Submitted 1 month ago by alyaza@beehaw.org to technology@beehaw.org
https://renkotsuban.com/posts/2025-10-04-Ruminating-on-eReaders.html
The K3 Keyboard and the Voyage are the best Kindles IMHO. And I even had the same neon-yellow/green origami case for mine. Gave the K3 to my MIL when I upgraded to the Voyage. And sold the Voyage when I wanted to free myself from that walled garden a few years ago.
If you don’t want to get rid of your Voyage, you can turn it into a TRMNL and have it show your calendar, news, etc. instead.
Why TF do Kindles and the like even need to exist? I read on my iPhone while the audiobook is playing. I want a smaller phone and maybe an iPad mini for reading/media.
I mean, I get it. “Reading without the distractions.” But Do Not Disturb and self control are a thing and have never been a problem for me. I can either enable DND, or I can swipe away emails (or deal with them and come back) as they come in. This isn’t rocket science. And my iPhone drops to 1Hz so while it’s not eInk, it’s good enough. I love the dark mode but black on sepia is more natural.
E-ink is easier on the eyes, especially for extended reading. Same for the lack of backlight.
The screen is bigger than a phone.
The battery lasts much much longer. Reading doesn’t need to kill the phone battery when it is on it’s own device.
Reading can be done in places where phones are not permitted (I take my Kindle with me when I take my kids to the pool).
Readers can be cheap enough that it isn’t really a problem having both devices.
Definitely agree about the comfort of reading on it. Bigger screen, bigger text and a lot easier on the eyes for extended reading. Also no screen glare when reading out in the sun.
For me, trying to read a book on any display that isn’t e-ink is a horrible experience that hurts my eyes pretty quickly. Even more so on a tiny phone screen.
Why TF do Kindles and the like even need to exist? I read on my iPhone while the audiobook is playing.
if you prefer to read on your phone, by all means read on your phone.
but making the jump from that to “e-readers should not exist” is fucking stupid.
Do Not Disturb and self control are a thing and have never been a problem for me.
congratulations. would you like a gold star.
This isn’t rocket science.
I have ADHD. regulating my attention sometimes is rocket science.
obviously that’s not the only reason, I have neurotypical friends and family who love their e-readers, and I’m sure there are people with ADHD who prefer reading on their phones.
remember that there are 8 billion people in the world, and not all of them have the exact same preferences as you do. that isn’t rocket science.
Sorry, I misunderstood — you were offering to buy me one? Because if we’re spending your money, then I’m willing to consider your opinion on why I need one in my life.
Because if it’s my money we’re spending, your opinion on where my money goes isn’t worth the time you took to type them out. Nor is the opinion of the other 8 billion people in my life. If someone wants to buy me one, maybe I’ll see the utility. But from where I sit, it’s not worth spending money on to duplicate a feature I presently enjoy on the devices I already own.
So… you gonna put up an Amazon gift card or… what?
My Kindle is significantly lighter than my phone which makes it easier to hold for long stretches. The screen is bigger and I can render the text a little larger without sacrificing too much.The screen doesn’t produce light on it’s own which reduces eyestrain. My Kindle has a warm nightlight which I hope helps me sleep better. The page turn buttons are better placed than the volume buttons
I’ve read for hundreds and hundreds of hours on both phone and Kindle and the Kindle is absolutely worth the cost for me (once it’s hacked). I hope there are better and more open options available when it finally dies.
EReader like Kindle is just right size for me to read. I found size of phone feels too narrow, especially as I have larger font size.
I used to do that. I actually started with an iPod touch back in the day, then switched to an iPad/iPhone combo when iPads and the iPhone 4 came out. I miss their books app, which I still feel is the best e-reader GUI. Their books seamlessly worked between devices too, I loved reading at home with the iPad and then I could just use my phone on the train when commuting, etc.
Problem is, Apple is the greasiest company in tech, and their customer service is probably the worst in the industry, and their cost to value ratio is also probably the worst.
I had a Google Nexus 9 tablet and I’ve tried using my android phones off and on, but the Google Books app just doesn’t do it for me.
A couple of years ago I wanted something a bit waterproof, so I could read on my floatie while in the pool. I ended up with a Kobo Libra Color, which I actually quite like. It’s an extra device to cart around but it’s nice and thin, you don’t notice it in a bag. I also don’t commute nearly as much nowadays, so it’s less of a factor. It’s still not the apple app, You can still side load books and it’s definitely easier on the eyes over the longer term.
I felt the same way, then I was asked to set one up for someone because we bought it as a group gift. It was so comfortable to use and not at all what I expected. It wasn’t even a great one, just a basic Kobo model. I ended up buying the same model and used it for years. My partner got me a new one and she has my original that still works like day one 14 years ago.
als@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
I inherited an offcast Kindle touch and have loved it. I chuck it in my bag when I’m going somewhere an have all my books and guitar tabs available. I’ve never connected it to the internet, just sideload files from calibre over USB.