Kindle and Eyesight

[mrburden]

My eyesight is pretty poor and I've lost interest in reading over the last few years because of it. I have listened to books for the blind, but I don't like the fact that I'm locked into it with earphones and just seem to be not part of what is going on around me. My son recently bought a Kindle and I have been surprised at how easy it is to read compared to a "real" book. The grey background and the ability to set the font style, size and line spacing etc. was quite an eye-opener in every sense! I'm not really a gadget freak but I certainly will be getting one for myself. It's a massive improvement on standard print books.
PS. Now I see there is one to win on Diabetes.co.uk...fingers are crossed here!

[librarising]

Our county library here in Bucks has tons of audiobooks on CD (and I think cassette) for those who want to listen in the car, on their personal cd player, on the home hi-fi, on their bedside radio/CD player, so no need to be under headphones.
It also has a reservation system where you can go online, check stock, and reserve for pickup at your local library. All for 50p.

Doesn't your library have such a system ?

Geoff (not saying Kindles aren't great )

[mrburden]

Our county library here in Bucks has tons of audiobooks on CD (and I think cassette) for those who want to listen in the car, on their personal cd player, on the home hi-fi, on their bedside radio/CD player, so no need to be under headphones.
It also has a reservation system where you can go online, check stock, and reserve for pickup at your local library. All for 50p.

Doesn't your library have such a system ?

Geoff (not saying Kindles aren't great )

Yes, I've used the audiobooks from our library. They do have a very good selection, including a weekly review of local newspapers. I just find that I like to read in the same room as other people and that means I use the earphones so that I don't annoy them while they do their thing. The kindle is ideal for that. I'm just completely amazed at how different it is to read it compared to a black on white print. And I can still be "sociable" while I do it!

[borofergie]

I've got a membership to Audible, which allows me to download two audiobooks a month.

The trouble is, that as soon as I start listening to any of them, it just makes me want to sleep. I have the attention span of a goldfish, if I'm reading then I'm reading, if I'm listening to something, then I'll just start mucking around doing something else.

I love Kindle (on the iPad).

[Fraddycat]

I too love my Kindle, I can make the font bigger if I am more tired at the end of the day. The only problem with that is that I feel like I am always turning the page, but that is so easy so its not too much trouble. Its great even in bright sunlight and we found that we were fighting over the Kindle when on holiday!

Make sure you look at Amazon for your Kindle, the base model has just come down in price to £69 because they have just released a new model, but I see that Tescos etc are still selling it at the old price of £80.

[hanadr]

I ADORE my Kindle Touch. Bought it originally for a long train journey. It's lighter than a heap of books and I'm a very fast reader.
I have no eyesight problems other than lifelong short sight, but I can change the size of the text easily. It also has a text-to-audio option. You can get a little light to clip on top. I could do with one for Christmas for reading in bed, so I don't just fall asleep with the light on.
It's great!, but I'm trying to keep to free books [there are loads] so I don't spend too much.
Hana

[Millerite]

Well from the responses to this thread, it would seem that Kindle could well be worth a go.
I had to stop reading a few years back now, as I got to the point where I could just about manage a page before not being able to make the words out, and didn't really fancy taking over a year to finish a book.
I do enjoy audio books, however find myself going to sleep listening to them, so often have to find something familiar in the storyline, then start from there.
If Kindle will make it possible to read books again, then that's something I'll certainly look into. I'd just started the second book in the Anita Blake series when my eyesight went bad, so will be getting those on one if possible.
Thanks for starting the thread, i hadn't thought of reading again till I saw this. I'd heard of Kindle, but just that it was a digital book, and thought that I'd have the same issues with it that I had with books, but as it comes recommended, I'll give it a go.

[Persian lady]

My husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas 2010, from Amazon. I love my Kindle and wouldn't be without it now. I did wonder if I would miss turning the pages of a 'real' book but, because you still 'turn' pages on the Kindle, I don't miss that at all. there are sometimes that I miss - but only a little - the handling of a printed book, then I think of the 1000 plus books I can carry around with me for the space of just one book, then the feeling quickly goes.
I love the books you can get on Amazon, there are so many 'free' books and, even if you want the new release of someone like James Patterson, they are still a bit cheaper than the written work.
They have a whole section of books that are £1.00, and there are lots of books that you can buy for 25pence and upwards.
Now that they have brought out the cheaper Kindle, I hope that a lot more people, who have eyesight problems, will be able to get a 'book' where you can alter the size of letters, etc., and enjoy reading again.
Good luck, a stay happy, and stay well.
Wilma

[welsh_kev]

i absolutely adore my kindle touch, its especially good when getting free books on amazon!

ive tried a few lights and have found this one to be far superior to the others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yxO6kCw62A

kind regards

kev

[Squire Fulwood]

I have a Kindle and am now happy to read books again. I stopped because I seemed unable to buy a pair of spectacles with which I could read the paper books without my eyes getting very tired. The Kindle allow me to read quite a lot before I fall asleep.

Mine arrived already set up by Amazon and I just go on line and buy a book if it is a recent title. Also I found some discs on Ebay with 30,000+ books on them in pdf format. There is a program called Calibre which converts file formats and loads the result into the Kindle. I have books for life now.

[chris lowe]

I love my Kindle. It's so easy and light. I've recently read a "proper" book and it was so heavy to hold that it took me twice as long to read as I found it quite tiring (I know I'm a wimp!). The only thing that bugs me is the price of the books - if there's no paper, no printing costs etc why does a book cost almost the same a a "hard" copy? I usuallly check the Kindle daily deal on amazon to see what they've got for 99p and have had only one really duff book. I make it a rule not to pay more than £4 if I really want a book. Only thing is, where I used to have 3 or 4 books piled up by the bed which I stood on to dust the top of the picture by the bed, I now have to stand right up on tippy toes to reach

[GraceK]

I love my Kindle too. I bought it because I like to read in bed but I have a problem keeping hold of a book because I don't have good strength in my hands. But I'm sorry I didn't buy an E-Reader rather than a Kindle because there are more books available for download apparently. Kindle is limited to Kindle books only.

[MaryJ]

Too love my kindle

Have the case which has a light built into it.

2 small issues

1- miss the 'smell' of a real book
2- picking up a book you are reminded everytime of the title and author. it seems daft but I don't get them ingrained in my head as you just start from the page you were last at.

Mary x