Thinking about a new Kindle

[selenay]

The Kindle Paperwhite is finally available in Canada. It's the first one with an upgrade that I actually want so I've been waiting impatiently. Built in light and eight weeks of battery life? Sounds like my thing. Apart from anything else, trying to use a booklight on a plane is a PITA and they always turn the lights off for a few hours even during day flights.

And I never sleep much on planes.

The only thing I'm still working out is how to get it without having to switch my Kindle account to Amazon.ca. Turns out, Amazon.ca doesn't get newspapers or magazine subs. As I often pick up the Indy and I have a sub to Asimov's, losing that access will hurt. Apparently Amazon (or at least, the publishers) are trying to push people over by changing the geographical restrictions so that books people could previously get through Kindle.com are no longer available. So far, nothing on my wishlist is affected so I'm sticking with my .com account for as long as I can.

Which means figuring out how to get my new Kindle without making the switch. Apparently if I tick the "it's a gift" box the Kindle won't arrive pre-registered to my Canadian account. Hopefully I'll then be able to register it to my .com account without it throwing a wobbly at me.

I'm planning to get the 3G version. Much as I love my wifi Kindle keyboard, I've had a few times when I've been outside a wifi area and run out of reading material. It's a particular issue if I'm travelling (or trapped in hospital, grr) and I'm probably going to be travelling a fair bit over the next eighteen months. So getting the 3G version seems like a worthwhile investment.

Then I'll have the fun of redownloading all my books and fanfic files (cloud storage FTW!). On the up side, it gives me a chance to do a bit of spring cleaning and only download stuff I haven't read/plan to read again. So that would be a good thing.

I'm going to keep my Kindle Keyboard, though. I read a lot when I'm out and about around the city and the one downside to touch screen things is that you can't read with gloves on. So my Keyboard will be what I tote around when it's too cold to not wear gloves and I need to read at bus stops. The physical page turn buttons never cause issues with gloves :-D

Comments

[sineala]

I loooooove my Paperwhite, and therefore support this decision.

Have you considered texting gloves? I got a couple really cheap pairs that are basically the regular cheap stretchy gloves with a touchscreen-usable fabric sewn into two fingertips. If you are willing to pay more than $3 you can probably find even better texting gloves. Possibly even warmer ones. I just checked and I can turn pages on the Paperwhite while wearing them.

Feel free to ignore me if you are committed to your existing gloves.

[gaspode.livejournal.com]

The 3G (except for the old keyboard one) is now restricted. it can only access the amazon store and Wikipedia. That's it. No email (except incoming to the kindle email address), no downloads nothing - this has been retro engineered to all 3G kindles except the keyboard one. It now makes the 3G pointless

[gaspode.livejournal.com]

oh and the paperwhite touch screen is infrared sensors I think so should work with gloves - its not like the phone/tablet screens.

Mines in the car - i'll confirm that tomorrow

[sineala.livejournal.com]

I have a Paperwhite, and their touch screens are capacitive, not IR, so you either need bare hands or your choice of smartphone stylus/gloves with conductive thread. I just tried this out. The Kindle Touch had an infrared screen, though.

[selenay]

I thought that was the case. I'm pretty attached to my warm fleecy gloves because it gets so cold here, so I'm not sure the smartphone gloves will be warm enough. I'd have to take a look the next time in the mall.

I do really love the idea of the Paperwhite for my main reading and toting the keyboard for days when I'm likely to be standing around in the cold a lot :-D

[selenay]

*sigh* I wasn't planning to use it for email or web browsing. I'm guessing by downloads you mean sending things to my Kindle via email?

Being able to use the store when I'm away (or stuck in hospital) was really what I was hoping for so 3G *may* still be worth it for me. I'm still weighing that up, though.

[paranoidangel]

I thought the Kindle had a keyboard at the bottom - at least the one I've seen did.

[selenay]

The new Kindle has a touchscreen :-D The one I've currently got has a keyboard and I'm going to keep it for when touchscreen isn't practical, but the new Kindle has some nice new features that are finally making it worthwhile for me to upgrade.

[paranoidangel]

Oh, so the Kindle copied the Sony. Funny that... (although the Sony also copied the Kindle - the latest one has internet, but since I hate surfing on a touchscreen it's not enticing me to upgrade)