Is now a good time to buy a basic Kindle?

[QueHuong]

I've been wanting the low end Kindle with Special Offers for $69. I already have an iPad so there's no rush in getting eReader. The Kindle would be used to read before bed w/o messing up my circadian rhythm that the bright iPad does. I understand the latest Kindle has been out for a while so is a new one on the horizon?

 

[Cerb]

A new one wouldn't offer much of anything, but maybe better battery life. They probably won't have a new one until later in the year, though. The $69 price is subsidized by ads. I believe you have the option to pay the difference in price to remove them, later, if you like.

But...

I already have an iPad so there's no rush in getting eReader

Have you used an e-reader, before? I believe you'll find that your iPad's display has been a very poor substitute for e-ink, whether it's bed time or not.

 

[DaveSimmons]

But...Have you used an e-reader, before? I believe you'll find that your iPad's display has been a very poor substitute for e-ink, whether it's bed time or not.

I'll disagree on this last part. I have both an e-ink Kindle and a Kindle Fire, and reading on e-ink is a little nicer than the Fire but not OMG AMAZINGLY better in indoor lighting.

To answer the original question: battery life might improve slightly, maybe, but the battery life on the Kindle is already really good so I wouldn't wait. Don't worry about the ads, either, they only show up as the lock screen and when browsing the Amazon store not while you're actually reading.

 

[crashtestdummy]

I've been wanting the low end Kindle with Special Offers for $69. I already have an iPad so there's no rush in getting eReader. The Kindle would be used to read before bed w/o messing up my circadian rhythm that the bright iPad does. I understand the latest Kindle has been out for a while so is a new one on the horizon?

I don't know if there's a new one on the way, but unless the next model adds color I don't know where they'd go with it. You might want to consider springing for the paperwhite, though. I'm a really big fan of mine.

 

[gorcorps]

I don't know if there's a new one on the way, but unless the next model adds color I don't know where they'd go with it. You might want to consider springing for the paperwhite, though. I'm a really big fan of mine.

I would second getting the Paperwhite. The built in light is very handy in many situations. Either way I don't see why you shouldn't get one now if that's your choice. I really like my Paperwhite and I don't think they'll update it soon.

 

[QueHuong]

Good points on not to expect much with the next gen Kindle, so I won't be waiting for a newer version.

My main priority is to have a nice reading experience for text-only books on a cheap device, while graphics and PDF can be read on my iPad. Will the Paperwhite provide a better experience that's worth ~40 more? For me, the main gripe with the basic Kindle is the slow response rate and lack of a keyboard, but for the price I could live with it. I don't expect the Paperwhite to be better in these regards?

 

[DaveSimmons]

e-ink (or e-paper) just takes awhile to refresh, so that speed will be the same.

The advantage of the paperwhite is not needing a book light if you're in the dark, because the book light is embedded into the screen. e-ink is reflective like paper, you need to shine a light on it to see anything. Your iPad uses projected light to make the display so no separate light is needed.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Good points on not to expect much with the next gen Kindle, so I won't be waiting for a newer version.

My main priority is to have a nice reading experience for text-only books on a cheap device, while graphics and PDF can be read on my iPad. Will the Paperwhite provide a better experience that's worth ~40 more? For me, the main gripe with the basic Kindle is the slow response rate and lack of a keyboard, but for the price I could live with it. I don't expect the Paperwhite to be better in these regards?

Assuming you intend on buying the Amazon cover for each device, the price difference drops another $20 (assuming you get the cover with the light for the basic Kindle). I have the basic Kindle with the light cover and I like it, but I will probably upgrade if they bring out a Paperwhite with hardware page turn buttons.

I also have an iPad 4 and a Touchpad (my eReader before the Kindle) and prefer the Kindle.

 

[Kougar]

I'm not sure about the $69 Kindle... it looks like the model that predated my Kindle Touch (which the Paperwhite replaced) but with modifications. In fact the screen is not touch capable at all, it's all joystick controlled. You'd be happier with a used Touch or a Paperwhite.

The ads, if one can call them that, don't matter and only display when the device is off. Don't sync it regularly and it will show some nice default backgrounds instead of an ad

You can buy good quality cases for under $10 shipped, got a sweet black leather one with a magnetic cover for my Kindle Touch that's held up perfectly so far despite extensive use.

 

[QueHuong]

Thanks guys, I ended up getting the Paperwhite. Tried out the basic Kindle and I the joystick was too cumbersome. Since I like to highlight and annotate my books, so hopefully the Paperwhite will be good for that. Two quick questions:

- Can you recommend a specific case that's affordable for the Paperwhite?
- If I add my own books, such as in mobi formats and pdf, will my notes/annotations carry over to other devices, like Kindle on iPad?

 

[corkyg]

I just got my wife a Paperwhite for her birthday. It is excellent with long bettery life. I also got the Amazon case designed for it, and it is great - when you close it, it goes to sleep nicely.