Kindle Ereader Review (2017 version)

It’s been a while since I wanted to test a Kindle e-reader from Amazon. This is done with this first price model with a touch screen but without lighting being tested on the site.

Packaging and presentation

As always with Amazon products, it’s clean. I am even very surprised at the care taken in the packaging of this Kindle e-reader since the Fire tablets are very light.

There we have a nice cardboard box and the e-reader is well protected inside. The e-reader also arrives in a small plastic bag to protect it.

There is not much more to say because we are in front of a simple and classic box. Also in the box is a small USB cable as well as a booklet for the first use.

The most important thing is to take the e-reader in hand. As always, it is a very good impression that these Kindle e-readers. For an inexpensive e-reader, it’s well finished – at least as good as e-readers from other brands over $ 100.

The whole looks solid and holds well in the hand. The plastic is a bit slippery but nothing serious. So it’s a good impression for this first grip.

I also appreciate the lightness of the e-reader which is not felt at all. This version is 16% lighter than the previous one and you can feel it right away.
There is a button to turn on the e-reader and a location for the USB cable (which will be used both to charge the e-reader but also to plug the Kindle into its computer to transfer its files).

For this first use, it is therefore interesting and in line with the good impressions of the Kindle range over the past 5 years.

Kindle e-reader screen

When you turn on the Kindle e-reader screen, it leaves a good impression. It is precise and the contrast is correct.

Of course, the main problem with this e-reader is its lack of lighting. However, this is not really a big flaw for reading – unless you read in a light environment that is too dark.

On the other hand, the lack of even minimal front lighting means that the screen contrast is a little worse than other e-readers with minimum lighting.

But, in the end, it’s a bit of detail since the precision is very good and reading on this machine is very pleasant.

So the screen is very good for an e-reader under $ 70, we can only admit it.

The screen is also tactile and it responds very well in all circumstances. But, there has been no real difference between e-readers for 2 or 3 years at this level. The good thing, though, is that the screen refreshes so quickly.

Screen refresh speed has always been a benefit of Kindle e-readers, and while the brand isn’t as far ahead as it used to be, it’s interesting that it still works better and better year after year. .

If the screen is nothing exceptional, the touch layer and the refresh rate are two excellent points.

Note that when the e-reader does not have a lot of battery, the touch screen seems to work less well. Maybe it’s due to my eReader, but it’s always interesting to point out.

Since May 2019, a new version of the Kindle e-reader is available with lighting.

Wifi, USB, and library

The e-reader is supplied with a USB cable which allows the e-reader to be recharged. But you can also use the e-reader with the Caliber software by connecting it to a computer with the cable.

When using the e-reader for the first time, we are invited to enter their Amazon account information to access their bookstore (and necessarily make purchases).

Again, no worries to note at this level and I would even say that Amazon still offers the simplest and most pleasant experience at this level (no Adobe DRM management, everything is integrated for simplicity).

The bookstore itself is very comprehensive and Amazon also highlights best sellers, discounts, etc. In short, it’s pretty much the same as elsewhere.

Thus, on the home page of the e-reader, you have access to:

• the library
• the book store
• current reading
• recommendations
• an advertisement: the e-reader is a cheap version with advertising. These have never seemed bothersome to me and never intervene during reading. No problem for me then.
• the settings
• In short, we really have everything we need at hand and the book being read (the main one) is displayed in large size.

Reading, experience, and feelings on the Kindle e-reader

Not surprisingly reading on Kindle is very good. We can see that the company uses its 10 years of experience in digital reading to continually improve its product.

As we have just seen the screen, although not having an excellent resolution, is very precise. No worries at this level, therefore.
The software allows you to set characters, margins, space between lines. As always with Kindle, the font selection is limited. But, I find they are all well chosen.

On the other hand, if you necessarily need a particular font and it is not in your eReader’s selection, you will not be able to add new ones.

Pages are turned using the touchscreen: pressing the left side of the screen goes back one page and pressing the right moves one page forward. The page change is very fast which is a good point.

We also have some information on reading at the bottom left such as the reading time remaining in the chapter or in the book, two pieces of information that I find very nice.

On the other hand, I find it unfortunate that no physical button to access the menu or to turn the pages is present. I find that this makes some handling a bit risky. But maybe it’s out of habit.

There is something very interesting: the feature that allows you to quickly jump to a page in a book while previewing the pages, the improved page break. It is also possible to scroll through them quickly. Even though this functionality is technically impressive, it lacks practicality.

I also pass on the functional dictionary and very present, as on all e-readers.

So, I don’t have a big problem note reading with a Kindle e-reader other than the lack of lighting and a physical button.

Reading comics

Not surprisingly, reading manga works well on Kindle. The pages display quite quickly and the pages are turned just as easily.

Now it’s a whole different story for color comics like European books or comics.

I therefore strongly advise against reading comics on this e-reader, as on most other 6-inch e-readers elsewhere. I think the format doesn’t really lend itself to this.

Reading PDF files

Oddly enough, I found reading PDFs not too bad on this easy Kindle.

Of course, the lack of color is always a problem, but the pages display quite well and the zoom works about.

But, still, I do not recommend an e-reader for this use. If you read a lot of PDFs, buy an 8 or 10-inch tablet and you will be largely satisfied. An e-reader is still primarily intended for reading texts – such as novels – and this Kindle is no exception to the rule.

Technical information

The conclusion of this Kindle e-reader test is close but before reading my verdict, here are the technical characteristics of this machine:

• 6-inch screen (Carta type? I’m not sure …)
• touch screen
• 4 GB of storage
• weight of 185 grams
• dimensions: 160 mm x 115 mm x 9.1 mm
• USB and Wifi connection

The specs are very basic but, again, considering the price, that’s not shocking.

In terms of the files supported, here are the formats supported by the reader:

• Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
• Rich Text Format (.rtf)
• HTML (.htm, .html)
• Text documents (.txt)
• Archived documents (zip, x-zip) and compressed archived documents
• Mobi Book

As you may have noticed, Adobe EPUB and/or DRM support is still not on the agenda.

Conclusion and final verdict

I really liked this new Kindle even if it is a big flaw in my opinion: the lack of lighting.

For me, it has become difficult to read without a minimum of lighting on the eReader. I find that the contrast is better and that the eyes tire a lot less.

Also, Kindle still does not support the EPUB format. Even if the problem is easy to solve with the Caliber software which converts to the Mobi format, it is a shame that we are still there in 2017/2018.

But, in the end, I enjoyed reading about this e-reader, which still offers excellent value for money.

Plus, if you’re a Prime subscriber, you can borrow one book per month and read it on your eReader. And, if you take the step from Kindle subscription to unlimited reading, this eReader truly unleashes its full potential.

Most :

✔️ quality/price ratio

✔️integration with Amazon services

✔️simplicity of use

The lessers :

❗No EPUB format supported!

❗no lighting

Final Note: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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