Budget option to Kindle?

[karliebug]

My DD is an avid reader and has asked for a kindle type reader for her birthday. What budget alternatives are there and what is the difference between the cheaper ones and the real deal?

 

[5 Disney Fans]

there is a free Kindle app for the I-Phone and I-pod touch. Does she have either of those?

 

[Juliegirl1]

I just wanted to say that I wanted a Kindle and an Ipod and decided on the Itouch - I love it and use it more for the Kindle application than anything else. Granted it's not much cheaper than a Kindle but you get more versatility from the Itouch and it's smaller than a Kindle.

 

[luvmy3]

I don't believe there is an option under $200. I have the Sony pocket, its the smallest version and its very basic, no Wi Fi or 3G or touch screen. I preferred to have the smallest one I could get for portability reasons. I could never read on an ipod touch becuase 1) the size and 2) the backlight. If you are considering getting one for your dd to read on, make sure she would use it, there may be a specific reason why she asking for a digital reader device.

 

[RitaE]

There has been big talk about this lately coming from Walgreens and currently $99.

http://www.walgreens.com/store/cata...prod6016669&navCount=1&navAction=push-product

I'm not aware of anybody reliable that has actually bought and reviewed one however to see how well it works. It supposedly handles ePub which means it should be able to utilize the Public Library's Overdrive system if your library offers that... Also you could purchase from kobobooks.com or booksonboard.com or several other places. Not Amazon however and most likely not Barnes and Noble. That battery life on it isn't that great and no wi fi or 3G. All books will have to be downloaded to a computer and transferred over.

Other than that I can't say much. It could be an awesome deal or it could be total junk. It's a crapshoot.

 

[dex08]

Before you buy you may want to check with your local library's website to see what format(s) they offer books to be checked out electronically. Most libraries offer versions of books that can be read on a Sony eReader but not on Kindles.

 

[jedijill]

Before you buy you may want to check with your local library's website to see what format(s) they offer books to be checked out electronically. Most libraries offer versions of books that can be read on a Sony eReader but not on Kindles.

Nook is also compatible with the Adobe format....I bought one a couple of weeks ago and love it. It's $259.

Jill in CO

 

[amez]

there is a free Kindle app for the I-Phone and I-pod touch. Does she have either of those?

Is the i-pod touch app on the apple website? My dh just got me one yesterday for our Anniverary (13 years!!) and I am still figuring it out.

 

[Sandi]

I have a Kindle and I love it. But, I'm 47 years old and can afford it. Along with the cost of the device is the cost of the books. Kindle books are a lot less expensive than hard back and paperback, but the bestsellers, etc. do involve a cost. Amazon has several books that are free or less than $1.00, but they appear to me to be mostly romance, historical fiction, bodice ripper type books (which are great when I'm on vacation, but . . .)

If your DD really wants one, you might offer her a gift certificate to Amazon and have her figure out whether it is really worth the cost to her. I know this is a birthday gift, but if you gave her $200 and she didn't want to put out the additional $59 plus, I think you'd know whether it was really worth it to her.

When things are not a gift for our DD15, we have her "invest" 10% of the purchase price. She got new ski boots last month and paid 10% of the cost for the boots. When she is invested in an expense, we figure she has some skin in the game.

 

[Ephany]

Is the i-pod touch app on the apple website? My dh just got me one yesterday for our Anniverary (13 years!!) and I am still figuring it out.

Open Itunes on your computer, type in 'kindle' in the search bar of the Itunes store and it should pop up under the apps section. It's called 'kindle for iphone' and the icon is a person sitting under a tree with amazon written across the tree.

 

[amez]

Open Itunes on your computer, type in 'kindle' in the search bar of the Itunes store and it should pop up under the apps section. It's called 'kindle for iphone' and the icon is a person sitting under a tree with amazon written across the tree.

Thanks!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Anyone familar with the availability of books for 5th graders for the Kindle?

My parents are taking my niece, who is an avid reader, on the DCL Baltic cruise this summer and are worried that she could read as many as 10 books while they are gone. My DN already has a Ipod Touch, so if she could load some books on the Kindle app at a reaosnable cost, that might be the solution. -- Suzanne

 

[dex08]

Anyone familar with the availability of books for 5th graders for the Kindle?

My parents are taking my niece, who is an avid reader, on the DCL Baltic cruise this summer and are worried that she could read as many as 10 books while they are gone. My DN already has a Ipod Touch, so if she could load some books on the Kindle app at a reaosnable cost, that might be the solution. -- Suzanne

There are a lot of Classics that are available for free but not sure about what is appropriate for a 5th grader.

Here's the link to Amazon's Kindle Free site

 

[Dannielle_1]

Anyone familar with the availability of books for 5th graders for the Kindle?

My parents are taking my niece, who is an avid reader, on the DCL Baltic cruise this summer and are worried that she could read as many as 10 books while they are gone. My DN already has a Ipod Touch, so if she could load some books on the Kindle app at a reaosnable cost, that might be the solution. -- Suzanne

There is a rather large selection for kids, I've even downloaded some samples of some picture books for my 4 year old (you can get a free sample to see if you like something - depending on the book a few pages to a chapter.) I've not bought any of the picture books yet, still unsure if I like how those come across.

But anyway, if you go to the kindle store on amazon you can search by childrens books. And pick your neices age range. Or if there are a certain books she's interested in just search by that.

You can get the 15 book Oz collection for $.99. That could keep her busy for a while and cheaply. Depending on your nieces level of reading and what you find appropriate there are also many classics which can be had for free. Formating might be a bit funny (as the free ones where formated by "volunteers.") You can search all kindle books by price, low to high to have the free ones come up first.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

There is a rather large selection for kids, I've even downloaded some samples of some picture books for my 4 year old (you can get a free sample to see if you like something - depending on the book a few pages to a chapter.) I've not bought any of the picture books yet, still unsure if I like how those come across.

But anyway, if you go to the kindle store on amazon you can search by childrens books. And pick your neices age range. Or if there are a certain books she's interested in just search by that.

You can get the 15 book Oz collection for $.99. That could keep her busy for a while and cheaply. Depending on your nieces level of reading and what you find appropriate there are also many classics which can be had for free. Formating might be a bit funny (as the free ones where formated by "volunteers.") You can search all kindle books by price, low to high to have the free ones come up first.

Thanks for the advice. The Oz books might be perfect as the Harry Potter books have gotten her addicted to reading series of books. -- Suzanne

 

[Julia M]

I bought my DD a used Kindle for Xmas-she's 15. We travel alot, and she reads alot and there are lots of books for Young Adults for Kindle. She also reads books targeted for adults, so for her, there's a large selection.

I bought mine for $100 off of Craigslist. It made more sense for our budget. I just kept watching and every time one comes up, I emailed and offered what I could pay. Incidentally, that's how I got mine, also.

DD did not care at all it was used.

Julia

 

[ImprovGal]

The Sony website has an Outlet section for the Reader. I just saw refurbished Pocket Editions up there for somewhere around $150-$170.
You do have to download titles to your computer and then sideload them to the Reader, but it can handle the Adobe PDF and e-pub formats of borrowed library e-books from Overdrive. My library allows me to borrow 6 titles at a time.

 

[skent10]

Nook is also compatible with the Adobe format....I bought one a couple of weeks ago and love it. It's $259.

Jill in CO

I got a Nook for my birthday back in January and absolutely loved it--until it got wet by accident and died on me. DH hadn't purchased the extended warranty (we never do), so I assumed I'd pay to get it repaired. WRONG! Barnes & Noble doesn't have a repair department for the Nook. Those costumers with an extended warranty get a new device; those without get a $260 paperweight.

Perhaps B & N will decide to create a repair department in the future, but they've lost my business (and anyone else I can talk out of buying a Nook).

 

[DVCLiz]

I got a Nook for my birthday back in January and absolutely loved it--until it got wet by accident and died on me. DH hadn't purchased the extended warranty (we never do), so I assumed I'd pay to get it repaired. WRONG! Barnes & Noble doesn't have a repair department for the Nook. Those costumers with an extended warranty get a new device; those without get a $260 paperweight.

Perhaps B & N will decide to create a repair department in the future, but they've lost my business (and anyone else I can talk out of buying a Nook).

Well, Kindle does the same thing - or rather, Amazon doesn't have a Kindle repair, either. They do offer a refurbished unit for less money - I believe the last time I saw it discussed it was $180 for a Kindle 2. But they are not going to be in the business of repairing so the extended warranty is your best bet.

I am so dependent on my Kindle now that if it died I would order a new one immediately. But then I did get the extended warranty for both my Kindle DX and my daughter's Kindle 2 - the only one I own that doesn't have a warranty is my original Kindle 1.

 

[jedijill]

I got a Nook for my birthday back in January and absolutely loved it--until it got wet by accident and died on me. DH hadn't purchased the extended warranty (we never do), so I assumed I'd pay to get it repaired. WRONG! Barnes & Noble doesn't have a repair department for the Nook. Those costumers with an extended warranty get a new device; those without get a $260 paperweight.

Perhaps B & N will decide to create a repair department in the future, but they've lost my business (and anyone else I can talk out of buying a Nook).

I bought the extended warranty for that very reason. I figured as much as I planned to carry it around and travel with it that there was a real danger of cracking the screen or getting it wet.

Jill in CO