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Replacing an ancient Kindle - advice sought

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Mar 2021
9:45am, 20 Mar 2021
1,193 posts
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RunnyBunny
My Kindle - basic model, 8 or 9 years old - is in its death throes. A factory hard reset doesn't register, and if I try and get into it via PC USB my PC can't see it. This was preceded by rapid battery draining, and a little stint of losing most of the books in it, although it eventually found them. But now it won't even turn on.

It gets fairly heavy usage (or did until it refused to work). I could use a tablet, but the light is different and not so comfortable. I have light sensitivities. If I read a normal book, on good quality white paper, I need coloured overlays, but Kindles are fine. My thumb joints are a bit arthritic, and Kindles are much more comfortable than normal books.

I am tempted by the fancy paperwhite models or even an Oasis. Has anyone got one? Are they worth the extra? I had about 300 books sitting on my old Kindle, maybe a little more, but tend to remove them when I've read them - although if I could keep them on and still have plenty of memory, that would be good (I have about 900 altogether, being somewhat addicted to 99p deals). I don't use audiobooks.
Mar 2021
12:24pm, 20 Mar 2021
24,675 posts
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Lizzie Whizz
RB, aren't your books in your amaz*n account?
Mar 2021
12:37pm, 20 Mar 2021
685 posts
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CreatureOfTheHill
Calibre*, plus DeDRM plugin to liberate all your Amazon books. Then your choice opens up. Not a huge amount, as eInk readers are not that diverse.
But, we really love our Kobo Clara HD since moving from Kindles. Plenty of control over how it works, great interface and not locked into Amazon only ecosystem. Can still use Amazon purchased books, but equally many other sources much more easily. Downloads, free stuff, all formats.
The Kobo works brilliantly with our library service, straight from the device for example.
(3103 books on our Kobo and in the Calibre library simultaneously, no problems)

*https://calibre-ebook.com/
Mar 2021
1:12pm, 20 Mar 2021
686 posts
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CreatureOfTheHill
Oh, just saw you use overlays.
We use openDyslexic as a font on the Kobo, which was easy to set up and makes reading for us much less tiring.
Mar 2021
2:15pm, 20 Mar 2021
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RunnyBunny
LW - books are all in the Amazon account, so are accessible via other devices or could be put on a new device, but the old device decided to have a clear out including stuff I was part way through reading. Then it reinstated all the stuff it had cleared out. Then it died.

COTH - I think the Oasis will do the openDyslexic font, although I'm not sure about cheaper Kindles. I don't actually find it very comfortable to read, but I've got Irlen syndrome rather than dyslexia which I think is more an issue with light and filtering.
Mar 2021
2:39pm, 20 Mar 2021
688 posts
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CreatureOfTheHill
No problem.

The light on the Kobo is a different colour. Our old paperwhite was clear white. The Kobo can do a warm yellow night light.

This may be worse or better, but it is different and maybe worth a look at if it matters to you.
Mar 2021
2:47pm, 20 Mar 2021
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LindsD
I've got a Paperwhite, which I love, but it's my first Kindle and I've nothing to compare it with. I'm very interested in the various fonts, as LittleD struggles to read text without overlays and is reluctant to use them.
Mar 2021
3:07pm, 20 Mar 2021
49,390 posts
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Derby Tup
I * think * you can get an app for a tablet or similar and in effect turn it into a kindle by accessing your Amazon account on it
Mar 2021
3:17pm, 20 Mar 2021
1,195 posts
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RunnyBunny
It looks like getting Kindle books onto a Kobo is a bit a mare - it should be doable but I'd be wary of buying a Kobo in case I couldn't get it to work. I have a lot of lovely Kindle things yet to read.

Just reloaded Kindle app onto my cheapo minipad thingy (it was refusing to sync, but is now behaving), which is the closest thing in size I have to the Kindle, though the battery life is a bit crap. From what I can see, Kindles have pretty much the same features as Kobos, but are more expensive for the same thing. I quite like the idea of waterproof to read in the bath.
Mar 2021
3:21pm, 20 Mar 2021
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RunnyBunny
DT - I've got the app on my tablet and phone, and now my minitablet, but they've all got shiny screens, a different light quality and aren't great in sunshine, so it's not the same reading experience you get with a Kindle. Before I got my Kindle I can remember reading whole books on my iPod, but I think once you get used to something nice it's much harder to go back.

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What's my best option for replacing an ancient, basic, much-loved and much-used Kindle?
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