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Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

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Re: Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

#42
post #3

The color model is uncharacteristically expensive for Kindle at $280, more than the color Kobos which are $220 for the same 7" size (which also has physical buttons and stylus support) or just $150 for the smaller 6" size. Kindles are usually the cheaper option, at the expense of being less amenable to sideloading and jailbreaking than Kobos are.

This article really buries the lead. It talks about updating monochrome kindles, when they just released their first color Kindle (not counting the Fire). I had to look elsewhere to confirm this was indeed a brand new line of products, and others give it top billing.

Re: Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

#43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have read hundreds of books on my Kindle that I bought ages ago. It still works perfectly and battery life is still good. What's the problem?

When Amazon decides to cut you off, you’ll know. Example: bought Albums on iTunes over a decade ago. Can’t re-download. Not even for a nominal bandwidth fee.

If Amazon remotely nukes my device, I've still had it for many years working perfectly. So I'm not going to loose sleep.

Re: Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

#44
post #11
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The issue is Amazon and how even if you want to put your own purchased ebooks on it, you have it send it through their servers. You can sideload your books over USB too, using Calibre for instance. I own a few Kindle models and a Kobo Forma as well. The Kindles do have some quirks and bugs (e.g., disappearing books, issues with sideloaded fonts…). But my Kobo Forma’s battery completely died after a couple years of…

Why do you need a few Kindles and also a Kobo? Are you keeping them in different places and don't move them? I only have the first Paperwhite which I carry along, it's 11 years old already and it still does the job. The battery keeps up and I was probably lucky to not have noticed any hiccups.

My wife is a pretty voracious reader and has 3 active Kindles that I believe are mostly segregated out by genre/collection. I wouldn't be surprised if this is as much for convenience as anything else, I don't use it much but Amazon's library management and navigation on the Kindles has never impressed me.

She's also one of those folks who sideloads with Calibre as well as purchasing through Amazon.

Re: Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

#45

I was hoping they'd revive the Oasis. That form factor is _perfect_ IMO. Scribe is too big for a replacement. I settled for a Libra 2 which is similar to the Oasis but I feel it's a bit sluggish when it comes to chapter turns, highlights and page turns w/ images but I don't have something in the Kindle line-up to compare it to now.

I love the oasis. Specifically the fact that it’s made out aluminum and is water proof. My daughter is an extraordinary reader since a very young age, long before her motor skills have matured, and ended up with my oasis. She does all the things a young kid does like smear food all over it and drop it all the time. I can just wash it off in the sink once a day and we are all good. If it had been less sturdy and not waterproof there’s no way she could have used it.

Finally the physical page turn buttons are great as well as the bevel on the back for holding it with one hand.

Re: Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

#46
post #36
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The issue is Amazon and how even if you want to put your own purchased ebooks on it, you have it send it through their servers. You can sideload your books over USB too, using Calibre for instance. I own a few Kindle models and a Kobo Forma as well. The Kindles do have some quirks and bugs (e.g., disappearing books, issues with sideloaded fonts…). But my Kobo Forma’s battery completely died after a couple years of…

So you got one bad battery and you decide to ditch their devices? Seems weird. Fwiw I have an 11-year old Kobo that's still going strong lol. Opted for a pocketbook this time though. Physical buttons and small 6-inch form factor? And respect for your privacy? Count me the fuck in!

I decided to ditch their devices because of the support I got — or lack thereof. First they refused to talk to me, because, for privacy reasons, my device was unregistered. I ended up registering it, and even so they offered just a 10% discount on the purchase of a new device.

Sadly, Amazon’s support is not far behind, considering its inability to fix certain persistent Kindle bugs. But I’ve never seen the hardware itself fail.

Re: Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

#47
post #7

I bought a used paperwhite in 2015 and have read many hundreds of books on it. Still works flawlessly and even great battery life despite taking it around the world through -45 and +45 many times. I don’t love Amazon, but this may be the best device I’ve ever owned. It does one thing really, really well.

I’ve said for the past decade that the device that had the most net positive impact on my life is my Kindle. I went from reading a couple of books a year to 30+. It brings me knowledge, calm, joy, adventure and growth with basically 0 downside. Maybe other devices have been more life changing but their trade offs have all been greater than the Kindles.

Having a pocket-sized wifi-only kindle is what saves me from doomscrolling. Instead of spending god-only knows how many hours a week on social media, I read. It's an mental health game changer.

Re: Amazon reveals first color Kindle, new Kindle Scribe, and more

#49

No update to the Oasis; I guess when I refresh I'll get a Boox or other Android-based device with page turn buttons and run the kindle app on it. I have a first generation Kindle Oasis, which is a great device, in no small part because of its asymmetric design and page turn buttons. The newer Oasis (still last refreshed in 2022) have better lighting (temperature adjustable) and inverse text mode, which are both nice…

They officially discontinued the oasis last year. I'm holding onto my oasis until it dies.
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