Best 100$ I've Ever Spent
About a week ago, I got myself a Kindle, and I can say it has been the most life-changing little purchase. I can't believe it's only a little over 100 bucks. I was choosing between the Paperwhite and the basic 2024 version. Ended up getting the basic one because it's smaller (you really don't need it bigger than 6"), and it doesn't have a reflective screen like the Paperwhite - so it doesn't feel like you're staring at yet another device, plus you can read in sunlight!
The basic version didn't have a dark mode, but they've finally introduced it since the 11th generation two years ago. I would've been heartbroken if it didn't have a dark mode, as I read at night more than any other time of the day. The Paperwhite also has this warmer light, or sepia mode, but it really isn't a dealbreaker.
Another great thing about the Kindle is its battery life. If you turn on airplane mode, it'll last well over two weeks with 1-2 hours of reading per day.
Featurezzz
I was amazed at how much usefulness is packed into this super simple-looking device. I love it so much.
- XRay - this basically gives you a summary of the most relevant parts, characters, terms, etc. I think it's particularly useful in complex texts to quickly refresh your memory.
- Word Wise - adds more line spacing to display simple definitions over difficult words. It's super useful for beginner-level language learners, I think.
- Vocabulary Builder - whenever you highlight a single word, a dictionary appears on the screen, but what's more, the word is automatically added to a list which you can review later - even using flashcards to help yourself memorize the new words!
- Notes Export - you can highlight and neatly export your notes in PDF by sending them to your Amazon email.
- Basic Browser - there's even a very primitive form of a browser that lets you access websites like Goodreads to track your reading progress, etc. Thankfully, you can't actually browse the internet on a Kindle, which would defeat its whole purpose.
How to Access Books?
There are a few ways you can load books onto your Kindle. The most obvious would be Kindle Unlimited, which has a shitty selection of books, in my opinion...honestly, I don't understand how that kind of low-quality romance and fantasy stuff even gets published, probably because they allow self-publishing, or maybe you just need to dig deeper. But anyway, it's about $12/month to access their library.
A much better way, I'd say, is to use Send to Kindle, which is an Amazon feature that lets you drag and drop files you've downloaded elsewhere and makes them show up on your Kindle.
My favorite way, though, is to simply use your local library and the Libby app (which, I believe, only works in the US though). I have it on my phone, where I look for books and then click Read With Kindle.
Final Thoughts
Final thoughts is a funny expression, by the way. Thoughts are never final...out of each one, there's another one born, and they're infinite and sometimes pretty overwhelming ¯\(◉◡◔)/¯ but also, not really. Anyway, that's all get yourself a Kindle and live happily ever after.
Ok, actual final thoughts: The Kindle has been tremendously helpful in reducing my phone time. I love that I can just grab it and go out to a park to read with zero distractions.