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

[Mt_Rider]

.......my left hand goes into spasm.  The Chiro says it's from holding up the new Kindle.      Yes, it's a cool device and reading it is very easy on the eyes in any circumstance....like outside in shade or sun.  Any angle without turning towards the lamp.     But I've flipped the thing out of my hand(s) a number of times.  Face-plant a couple times.  Ow!  Not on the floor....yet.  Reading in recliner or reclined bed.  Maybe I'll mount it on a selfie stick?  It recharges very quickly....

 

Question....do I need to ever let the battery discharge way down or is half-way just fine?  Anyone know?  I've read 4/5ths of the very LONG instruction manual I downloaded.  Haven't seen anything about battery.

 

MtRider     

[The WE2's]

1 hour ago, Mt_Rider said:

battery discharge way down

 

We made the mistake of doing that and it lost it's wifi connection and going back through all the procedures to re-do it was a REAL headache! So when it come up "battery is low" we plug it in for a recharge.

[The WE2's]

1 hour ago, Mt_Rider said:

holding up the new Kindle

 

Ours have the capacity to change to "landscape" and then enlarge the font.  This would allow you to just rest it on your knees, even if in bed with a pillow behind your head and back?

[Jeepers]

I try to not let mine go dead before I charge it. I've never had to reset it when it did though. 

 

I was told that you shouldn't let your batteries go dead. Back in the old day you were supposed to but not any more. The 'newer' batteries in devises now are programmed to have a certain number of dead to life charges. Once you use them up your battery will go kaput. 

 

I can't remember where I read that but I'm going on the assumption that it's true. I like my Kindle's charged anyway. I put mine on the charger about every third night and let it do its thing while I sleep. Or if I fall asleep with it, as  usually happens, I'll charge it when I get up. I keep an eye on the little battery icon and try to shut it off before it dies. 

 

I've had my first Kindle Touch since the Christmas of 2011 and the battery works like new. 

 

I read with mine propped up a lot. Usually in bed lying on my side. I have a couple of holders but a pillow or a stack of anything behind it will work too. 

 

 

[TheCG]

18 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

.......my left hand goes into spasm.  The Chiro says it's from holding up the new Kindle.      Yes, it's a cool device and reading it is very easy on the eyes in any circumstance....like outside in shade or sun.  Any angle without turning towards the lamp.     But I've flipped the thing out of my hand(s) a number of times.  Face-plant a couple times.  Ow!  Not on the floor....yet.  Reading in recliner or reclined bed.  Maybe I'll mount it on a selfie stick?  It recharges very quickly....

 

Question....do I need to ever let the battery discharge way down or is half-way just fine?  Anyone know?  I've read 4/5ths of the very LONG instruction manual I downloaded.  Haven't seen anything about battery.

 

MtRider     

They make cases with a strap around the back so you don't have to actually HOLD the thing with your hand, just put it through the loop.  Would one of those help?

[Mt_Rider]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I think I've read that too, Jeepers, about new batteries.  So far I've charged it up at about half down.  Good to hear a 2011 device still has good batteries!  I did hear that phones should not be overcharged, especially if they're under one's pillow.   

 

I have been reading on landscape....but I'll have to see how to prop it.  I change body positions constantly - avoiding muscle cramps in whole body.  I've been changing hands and positions with the Kindle too...not enough, evidently.  I anticipated hand spasms while considering what I'd buy.  Same with reading paperback books.  I'll get creative.

 

MtRider  ....like it tho!   

[Jeepers]

I got one of these for the Kindle Fire pad for  $36.00

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFRYA7U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

There is another one without wheels for $30.00. I'm not sure if it holds a reader though.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00HFRYAGQ/ref=psdc_3015412011_t2_B00HFRYA7U

 

 

[The WE2's]

4 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

prop it.

 

A couple of years ago we found a "rack" thing at a garage sale (1$?) to put on our treadmill so we could read while we walked or ???  Perhaps you can look around and find something like that, and maybe have it mounted on a flat piece of wood?  Just thinking 

[Mt_Rider]

https://www.mileskimball.com/buy-adjustable-laptop-desk-363364

 

 

I have one of these for my laptop.  Really like it and it keeps computer from heating up...even has fan.  Infinitely adjustable..mine has a fourth leg section that I use to stabilize.   I could adjust it for the Kindle on my adjustable bed.  Until I decide to curl on my side....then my other side....   

 

MtRider 

[Jeepers]

I had something similar to that. Mine was a little clunkier though. I couldn't stay out from under it. I would start with it over my lap and then I'd slowly start to slide down. It was so gradual that I didn't notice until it was sitting on my chest. Winter was worse because I'd get all tangled up in my gown trying to sit up enough to slide it off of me. I'd fall asleep and go to turn over and there would be a desk, a gown and laptop holding me down pinned to the bed. Mine had a fan a USB port and a little gooseneck light. I'm surprised that fan didn't try to suck up my gown and strangle me to death. I don't know why it didn't like me. 

[The WE2's]

I have no idea what they're called, but both of our laptops (the one in the LR that's hooked up to our Visio TV screen and the one here in the computer room) sit on these foldeable thingies, that keep the bottom of the laptops from heating up so bad.  They fold in half if not in use but we just set the laptops on them and they stay.  The monitor rests backwards on one side and the bottom of the laptop rests on the bottom the "thingy"..;. Maybe someone else around here will know what they're called and then can look them up?

[Jeepers]

Concerning the battery, I was downloading a lot of books into the new Kindle from cloud and a notice popped on telling me to plug it in. There was 10% left on the battery. 

 

So I'm guessing you really are supposed to charge it up before it dies.  

[Mt_Rider]

My Kindle has a blank white screen today.  It's got the normal black/white 'screen saver' picture.  I push the start button.  Then swipe to start.  Then WHITE SCREEN.    Have re-tried it four times.  DH tried it. 

 

Yesterday when I tried to find a definition of a word I was reading, it said it couldn't connect to Wikkipedia.....twice.  There should have been no problem.

 

Full charge....green light. 

 

It's 34 days old and the first week I didn't even get it out of the box cuz it arrived the day before the bombogenesis.   

 

I have not dropped it or squished or otherwise mutilated it.

 

MtRider   .....'nother issue to deal with......   THIRTY-FOUR DAYS?  REALLLY?  

[Mt_Rider]

    *MEEEEEP*  OPERATOR ERROR!!!  *MEEEEEP*    

 

 

Ok... I DID read about 85% of the ebook "Kindle Paperwhite User's Guide"   AKA: "Operating Manual".  But I gave up trying to remember all the how-to's and just started using it.  I could be wrong but I do not remember reading:  HOW TO TURN IT OFF. 

 

  There's a button.  ONE AND ONLY ONE BUTTON.  You push it and it turns on.  Sooooooooooooo....ya push it and it turns off      Apparently I've had it in "sleep" mode for 34 days and it got tired and   ...went to the Land Of White Screen.

 

 

OK....second problem:  Suspecting it MIGHT be Operator Error, I WOULD HAVE CHECKED THE OPERATOR's MANUAL ........ but it was IN the Kindle that I couldn't get to turn on....   Can you see why I like PAPER  [real...not vaporous] manuals?

 

So I had to talk to tech guy from Amazon.  I could mostly understand his accent and his approach.  As in:  Yes it's charged.  No I didn't drop it.  No I didn't submerge in water.  No there are not cracks in the glass......    Then we got down to business and I followed instructions which include:

 

 

For anyone else who might have this problem:  Hold the button  [yes, that One and Only button must have multiple purposes] for up to 40 seconds.  That's the code for RESET!    {did anyone else read that in the Operator Manual?}   

 

And of course he told me that OFF would be accomplished by holding the One and Only button for longer than a push. 

 

 

  Apparently that's similar to cell phones WHICH EVERYONE ON THE PLANET EXCEPT ME.....already knows how to turn off.     

 

MtRider .....I feel like I just joined a club with a secret handshake! 

[Jeepers]

Oops! LOL

 

I've had to hold the one and only button in for awhile too. It does take a long time (in my opinion) to restart.

 

I was going to suggest going up to the top where that little gear is, I think it's for settings, and hit the restart area in there. If all else failed I was going to suggest doing the same thing only hitting the factory reset area. You'd probably have to reregister and reload everything again though. I don't like the factory reset. It scares me.

[Mt_Rider]

Since I've downloaded quite a few books and have started my collection of COLLECTIONS       ....I wouldn't like a factory restart either.    Fortunately this is a mild restart or reset. ??   I think my device will be happier if it just gets to shut off regularly and get updates when I open it again.  Sheeesh.  The tech must have sent me a short version of User Guide and I read that it takes 9 seconds to shut it off.  Okie-dokie then!   

 

MtRider  ....been reading again today   

[TheCG]

I used to work tech support for Cingular.  LOTS of people would call in with weird little issues, and I'd ask them when the last time was that they'd turned it off.

 

About 75% of the time, the answer was, "Now how would I do that?"

[Jeepers]

That would probably be me. I don't know how to turn my router off and restart it.  

 

I've heard people talk about it. The only time mine gets messed with is if the power goes off. It must be a "self starter" unit. 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2019 by Jeepers
I hit the wrong button again

[Annarchy]

Routers usually have a switch on the back, if not, unplug it for about a minute & plug it back in....automatic re-set. 

[Jeepers]

I might try it when I'm closer to the move. I don't want to take myself totally off the internet yet. I know me. It could happen...easily. 

 

So far Mother Nature has done a good job of resetting it. And what's that old butter commercial say, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature." And the old John Anderson song, " If it ain't broke don't fix it. " 

 

Or the old Rolling Stones song, "You don't mess with perfection."  Okay, I just made that last one up! But it fits them and it's true nonetheless. They would probably switch out the word "mess" with a different word. I guess I'd best leave the song writing to them.  

 

 

[Sarah]

All of ours have status leds.  Green/Yellow/Red.  Reset on yellow.