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Need data/opinions about eBook readers...Kindle, etc


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With this laptop dying....choices have to be made.  Right now I can't open my Kindle for PC program at the same time as my browser.   The CPU is at 100% usage too often and I don't know how to cut it down.  Antivirus programs raise it up to some extent.  But the Kindle program is the default to "starve" if there isn't enough ...whatever...to go to all the programs. 

 

Anyway, if you have an eBook reader, I'd appreciate any comments and advice.  I really don't need audible.  I like reading visually MUCH better.  What feature choices do you find important?  If someone were to have say....nearly 1,000 eBooks in the Kindle Cloud.....  :whistling:  .....not all War and Peace type novels, of course.  But what kind of data space would that use up?  (I realize I will always have those in the Cloud..... until the Cloud doesn't work anymore)   I like having access without having to get on the Net.  Always have usage issues. 

 

Physical issues that will alter my choice:  I can't hold something in my hand very long.  I read on laptop cuz I don't have to hold it....I can magnify as much as I need....and just read.  I know there are stands....  I know some devices weigh more/less.  :scratchhead:  Can I prop one up without it getting overheated?

 

Also...if I'm looking for another laptop, which feature reflects having enough CPU?  Central Processing Unit...I only vaguely know what that is.  I do tend to have a LOT of documents and downloads.  No music or video.  Data and charts and other types of information keeping.  That's what I use the laptop for.  Not a lot of pics....some.

 

Y'all have always been helpful in sharing what you know. 

MtRider  :grouphug:

Edited by Mt_Rider
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My Kindles (regular and Paperwhite) have never heated up.  At all.  Ever.  They're pretty light, especially if you just keep them in a sleeve when you're not using them.  I keep mine in cases because, well, they go in my purse and go everywhere with me.

 

My Paperwhite currently has 190 items on it and 263 MB free.  According to its specs, it started with 4GB.  I have over 5000 items in the cloud.  As long as I have ok wifi, I can download pretty much anything within a minute.  The ones in the cloud don't really take up space.

 

I wouldn't recommend the Kindle tablets for reading on - I've had 2 of them, thinking I'd replace my Paperwhite, and keep going back.  Stuff with pretty pretty pictures are pretty much the only things I read on my computer or tablet these days - everything else is on my Kindle.

 

Featurewise - I lovelovelove the backlit screen on the Paperwhite.  It makes it so much easier to read at night without having to keep lights on.  We live in the boonies and have crappy internet, so my newest one (yes, I keep the old one as a backup) has the cellular capabilities.  I actually picked it up at a pawn shop for $25, if I recall correctly (and our pawn shops pretty much always have Kindles, and no idea which models they are).

 

 

 

 

Edited by TheCG
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Have you checked out iPads?  Ours have protective cases with stands. 

 

My Kindle is an app. Like TheCG, it holds all my books on the cloud, and only takes a moment to download for reading offline. I liked the idea, when I downloaded the app, all my books were still there, and I could access them. 

 

Being what it is, it can do more & hold more, than my 2005 MacBook Pro. :buttercup:

 

I do miss the keyboard, but I saw a commercial where they have incorporated one on the new model. 

 

Technology is moving too fast for me....

 

I will be looking forward to seeing what everyone recommends. 

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Welllllll, iPads are extremely HEAVY for my hands.  A case would give a little something to grasp... and they have a way of folding to set upright?  I know I'll have to get another laptop when this one actually dies.  I MUST always have a keyboard; so much of my computer usage is word processing.  Writing stories, etc.  I'm just trying to take the pressure off the laptop by taking Kindle elsewhere. 

 

I really do not like CLOUD.  I know that if it works...WHILE it works....it helps not to overload systems.  But when I go to chose another book....I spin thru right there on my own device.  Perhaps it's because we don't have access  to this CLOUD unless we're at home.  Or at a library.  And we apparently will NEVER purchase ENOUGH access to keep messing around with any CLOUD. 

 

Question:  you all talk of accessing the CLOUD.  Thru what part of what device do you do that?  Internet access thru cell phone  or ....??  This is where I don't have much experience with accessing anything thru cell phone.  We do not have a data plan for the cell phone.  Therefore....we don't have a data plan for any of these devices either, right?  I would need to access the books thru our computer modem and satellite dish....even if I'm using a book reader or iPad, right?   ANY function that is cell phone-based, is not available to me at home....and thus, NOT available to me at all.

 

I know...it drove our kids crazy when they rented an Airbnb out here once.  Just calculating that they had WiFi functions but zero CELL functions.  They assumed WiFi = Cell phone.  :grinning-smiley-044:

 

I actually have an older iPod with a reader function.  But it's all jammed up with the years-of-backlog of email.  Never figured how to clear it.  Can I load a Kindle-for-iPod app on that?  The current reader app is not Kindle-friendly.  All my books are Kindle.  Would it be worth it...it's almost a decade old.  Worked as of 6 yrs ago when I was at Darlene's to get Koa.  I could check email on it.   I'm not sure I'd find it comfortable to read on ...full time.  It's 4"x2.5" or something like that. 

 

Can you tell I don't have enough data to understand?  About the time I figure something out, they've developed NEW STUFF....  I agree, Annarchy.  Tech is moving way too fast for me in boonies to keep up.  :sassing:  

 

MtRider   :scratchhead: 

Edited by Mt_Rider
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We just got an RCA Gallileo Pro 11.5" screen with I think 32 storage.  Very light compared to my kindle fire tablet!  And comes with a great keyboard that can be reversed to work as a stand.  I will check it out later or you can google it.  We ordered it online from Walmart so if there was a problem, we could return it to the store.  We set it up ourselves, fairly easily.  Hope this helps!  It is what I am taking to FL in March so I don't have to lug the laptop and old kindle.  Now, we got it on sale for 79.95 free ship, but I think they are more now.

Edited by snapshotmiki
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I have the old Touch and the Paperwhite. At first I didn't like the Paperwhite at all. Me and new stuff don't get along. But now I really love it. I'm not sure which generation I have. But it is very slimline and weighs less than a pound! Actually just under 9 ounces I think.

 

I've had it get a little warm but that's after having it on all day. It's never gotten hot even with a few hours of being on. 

 

I have 1,984 books on it.  I looked  :blush: and some of those are collections like Austen, Poe, Cather, Alcott, Dickens, Doyle etc. These are all downloaded on the Kindle and not stored in the Cloud. I don't know where the Cloud is and I don't trust it to store the stuff I want. 

 

The next Kindle was the Voyage. You can just press the side of it where your thumbs are and it will turn the pages without swiping. It was too expensive for me to justify getting it for me. Would be great for carpal tunnel sufferers though. Now they have the Oasis but I don't know anything about it. 

 

I love it. I have 2 Kindle Fires. They are good for watching movies and documentaries and free game apps. But I don't like to read on either one of them.

 

I don't know how much you know about them but all you can do on the readers is read. And so far they don't display in any color. That's fine with me. I want my readers to only read. The Paperwhite is back lit so it's easy to read from. You can adjust the light. You can also adjust the fonts and type size.

 

I really enjoy my Kindles. If you have a Best Buy by you, they sell the readers so you could check them out. 

 

I don't know if I can still read on mine if the cable goes out. I forgot to check the readers when it happened. I do know you can't read them, if they are in the Cloud and not downloaded, without cable though.

 

I bought a case for mine too. Just close the case and it turns off. But beware of some of them. When I fold it back for reading, the back surface is very rough. It's starting to irritate my fingers. Really bad. If I keep it I'm going to have to sew a cotton sleeve on it or something. I'm talking about the case and not the Kindle itself. 

 

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2 hours ago, Jeepers said:

all you can do on the readers is read. And so far they don't display in any color. That's fine with me. I want my readers to only read.

 

Both of us have the simple Kindle Reader and have had them for several years.  His is so full he's having to download his new stuff to our Acer Laptop (very small one) that we keep in our Faraday Ammo box.  Mine has about 1000 and I delete those I've read.  Haven't re-ordered any for quite some time.  But like you Jeepers, we're just fine with our readers.  They're both in protective "booklet" cases and we turn the pages with a thumb tab or go back...can access Amazon for new books via it's wifi but I haven't.  The main thing is to keep them charged so they don't lose their link to our network.  We can read them anywhere as long as they're charged, and don't need any wifi etc.

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23 hours ago, Jeepers said:

ome of those are collections like Austen, Poe, Cather, Alcott, Dickens, Doyle etc.

 

:bounce:  Did you hear?  Since it's the new year, a whole lot more old books just went into public domain.  They'll be available for [sometimes] free download.  :D

 

23 hours ago, Jeepers said:

These are all downloaded on the Kindle and not stored in the Cloud. I don't know where the Cloud is and I don't trust it to store the stuff I want. 

 

This is exactly my thots too.  For most purposes, it's probably just fine.  But....   This issue with 'cloud' is in addition to my usual Internet access issues.  :rolleyes: 

 

 

 

21 hours ago, The WE2's said:

His is so full he's having to download his new stuff to our Acer Laptop

 

WE2....do you happen to know about how many books MrWE2 has in his since it's closer to FULL?  And which type do you both have.  I've tried to figure out a round number of books that I'd be able to have downloaded in a single reader.  KNowing that books greatly vary but...average.

 

I'd GLADLY give up all other functions to pack a reader FULL.  And I rarely delete and often reread.  Wish for capacity.

Looking ALSO for good reading ability.....means light weight for weak hands.  Jeepers, that back-lighting might be necessary for older eyes, right?  I just need a reader to read. Other functions will make it heavy.

 

'Course I have to somehow get books downloaded ....do they transfer from a laptop without Internet?  Are any of them cheaper if they DON'T  hook up to Internet at all?  I plan to have a working laptop too.  Then again, transfer from my current laptop to a new reader....would it take days/weeks?  :lol:   Groan....I'm afraid I need a reader for my fiction and a second one for non-fiction = data!  Aiiee!

 

Truly, I had a hard time finding the basic data on the Kindle site....most knowledge is assumed.  Well..not for a first time buyer.  Hmph!  Any websites with better general data?

 

I'm a 3 hour 'round trip to any Best Buy.  Mebbe I need to go to Walmart and just 'mine' for information?  Pick them up and handle.  But I'd like to be less ignorant when I begin that stage:rolleyes: 

 

Thanks, all of you!  I'm piecing together blank places in my knowledge of these devices.  Slowly. 

MtRider  :sSig_thankyou:

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1. When we say it connects to the cloud, it uses a wifi connection. 

 

2. When I say mine has a cellular connection, it doesn't require a cell phone - it connects to the network all by itself, and there's no extra charge beyond the higher purchase price.

 

3. I can download books on my computer and transfer them over.  I can also transfer PDFs, but keep in mind that it's going to show the whole page at once and not necessarily be as easy to read.

 

4. http://bestereaderreview.org/how-to-use-a-kindle-guide - goes through a lot of basic info

 

5. If you want my phone number, send me a message, and I can talk you through or figure out whatever you're trying to figure oout.

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1 hour ago, Mt_Rider said:

transfer from my current laptop to a new reader

 

The only port on my reader is for the charger...but am wondering if one could somehow use that port to transfer data?  I know I can plug mine into my pc hub to charge or use the adapter to plug into regular electricity...to charge.

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Yes, the back light is nice. Actually it's just a lighted screen. Also the screen is (can't think of the word) rough and not shiny. Sort of a matte finish I guess so it doesn't glare.

 

I have had up to 2,000 books on my Paperwhite at a time. My collections count as one book on it and some of them are pretty big. I do delete some books fairly often but then again, I download a lot of free ones to get them while they are free and then the ones that were duds I delete. I have no problem with that.

 

You can also make folders to store your books in so they aren't scattered all over the reader. I have about 30 labeled for things like; Preserving, Gardening, Classics, Mystery, Health, Lite etc.

 

On mine, I've only downloaded books from the Amazon site because over 90% or more of my books are free. I can down load books from other sites and from the library but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Actually, I haven't tried.

 

I'm pretty sure you have an internet connection to download them but not to read them. That's one reason why I download everything into the Kindle and not park it up in the Cloud. Also I think you can download things from a Word Document into a reader from your computer too. All of that is done with a USB cord thingy. BUT to download a book from the Amazon site you don't need a cord. It does it automatically...through the internet. So I guess to answer that question, you have to have internet to download but not to read.

 

You can use what is called the 'airplane mode' when you are just reading and it really saves the battery time you use. It just means you are reading a book but the Kindle is not online. I use it a lot. My battery lasts for days with a lot of reading time used. 

 

When I download a book from the Amazon site to the Kindle it takes a matter of seconds.

 

We2, if your cord plugs into your computer and the other end into your reader, you should be able to transfer data between the two. If your reader is compatible with the files you want transferred.

 

I got a charging dock thingy and can plug all of the Kindles (Fire and reader) in at one time and they charge over night. I also have one of those plug in the wall things that I take with me if I'm traveling and want a quick charge without using the docking system or firing up the computer. Be aware though, some of the docking things have a flat plugin and some have a hollow plugin. Kindles take a hollow plug.  

 

 

Adding more info:

I just looked mine up. It's no longer available since I got it in 2017. But here's the thing, the newer Paperwhites are cheaper and they have at least twice as many G's as mine! So if mine (4 G's) stores 2,000 books there should be no problems downloading and storing anything on a new one. I also paid the one time fee of $20.00 to keep the popup ads off when I got it. Worth it.

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6 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Adding more info:

I just looked mine up. It's no longer available since I got it in 2017. But here's the thing, the newer Paperwhites are cheaper and they have at least twice as many G's as mine! So if mine (4 G's) stores 2,000 books there should be no problems downloading and storing anything on a new one. I also paid the one time fee of $20.00 to keep the popup ads off when I got it. Worth it.

 

My trigger finger is getting itchy over the new ones.  They've made them waterproof and with the capability to do Audible books with bluetooth headphones (which I won't really use, since I play them from my iPad).  I might decide to go with a 32GB one without the cellular connection for $160 (-20% for trading in my older one...once I find it).

 

But I don't NEED one.

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I try to store the books in folders as soon as I download them. If I don't I have a real mess. It is an OCD's nightmare. I have one folder I titled 'Read Now'. It is mostly the short books I can read fast and decide whether to keep them or delete them.

 

Airplane mode does save your battery time. Really, the only reason to have the internet connection on is if you are downloading. Sometimes I forget to turn it off and I notice the difference. At first I thought airplane mode was something special you used while flying so it wouldn't mess up the pilot's instrument panel. Nope, it just shuts off your internet. Even if you are earthbound.  :sEm_blush:

 

Also, just because you remove books from your reader doesn't mean they are gone. You have to delete them from Amazon too.

 

Oh my TheCG, I'm really feeling your pain. I was looking at the newer ones too. I don't NEED another one either but they sure do look good. I could be tempted with the audible. Some of the books offer free audio when you buy the book. Or you can just buy the audible. I wonder if audible books from the library would work? Or if you could download a book on CD to your computer and then load it from your computer to the readers audible?  Sigh.

 

Sorry I'm only talking about Kindle (I don't own any of their stock or get paid to advertise for them even though it probably sounds like it) but that's the only reader I have experience with.

 

Anyone else have a different reader they can recommend?   

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14 hours ago, Jeepers said:

I also paid the one time fee of $20.00 to keep the popup ads off when I got it. Worth it.

 

You mean the POP UPS might follow me into my reader?????  :runcirclsmiley2:That totally drives my MS brain bonkers!  How very RUDE!  :sassing:  Thanks for THAT tip, especially, Jeepers!

 

I'm glad others of you are gaining knowledge on this thread too.  I don't mean to spend everyone's time cuz I'm not up-to-speed on new tech.  But I'm so grateful y'all are sharing what you've found.

 

I was looking at the simplest version...untill I saw the Paperwhite and thot of old eyes.  Then I saw WATERPROOF...and I"m such a klutz.  How waterproof.....I sent one of our phone handsets thru the washing machine.....  :Blushing:  Left another one out in the rain long ago.  Rain - waterproof, probably.  Washer- waterproof....doubtful.  Dropped a cell phone into the toilet once too.  And I sanitized with alcohol and it worked!  ....am I the only one who does this?  :buttercup:  

 

Thanks, WE2 for all your notes!  Gives me idea of capacity.  And Jeepers too....new Paperwhites are more capacity.  :thumbs: 

 

That link, TheCG....perfect!  PaperWhite for Dummies will start at the very beginning.  THANK YOU!  That's my next step but if anyone has other personal recommendations, those are always useful for all of us. 

 

OK.....y'all are starting to sound like these readers are....addicting?  Should I be worried?  Is there a 12 step for those who want more/better of these little critters?  :behindsofa:  

 

MtRider  ...seriously, thank you all for your observations/findings/preferences!!!  :grouphug:

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No problem Mt.Rider! Glad to share whatever info we have. I'm at a total loss about techy things too. I need step by step plain English directions. I hate it when people assume I know everything that they know or think that I should automatically know what they are talking about. I don't. And one day I might understand it and another day it just won't compute. Some days the lights are on but nobody's home.  :sigh:

 

The popups actually scroll across the bottom of the screen offering you things like flowers for cheap and 'special' deals. My first Kindle was a gift and didn't have the opt-out installed but it didn't take me long to pay the $20.00. It was very annoying and intrusive.

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That was a good video TheCG.  Thanks.

 

You can see where the ads appear on the bottom of his screen. It's kind of a big space and it does move when a new ad comes on.

 

Another thing to add is there is a little button at the bottom of the devise where you can turn it off and on.

 

Also, in the lower left corner you can set it to show how many minutes you have left in a chapter or how many minutes you have left in the book. That comes in handy when you aren't sure how long the next chapter is and you are trying to decide if you should start it or not.

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