Q. I love reading, but I'm running out of shelf space so I pre-ordered a Kindle Fire. However, is reading from a Kindle just as rewarding as reading an actual book? This sounds stupid but I feel like I'm gonna miss the feeling of the paper between my fingers, turning pages, and the smell of a new/old book. What do you think? Do you get the same experience?
A. Don't get a Kindle Fire. I'll address that in a moment.
Reading an e-reader doesn't have quite the same feel as reading a paper book, but for the black-and-white readers, it's pretty close. What you may initially miss about turning pages is greatly outweighed by cheaper book prices, nice feautres like searches, on-the-fly word definition lookups, automatic bookmarking, making highlights and margin notes without having to actually mark up a book, and being able to carry your whole library around in your purse. It may take you a day or two to get used to, but you will absolutely love having an e-reader.
Now the bit about the Kindle Fire. The KF, and other full-color e-readers, aren't like reading a book at all--they're like reading a laptop. That may be tolerable to you. However, a full-color screen has all of the problems of a laptop: it washes out in bright light (especially sunlight), and it drains the battery pretty quickly. The black-and-white e-readers read almost like a paper book. The screen is polarized, which means that once an image is displayed on it (like a page in a book), it requires no more power to display the image. You can look at the same illustration or page for 30 minutes and it won't drain the battery any more than just flipping past the page would have.
I understand why you're attracted to the Kindle Fire. A full color screen, fully touch sensitive, with the capability to play music, download apps, play games, and watch video. That's pretty tempting. However, Kindle products use their own OS, so game and app choices are going to be limited. Also, Kindle products use a proprietary Kindle e-book format, so the hundreds of thousands of titles in e-PUB and PDF formats, many of which are free, are inaccessible to a Kindle. Many of these books will have Kindle editions available, but not all.
If you want a full-color device, an Android tablet or an iPad is a much better way to go. Both platforms offer free applications to view e-books both for the Kindle and for other e-readers, so no title is out of reach for you. The screen and battery life will be similar, and when reading e-books, you won't notice the difference between the tablet and the KF. Your access to games and apps will be a thousand times what it would be on the Kindle platform, also. If you choose one of these, I recommend you demo both an iPad and an Android tablet. Personally, I prefer Android for a few reasons, but both platforms are excellent.
However, if the device is primarily for reading e-books, I HIGHLY recommend you get a black-and-white e-reader. Again, the B/W Kindle will let you read only Kindle format e-books. My recommendation is the Barnes&Noble Nook, first edition. The Wi-Fi version (you don't need 3G) is priced at $79 right now, and the accessories are on sale for dirt cheap also. You can get fully outfitted for under $100, and have plenty of room left over to stock up on books. The B/W screens do NOT wash out in bright light, and are much easier on the eyes are color screens. The first edition features a little color touch screen at the bottom, which can be used to view color illustrations and perform various other tasks. It shuts off while you're reading, so it isn't a big drain on the battery. You'll easily get a week (sometimes two) on one charge, even for hours of reading nightly.
The downside is that the Nook v.1 is pretty much a dedicated reading device. There are a couple very basic games, and a web browser which is fairly clunky to use. But, you have a computer, right? If you really need the extra stuff, get a tablet and not a KF.
Fun fact: you can now borrow e-books for FREE from most local libraries. Some libraries also offer Kindle format e-books, some don't. The e-books are electronically "checked out" and downloaded, and then automatically "returned" once the borrowing time is expired. You can download books from your library from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a library card. You can even place holds on books, or put yourself on a waiting list if the title you want is already checked out. Once the title becomes available, it's automatically downloaded to your e-reader.
Does anyone know of a good Kindle guide to find good reviews and accessories all in one place?
Q. Just a good unbiased Kindle source and guide overall.
A. Oh I see you're a Kindle fan too! I'm always checking out something Kindle. I don't like bouncing around the web either so I usually just hop over to the Kindle-fire guide. They have all type of reviews, discussions and unbiased information on Kindles accessories, ebooks, mags, ect. Check 'em out hope you find what you're looking for:)
Where is the best place to buy a Kindle Fire HD and what accessories to I need with it?
Q. I am thinking of buying a kindle fire HD and wondering where the best place to buy one is and also what accessories I need to get for it. Thinking of hooking it up to a tv too. Is this possible and what would I need to do that.
A. The Kindle is product from Amazon, so Amazon is definitely the best place. You'll get the best warranty service, free shipping, and most likely you don't need to pay tax if you get it from Amazon (you may get to pay additional tax if you get it in stores).
The essential accessories are listed on the right hand side of the Kindle Fire sales page below, and they come with special offer if you buy them together with the Kindle device:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083PWAPW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0083PWAPW&linkCode=as2&tag=kndfja-20
Here are some accessories that you may need:
- Leather Case: To protect your Kindle, and be able to view the Kindle hands-free with the case stand
- Accelerated Charger: If you want to charge the Kindle faster
- Screen Protector: If you want to get screen of Kindle protected from scratch
- 2 years extended warranty: Can have your Kindle replaced, if you broken it accidentally within 2 years, up to 3 claims
- Stylus: To be easy to write on the Kindle, and reduce fingerprint
Yes the Kindle Fire HD has HDMI (it is micro-HDMI port) and you can connect it to TV for display. You'll need an HDMI cable, but you can get it after your device arrived (it's not in special offer, so no difference even you get it together).
Here you can find all accessories for each Kindle device. All item lists are in bestselling order, so it'll help picking the right accessories:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Accessories/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=1268192011&tag=adkisb-20
Hope this helps.
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