I'm not likely to use it for TV or games, but I can't help wondering if some of the other apps might be useful. But I'm scared that those would prove to be a distraction when I want to read. I've got Kindle on my PC, but I never use it because there are always other interesting things to waste my time on, so it might be wiser for me to get a Kindle. They just seem rather expensive compared to the price of a tablet, so it seems a bit of a waste.
That's why I opted for a regular Kindle. My wife has a Kindle Fire, which is similar to a tablet and she spends more time playing games than reading, although she intends to read when she pulls it out.
If you really want to use it for reading, then definitely go for the Kindle. Especially if you don't want any distractions.
Since you can get a used Kindle e-reader for around $20 on eBay; if you just want one for reading books with, you can't do any better than that, in my opinion. If you are worried about being distracted with other things to do, then I guess that this would be a soloution. If you enjoy playing games, however; the Kindle Fire has the advantage that Amazon offers a free app every day for the Kindle. Most of the apps that I have seen were games. Since I never play games anyway, this feature was not a consideration for me; but if you enjoy playing games online, then it is actually a great way to get more games for free.
I fell 'head over heals' with my Tablet when my husband gave it to me on my birthday 2010. Now, it gets stuck, frozen with Kindle downloads. Yesterday, I was looking at the latest Kindle reader. Or, indulge myself with the latest Tablet 4 (is it or 5 ??). Anyway, my husband just shakes his head. And gives me a kiss with wonder.
I dare not play games on my computer or online because once I start, I don't have the willpower to stop. Even editing photos can become addictive, but at least when I do that I feel like I'm doing something constructive. But I can't see myself editing photos on a tablet because I need a big screen for that. Even the monitor I've been using since my big one died isn't really good enough, but I've been struggling to decide what to replace it with. All told I've just admitted to the fact that I'm really bad at making decisions and sometimes put off purchases for months because I can't decide what to buy.
@Michelle Stevens , Actually you can edit photos on the tablet, and do it way easier than on the computer. Because the tablet has a touch screen, you just maximixe the part you want to edit until it takes up the whole screen, and then you can edit it. there are a lot of editing apps for photos, at least for the iPad. It is just so much easier than when I had to try and scrunch my face up to the computer to see what i was doing. I think that what you might really enjoy is what is called an "all-in'one" tablet. Mine is a Dell XPS-18, and it is a regular computer, plus a laptop, plus a tablet. It has an 18" screen, so plenty large enough to see everything, and since it is also a touch-screen, you can just stretch everything to the size you want to work on a picture. It can sit on a desk like a desktop does, but it also has little "flipper" legs so it can stand on its own and use it anywhere you want. It comes with a keyboard and mouse to use like a regualr computer; but since it is a tablet, you can also use it with the virtual keyboard and use your finger as the mouse. The original price on these was over $1,000; but if you get one of the earlier models (which mine is), you can get one for a little over $500 from Amazon.
@Yvonne Smith That looks very nice and really tempting, but I don't need it right now, and I really can't see myself taking that thing to bed instead of a book.
Well, NO, it is NOT a very good choice for that , for sure , @Michelle Stevens ! ! However, for around $20, you can get a cheap ereader on ebay, and that doesn't do games, only books and audiobooks; so you could have the ereader for bedtime reading, and the Dell for everything else that you now do with your computer. However.....if you happened to decide to lay in bed and watch movies on Netflix (or whatever), the Dell would be so perfect for a bedroom television. Think of it ....
@Yvonne Smith - I've got a really nice desktop computer that's only a year old, so I don't think I can justify this purchase right now. And South African internet is still on the slow side, so I rarely use my computer to watch movies that are more than a few minutes long. I might consider something like it when my computer gets old though.
I was just looking through the advertising in the newspaper and I noticed that this Kindle will be available at half price for the next four days. I realise that it's not the latest model, but was wondering if anyone could advise me on whether it's worth looking at. Unfortunately technology is a lot more expensive in South Africa than in the places most of you come from, so don't bother trying to work out if it's a good price.
@Michelle Stevens , that looks like about the exact Kindle Fire that I have. I don't know how the price that is quoted in your ad compares with American dollars; but Amazon has the 2nd generation starting about $65 (new), and the newer ones for around $150. This is more than just an e-reader; it is a whole small tablet. It can pretty much do anything that the larger ones can, and if you like to read, or even surf the web, in bed; this would be an excellent choice. It is just a little larger and heavier than the e-reader kindle; but not enough that you really notice it. I totally enjoy mine for reading, and with the Fire version, you can also play music or even watch movies if you want to do that. You also would get to download a free app from the Kindle Store every day (supposing that it was an app that you would use), plus there are lots and lots of free ebooks at the kindle store.
Thanks @Yvonne Smith . The price quoted there (full price) is a lot higher than what you mention. Even half price is a lot more. Sadly that's just the way things are in South Africa and there's not a whole lot I can do about it. From what you say it sounds like it may be just what I'm looking for, so I'll go and have a look at it tomorrow. Thanks for all your advice.
So I bought the Kindle I linked to earlier. The shop had only received three of that particular model for their sale and didn't even have one on display when I got there. What's more they seemed reluctant to sell one to me and tried to talk me into a much smaller Lenovo tablet with a lower resolution screen, but I was insistent that I wanted the Kindle. When I got home I was a bit annoyed to discover that the salesman hadn't told me that I needed to buy a charger separately, so right now the Kindle is connected to a USB port on my computer. Thanks again @Yvonne Smith . I can't wait to start playing with it.
If you do not already have an Amazon account, that should be your next step, and set up the one-click buying for when you get a free book from the Kindle store. Even though it is free; it still goes through just like a book that you paid for does, and the email receipt just shows the price as zero. If you have the one-click shopping set up, then it is easy to get any of the free books from amazon; so it is worth the few minutes that it takes to set it up. As far as the charging; any kind of a charging port that fits a USB and plugs in should work; but charging it up with the computer works fine, too. It takes a quite a while to run down when you are just reading with it; but faster when you are doing surfing, movies, or playing games. There should be an online manual with the Kindle, and if you read that first, it will pretty much explain everything that you need to know to use it. If I can help with anything, just let me know, Michelle. Happy Kindleing ! !