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sparksd

macrumors G4
Jun 7, 2015
10,000
34,320
Seattle WA
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'm with you on this - I own the Paperwhite and Oasis but use my iPad for the vast majority of the time (hours/day so it sees a lot of use for reading).
 

bookcase

macrumors 6502
Sep 11, 2014
457
746
Boston, MA
I've owned previous Minis (still waiting for my iPad mini 6) and the Paperwhite, and I read on both of them -- usually the iPad at home and Kindle on the go. I find the Kindle app on the iPad is actually better than the Kindle itself, and I'm looking forward to using the new Mini. A larger Paperwhite (with USB-C!) is being released at the end of the month, which I may pick up during one of their sales.
 

Mac47

macrumors regular
May 25, 2016
240
417
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.
View attachment 1853556
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":



Note that everyone should click on your screenshot, because the MR forum software reduces its resolution and makes it look fuzzy. When you click on it to see the original file, it’s actually sharp as a tack.
 
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Mac47

macrumors regular
May 25, 2016
240
417
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 totally agree. The iPad is a premium-feeling experience. It’s responsive, beautifully designed, and has a great GUI and user interface. No Kindle is anywhere near as nice an experience. Literally the only thing they have going for them is the passive reflectivity of e-ink rather than the active emission of light from backlit LED displays like the iPad.
 

bevsb2

Contributor
Nov 23, 2012
4,970
15,056
I have a Kindle Oasis and Voyage and while I like the Oasis for size, the Voyage has the best contrast. I often read while eating and the Voyage origami case is perfect for propping the device up. Either device beats an LCD screen for reading regarding comfort, clarity outdoors and decreased eye fatigue. I love my iPad Pro, but not for long term reading.
 
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rulymammoth

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2015
441
603
I totally agree. The iPad is a premium-feeling experience. It’s responsive, beautifully designed, and has a great GUI and user interface. No Kindle is anywhere near as nice an experience. Literally the only thing they have going for them is the passive reflectivity of e-ink rather than the active emission of light from backlit LED displays like the iPad.

I have to agree here too. Kindles have never really appealed to me. Screens are too small and it's so hard to move around to other sections within a book. What people also don't mention often is that Amazon has done a great job with the iOS app interface on the Kindle. Navigating around sections within a book, organizing your library, taking notes. All of that stuff just works beautifully now.

I just wish they'd hurry up and update their Mac app. It's such an eye sore and horrible functionally.
 

sparksd

macrumors G4
Jun 7, 2015
10,000
34,320
Seattle WA
I have to agree here too. Kindles have never really appealed to me. Screens are too small and it's so hard to move around to other sections within a book. What people also don't mention often is that Amazon has done a great job with the iOS app interface on the Kindle. Navigating around sections within a book, organizing your library, taking notes. All of that stuff just works beautifully now.

I just wish they'd hurry up and update their Mac app. It's such an eye sore and horrible functionally.

I also really like the iOS implementation but much like the Mac app, the Windows version is quite poor (from the perspective of my Surface Pro 7).
 
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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,265
I also really like the iOS implementation but much like the Mac app, the Windows version is quite poor (from the perspective of my Surface Pro 7).

Iirc, the device most used for ebook reading is the smartphone. Android usually gets new features first (probably due to the Amazon Fire tablets) then iOS. Alas, the desktop apps are always last priority probably because not many customers use them.
 
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MhaelK

macrumors regular
Jan 21, 2015
186
256
I totally agree. The iPad is a premium-feeling experience. It’s responsive, beautifully designed, and has a great GUI and user interface. No Kindle is anywhere near as nice an experience. Literally the only thing they have going for them is the passive reflectivity of e-ink rather than the active emission of light from backlit LED displays like the iPad.
Agree and that is why we love our Kindles’ for reading, as you can do nothing but read on them.

The experience of reading on e-ink is the closest thing on an electronic device you Will get to a real book - you know, those Old-school non-reflective thing made out of paper that also can’t check Facebook or include other disturbing features ?
 

turbineseaplane

macrumors P6
Mar 19, 2008
17,412
40,219
Agree and that is why we love our Kindles’ for reading, as you can do nothing but read on them.

This is a truly underrated aspect of e-readers.
It's incredible how much modern life and online interaction has ruined my attention span.

To really zero in anymore, I need to have a dedicated device (or just a normal book itself)
 

sparksd

macrumors G4
Jun 7, 2015
10,000
34,320
Seattle WA
Iirc, the device most used for ebook reading is the smartphone. Android usually gets new features first (probably due to the Amazon Fire tablets) then iOS. Alas, the desktop apps are always last priority probably because not many customers use them.

Yeah, the feature I miss most on the Windows side is the synchronization of collections created on other devices and the accompanying capability to select and download the entirety of an existing collection. Having to manually download every book individually on a new installation is painful (most easily accomplished by using the Deliver function from the Amazon site on the PC; but even there you can't Select All).
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,265
This is a truly underrated aspect of e-readers.
It's incredible how much modern life and online interaction has ruined my attention span.

To really zero in anymore, I need to have a dedicated device (or just a normal book itself)

This one's not an issue for me even on LCD. The first thing I do when I set up devices as new is disable all notifications except Calls and Messages, and I don't get a lot of those to begin with.

Besides, even when I'm reading on e-ink, a tablet or smartphone is usually just an arm's length away so a dedicated ereader does nothing to prevent distractions if I'm so inclined (e.g. boring book).
 

turbineseaplane

macrumors P6
Mar 19, 2008
17,412
40,219
Besides, even when I'm reading on e-ink, a tablet or smartphone is usually just an arm's length away so a dedicated ereader does nothing to prevent distractions if I'm so inclined (e.g. boring book).

Very true - I literally have to keep my connected stuff in other rooms to combat that
 
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BigMcGuire

Cancelled
Jan 10, 2012
9,832
14,032
I do a lot of reading - always have since I was a kid. I got the first 2-3 generations of Kindles when they came out long time ago (before touch screens) and read on them voraciously. However, when tablets became a thing, I moved to them instantly. Having a device I could consume my news and books (with far more readable space) was the game changer. I've been reading on iPads for a very long time now but the iPad Pro 11 2018 was the biggest change of them all for me - I consume news and books on that far more comfortably than anything I've ever used.

It should be noted that I use an iCarez screen protector and keep the brightness really low (always reading indoors, usually in the evening).

I spent 3-4 months at the start of this year trying to live without an iPad after using one from 2013?-2021, trying to read on just my phone, my MacBook - but I found that my reading consumption took a massive dive and I couldn't read as comfortably on those devices as I did on my iPad. So, I'm back to an iPad Pro 11 2021.

Thankfully, Calibre + old kindles = easy to transfer my Amazon library to Apple Books but Amazon's Kindle software is far better than Apple Books and a lot of times books are cheaper on Amazon - especially if you rack up free digital $ with slow prime shipping. Also, Libby lets you send library books to the Kindle app for free too.


And like others have said - first thing I do with anything digital is turn off all notifications. I have an Apple Watch with my iPhone for select people on my favorites list to contact me if they need to - everything else is turned off.

I'm someone who finds the perfect weekend - getting a chair by a window with blinds cracked open just a little - putting a body pillow on my lap (to support my elbows, arms, and iPad Pro 11) - and reading a book for 5-6 hours. That is the perfect weekend.
 

BigMcGuire

Cancelled
Jan 10, 2012
9,832
14,032
Oh forgot to mention that most books I've read this year have had quite a few pictures in them. I can't imagine trying to do that on Kindle. I read a lot of history books and there always seems to be quite a few full screen images (high quality, color).
 

thelookingglass

macrumors 68020
Apr 27, 2005
2,203
682
I do a lot of reading - always have since I was a kid. I got the first 2-3 generations of Kindles when they came out long time ago (before touch screens) and read on them voraciously. However, when tablets became a thing, I moved to them instantly. Having a device I could consume my news and books (with far more readable space) was the game changer. I've been reading on iPads for a very long time now but the iPad Pro 11 2018 was the biggest change of them all for me - I consume news and books on that far more comfortably than anything I've ever used.

It should be noted that I use an iCarez screen protector and keep the brightness really low (always reading indoors, usually in the evening).

I spent 3-4 months at the start of this year trying to live without an iPad after using one from 2013?-2021, trying to read on just my phone, my MacBook - but I found that my reading consumption took a massive dive and I couldn't read as comfortably on those devices as I did on my iPad. So, I'm back to an iPad Pro 11 2021.

Thankfully, Calibre + old kindles = easy to transfer my Amazon library to Apple Books but Amazon's Kindle software is far better than Apple Books and a lot of times books are cheaper on Amazon - especially if you rack up free digital $ with slow prime shipping. Also, Libby lets you send library books to the Kindle app for free too.


And like others have said - first thing I do with anything digital is turn off all notifications. I have an Apple Watch with my iPhone for select people on my favorites list to contact me if they need to - everything else is turned off.

I'm someone who finds the perfect weekend - getting a chair by a window with blinds cracked open just a little - putting a body pillow on my lap (to support my elbows, arms, and iPad Pro 11) - and reading a book for 5-6 hours. That is the perfect weekend.

Curious: have you ever tried a mini? And what case do you use for your iPad Pro?

I find the size of the mini just right for long bouts of reading. But that bigger screen on the iPP tempts me.
 

BigMcGuire

Cancelled
Jan 10, 2012
9,832
14,032
u
Curious: have you ever tried a mini? And what case do you use for your iPad Pro?

I find the size of the mini just right for long bouts of reading. But that bigger screen on the iPP tempts me.
I actually used a mini 3 for a little bit but ended up giving that to my wife because while it was great, the text was just a little too tiny. Personally, I find the 11 to be the perfect size for reading. I don't usually hold my devices up while reading, I'll prop them up on a pillow on my lap which helps with the iPP 11 because holding that doesn't work for too long.

While I could make a mini work for book reading, I find the 11 Pro to be a lot better for reading forums, news articles, etc - that extra utility + easier to use with Apple Pencil makes me go for the iPP 11.

I use Apple's cases just because the other cases either cut into my hand or don't have a convenient way to prop up the iPad for when I want to watch YouTube videos like the Apple case does.

Mini definitely works as a book reader tho.
 
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davideotape

macrumors 6502a
Nov 16, 2012
531
145
I’m a fan of the boox e-ink tablets, it’s an android operating system and you can have a kindle app but also a dozen other e-reader apps and its e-ink and provides options. You’re also not limited to the size of the amazon devices and can use them to mark up books, pdfs, eyc
 

iPhilPHX

macrumors regular
Oct 14, 2009
230
228
Phoenix, AZ
I have no experience with the Kindle so take this with a grain of salt. I originally bought the Mini 5 for the small form factor and the desire to download books. In that light I love reading on the iPad Mini. I've just switched to the Mini 6, mainly for the form factor, truth be told, and love it. It is still primarily a consumption device for books and I am frankly very satisfied with it. I experience no eye strain, the weight and dimension feel fine to me and I would recommend it to anyone. AND it is useful for many other purposes in addition to simply reading.
 

tpfang56

macrumors regular
Jul 1, 2021
183
328
I’m returning my mini 6 for unrelated reasons, but I once owned a kindle paperwhite and used that for a while. It does strain my eyes less, but the UI/UX sucks and it completely lacked versatility.

If all you read are novels (without pictures), it’s good enough, but what if you want to read stuff on the internet? Y’know, stuff like fanfiction and creepypasta and lengthy reddit posts? What about visual things like magazines and comics/manga? News articles and pdfs? For versatility, an ipad is the way to go.

I do everything in my power to lower eye strain by turning on true tone, night shift, lowering the brightness and whitepoint, using dark mode, and increasing the font size.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,265
If all you read are novels (without pictures), it’s good enough, but what if you want to read stuff on the internet? Y’know, stuff like fanfiction and creepypasta and lengthy reddit posts? What about visual things like magazines and comics/manga? News articles and pdfs? For versatility, an ipad is the way to go.

I do everything in my power to lower eye strain by turning on true tone, night shift, lowering the brightness and whitepoint, using dark mode, and increasing the font size.

Manga is fine on the Kindle, particularly on the 7" class models. Comics and magazines, far less so.

For fanfiction, Calibre+FanFicFare will download and convert to MOBI or AZW3. Some sites like AO3 offer a built-in option to download in ebook formats already.

With that said, it's a pain to load non-Amazon content to the Kindle. Email to Kindle can be iffy and having to transfer via USB's annoying. Hence, I tend to use the iPad (Air or Pro 10.5) most often for reading and only switch to the Kindle or Kobo when I have a migraine attack (or have the beginnings of one). That or when I need excellent battery life (e.g. 16+ hr flight).

Dark Mode is painful to me so I never use it but I do make use of TrueTone, Night Shift and Reduce White Point.
 
Last edited:

tpfang56

macrumors regular
Jul 1, 2021
183
328
Manga is fine on the Kindle, particularly on the 7" class models. Comics and magazines, far less so.

For fanfiction, Calibre+FanFicFare will download and convert to MOBI or AZW3. Some sites like AO3 offer a built-in option to download in ebook formats already.

With that said, it's a pain to load non-Amazon content to the Kindle. Email to Kindle can be iffy and having to transfer via USB's annoying. Hence, I tend to use the iPad (Air or Pro 10.5) most often for reading and only switch to the Kindle or Kobo when I have a migraine attack (or have the beginnings of one).

Dark Mode is painful to me so I never use it but I do make use of TrueTone, Night Shift and Reduce White Point.
I would much rather read directly on ao3 than have to download fics. Maybe it’s cause I read a lot of short fics, but having to download them and transfer to the kindle app sounds like a pain. Same with any fiction on other sites. I only go out of my way to save them if they’re really good.

I’m okay doing it with books because they’re much longer on average, and I like being able to use the highlighting and bookmarking functions.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,265
I would much rather read directly on ao3 than have to download fics. Maybe it’s cause I read a lot of short fics, but having to download them and transfer to the kindle app sounds like a pain. Same with any fiction on other sites. I only go out of my way to save them if they’re really good.

Yeah, I find downloading a hassle so normally, I read first then just download and save to Dropbox if I like a fic. One of the reasons I use the iPad more than the Kindle for reading. Just so much more convenient.
 
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Shanghaichica

macrumors G5
Apr 8, 2013
14,725
13,245
UK
I prefer my oasis for reading novels. I just find it easier on the eyes and less distracting. I use my iPad for reading magazines, comics, newspapers and any books/articles with lots of diagrams. I couldn’t have only one. However the iPad is more of an all rounder as it can display all content adequately whereas the kindle struggles with anything which is not plain text. Yes you can read comics on a a kindle but who wants to read a comic in black and white. I love both though.

I started off reading digitally on the iPhone 3G. Then in 2010 I got my first Sony e-reader. About 6 months later I got the kindle keyboard and I’ve had a kindle ever since.
 

Shanghaichica

macrumors G5
Apr 8, 2013
14,725
13,245
UK
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.
I’ve never been quite as satisfied with any kindle as I have the voyage and it’s the one that I kept the longest. I had it for 3 years. I’ve the latest generation oasis now. It’s not quite the same as the voyage though.
 
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