What kind of Kindle do your kids have and why?

[luvmy3]

But that seems like a hassle... no? Adding another accesory... something add'l to "misplace"...and "remember" when grabbing your Kindle.

Seems to make more sense to spend the extra $40 or so for the backlit one?

I would think he'd use it more than 50% of the time in bed at night. That's when he does his reading. Maybe I need to consider that one....

My cover has a light built into it so its not something that I have to clip on, or can misplace.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Eink (the regular Kindles) is easier to read on IMO but there are a lot of people who don't agree with me and think reading on a backlit device is no problem.

However, Amazon is releasing a new eink kindle soon that is front lit (Kindle paperwhite) that would give you the best of both worlds. Or you can get one of the Kindles out now and buy on of the lighted covers for it. My daughter has a lighted cover for her kindle keyboard and it uses the actual Kindle battery to work so there is no replacing batteries all the time.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

My boys both have the regular Kindle with ads. I don't mind the ads. They both have a cover with a built in light. They never take the cover off, so the light won't get lost. It has been great for my boys, as they read a lot! I wouldn't want them reading on the Kindle fire, as it is too hard on the eyes.

I also have one Amazon account for the boys to share, and a seperate Amazon account for my own Kindle. It seems like a hassle to have 2 seperate accounts, but it is the only easy way to keep them from having access to my books. It also works good because I can put gift cards onto their account instead of using my credit card to pay for their books. They usually get gift cards for Christmas and birthdays each year.

 

[Lilliputian]

Back-lit screens are harder to read because of the eye strain, and they promote skimming. It's like a regular computer screen. Most of us don't read long passages as carefully on the computer because it's harder to focus.

I would strongly recommend staying away from back-lit screens for a device used for reading. If you really are opposed to a separate light, then wait for the new one (I think it's called Paperwhite?) where the light is integrated but in front. If you don't want to wait for that one, then there are all kinds of lights that are easy to use with the Kindle. You can get one that's built into the cover, or I have a cover with a pocket and a light that's designed to slide into the pocket. Most book lights will turn off after a certain amount of time, so they can't be left on all night.

 

[hsmamato2]

I have an android tablet with kindle app, a 3g kindle keyboard,and a kindle,the cheapest kind. for straight up reading, I like the cheapy kindle the best. It is so simple,and easy to use- I usually leave it in ds's room so he reads on it. If I give him the tablet/computer, he gets distracted and starts playing games,etc. Since I have a 'no electronics games' at bedtime rule, I leave him the simplest kindle. He actually reads far more on that than he ever read actual paper books....go figure!
I actually don't use the tablet for much,except streaming pandora thru my stereo and a few 'free books' apps....
I like my 3g kindle, though I don't much like the keyboard,as I can take it anywhere and load books into it,etc.
Like I said,my first choice is the simplest cheap kindle, if I did it over again,I'd buy JUST that one.plus the 3g option,which is nice.

 

[hsmamato2]

oh, for nighttime reading,I use a dollar tree book light clipped to the case of the kindle... and we have one amazon account for all our devices....so they're linked.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Why not give him yours and buy yourself a new one?

'Cuz I am cheap, LOL. And I am fine sharing it.

 

[HM]

Oops. I missed that this was about the kids.

 

[mlulrich]

Our oldest son (10) got a regular Kindle Touch with ads (the cheapest one!) for his birthday this summer - Our boys already have Ipod Touches for gaming, and we wanted to ensure that this would be only for reading - he is allowed to have it on the bus, reads at night before bedtime and their school is considering allowing them in the classroom. He has probably read about a dozen books on it, and totes it around so much that his younger brothers are all excited about being able to get one (my 5 year old even told me that he wants to get a "candle" for Christmas ... took me a bit to figure out that's what he was talking about )

So if he already has a portable gaming device, I would say the simplest option is probably the best! Good luck!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Got the Kindle Paperwhite yesterday. AMAZING. I read last night in very low/no light for about 4 hours and I had zero eye strain. It has an illuminated screen (NOT backlit) which can be changed according to any lighting situation. The contrast and clarity were nothing short of phenomenal. I also got a really nifty cover that puts it to sleep when closed and awakens it when opened. The touch screen is as responsive as an iPad. Very impressed so far and I highly recommend it for those looking to get their kids (or themselves!) an e-reader.

 

[Ephany]

DD9 has a Kindle Touch. She loves it, but doesn't love that I won't let her take it to school. I really think it's helped her reading take off this last year. The paperwhite looks amazing, but I'm not a fan of touchscreen so I'm hoping that they'll release a version that's more like the Kindle Keyboard eventually.