Kindle

richk · Feb 20, 2015

I use a kindle which came with the boat. It has internet connectivity but I mainly use it for reading. Color and lit....nice in bed in the dark. Have also used it in marinas on their wireless. Never tried it as chartplotter although the boat came with a Raymarine wlan kinda thing which I've never tried.

Benny17441 · Feb 20, 2015

Let's face it guys Kindle or other readers have made our life better. It keeps our significant others entertained. It leaves us time to steer the boat and get lost in our thoughts. It is like sailing solo but when you need a beer someone is there to grab it for you.

Bill Murray · Feb 20, 2015

lots said in all of above that indicate which is better for what purpose. They are so cheap -- buy both!

Indysailor · Feb 20, 2015

Personally I would choose an android tablet or an iPad. First, consider that all these devices are really meant to get consumers to spend money on content, preferably the content that comes from the vendor that controls the operating system. Thus, with a kindle tablet you will get a version of the app ecosystem that benefits Amazon the most. With an iPad or an android they are also obviously interested in you buying their content, but your app world is much broader, more so with an android probably, but I think the quality control in the Apple App Store is better.

As for using these devices to read ebooks, your local library probably has a contract with Overdrive or 3M, both of which run via apps and are available in the Amazon, Play or Apple App Store ecosystems. Those are pretty cool for free reading (downloaded or browser based reading), and you can "check out" books on your library card, but you never have to return them. They just disappear at the end of the lending period. Libraries are also starting to sign contracts with Hoopla and Audible for streaming movie content (Hoopla has a large music catalog as well) and with Freegal for downloadable (keep forever) music. Zinio, a magazine content vendor is also signing up libraries to provide e content as well.

Amazon also has a deal with Overdrive that allows libraries to provide access to certain kindle books through the Overdrive app. Also, you don't need a kindle to read kindle books; there is an app for that as well.

Now, having said all this, there is one big thing about reading ebooks on tablets; being backlit, the are certainly nice for reading in bed, but they are also very hard on my eyes. I turn the print to sepia, which helps, but by far the best tablets for reading are still those with a liquid crystal display (or whatever it is) like the paper white. But as I said at the beginning, if I'm looking at tablets, I'd opt for an iPad or something that does not have some limited version of android, which is what you'll get with all the tablets branded by some content provider.

Lastly, bear in mind there are real quality issues to consider. There are a lot of terrible android tablets out there, many with substandard processors and low memory and/or storage capacity. Apple is Apple, so to speak, but bear in mind there are also cheaper entries with that product as well.

Chris & Lenore · Feb 20, 2015

Confusion is setting in- a Kindle Paperwhite is NOT a tablet

The paperwhite is for reading books - period. But it has NO issues in sunlight. The brighter the sun, the easier it is to see. You can turn the backlight off.

It's easy on the eyes when reading at night (when it's backlit) as there is NO flicker/screen refresh. It's a liquid crystal display that is "set" when you change pages and then has no refresh or even power applied until you change pages again.

For reading a book, no tablet on the market compares (not just easy on the eyes and sunlight readable - but light weight and a month between charges).

But reading books is ALL it's good for and all it's designed to do - there are no apps for this device.

As for tablets, the Kindle tablets are excellent for the money.

Best of both worlds is both devices.

Chris.

Chris & Lenore · Feb 20, 2015

Gunni said:
Chris, what app do you use to store and read documents like your shop manual?

No app required on an iPad. I email the pdf as an attachment, open the email on the iPad and select "open in iBooks". It copies the pdf to it's internal book library and it shows up in iBooks.

There is probably some laborious process using iTunes - but you don't need to go that route.

I don't even use iTunes to move pictures, music etc between my iPhone/iPad and my laptop. The free version of Suncios lets you do all that much easier and faster.

TENACITY CS36T · Feb 20, 2015

SynciOS

Sailor Sue · Feb 20, 2015

You don't need to buy books...

...to read on your Kindle. We've been using Kindles for years and have only bought one book. Most libraries have a service or a link called "Download Destination". You can check out up to 6 books at a time on line for each library card account you have. There are thousands of books available so we always have 5 to 10 unread books waiting when we finish one.

Before when we were getting ready for a cruise we would spend weeks finding books to take along, and then find space for them on the boat. Now we just grab our Kindles. A trip to the library/bookstore is as close as your internet connection.

Don Lucas · Feb 20, 2015

All U Get said:
I did a search and see mostly Kindle posts, does it compare better than the Nook? Any input would help.

All U Get

I have a Kindle and it is a great thing for the boat. The price is so low that in the big picture it pays for itself pretty fast over buying books that the cost has no meaning and it isn't worth thinking about what other systems "can do".

Get a Kindle for books, and get something else to do "other things"!

Alan Gomes · Feb 20, 2015

holdech said:
The paperwhite is for reading books - period. But it has NO issues in sunlight. The brighter the sun, the easier it is to see. You can turn the backlight off. It's easy on the eyes when reading at night (when it's backlit) as there is NO flicker/screen refresh. It's a liquid crystal display that is "set" when you change pages and then has no refresh or even power applied until you change pages again. For reading a book, no tablet on the market compares (not just easy on the eyes and sunlight readable - but light weight and a month between charges). But reading books is ALL it's good for and all it's designed to do - there are no apps for this device. As for tablets, the Kindle tablets are excellent for the money. Best of both worlds is both devices. Chris.

Point of clarification: the Kindle Paperwhite is not
"Backlit." There is a row of small LEDs at the bottom of the screen that illuminates it sideways, from the bottom up. It does not blast light straight into your eyes. It's not hard on the eyes at all, in my experience.

Delezynski · Feb 20, 2015

We have Android tablets, PCs, AND e-readers aboard. AND a small supply of paper backs and a couple of hard bounds.

I have an original Nook and Jill has an older Sony. They are great for reading in the sun. The pads have the Kindle app on them for in the evening. Reading a real paper book is our firsts choice, HOWEVER, after being out for a time, we ran out of paper. So we turned to the e-readers for added or supplement the hard copy stuff.

We have a CD (yes CD, NOT DVD) that has just under 1,500 ePub books on it.

We went out looking for newer readers, but it seems that none of the newer ones have an SD card slot in them any more...... :cry:

Greg

Chris & Lenore · Feb 20, 2015

Alan Gomes said:
Point of clarification: the Kindle Paperwhite is not
"Backlit." There is a row of small LEDs at the bottom of the screen that illuminates it sideways, from the bottom up. It does not blast light straight into your eyes. It's not hard on the eyes at all, in my experience.

Point taken - makes sense too as it's type of display does not work by generating light. It works by excluding ambient light passing through and reflecting back (like two polarized lenses). That's why sunlight makes it easier to see instead of harder.

They do work well at emulating a paperback...

Chris

Jimm · Feb 21, 2015

Kindle paper white works great. I also have the earlier model with a built in reading lamp..good too. I can also read from my library on my Samsung Galaxy tablet....

woodster · Feb 21, 2015

Delezynski said:
We went out looking for newer readers, but it seems that none of the newer ones have an SD card slot in them any more...... :cry:

Greg

just sitting here wondering if somebody makes a bluetooth sd card reader if so that may solve your dilemma

Indysailor · Feb 21, 2015

Delezynski said:
We went out looking for newer readers, but it seems that none of the newer ones have an SD card slot in them any more...... :cry: Greg

If they let you carry around your storage they can't sell it to you in the cloud.
Not to derail, but I had an interesting discussion with a friend about storage a few weeks ago. He collects vinyl records; I assumed it was because he appreciated to sound, in fact he collects because he detests the relationship that exists now between consumers and content. "Read your user agreement," he said, "You don't own music stored in the cloud. I buy vinyl because I want it to be mine."

I didn't really bother to point out that someone else actually owns the intellectual property, but I understand what he's saying.

Finally Free · Feb 21, 2015

I have a Kindle Paerwhite. I am actually making this post using it. They can do very basic web stuff if connected to wifi but not anything complicated or requiring much processing or they lockup. They are primarily for reading books. One thing I have not seen mentioned is reading while wearing polarized sunglasses. You can do it with a kindle but if you try it with a regular tablet you see black instead of the screen .

Benny17441 · Feb 21, 2015

I don't think I have seen a comment about the size and weight of the reader. Understand that when reading a book you are going to want to hold the unit in one hand for rather long periods of time and if it is too large for your hand or too heavy it might not be what you want. Kindle readers are usually smaller and lighter than tablets.

Delezynski · Feb 21, 2015

Indysailor said:
If they let you carry around your storage they can't sell it to you in the cloud.
Not to derail, but I had an interesting discussion with a friend about storage a few weeks ago. He collects vinyl records; I assumed it was because he appreciated to sound, in fact he collects because he detests the relationship that exists now between consumers and content. "Read your user agreement," he said, "You don't own music stored in the cloud. I buy vinyl because I want it to be mine."

I didn't really bother to point out that someone else actually owns the intellectual property, but I understand what he's saying.

I guess I am a "geezer", but I want something I can hold and pass on once I'm gone. I don't want to rent for my life, only.

If you "purchase" anything on the cloud, it's fine for you. BUT, once you pass on, zip, nada, nothing remains.

Greg