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Jacoblee23

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 10, 2011
1,482
736
I own an ipad 4 and a mini. I am considering a regular kindle for reading books. I realize I could do that on my ipad, but everyone says that for reading books, the kidle is the way to go. I could get one for $69.00. Is it worth it if you already have a ipad?
 

S.B.G

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 8, 2010
26,679
10,464
Detroit
Yep, I have an iPad [3], a regular Kindle and a new Kindle Paperwhite. I love them all and mostly only read on the Paperwhite (which replaced the regular Kindle).
 

Jacoblee23

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 10, 2011
1,482
736
Yep, I have an iPad [3], a regular Kindle and a new Kindle Paperwhite. I love them all and mostly only read on the Paperwhite (which replaced the regular Kindle).

What are the main differences between the paper white and regular kindle?
 

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,579
10,875
Colorado
What are the main differences between the paper white and regular kindle?

The Paperwhite has a built in light which enables you to read in the dark without a lamp or an additional light. Also, the Paperwhite is a touch only model. To turn the page you tap or swipe the screen rather than press a button.
 

davideotape

macrumors 6502a
Nov 16, 2012
531
145
I have one, it got a lot of use as a morning news reader and for books in bed. if you have a mini that should be more than ample, unless you read in bed and are sensitive to the LCD screen lights and have trouble sleeping. The kindle has a screen that could possibly help that.

I'm considering selling the kindle too tbh but I might still prefer the screen for bedtime.
 

Jacoblee23

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 10, 2011
1,482
736
The Paperwhite has a built in light which enables you to read in the dark without a lamp or an additional light. Also, the Paperwhite is a touch only model. To turn the page you tap or swipe the screen rather than press a button.

This sounds pretty awesome. Is it worth the extra $50?
 

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
I have owned every Kindle since they were created. I also have iPad3 & 4, iPad mini, Nexus 7.

Here's why I'm still buying Kindles. Nothing, but nothing beats a purpose built eBook reader. And I'm not talking Kindle Fire.

I'm currently using the Kindle Paperwhite.

Specifically for reading, it's the culmination of years of experience. It's got an incredibly impressive display you've got to use to believe.

It's the best $119 you can spend if you're an avid reader like me.

Light, perfectly illuminated in all light levels, I wouldn't be caught without one.
 

mrstefani

macrumors newbie
Sep 23, 2011
28
0
Macomb, Michigan
I have the Paperwhite and an iPad mini. The Paperwhite is the most recently updated Kindle. The e- ink is excellent for reading out doors and does not cause eye strain. It looks very close to reading an actual book. The Paperwhite has an adjustable light similar to the Nook Glowlight that shines on the screen, but is not backlit like the iPad

I also enjoy reading on the iPad using the Kindle app. Both are great for reading on as you can adjust font size and brightness on both. With the Kindle app you can choose a white, black or sepia background for reading.

The Kindle app has more detailed info regarding each book: books in the series, characters, important places, quotes, notes for parents and summary. The covers of the books are in color on the iPad.

With the automatic sync you can read on one and pick right up on the other. I use both on a daily basis and enjoy each equally. On the kindle, there is no interruptions reading due to texts, notifications or e-mails. The battery life on the Kindle is great (2 weeks between charges, with wi-fi off)

If you read a lot of books and it's within your budget, I think having a dedicated e reader in addition to an iPad works out great. :)
 

peeaanuut

macrumors 65816
Sep 10, 2007
1,048
1
Southern California
while not a kindle, I do have a Nook with the backlighting as well as my iPad. I prefer to read books on the nook but do everything else on the iPad. Having both devices is well worth it in my book.
 

SprSynJn

Guest
Sep 15, 2011
362
1
Japan
My coworker does. He has an iPad first generation, an iPad mini, and a black and white Kindle of some kind. He uses the Kindle for reading books only, of course. Swears by it too. Apparently it's got a very long battery life and is not harmful on the eyes at all. Recommends it all the time if you're a heavy reader.
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,885
8,055
Unlike most other posters in this thread, personally, I don't see the point of having a separate e-reading device if you already have an iPad. It's another device to carry, and even if you only have to charge it every two weeks or so, it's still another charging cable you have to keep track of. I'd only consider an e-ink device if I were going to read outside a lot. I know people say e-ink is less fatiguing on the eyes, but I find that Kindle models before the Paperwhite are low contrast (grey on grey rather than black on white), and that gives me more eye strain than the backlight on LCD screens. The Paperwhite looks like it might have enough contrast, and if someone wanted ONLY a e-reader, it seems like a good choice, but if you already have an iPad? No, *my* choice would be to have a single device that does everything.
 

Jibbajabba

macrumors 65816
Aug 13, 2011
1,024
5
I do. The iPad gets just too heavy after a while. I might leave my kindle at home when my iPad3 dies and I am getting a mini.
 

daveathall

macrumors 68020
Aug 6, 2010
2,379
1,410
North Yorkshire
I have owned every Kindle since they were created. I also have iPad3 & 4, iPad mini, Nexus 7.

Here's why I'm still buying Kindles. Nothing, but nothing beats a purpose built eBook reader. And I'm not talking Kindle Fire.

I'm currently using the Kindle Paperwhite.

Specifically for reading, it's the culmination of years of experience. It's got an incredibly impressive display you've got to use to believe.

It's the best $119 you can spend if you're an avid reader like me.

Light, perfectly illuminated in all light levels, I wouldn't be caught without one.

I totally agree with this, I have an original iPad and and old Kindle, seriously considering the paperwhite version. IMHO, purely for reading books, the Kindle is the best, for anything else, the iPad is better.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,057
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
Yep. Kindle Keyboard here. A bead in my display exploded though, so that's the downside to eInk. If you're only going to read one or two books a year, forget about it and either use the Kindle app or even go for the audiobook if you're worried about eyestrain. There's no point in buying one than just leaving it around for weeks without picking it up.
 

theluggage

macrumors G3
Jul 29, 2011
8,015
8,450
Is it worth it if you already have a ipad?

Opinions may vary but although ebooks look like a million dollars on an iPad retina display, a Kindle (or other e-ink reader if you don't like Amazon) is much nicer for sustained reading.

  • No backlight shining directly in your eyes (even the ones with built-in lights use indirect illumination that cen be dimmed or turned off in good light)
  • Readable in bright light - even here in Old Blightey LCDs struggle outdoors on a bright day.
  • Battery life measured in days rather than hours (weeks of normal use if you turn off wireless when you don't need it)
  • The display seems to have a natural 'smoothing' effect and looks higher resolution than the specs suggest.
  • I actually quite like the black-on-grey effect - it is perfectly clear and easier on the eyes than bright white.
  • Smaller and lighter than a tablet.
  • You can get the Kindle app for most platforms, and it will even sync your current page between devices, so if you decide not to carry your Kindle and suddenly find yourself in a waiting room you can still pick up where you left off on your phone/tablet.

The flipside is that the only thing they're really good for is sustained reading of mostly plain text. Even for reference use, I prefer the responsiveness and larger screen of a tablet. (Maybe the touchscreen kindle is better there, but access would still be slow). But for 'settling down with a good book' they're the best tool for the job.

So the question is do you do enough recreational reading to justify spending money on a dedicated tool just for that?
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
I own a Kindle touch which I liked, but after getting iPad mini, its basically collecting dust. The mini is a bit larger but its as portable and pocket-able as the kindle is but provides more functionality.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,742
155
I own an iPad 3 and a Kindle (special offers). I much prefer reading on the Kindle. Something about the iPad and the backlit screen always made me tire faster than when I use the Kindle. After receiving one as a gift, I immediately bought a case with a light. It is unobtrusive, obviously solves any issue with reading in low-light or the dark, and it didn't add much bulk to the Kindle itself. I quite like it.
 

Esoom

macrumors 6502
Apr 30, 2010
415
51
Colorado
I've had nearly every Kindle and nearly every iPad, the Kindle Paperwhite is pretty slick, but you have to forgive the display, it's unevenly lit and blotchy, although it doesn't bother me much. It's light, cheap, very readable, and perfect in all conditions for me.

I suspect the ipad mini will replace the paperwhite in my bag though, whould bet my mini this week.
 

smooth

macrumors 6502
Nov 12, 2007
361
29
Detroit
I bought an iPad earlier this year, e-reading being one of the 2 main reasons I bought it (digital photo album the 2nd). It's great for reading and I don't see why I would ever want/need a kindle. I typically read 30 minutes to 2 hours and I don't have issues with the screen.

Now had I known the Minis were coming out, I would have gotten one of those.
 

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,579
10,875
Colorado
Another plus for the Kindle is the price. If I were to take my Kindle on vacation, or to the pool or beach and something were to happen to it, I'm only out about $100 depending on the model. If the same happened to my iPad, I'm out at least $300.
 
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