Pros and Cons Of The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite vs Paper Books
Hair on your head? You don't need it with a Kindle Paperwhite!
Do you read in bed? Do you keep your partner awake with your night light? Do they moan about it, huffing and puffing until you eventually have to turn off the light, before lying there feeling like you're hard done by as you really just wanted to finish the chapter? If so this article is for you! I've been there and I have got round it by spending a bit of money and buying a Kindle Paperwhite. Here's why and what they're like.
I heard about the Kindle device years ago but decided against it. I am a big fan of reading and ever since I learned to read as a five year old have always got myself off to sleep by reading for a bit before I pass out. I have done this pretty consistently throughout my life, even when entertaining, drunk, tired etc, as it is now a real habit of mine. Read a few pages, eyes close, sleep for the night.
Yes, one of these.
If I try to just force myself to go to sleep, my mind starts to churn as I start to think of things I need to do and as soon as I know I NEED to sleep, that's it I've got no chance! For ages now, I have been struggling with reading in bed, as unfortunately my other half likes to turn off the light and sleep quite early, my lamp then keeps her awake and it doesn't take long before she starts moaning about it. So I bought myself a Kindle Paperwhite.
I resisted getting one for ages, even after my friends bought them as I like collecting and reading real books. I didn't like the idea of staring at a bright screen, with my eyes hurting and not enjoying reading. This was until I actually gave a Kindle a good trial and realised that isn't how they are at all. The screen on these things has something called e-ink. Although it's more complicated, it essentially works like an old Etch a Sketch screen, with physical particles moving to make the display. Because of this the end result is a screen that is very easy to look at and one that looks very close to ink printed onto paper.
If you like you can change the font or make the text larger or smaller in seconds. This is quite handy.
To turn the page, just tap or swipe across. Even easier than reading a normal book.
This is a totally unrealistic pic of course, but you get the idea
But it's the lamp being on that keeps my partner awake..
This is what is great about the Kindle Paperwhite. The screen has a light, but instead of being backlit like a monitor, phone or tablet, which eventually strains the eyes it has a light that shines onto the screen instead. This means that the lighting is far more natural and flicker free, so you can read in the dark!
All you have to do is put the brightness down to minimum and there is very little light to spill out of the thing, but enough to keep the text on the screen illuminated. This means you can read in a pitch black room without keeping your partner awake, hurray!
Hmm, is there anything else these Kindles do then? Still not sure..
Well they are pretty cool actually apart from being able to read in the dark. Obviously you can store plenty of books on there so you don't need to take multiple books with you on holiday, which is a bonus, but what I really like is that when I decide I want a new book I can get it almost instantly. This is because your Kindle connects to your home network, allowing you to purchase books through the device, which appear on there almost instantly. That is pretty cool, no waiting around.
One thing that I think is very good is that your kindle has an email address, if you and your friends like a book and allow each others address on your accounts, you can send each other books, which appear straightaway on each others device. My friends and I are always telling each other about great books we've read and recommending stuff, now we can just send each other books! Something else that I think is pretty awesome is that if you follow your friends and they follow you, then you can make notes on passages of books, so that when your friends read that book, they can see your personalised messages.
All in all I can highly recommend them now I have given them a go, I resisted for years as I thought that they just wouldn't compare to a regular book at all, but to those like me out there who are unsure, give them a try. I can't imagine how you wouldn't be impressed.
Thanks for reading, if you have any comments please leave them below.
What a bargain!
Comments
peachy from Home Sweet Home on July 19, 2013:
this is good and useful. I always have problem with keeping the lights out and reading under the dark. Voted useful
dommcg on January 13, 2013:
it's a revelation! I too have a paperwhite and I can now read while my wife sleeps. doesn't hero me get any more sleep but at least I can read while I'm lying there.
