Should I upgrade to a newer Kindle?

As a Nook first-generation user I can’t advise you directly, but I can share some experience that may help you to decide.

When I first got my Nook I could read on it for weeks, it seemed, before it would need recharging. (A simple enough process with the micro-USB charging cable, but because of the inconvenience of using the thing with the attached wire, I would count that as time lost from being able to use it.) And since I read pretty much every day, usually for an hour or more at a time, that time-between-charges was measured in full days’ worth of usage.

Now when I read at lunch I have to charge afterward to ensure that I can read the next day, too. The battery is losing capacity, in short.

I’d check how long the charge lasts on your device and consider that as a factor in your decision. I haven’t replaced my Nook yet, but I’m sure that I will sometime this year.

I’m onto my third Kindle. They don’t last forever. My first lasted a couple of years. The next much longer. I’ve had this one for about a year. When they die it happens suddenly and with no warning (in my experience). So I would take advantage of the opportunity to upgrade to a new Kindle at a reduced price.

I can’t say I’ve found my reading experience has been enhanced by the newer versions. It’s a Kindle. You can download all your content from one to the next.

I bought my Kindle Paperwhite last year, and I absolutely love it. I read faster on my Kindle than other ways. It was an excellent investment.

I was reading using the Kindle app on my tablet before, and its only advantage is showing items in color. But the actual Kindle has features not present on the app, so I chose to buy the Kindle. I do not regret it in the least.

I gave a new-version Kindle regular as a gift last year, too, and my friend loves it. From what I can tell, it has everything the Paperwhite does except for the lighted screen.

I love being able to touch and look up definitions on my Paperwhite. I love being able to highlight passages and make notes. I’m pretty sure you can do those things on the regular Kindle, too. I know the regular Kindles are now touch capable just like the Paperwhite.

@CWOTUS brings up an important consideration. As an electronic item, the battery will not last forever. I do not know how long it will last, but mine still holds a charge for a month after using it for a year. I read about 30 minutes each day, and it lasts for a month at least. Probably longer. I don’t keep track really.

I would probably do it if you are going to use it a lot. I think mine is one from 2010–2011 also and I still use it regularly. I may jump on that promotion as well.

The deciding factor that led me to buy a Kindle Paperwhite over continuing with the app on my table was the ability to look up footnotes and not leave the page. In the app, touching the footnote takes you to the footnote page, and no, it’s not smart and does not remember where you just left in order to return you to your place.

On my Paperwhite, I touch the footnote, and a window pops open with the footnote. I never leave the page. I read many books with footnotes, so this was important to me.

I think that Amazon often have offers on so perhaps you should keep the older kindle and see if you get on well with it. If you like it there would be no need to change it until it stops working. I have the most basic kindle and love it. I like the manual buttons to turn the page best.

FYI: There were reports online Monday that if older Kindles were not given a software upgrade by Tuesday, they would not be able to access Amazon’s servers. Check to see if the one you bought can hook up to their servers to download a book. If it cannot, then all it’s good for is as a trade in.

Funny, I just switched the thing over to my account, and the first thing it did was upgrade its software. I’ll try to download something now, but I think I may have just lucked into this at the right time.

A day late, but I got the confirmation that the software upgrade was successful. Sweet!

Personally I prefer to use the iPad mini for eReading. Not because I like apple products. But mostly because if you use a tablet such as an iPad; you have more options for eBook stores. You have access to apps for kindle, kobo, iBooks, and even audible (if you like audiobooks). That way I can actually shop around, between the different eBook stores.

But I do realise they can be expensive. If you want something more cost effective, maybe you could think about the more recent Kindle Fire. But in my opinion, I don’t think you need anything other than basic wifi for a tablet or kindle reader. My iPad mini is wifi only. When I’m on the run, I use the wifi on the train, or library. If I’m using it in work on my lunch brake, I just hot spot the 4G network internet from my iPhone to the iPad. It doesn’t cost me anything more as I have unlimited data with my provider.

@NerdyKeith – I have a (2012) Kindle Fire. Well, it’s been commandeered by my 7 year old, but it’s technically mine.

This Kindle Keyboard was an impulse purchase at the flea market today. $10 is hard to argue with, even if I only get a few months’ reading out of it. I’m just trying to figure out whether it’s worth it to turn in the thing for the credit toward a newer device.

Ultimately, the new Kindle is the same size screen, just a touch-screen instead of an attached keyboard, and has a newer battery. At least, I think those are the only differences. Also if I get a new one I’m stuck with screen saver adverts.

@Seek I never notice the screen saver advertisements. Never. I touch the screen, and they’re gone. I cannot remember one single ad from this Kindle or the previous older version I had. Not one.

With the model you have, you cannot touch the screen to get definitions for words or access to footnotes on the page. There are many other functions of the touch screen.

@Seek Well I would say that it depends on how frequently you are using the device and if the battery life is strong enough for your use.

I used to have the Kindle 4th generation reader myself and it served me well. I mostly didn’t have any issues with the battery life. The only problem I had was, it was obviously not in colour and therefore incompatible with graphic novels and highly illustrated books (which I sometimes do read). So I guess it depends on the type of books you are reading.

If its just for basic text based books and the battery life is lasting long enough for you, I think it should be just fine for you.

@Hawaii_Jake – I’m looking for a book with footnotes now, so I can see how this one handles them. Do you think Othello has some?

I doubt the free versions do.

I’m reading Proust, which is full of them, but it is most definitely not free.

It appears the footnote feature sends me to a sort of footnotes section. I can then page through the footnote (some are terribly long, aren’t they?), and hitting the “back” button sends me directly back to the page I was on.

This doesn’t seem to be an undue hardship.

This response sponsored by The Curiosities of Heraldry, 3rd Edition.

That’s much better than what I was experiencing on the app. Sounds good.

For new technology like this I am a kind of guy who waits until I absolutely can’t stand it anymore. So if your old one works, and you’re happy with it, stick with it.