22 replies to this topic

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

I bought a mini laptop to download & protect my images at the end of a dive day while on a trip, but the mini has a limited battery life. On long flights like over the Pacific, the laptop would die by halfway through the flight, so I don't think reading on it would work for me. I can sit and read for a very long time!

The Kindle website says if you turn the wi-fi feature off, you can read 1/2 hour a day for 2 months on one battery charge. I'm thinking that would get me through a loooong flight and still have power left over for the trip back, too. Can anybody confirm the battery life on a Kindle? I guess I am leaning towards the Kindle or the Kindle Touch, as long as the battery lasts for 25-30 hours on a charge.

[Greg@ihpil]

This is from my wife in response to Tammy's inquiry regarding e-readers:

Greg bought me a Kindle 3G+WiFi last Christmas (2010 – cost $189 but today selling for $139) after much resistance because I love the feel of holding a book. After receiving it and loading it with books I alternated between reading a paperbook and using the Kindle. Now, a year later, I’m hooked and just use my Kindle.



The ease of purchasing a book is awesome, especially with the internet connection. I don’t have to connect it to my computer. You can one touch click with your Amazon account. Your wireless does not even have to be on to purchase. After you make a purchase, turn on your wireless and it downloads in seconds and keeps track of new books. The number of books available for free, $.99 or under $3.99 is limitless. The amount you want to spend for a book is entirely up to you. You can even make purchases directly from your Kindle if you don’t want to go to the Amazon site.



The battery is good for about 25 days (advertisement is 30). It comes with a wall plug-in adapter/recharger, which takes about 2 hours for a full recharge. The adapter separates and can be plugged into the computer if you purchase a Kindle (last generation) without internet connection built in.



I took it on our last trip to Curacao in November and charged it the day before we left for a week. I didn’t have to recharge it until we were home for 2 weeks. On the plane you don’t need to shut it off, you just need to “put it to sleep”. In fact, the battery lasts longer if you don’t turn it off each time you use it. You just need to click the on/off setting to put it to sleep (advice from Kindle Support which, by the way, is very helpful. There’s a direct number you can find on line and actually speak with someone if you have questions). Clicking the on/off when you are ready to read again brings you right to where you left off. Note, too, the battery also lasts longer if you keep the wireless "off" until you need it.



Personally, I wouldn’t buy any “first generation” product. Too many kinks to work out. I’ve seen the Kindle Fire (which I heard already has problems), the Kindle Whisper, and the Barnes and Noble Nook, and right now, for the current price of my Kindle, I am very happy with what I have.

[scubajunkie6]

A little late in responding, but I have a Sony Pocket e-reader (PRS-350). It's a 5" screen (not the standard 7"). I REALLY like the size, but it's now an older model compared to the new bells & whistles of the Kindle and Nooks. My Sony ereader requires you to use a cable to download ebooks from your computer to the ereader. No WiFi, so it's not "convenient" to buy and book and start reading it, but it's not hard to follow the steps and get it on the ereader. I LOVE the size of it, as I can hold it with just one hand and use the buttons on the bottom to turn the page or swipe it via touch.

One of the reasons why I LOVE ereaders is that you can increase the font size. Don't need reading glasses!!!!! Mine also has a built in dictionary (which most models also have that now). It is FABULOUS to be able to click on a word in the middle of your reading to learn the meaning of the word. On the Sony that I have, it also contains a stylus, so I can handwrite notes on it, underline words, etc. Other ereaders do similar things but without a stylus.

I don't know about other ereaders, but I have no trouble reading it out in the sunshine. That was one thing I researched a lot about...the Kindle and Sony's had the best screens for outdoor reading. I know the Kindle Fire isn't the same screen as the older Kindles, but the Nook has received great reviews lately. The other reason why I went with the Sony ereader (at the time) was the long battery life. Also, and this isn't the case now, but at the time Sony was one of the few ereaders that would work with my public library. I didn't find myself needing color, didn't need audiobook capability, and I wasn't interested in checking Facebook or my email on the same device. If I was to buy a new ereader today, I'd definitely get one from Barnes & Noble.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Simple Touch is similar to the Sony for under $100, and it has WiFi. It is only an ereader and it's black & white too. The battery life lasts longer than my Sony. If you buy a (WiFi) Nook from Barnes & Noble, and you visit their store, you can read anyone of their NOOK books for free for up to one hour a day. You can also visit their Nook demo area and check out their games/apps without paying for them first (if you go with their Nook Color or the new Nook Tablet). They re-image their demo models every night at the store near me. It is nice to have local support too.

I think you will enjoy having 100+ books on your ereader, and have them readily avaible without taking up shelf space

[georoc01]

A little late in responding, but I have a Sony Pocket e-reader (PRS-350). It's a 5" screen (not the standard 7"). I REALLY like the size, but it's now an older model compared to the new bells & whistles of the Kindle and Nooks. My Sony ereader requires you to use a cable to download ebooks from your computer to the ereader. No WiFi, so it's not "convenient" to buy and book and start reading it, but it's not hard to follow the steps and get it on the ereader. I LOVE the size of it, as I can hold it with just one hand and use the buttons on the bottom to turn the page or swipe it via touch.

One of the reasons why I LOVE ereaders is that you can increase the font size. Don't need reading glasses!!!!! Mine also has a built in dictionary (which most models also have that now). It is FABULOUS to be able to click on a word in the middle of your reading to learn the meaning of the word. On the Sony that I have, it also contains a stylus, so I can handwrite notes on it, underline words, etc. Other ereaders do similar things but without a stylus.

I don't know about other ereaders, but I have no trouble reading it out in the sunshine. That was one thing I researched a lot about...the Kindle and Sony's had the best screens for outdoor reading. I know the Kindle Fire isn't the same screen as the older Kindles, but the Nook has received great reviews lately. The other reason why I went with the Sony ereader (at the time) was the long battery life. Also, and this isn't the case now, but at the time Sony was one of the few ereaders that would work with my public library. I didn't find myself needing color, didn't need audiobook capability, and I wasn't interested in checking Facebook or my email on the same device. If I was to buy a new ereader today, I'd definitely get one from Barnes & Noble.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Simple Touch is similar to the Sony for under $100, and it has WiFi. It is only an ereader and it's black & white too. The battery life lasts longer than my Sony. If you buy a (WiFi) Nook from Barnes & Noble, and you visit their store, you can read anyone of their NOOK books for free for up to one hour a day. You can also visit their Nook demo area and check out their games/apps without paying for them first (if you go with their Nook Color or the new Nook Tablet). They re-image their demo models every night at the store near me. It is nice to have local support too.

I think you will enjoy having 100+ books on your ereader, and have them readily avaible without taking up shelf space

If you are looking at a nook, you might want to take this into consideration..

http://news.yahoo.co...-143152851.html

[shadragon]

If you are looking at a nook, you might want to take this into consideration..

http://news.yahoo.co...-143152851.html

The greatest idea, poorly managed, ends up hurting the consumer more than anyone else. If I were to recommend a tablet, I would look at either the Motorola XOOM or Kindle Fire. Both have companies that are run very well and will be around for the life of those tabs. If you just want to read books then the basic Kindle works well even in direct sunlight and costs nothing to buy.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

If you just want to read books then the basic Kindle works well even in direct sunlight and costs nothing to buy.

Can't argue with the price you quoted!

[shadragon]

Just realized the original question was how long does the battery last.

Answer from a review site: "2 weeks (wireless off); 1 week (wireless on)"

[peterbj7]

I bought a Kindle 3G/WiFi last Spring. Ive played with it a lot, but actually use it very little. I haven't bought any books for it but I tried reformatting books I already had, with variable success. Much of the time I end up with formatting that's either uncomfortable to use or unusable. I'm sure that wouldn't be the case if I bought books. I also tried reading newspapers and found that unacceptable.

Although I barely use my Kindle, I still use my old Handera 330 (Palm 3 technology with substantial improvements) a great deal. I have several hundred books on it, plus of course all the normal diary/organiser features. What I REALLY want is a newer technology version of that but I've so far found nothing like it.

Oh, the battery life on the Kindle is a month or more almost irrespective of usage. That will of course drop as the battery ages - my HE started out at up to six weeks, but now barely lasts a week. Still ample for most usage though.

My problem is that quite a few books I want to read have never been produced for any electronic reading device, so I often rely on unofficial pirating and put up with questionable formatting. Physical books are very bulky, quite expensive, hard to buy here, and deteriorate quickly in the Belize climate. When I last returned from the UK in September over half my (miserly) baggage allowance was taken up with books - books that have never been converted to any e-format.

I meant to add that I dislike touch-screen technology, for the simple reason that you get finger marks all over the screen. For that reason I'd never buy one of the current range of tablets. But I DO like the handwriting input on the HE, and find it vastly quicker and more pleasant than any form of keyboard, whether physical or virtual. Does ANYONE know of a current-technology version of the HE?

Edited by peterbj7, 06 January 2012 - 05:35 PM.