Kindles and covers

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Ex-SolentBoy

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The chef wants a Kindle so she can take all her books and recipes on board.

No Internet access required as she has an ipad for work, so I am leaning towards the Kindle Touch.

Does she need a cover with a light so it can be read with low ambient lighting?

Any thoughts?
 
The Kindle has no backlighting, so you do need reasonable light to read, just the same as a paper bbok. The little clip on LED lights work, but can reflect in the screen. IMHO it is much better just to turn on an ordinary light.
 
scottie said:
Have you tried the kindle app?
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Yes, she uses that a lot, but as the rest of the family seem to grab her ipad for various things its a case of buy her another ipad, or buy her a Kindle for reading.

The ipad is fantastic, but its not great for reading in bright sunlight which is one thing she wants to do as well.
 
Norman_E said:
The Kindle has no backlighting, so you do need reasonable light to read, just the same as a paper bbok. The little clip on LED lights work, but can reflect in the screen. IMHO it is much better just to turn on an ordinary light.
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Thanks. Problem is the skipper likes it dark when he is sleeping.;)
 
I have the original Kindle 3 - what they now call a "Kindle Keyboard". I'm a big fan. Definitely better than the kindle app on another device - the thing is small and light and much more like reading a paperback than looking at a computer. I have a friend who insisted for months that the Kindle was pointless, because he could read books on his iPad and do so much more besides. Then we went on holiday together (French canal boat) and he saw my Kindle in use and was converted. He got one of the ones without a keyboard, which fits in his jacket pocket (he's a cord jacket and t-shirt kind of guy) and now rarely leaves him.

I have heard less positive reviews of the touchscreen version though - too easy to accidentally turn pages or whatever. Part of the appeal is that you can hold it any way you want, throw it across the room onto the bed, etc. If you have to be careful about touching the screen that doesn't work so well.

You need a light just like for reading a book. I have some very directional LED reading lights on KS which work fine if I want to read and someone else is sleeping, but I guess an illuminated cover would do the job.

Pete
 
scottie said:
Have you tried the kindle app?
Click to expand...

I can use my kindle for weeks before having to recharge the battery, and months if I don't have wifi enabled. I doubt if I'd be able to read one book on an 'app' before having to plug it in somewhere.
 
prv said:
I have the original Kindle 3 - what they now call a "Kindle Keyboard". I'm a big fan. Definitely better than the kindle app on another device - the thing is small and light and much more like reading a paperback than looking at a computer. I have a friend who insisted for months that the Kindle was pointless, because he could read books on his iPad and do so much more besides. Then we went on holiday together (French canal boat) and he saw my Kindle in use and was converted. He got one of the ones without a keyboard, which fits in his jacket pocket (he's a cord jacket and t-shirt kind of guy) and now rarely leaves him.

I have heard less positive reviews of the touchscreen version though - too easy to accidentally turn pages or whatever. Part of the appeal is that you can hold it any way you want, throw it across the room onto the bed, etc. If you have to be careful about touching the screen that doesn't work so well.

You need a light just like for reading a book. I have some very directional LED reading lights on KS which work fine if I want to read and someone else is sleeping, but I guess an illuminated cover would do the job.

Pete
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I was very similar to your mate until I saw the Kindle that I'd bought my missus for Christmas, and was hooked - ended up buying my own... :rolleyes:

If I'd had the extra cash I'd have got the keyboard one like you, but instead bought the one without the keyboard but with the page turning buttons... I had some concerns about the Touch (totally unfounded, and based on pure perception) about how long the screen might last, so I went for the other one... best £90 I ever spent - love it...

As it happens I was using the Kindle with an individual reading light just last night... worked fine - just moved the light direction so it didn't reflect on the screen...
 
I have the basic Kindle - brilliant.

I have to second Webby on the head torch. Having the light further away from the screen seems to reduce the reflection and doesn't disturb SWMNBW when reading in bed.
 
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agurney said:
I can use my kindle for weeks before having to recharge the battery, and months if I don't have wifi enabled. I doubt if I'd be able to read one book on an 'app' before having to plug it in somewhere.
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You do know it's possible to recharge a iPad with a 12v cigarette lighter plug don't you? :D

My boat has 2 sockets at the moment, and I still have to get around to installing one in the forecabin for charging phones etc
 
snooks said:
You do know it's possible to recharge a iPad with a 12v cigarette lighter plug don't you? :D

My boat has 2 sockets at the moment, and I still have to get around to installing one in the forecabin for charging phones etc
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Yes, I've a couple of fag lighter sockets that have built in USB power supplies. Doesn't help on a long haul flight followed by queueing to get through customs/immigration though.
 
Good things Kindles, even if Amazon is showing all the signs of developing into another Yankee effort to control our lives, just like Apple and Microsoft. Just be careful about getting ripped off by their Kindle book prices.
 
wotayottie said:
Good things Kindles, even if Amazon is showing all the signs of developing into another Yankee effort to control our lives, just like Apple and Microsoft. Just be careful about getting ripped off by their Kindle book prices.
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With Calibre you can buy from any source so their pricing is less of a problem.

I'd agree with what's been said about lights, I have a couple of the Sony light cases (for my various Sony readers) and they are very good but quite pricey compared to a normal reading light which would be just as good. I'll also add that they make the device heavier so less comfortable for reading, although still nowhere near as heavy as the iPad. No experience of the Kindle light case but I assume they are heavy too, I believe there was a version that used the internal battery for Kindle too but then the battery won't last a month :)
 
lustyd said:
No experience of the Kindle light case but I assume they are heavy too, I believe there was a version that used the internal battery for Kindle too but then the battery won't last a month :)
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Yep - the Kindle 3 I have has a pair of discreet slots in the side for a cover to clip into. The clever part is that they have contacts inside and the hooks that go into them are metal, so the light in the cover can run off the Kindle battery. Shouldn't add much extra weight that way, although as you say, the battery will go down quicker.

Pete
 
Does anybody know - if you've bought a book through the Kindle app for iPad, do you have to pay for it again if you want to download it to a Kindle?
 
oldvarnish said:
Does anybody know - if you've bought a book through the Kindle app for iPad, do you have to pay for it again if you want to download it to a Kindle?
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No.

Each device has two lists, one of books that are stored on that device, and one of books you have bought but are not on this particular device. You can click on any book in that list and it will be downloaded into the other and you can read it.

As long as both devices have a network connection, it will even keep the two in sync so that if you read a few pages on your phone on the bus, the copy on your kindle will already be on the same page for you to continue when you pick it up after dinner.

Pete
 
the keyboard kindle with 3G is great becasue you get a 3G signal when there's no wireless so you can add books to the kindle wherever you are. i have a cover with a built in light which is ideal for use in the cockpit in the evening or night and won't disturb anyone if you watn to read after lights out. its a bit clunky but i keep up with emails on mine when there's no wifi for the laptop, and i have a fag lighter charger on the boat but the battery lasts ages - even when you use the light although the wifi is a bit of a drain

on kindle its worth visiting the site ofyen because sometimes they have cheapie offers or even freebies that later revert to the proper price - i got Saga of a Nauti Sailor by Harry Freeamn free but now its £3.60
 
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