Customer Reviews

Kindle, 6" E Ink Display, Wi-Fi, Black

5 star:		(932)
4 star:		(190)
3 star:		(59)
2 star:		(34)
1 star:		(81)

 

 

Buying a bog standard, lower end kindle for myself with Xmas money was purely on the basis of money available at the time. That said, I would have no intention of buying any other reader when this one eventually expires because I've thrashed it too much. ;-)

My reason is simple. I have an ipad but for reading, the glass screen tended to glare after a while. Don't get me wrong i adore the ipad but I wanted a book reader that does that and that alone.

The screen is built for no glare and reads just like a book.

The keyboard has been removed and put 'on-screen' to make for lighter reading. And if you just want to read this a big plus.

The buttons on the side to move forward or backwards a page are so subtle that it will become second nature and not interfere with your attention to the story. (Buttons are on both sides for lefties and righties too. God I love this product)

There is no backlight so there is absolutely no artificial leanings to the reading experience. It reads like a book should and buying a case with light feels like a book with a lamp on when you're in bed snuggled up.

For some, what I have said above may seem like they have 'left out' certain perks so they can reach the budget buyers but for me all the above confirms (and will to the readers who love a proper book and are unsure whether to change), is that everything that is unnecessary when all you want to do is read a book isn't there.

The best way to sum it up is.........

This Kindle is bog standard. It does nothing more than 'be' a reader. There's no fancy asides. It is what it is. And it does it perfectly.

Unfortunately I had my Kindle stolen while on holiday and this one was to replace it. It was an exact match to the one I had but because of the reduction in price the insurance covered the cost and I was over the moon when I found that I could just re-download all the books that I had on my Kindle. I could even afford to buy another cover. Although this is the most basic Kindle it does what it says on the box - I'm able to read anywhere with ease and store enough books so that I won't run out of reading material unexpectedly. Whoever invented this idea deserves a knighthood. Thankyou.

Wow'..This is the goods. I got mine this morning from Amazon. It was so easy to set up, even I managed it, and that is saying something. Within under 20 minutes i had it all set up, and charging through my computer. I got 12 books on from Amazon, in next to no time at all. No more paying for postage, or having to wait for the postman to bring you a book to read. Great stuff.

Once you have found the book you want, All you need to do is press the buy it now button, and before you have time to blink, your book is ready and waiting for you to read. I must admit, for a while I have been thinking of getting a Kindle, but thought that they would be hard to get used to. I was wrong, They are just great. I know I will be taking mine out with me when go places. I got the leather case too, and they are a real team. I feel my Kindle is well protected, and no more getting fed-up waiting in a Dentists, or a Doctors surgery's, or any other place you have to wait. Just take out the Kindle, and enjoy what ever book you have picked.

I went for the basic one, as all I want to do is read a book. No bells and whistles on it. Just a basic kindle that I think is the best thing I have bought in ages. Thanks. Amazon..

I am 85 years old. I suffer from Macular Degeneration in both eyes and I am registered as "Partially Sighted". As a result I have been unable to read a newspaper for 7 years. All that has now changed. I have bought a Kindle on which I receive a newspaper every morning. I have been able to take advantage of the large range of font sizes to enlarge the font size and I can now read my daily newspaper!!! No doubt I could now read a book if I so wished.

To anyone who suffers from a loss of vision I sincerely recommend the Kindle. It will prove to be a life-changing experience. I suggest that Amazon should put more emphasis on the availability of this feature in their promotion of the Kindle.

I have been using the Kindle app on a tablet pc and a Smartphone for some time now and I really like the convenience and the FREE BOOKS!! I read a lot so have saved quite a bit of money. But the drawbacks with these devices are the battery life and the fact that they are impossible to read outdoors due to lack of contrast and glare on the screen.

So I took the plunge and decided to get a Kindle, but which to choose? The new Kindle Fire looks great but it is just another tablet so I assume the same issues of screen contrast and glare will still be a problem. I was initially very tempted by the Kindle Touch but is it really worth the extra �40? All I want is to be able to read books on the Kindle, everything else I can do on my Smartphone or tablet. So I went for the basic Kindle. Then more confusion as there seem to be two models on sale at Amazon for �69, a grey one and a black one. After a bit of research I found that the black one is the 2012 model (version 5), pretty much the same as the grey model but apparently has better contrast and faster page turn, so that is what I bought.

It is nicely made and well built, easy to set up (as long as you know your wifi password!) and easy to read in reasonable lighting. In sunlight the background appears almost as white as paper, indoors it is a bit grey but no problem for me. The only trouble I had at first was getting used to the 5 way controller button, after a year of using a Kindle app on a tablet I kept wanting to touch the screen! Maybe the Kindle Touch would have been more intuitive for me, but I got used to it and you don't use the controller an awful lot anyway.

I still have a lot of friends and relatives who say there is nothing like holding a 'real' book in your hands, and nothing I say seems to convince them otherwise. Personally I find an e-book superior to a paper book in almost every way and I am reading a LOT more since getting Kindle, which has to be a good thing.
1. It has saved me money (I have over 40 free classics on my Kindle which in paperback version would have cost over �200). As an example, Les Miserables unabridged is a free Kindle download, to buy from Amazon in paperback costs �11.20.
2. It has given me access to the books of my childhood which I would not otherwise have bothered to buy in a shop. I had forgotten what a nice story 'Heidi' is!!
3. I no longer have to bother with grubby library books and all the bits of crumbs, dandruff etc which fall out from between the pages when reading in bed! :-(
4. It doesn't make my arms ache! I'm also currently reading 'the Wainwright letters', a hardback book, 400-odd pages (not available on Kindle) and its flippin' heavy!

The only thing I miss about 'real' books is the ability to jump around previously read bits if you need to refresh your memory about something, but you can always bookmark them anyway. And I suppose it is no big deal if you forget your �5 paperback and leave it on the sunlounger or the train etc.

So, I took the plunge. I have a Kindle. I've ummed and ahhed about this decision for five years, but I've recently decided to try and become a minimalist. As part of that, I've disposed of most of my books, with the rest to go in short order, and an e-reader seemed like a good idea because it allows me to continue reading without the physical clutter that it can create as a hobby.

Why the Kindle? I work in selling consumer electronics, and have plenty of experience with both the Kindle and Kobo as a salesperson. After a bit of internal wrangling about the merits of open systems such as that supporting the Kobo Touch, I opted for a Kindle on the basis of ease of use. This was partly against my better judgement, as I have always preferred the physical look and feel of the Kobo, but the option of a lit case which integrates with the battery, as well as the Whispersync service, was appealing and so I wound up with a fifth generation Kindle two days ago. The reduced price also helped - the �69 model is now the lowest priced mainstream e-reader on the market.

Compared to the older models, the text seems a tad sharper, although not having spent much time actually reading with those it's hard to make a worthwhile judgement about any comparative increase in quality. The battery life is still excellent and the storage more than adequate, as you'd expect from any e-reader, but where this new Kindle really excels over it's more expensive brethren and the competition is in build quality. The matte finish metallic edge is somewhat cold to the touch, but reassuringly so - it feels far more solid than plastic fantastic models such as the Kindle Keyboard. The buttons feel well weighted and are easy to access, not changing from the old fourth generation Kindle except in colour as with the rest of the fronting, although I will say that when the official lit case is connected you might well struggle to use the left pair of page turners as there's not much give in the rubber backing there compared to the right hand side. Amazon haven't changed much on the rear of the new Kindle either, keeping the same rubberised panel from the fourth generation Kindle that feels great in the hand and provides a bit of extra grip for drowsy night-time or travel reading. It's the same well built device as the fourth generation Kindle was, mostly because it's effectively the same device, but the new colour turns it into a great looking device as well as one that's comfortable to hold, and the same quality for �20 less is a hard bargain to ignore.

As you might have guessed by now, I also picked up one of the official lit Kindle cases, and in tandem with the fifth generation Kindle it's probably as close as we'll come to the Kindle Paperwhite in the UK for the next year. It fits very snugly around the new model, and the light is bright and clean without being harsh. The uneven lighting created by an external source such as this built-in LED means some people might struggle to read with it in pitch blackness, but I find it creates a more natural effect than a backlit screen or the upcoming Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight and Kindle Paperwhite might well do. We'll find out in the coming months, I suspect, when those devices are released in the UK. The most important bit for me, however, is that the LED runs directly from the Kindle's internal battery, and so saves you having to worry about changing a battery if you're in the middle of nowhere. The fake leather exterior is lacking much grip, but the interior is easy and comfortable to hold, warming the hand without making it sweat.

Owing to the problems with the left page turners when integrated with the official lit case, I can't say that the Kindle is faultless, but it's definitely a five star device nonetheless. Well built, easy to use, easy to hold and it looks great, too. I've already found myself reading more than I was a few months ago, and I will probably never go back to print books now save for education. Amazon's made a believer out of me: e-readers might take a while to become truly universal devices, but the Kindle is leading the charge for good reason - it's the best.

This happens to be my first Kindle, so cannot compare it to its predecessors, and it was a birthday present so cannot really comment on the �69.00 price tag, although had I been looking for myself, I may well have seen the �69.00 price tag and decided to take the plunge anyway.

I find the appearance to be understated yet classy - a good thing! Although I do have some technical knowledge, I was really surprised at how easy it was to set up. I was expecting all sorts, but the biggest problem I had was finding my Wi-Fi password! A quick flick-through on the guide on the home page then helped me make a few minor setting adjustments and away I went ordering some of the free books. Really liking the fact some of the books are free on the Kindle, as this looks like it's going to open up my interest in a few different genres.

I thought I would miss holding a book and flicking through the pages, but I find moving between pages so easy at the push of a page up/page down button on the side. I found that the Kindle fits nicely into my hand, so decided to get a zip-case to keep it protected rather than the leather case. I find that everything on the screen is clear to read - very good for someone like me who does not have the best eyesight - and all the settings are easy to find.

Of course, I am not quite a master of all of this yet, but I suspect it will be quite easy to work out the rest as and when I want to. As someone who loved my books and made sure I looked after them well, it looks like I will be slowly disposing/selling them to get the Kindle versions of my favourite books.

This arrived this morning and it's lovely. Really light, and the new black and lower price are excellent. Comparing this with my husband's pewter coloured kindle 4, it does seem to have better contrast and slightly sharper text. I realise that the colour of the bezels may give an illusion, but I have overlapped the screens and it still seems a bit better. At �69, there's no excuse to wait any longer. Enjoy :D

Kindle, 6" E Ink Display, Wi-Fi, Black

We have just took the plunge and bought a 2nd Kindle. We have been thinking for months about getting a 2nd one with money situation as it is but we finally decided and ordered the �69 one. I must say, it is just as good as mine if not better, although it has no visible keyboard, it is still easily accessible on the screen and with its new leather cover, (bought from ebay for �3.99) it is brilliant. the other thing too is that the books we buy go onto both Kindles so that is a bonus as we both like the same authors. Now we have one each

I resisted a Kindle for ages. I LOVE books, I have shelves and shelves of them, so i wanted to hate the Kindle.

Then I get one as a present.....love at first sight.

If like me you think it's going to be awkward to hold, difficult to read, hard to set up - don't. It's none of those things. It has a lovely feel to it making it nice and easy to hold. The font size can accomodate even the shortest sighted of us, and you can hold it one handed - either right or left - and just turn the page with your thumb. Perfect when you're enjoying quiet time with a book and a cuppa!

They say you shouldn't judge a book by the cover....neither should you judge a Kindle by it!