I’ve owned and loved the early minis for reading books but at the end of the day I moved on to using my kindle exclusively for that purpose — text on the older minis was fuzzy. Curious with this latest generation — how does the mini 6 handle text for reading vs kindle? The kindle is great but page size is tiny and if you are a fast reader you just constantly advance the pages which gets annoying after a while. I always loved the form factor of the mini but does the latest version work well as a reader?
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iPad mini iPad mini 6 vs kindle oasis for reading?
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E-ink vs LCD is no contest for long form reading of text.
You mentioned "end of day reading"..
For eye comfort, and lack of brain strain and fatigue -- it's e-ink, all day, all the way.
You mentioned "end of day reading"..
For eye comfort, and lack of brain strain and fatigue -- it's e-ink, all day, all the way.
The Mini has a Retina display compared to the original Minis which made small text looked blocky. So the fonts are very sharp comparably. A single page should look wonderful to you for reading. The Books app allows you to sample any of the content so you can judge for yourself.
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Here is a screenshot of a typical page in the Kindle app on the Mini 6. If you like more text on the screen, it is has much more than on the Kindle (I have the 6" Paperwhite). Resolution is great on the Mini 6. The jelly scrolling is a non-issue, if you flip pages (which is the normal way of using the Kindle). If you scroll pages (by setting "continuous scrolling" in the Kindle app), then it will affect the experience.
That being said, I prefer the Kindle as an e-reader. Especially outdoors or in bright light. Indoors, I find the glaring backlight on the iPad more tiring than the passive e-ink screen on the Kindle.
Also be aware that Amazon has recently increased the regular Kindle screen to 6.8":
That being said, I prefer the Kindle as an e-reader. Especially outdoors or in bright light. Indoors, I find the glaring backlight on the iPad more tiring than the passive e-ink screen on the Kindle.
Also be aware that Amazon has recently increased the regular Kindle screen to 6.8":
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (8 GB) – Now with a larger display, adjustable warm light, increased battery life, and faster page turns – Black
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (8 GB) – Now with a larger display, adjustable warm light, increased battery life, and faster page turns – Black
www.amazon.com
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btw, the screenshot I showed was for standard margins and slightly enlarged text size. If you reduce margins and text size you can get a lot on the screen.
I assume you're Kindle eco-system only for books?
Otherwise, there are a ton of great e-ink devices out that are larger than 7" ...all the way up to 10 & 11"
I'll take my 12.9 iPad over my Kindle Oasis any time other than out in direct sunlight. I read several hours/day on the iPad, including in bed - I have it open to a Kindle book right now. When the Mini 6 I have on order arrives, I will also use it. (I've owned multiple Kindles - I also still have the 1st gen. and a Paperwhite)
I am caught up in the kindle ecosystem and hadn’t considered other readers. I also own the 12.9 2021 iPad Pro and have -incredibly! - never tried to read a book on it! I will do that tomorrow! Good test I think.
I love my Kindle, it's my only device for heavy reading. The e-ink readability and ease of changing font sizes is perfect on a kindle. 2nd would be my mini 6, and for tech manuals stuff, a PC.
I still love my Kindles - I have an Oasis, Paperwhite and Basic. My only single-purpose devices that I still own. The light weight, e-ink and most importantly distraction-free environment make it the best way to read digital text. For other things like magazines and rich content publications, that is where the Mini really shines.
The only thing I'll add is that, despite trying all the latest Kindles, I still use and prefer the Voyage.
In my side by side comparisons, nothing since has been as sharp and clear as the Voyage.
The big knock on my Voyages (yes we have several - incredible deals as refurbs for $40-ish) is that the light isn't an orange "warm light". I'd appreciate that, but it's not a total deal breaker for me.
Back to the OP's question though -- I really couldn't imagine doing a lot of longer form reading on anything but e-ink - kindle or otherwise. It's so so so much easier on the eyes and brain.
In my side by side comparisons, nothing since has been as sharp and clear as the Voyage.
The big knock on my Voyages (yes we have several - incredible deals as refurbs for $40-ish) is that the light isn't an orange "warm light". I'd appreciate that, but it's not a total deal breaker for me.
Back to the OP's question though -- I really couldn't imagine doing a lot of longer form reading on anything but e-ink - kindle or otherwise. It's so so so much easier on the eyes and brain.
Voyage was the best kindle in my view having had several. Worked well with the Amazon cases that flip along the top edge making it easier to fit in various pockets. Only wish they'd produced a waterproof version and added USB-C (which I notice the just-announced new kindles have).
As to Kindle itself, for plain text reading outdoors in sunshine, it's unbeatable.
As to Kindle itself, for plain text reading outdoors in sunshine, it's unbeatable.
For plain text i would take the Kindle over the mini anytime, anywhere, & any day. The mini is sharp enough and a great size but LCD technology of the mini makes it less enjoyable to read on for longer periods of time. However, if you have an OLED phone, then I find that I enjoy reading almost just as much on that (love dark mode) - except when outside where the kindle wins.
For PDFs, textbooks and comics the larger display and processing power of the mini (or another ipad) makes it an easy win.
For PDFs, textbooks and comics the larger display and processing power of the mini (or another ipad) makes it an easy win.
Totally agree. I will and do use iPads for reading when my Oasis isn't to hand, and imo the Mini is the best iPad for that purpose (assuming you're not reading technical books that clearly benefit from a bigger screen), but e-ink trounces it for lengthy reading of simple, linear text.
Equally, Apple can push Focus mode all they like, but e-ink readers are free of distractions by default, a major plus point.
You're right, the Voyage is sharper than every Kindle since, which always makes me shake my head in Amazon's direction. That said, I do prefer my Oasis 3 over my old Voyage due to form factor, size and warm light.
The direction is cost cutting, I expect. Although I don't get why Amazon didn't keep the nicer display for the more expensive Oasis line.
Kindle Paperwhite beats the iPad Mini when it comes to reading.
It's lighter on your hands and on your wallets.
It's lighter on your hands and on your wallets.
Yeah. I’d understand it in the case of the Paperwhite line, but not at the premium end.
I’m going to cut against the grain here. Love the mini and can’t stand kindles. Contrast isn’t the same, interface is slow and laggy. yes, it’s light and readable in direct sunlight, but the mini 6 is super light too, and I never read in direct sunlight. The mini’s size really is quite nice for reading. So much more can fit on one page too.
I can’t support the Amazon kindle ebook monopoly. So it is the iPad all the way for me.
I use a Paperwhite. The Mini is very nice, as are phones, for reading, but the Kindle is extremely good for this.
But the Mini may be easier to use for certain documents. The Kindle is not nearly as powerful, or flexible. For instance, I use my Kindle for novels, and my laptop and tablets for most other material. I really need all these things. Which is perhaps....well
But the Mini may be easier to use for certain documents. The Kindle is not nearly as powerful, or flexible. For instance, I use my Kindle for novels, and my laptop and tablets for most other material. I really need all these things. Which is perhaps....well
Sounds good. I just ordered a Kobo Libra H20 to dampen the Mini 6 disappointment and to have something to read ebooks on. Looking forward to try it out and experience the e-ink.
Also bought it because I want to support other manufacturers than Amazon plus that it supports more formats like epub.
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I seem to remember my old minis were distracting. I’d read then think of something and then find myself surfing! Learning a lot on this thread — for one thing I didn’t realize the oasis screen is not as good as the voyage — which I also owned. Love the form factor of the kindle but it is small and laggy. Decisions!
I’m an academic and I read a lot of PDFs and ePub books with footnotes. I also annotate and highlight a lot, and then often screenshare these books to Zoom while I’m teaching and discussing them with students. For my purposes, the integrated Apple ecosystem is superior. The higher resolution of the iPad screens makes them more pleasant to read on. The same highlights and notes that I make on my iPad Pro or my iPad Mini 6 or my old iPhone all show up synced to Books on my Mac, and can be easily copied and pasted to my own writing projects in Scrivener or Word. And for books that aren’t available except on Kindle, there’s a good Kindle app on all Apple devices.