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Kindle - how, which and why ?

Wife is looking at Kindles
I know nothing about them
Which model do we buy ?
Do they all allow downloads from any source or are we limited to Amazon ?
Any advice before we make an expensive mistake ?
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Comments

  • lr1277
    lr1277 Posts: 1,979 Forumite
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    Yes you can only get books (and possibly other things) from Amazon. But they have a pretty good range of books on Kindle. Not all books, especially books published some time in the past. Have a look on Amazon to see if your desired books are available in the Kindle format.
    You don't have to get a Kindle device per se.
    There is Kindle app on iOS so you could read Kindle content on your iPhone or iPad.
    I imagine there is something similar for Android phones and tablets.
    Also there is an app for Windows desktop. So you can read Kindle content on your laptop/desktop.
    I haven't used a Kindle device in a long time as I use Kindle on my iPad. For me the only downside is that I can't enlarge the text by using the spreading fingers motion.
    One annoying thing about getting Kindle books on Amazon is once you have chosen a book, you can't add it to your shopping basket. As soon as you say pay (assuming you are logged into your Amazon account), the system automatically does the transaction for the purchase. Say I want to buy 3 Kindle books, there will be 3 transactions instead of 1 grouped up transaction.
    The other advantage is that you won't 'lose' the books whilst you have your Amazon account. The purchased content will always be available (well at least so far).
    You can have multiple Kindle devices and apps. I don't often read Kindle stuff on my phone, but it remembers where you were last irrespective of the device or app you were using to read the book. So I could start something on my iPad, continue on my phone then return to my iPad without losing my place with each change of device.
  • I would go with Kobo instead, you can download from the library service for free. More MSE.
  • GrubbyGirl_2
    GrubbyGirl_2 Posts: 869 Forumite
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    lr1277 said:
    Yes you can only get books (and possibly other things) from Amazon. But they have a pretty good range of books on Kindle. Not all books, especially books published some time in the past. Have a look on Amazon to see if your desired books are available in the Kindle format.

    Not correct.  You can get books from ither sources and use Calibre to transfer onto a kindle.  Have thousands of books on Calibre which are easily transferred to my Kindle
  • GDB2222
    GDB2222 Posts: 25,724 Forumite
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    I get ebooks from Gutenberg, and I can easily load those onto the kindle app on my iPad. 

    One major advantage with kindles is that they are very light, so easier to hold for long periods than an iPad. There are two ranges of k8ndle. The ones dedicated to books only. These are light. There’s also the kindle fire which is more of a general android tablet, which are heavier.

    I can confirm that the kindle app is available for Android.
    No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?
  • MikeJXE
    MikeJXE Posts: 3,801 Forumite
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    I read my Kindle everyday it’s so light you hardly know it’s in your hand 

    I would recommend Kindle Paper White as the best 
  • elle_may
    elle_may Posts: 408 Forumite
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    You can get an adds free one olso. it is about £10 more .Bought one for daughter this chrismas to replace old one. Look for the one that is waterproof if you go by pool, as daughter on holiday.
  • badmemory
    badmemory Posts: 9,079 Forumite
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    Possibly too much information here.  I use my kindle to read in bed at night without the bedside light on.  Fall asleep kindle turns itself off & the bedside light doesn't keep me awake.  For that sort of reading I buy lots of books at under £1.  But as lr1277 says each puchase is a completely separate transaction which when you buy 8 to 10 at a time can be a minor pain.
  • PHK
    PHK Posts: 2,070 Forumite
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    It's easy to put non-amazon books on a Kindle and your kindle even has an email address. You can send documents to the address and they'll appear on your kindle. 
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 6,844 Forumite
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    Are you wanting a Kindle Fire with the internet access? You can do a work around to get apps that aren't assiciated with Amazon but you need someone to talk you through that.

    I use my old one to read the news, weather and play podcasts from BBC and other.
    Our library has made some sort of deal and you can now download their free books to the kindles. Check that with yours.

    Or a Kindle Paperwhite for reading books comfortably? People often find this better.

    Agree that they are light and comfortable to hold compared to many tablets.


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  • debitcardmayhem
    debitcardmayhem Posts: 12,346 Forumite
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    badmemory said:
    Possibly too much information here.  I use my kindle to read in bed at night without the bedside light on.  Fall asleep kindle turns itself off & the bedside light doesn't keep me awake.  For that sort of reading I buy lots of books at under £1.  But as lr1277 says each puchase is a completely separate transaction which when you buy 8 to 10 at a time can be a minor pain.
    I used to get round the one at time “restriction” by buying Amazon vouchers , but now i use kindle unlimited, 7.99 / month but I read a lot and get through 6-10 books a month, but there are loads of books free on that, it depends on your reading tastes. There are other free ones without it and 99p too.
    4.8kWp 12x400W Longhi 9.6 kWh battery Giv-hy 5.0 Inverter, WSW facing Essex . Aint no sunshine ☀️ Octopus gas fixed dec 24 @ 5.74 + Octopus Flux leccy
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