is kindle the best?

**jellybean** · 09-04-2012, 09:26pm

i'm thinking of getting a kindle and was wondering if they are the best on the market or if other makes are better?

Also are the books cheaper than buying an actual book?

**violet wallop** · 09-04-2012, 09:41pm

Originally Posted by jellybean

i'm thinking of getting a kindle and was wondering if they are the best on the market or if other makes are better?

Also are the books cheaper than buying an actual book?

I think it's the most user friendly one.

Books are often, but not always, cheaper as you pay VAT on digital books. However, there are ways to share with friends (Calibre), there are lots of free books out there (some libraries lend them, Amazon do some free ones, + non dodgy and dodgy downloads etc) and you can buy discs of 100s of books for a couple of quid from ebay.

**scatterbrain** · 09-04-2012, 10:55pm

Originally Posted by jellybean

i'm thinking of getting a kindle and was wondering if they are the best on the market or if other makes are better?

Also are the books cheaper than buying an actual book?

I have a Kindle & like it. Because it's linked to Amazon it's really very easy to get books & they have a huge range.

The books are usually cheaper than buying the printed book (although sometimes pretty close when they're newly released) & some are released on kindle before they are released in print. You can also get a lot of free or very cheap books and you can read a sample of a book to make sure you like it before you buy it if you like.

**LibertyGal72** · 09-04-2012, 11:09pm

Everything what scatterbrain says really. I've never used an alternative to Kindle. But hear Asda or someone are flogging KOBO for £50.

I try and avoid buying Kindle books that are more expensive than "real" books. That's how I try and stem the amount I spend on books at any rate.

**Flicky** · 09-04-2012, 11:30pm

I have a Kindle, and it's great (keyboard one). But if I was buying an e-reader now I'd buy a Sony Reader which is very good too and has the advantage that it is compatible with libraries that lend out e-books. The UK store isn't launched yet though so it really depends on whether you want access to Amazon's extensive kindle store or want to be able to borrow (if your local library service does it!)

Purely as a gadget - imo the Sony has the edgy over the Kindle - lighter, sleeker, more attractive - but I haven't seen the Kindle Touch, just a keyboard/non keyboard Kindle.

**violet wallop** · 10-04-2012, 08:55am

You can read library books on a kindle, you just have to convert the format with calibre.

**suzie2** · 10-04-2012, 11:11am

I love my Kindle, it's like having a library in my handbag. And because it's 3G I don't have to be in a wifi spot to download.

Books are certainly a lot cheaper, but as for it being the best e-reader on the market, I really wouldn't know as I've never had anything to compare it to. But they're supposed to be the most popular which I suppose says something x

**Flicky** · 10-04-2012, 12:45pm

Originally Posted by violet wallop

You can read library books on a kindle, you just have to convert the format with calibre.

Yes you can, but I like being able to download straight to device rather than via a converter first. Personally I like having both

**thirzasmum** · 10-04-2012, 12:52pm

All the above!

Calibre is brilliant.

i try not to buy books but get a lot of the amazon free ones- grab them when you see them or they often then have a price after a few days.

I'm upgrading to a keyboard 3g and passing my Wifi one along within the family.

The 3g is great and the keyboard (along with the new v expensive touch) has 4gb memory and audio book/MP3 /text to speech capacity. I use those and would miss them on the kindle 4g

**Zia** · 10-04-2012, 06:39pm

Originally Posted by jellybean

Also are the books cheaper than buying an actual book?

It depends what you like reading, so I'd check Amazon. I like reading the latest paperbacks, and for quite a few of the books I've looked at on Amazon it is cheaper or the same to buy the actual paperbacks than to download the Kindle edition (and they're cheaper again in supermarkets - two for £7). I pass my books on to family too, which means that even if it's 50p or £1 extra to buy the actual paperback then it's still better value for me to do that.