Kindle V Kindle Fire

swingaloo

Being a complete technophobe I need help.

I was considering getting a Kindle but have no idea how they work!!!!! Someone was asking me about reading as I always seem to be seen with a book at work in my break and I said I read 2 paperbacks a week so he suggested a Kindle would be better for me. However as he walked away he said 'don't get a kindle, get a kindle fire'. I felt a bit stupid shouting him back to ask what the difference is so while this is completely anonymous can anyone on here please explain the difference.
Thanks

Johnmcl7

I really, really wish this forum has autosave so when the connection drops after typing a long reply you don't lose it all...must remember to copy the text first.

If you're wanting a device for reading books then the Kindle is the better choice - it doesn't do much other than display text as its screen is black and white and has a slow refresh but its e-ink screen is quite different to laptop/phone/tablet screens etc. making it just as easy to read as text on paper even in bright sunlight. E-ink devices are usually much thinner and lighter making them easy to hold one handed, their batterylife is normally measured in weeks and they are now available with their own lighting such as with the Kindle Paperwhite. Because of the basic functionality the e-ink devices can get criticised compared to the much wider functionality the tablets offer but for reading books, the e-ink devices are still much better.

The Kindle Fire is a customised tablet so it's basically Amazon's version of the Apple Ipad, Google Nexus 7/10 and Samsung Galaxy Tablets. It's designed for more general use so it has a standard screen and processing power so you can browse the web, e-mail, watch video etc. The tradeoff is that its screen is not as good for reading books, the batterylife is a matter of hours and it's a thicker heavier device than the e-ink Kindle.

Personally I much prefer e-ink devices for reading books, I have a Nook Simple Touch Glowlight which is basically much the same as the Kindle Paperwhite and aside from some of the ridiculous e-book prices I find it superb for book reading. I can have a large number of books to choose from, it always remembers where I am and it's easy to search through if I'm looking for something.

If you're near a Tescos store they should have Kindle and Kindle Fire devices on display if you want to have a look in person and see the differences for yourself.

John

hxm

I'm a big reader too and finally got myself a Kindle last year. One of the features I realy like about it is that you can change the size of the text, so when I'm reading at night I can increase it, which is much easier than struggling to read the smallish print of the average paperback.

I regularly check this site http://www.dailyfreebooks.co.uk/free_ebooks/latest/ as there are plenty of free books around for lots of different interests - I've yet to pay for any book!

As John said, it's great to have a wide range of books to choose from. I like to have something that's easy to dip into when I'm waiting for an appointment as well as a good story, biography or travelogue to get stuck into on a long journey. The battery life is very good. I have a normal Kindle, so can't comment on the Kindle Fire, but whichever one you end up going for, I'm sure you'll enjoy it

swingaloo

Thank you so much for the advice, much appreciated.

Pont

I was convinced about Kindles last year. My daughters bought me one and it was the bees knees. However, I've just upgraded to the Kindle HD Fire (large screen can't remember the actual dimensions) - it's fantastic!

No doubt another 'upgrade' will be along soon ;-)

Anne_Marie_2

Just make sure that you get what you actually want and need. If you want to read books, and be able to read them outside and on holiday in the sun, you need an e-ink reader, of which there are many makes, and Kindle is one of them.
If you want to do more, such as email, internet browsing, then you will need some kind of a tablet, such as the Kindle Fire. You can read books on this, but it's of absolutely no use outside in bright sunshine.
Basically, if you want something to do everything, it's not going to happen....at the moment.

I've got one of the original Kindle keyboard models, and it is excellent for reading outside. They don't sell this model any more in the UK, so if I was going for one now, I'd very probably go for the paperwhite option, so that I could read it in bed too. If you are not so likely to want something that lights up in the dark, a basic Kindle e-reader would suffice. (You can always get a cover with a light).

My Dad has this Kindle http://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-ereader-ebook-reader/dp/B007HCCOD0 and loved it to bits, but really wanted the Kindle Fire HD. He has now got both and realizes that when going on holiday, he has to take them both, as he cannot read out in the sun on the HD model.

Wouldn't it be great if they invented a dual book reading in the sun e-reader and tablet device?

Things are getting better on the tablet market, but still not enough quite yet, for me to ditch my original Kindle keyboard.

My original reason for buying my Kindle was to save me carrying a load of books on holiday. I now live in Cyprus, where we do have a lot of sunshine, and it has been one of my best ever buys.

Another thing that I should add, is that if you do purely want an e-reader, make sure it is e-ink. Had a friend staying with me recently, who had an e-reader, and was sitting inside reading, as it was of no use outside. I could not believe the difference between my Kindle and his. He was right, his was garbage. I could not read his at all outside, in the shade! He acknowledged that he had bought cheap, and what a mistake to make when you live in a country that has plenty of sunshine. (I doubt he could have read it outside in daylight in Scotland either).

Anne_Marie_2

Pont wrote: »

I was convinced about Kindles last year. My daughters bought me one and it was the bees knees. However, I've just upgraded to the Kindle HD Fire (large screen can't remember the actual dimensions) - it's fantastic!

No doubt another 'upgrade' will be along soon ;-)

Have you found it good reading a book in bright sunlight outside?

Not trying to knock the product. It's just not an upgrade to your Kindle e-reader, it's an entirely different product, it's a tablet.

loulou123

I have a kobo ereader and a kindle fire.

Whilst I love my kindle fire trying to use it outside is a complete nightmare - its like looking in a mirror, you can't see the screen at all. The kobo is fine outside even in bright sunshine.

My kindle fire is able to download books from elibraries (as is my kobo) which I believe is not so easy on the normal kindle.

I use my fire primarily as a tablet, I do occasionally read a book on it, but the screen and battery life doesn't make it too enjoyable. My kobo I use pretty much every day, all it does is display books but it does that brilliantly.

So if you want something just to read on I'd go for the normal kindle, the kobo or the nook, for a tablet I'd go for the kindle fire.