treat myself to a new Kindle. Key feature upgrade from my ancient Kindle would be a lighted screen so I can read from the Kindle when it's dark.

I *thought* I wanted a Paperwhite because last time I checked it was the cheapest with lights. However, the basic Kindle now has lights. So...in the real world, what do I get for double the money? Amazon say 1 more LED, waterproof and double the resolution. Will double the res actually improve the reading experience? Anybody seen both side by side? (I don't care about memory, flush front design or mobile connectivity).
 
It depends what your needs are. Paperwhite are just for reading whereas Kindles can be used for watching movies, internet and of course keeping up to date with Talkphotography :)
 
So are these just like tablets?
 
kendo1 said:
It depends what your needs are. Paperwhite are just for reading whereas Kindles can be used for watching movies, internet and of course keeping up to date with Talkphotography :)
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you cant watch movies on a Kindle and the browser at best is very slow. You may be thinking of the Kindle Fire.
 
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JonathanRyan said:
So Amazon day is coming up and I thought I'd treat myself to a new Kindle. Key feature upgrade from my ancient Kindle would be a lighted screen so I can read from the Kindle when it's dark.

I *thought* I wanted a Paperwhite because last time I checked it was the cheapest with lights. However, the basic Kindle now has lights. So...in the real world, what do I get for double the money? Amazon say 1 more LED, waterproof and double the resolution. Will double the res actually improve the reading experience? Anybody seen both side by side? (I don't care about memory, flush front design or mobile connectivity).
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Not sure the difference will be that noticeable but not sure. I think mine is a Paperwhite but it’s an old one. Used daily and never let me down.
 
We've had Kobos, Nooks (same e-paper screen tech as a kindle) and and now a Kindle paperwhite. Letters are cleaner on the paperwhite, and any embedded graphics or whacky fonts are nicer to view. If your eyes are good then it's a nicer device to use, but if your eyes are poor then you may not notice a difference.
 
Craig1912 said:
No they are designed to read books
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Thanks but doesn't really tell me what I wanted to know and clearly some Kindles can do more than display text from a book so I'll ask a different question.

What can Kindles do or not do, how are different to a tablet? ... I do read books on my tablet but I also use it go online so I'm just wondering what advantage there is to a Kindle.

PS.
Forget it. I'll Googe it :D
 
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I've had six or seven models over the last ten years plus - including an early Fire version.

As a tablet I think they're pretty poor and the Fire models are too heavy for comfortable reading.

I'm now using the latest Paperwhite and it is perfect for what it was designed for - reading. It's small, as light as a feather, stores more books than a library and works well in poor light as well as bright sunlight. Definitely, the best so far in my opinion. (y)
 
woof woof said:
Thanks but doesn't really tell me what I wanted to know and clearly some Kindles can do more than display text from a book so I'll ask a different question.

What can Kindles do or not do, how are different to a tablet? ... I do read books on my tablet but I also use it go online so I'm just wondering what advantage there is to a Kindle.

PS.
Forget it. I'll Googe it :D
Click to expand...

The kindles designed as book readers use an mono 'E-Ink' screen - back lit in the case of the paperwhite version - that has a slow refresh rate and retains the image even when the screen is un-powered. They give a much nicer reading experience than a typical tablet screen, but are only capable of displaying a semi-greyscale. Typical time between charges is much longer: 2 weeks for the paperwhite with backlight, 4 weeks + for the un-illuminated versions.
 
woof woof said:
Thanks but doesn't really tell me what I wanted to know and clearly some Kindles can do more than display text from a book so I'll ask a different question.

What can Kindles do or not do, how are different to a tablet? ... I do read books on my tablet but I also use it go online so I'm just wondering what advantage there is to a Kindle.

PS.
Forget it. I'll Googe it :D
Click to expand...
sorry if you thought I was being funny Or not answering the question

Kindle Fires are tablets that operate in a similiar manner to an ipad. The original Kindle (and what most people regard as a Kindle) was desiged to read text using “paper ink” which is much better on the eyes than a tablet- no glare, can read in sunlight etc.
Kindle Paperwhite and Oasis are the latest developments of the original Kindle. Another big advantage is the battery charge lasts days/weeks whereas a tablet (Kindle Fire, IPad etc) lasts a day at best
 
I have an original Kindle and a Kindle Paperwhite which are only used for reading. If you want to know the differences, I was able to find this with details for each of the types by Googling "Kindle Types".

Dave
 
Craig1912 said:
sorry if you thought I was being funny Or not answering the question

Kindle Fires are tablets that operate in a similiar manner to an ipad. The original Kindle (and what most people regard as a Kindle) was desiged to read text using “paper ink” which is much better on the eyes than a tablet- no glare, can read in sunlight etc.
Kindle Paperwhite and Oasis are the latest developments of the original Kindle. Another big advantage is the battery charge lasts days/weeks whereas a tablet (Kindle Fire, IPad etc) lasts a day at best
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ancient_mariner said:
The kindles designed as book readers use an mono 'E-Ink' screen - back lit in the case of the paperwhite version - that has a slow refresh rate and retains the image even when the screen is un-powered. They give a much nicer reading experience than a typical tablet screen, but are only capable of displaying a semi-greyscale. Typical time between charges is much longer: 2 weeks for the paperwhite with backlight, 4 weeks + for the un-illuminated versions.
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Thanks to you and Google I think I know now.

My sister and her hubby both have Kindles but neither could explain how they relate to tablets so I was curious. I'll stick to a tablet. I do take a book or two on holiday but will stick with that combo, a tablet and physical books.
 
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The advantage in reading virtual books is that I will probably take 200+ books on holiday. Of course I will not read many but I will have a good choice. I have not had a holiday for over 2 years now.

Dave
 
If you're thinking of an e-reader (kindle, kobo etc.) instead of "proper" books, try one before buying if possible. I bought a kobo a few years back and discovered that it gives me really bad headaches after about 10 minutes. Luckily, it was stinking cheap (end of line/last year's model). I shall continue to do what I always have done - trawl the charity shops for whatever grabs my attention and leave the books in the hotels' libraries!
 
I have a Kindle Paperwhite that I bought 7 years ago. Had look at the newest model recently with a view to treating myself. It has more memory, is waterproof and is thinner.

I don't need more memory, what I have is enough to store loads of books.

I have no need of it being waterproof. Ok if you read a lot sitting by the pool on holiday but that isn't me.

As for it being thinner, chunkier suits me better as I have handling difficulties, especially with this lovely case.

IMG_1404.JPG

So not worth the expense for me. Mrs F persuaded me to buy a Kindle Fire last year but it's lacking as a tablet and I didn't enjoy the reading experience so I've gone back to my old Paperwhite. The Fire is currently sitting on a shelf having not seen a charger for about 6 months!
 
My wife uses an Amazon Fire tablet and reads a lot of eBooks. She's happy with it, and uses it browse the web and run her email too.

I can't comment for myself, I've never used a Kindle or read a book on a tablet. I like books and mainly read non-fiction which I often refer back to.
 
Thanks for all your thoughts. Some clarifications....
  1. I've used a Kindle since they became affordable (IIRC I paid over £100 for the one with an actual keyboard). I'm currently on my third (original one replaced under extended warranty when it broke, current one bought 2nd hand for about £20). I think they could just be one of the greatest inventions of my lifetime.
  2. Yeah - Amazon's names are really confusing. I have a Kindle, I have a tablet - for reading I will *always* choose the Kindle if I can. It's just better. Also, it's almost always charged. So I'm looking at a Kindle e-reader, not the Fire.
  3. I tried to track it in the first year (because at the time they seemed a luxury) I figure I read between 50% and 100% *more* on a Kindle than I would on paper. For one thing, it remembers where I was up to :)
  4. The thing I love most is it's small, light and cheap (a tablet of a similar size/weight would cost a LOT) so I can take it everywhere and not worry too much if I lose it - which of course I never have.
Marc said:
Just to add, the Paperwhite isn't back lit which makes a big difference to the eyes.
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That's interesting - so the leds sit in front of the screen? Do you find that better or worse than backlit?

But thanks to all the comments here, it looks like Kindles have good (Kindle), better (Paperwhite) and best (Oasis) int he hope that you'll buy the middle one. Looks like basic is good enough for me :)
 
JonathanRyan said:
That's interesting - so the leds sit in front of the screen? Do you find that better or worse than backlit?
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It may be dependant on model - the wifes paperwhite (probably 3 or more years old now) is definitely backlit and has lost a tiny amount of the coating inside the screen, leaving a gap through which light leaks.
 
JonathanRyan said:
That's interesting - so the leds sit in front of the screen?
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At the bottom edge and the light goes upwards across the screen.

Better explained HERE

JonathanRyan said:
Do you find that better or worse than backlit?
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Much better. Also, I can read in bed without the bedside light on whilst Mrs F is asleep without lighting up the room.
 
ancient_mariner said:
It may be dependant on model - the wifes paperwhite (probably 3 or more years old now) is definitely backlit and has lost a tiny amount of the coating inside the screen, leaving a gap through which light leaks.
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Only the Fire tablets are backlit, the Paperwhites are as per my link above (I know it's from 2012 but it's still the way they work).
 
Marc said:
Only the Fire tablets are backlit, the Paperwhites are as per my link above (I know it's from 2012 but it's still the way they work).
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Weird then. It *looks* like there's a section with the coating scraped away, but maybe it's the equivalent of a small group of stuck pixels.
 
ancient_mariner said:
It may be dependant on model - the wifes paperwhite (probably 3 or more years old now) is definitely backlit and has lost a tiny amount of the coating inside the screen, leaving a gap through which light leaks.
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No it’s not backlit, the Paperwhite never has been. even the standard isn’t backlit anymore but it has a lower resolution
 
Kindles are e-readers
1-Kindle
2-Kindle Paperwhite
3-Kindle Oasis
Diference between 1 and 2 is that 2 has higher resolution that makes line drawings crisper, supposedly makes no diference to text and 2 has more memory. both have a front lighting to allow reading in dark
i believe oasis has larger screen, more memory and has a warm white front light

Fires are tablets
that you can watch videos on surf the internet just as you can on any other table although they are Amazon centric - you cant have google play, google music etc

I have one of the early ones with the keyboard and much prefer reading from this than the fire tablet i use for watching youtube or listening to podcasts or the wifes ipad for that matter.
 
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