# Anyone doing their main reading on the fire?



## maddie80 (Apr 14, 2010)

I'm in need of a new kindle generally, since I sold my K3.  I can't decide if I want to do the touch, or if I want the fire.  I've tried them both out at Target, and I have to admit - I really loved the fire.  Even just for plain reading, it's so zippy. I do a lot of reading at night, or in bed, and the backlight wouldn't be so bad for that - I don't think.  I'm wondering if anyone is using their Fire for their main reader and what the disadvantages are?  I'm trying to talk myself into just a touch, and I'm failing.


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

I was going to but ended up returning my fire. It was just way to heavy to read on for long for me.  loving my touch tho!


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## Carol Collett (Oct 4, 2009)

I didn't think I would do a lot of just reading on it, but I am. I have the books set so that they have a sepia background with brown print and it's actually fine for me. It's significantly heavier than my K2 so not quite as comfortable to read in bed for that reason. But overall I'm pleased with my reading experience on the Fire. Would not work well in bright light as the screen is pretty reflective.


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## Jeansaint (May 29, 2009)

I have a K2 but now I use the Fire as my main reading device. I tend to bounce between internet articles and ebooks when I read at night so the Fire works great for me. I have heard alot of people say that tablets are hard on the eyes after a few hours of reading but I have yet to feel like its straining my eyes. I like that I don't need to add a booklight to read at night with it and I turn down the brightness so my husband isn't blasted with bright light when he is sleeping. 
I don't feel that it is any heavier than a standard paperback so weight isn't an issue for me.
Its a matter of preference but I don't see myself going back to my K2 as I feel the Fire gives me the ebook reading plus so much more.


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## katbird1 (Dec 10, 2008)

^what jeansaint said.  I am loving being able to read comfortably with my Fire at night.  I can adjust the brightness down to make it look like my K3 except evenly lit, or I do the reverse with black background.  As for reading for hrs, couldn't say, luckily I conk out before an hr is up.

Oh, and I use my pyramid pillow to hold it, so no problem.


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## Cabinwood (Jan 3, 2010)

I was holding on to my K3 in case the Fire was too hard on my eyes, but have decided it's fine and it's been my main reading device!  I do use the beige background with brown letters and the screened slightly dimmed compared to how it came.  I'm giving my K3 and lighted cover to my sister who bought my K2 from me when I bought the K3!


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## Lisa M. (Jun 15, 2010)

I'm too spoiled by my super small and light BabyK.


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

I mainly read on my iPhone, since I just got it.  Before that, I mainly read on my iPod Touch II.  Now, that I have my Fire, it will be my main reading device.  It is the same weight as an iPhone with a much larger screen that can be adjusted to even a larger or smaller text size plus the chance to change the fonts.  I read at night on any of the afore-mentioned devices on the the black background with white text without tiring my eyes.  On dark days outside, it works well too.  

When my leather cover arrives Tuesday, I will find it a little heavier, but easier to hold as it has a strap with which to place my hand.  It will also be free standing not unlike my hubby's Kindle DX.

On an aside, hubby is now leering at my Fire.  Guess I will be placing the DX for sale.  Any takers?


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## racheldeet (Jan 21, 2010)

I still love my K4, but I have to admit, the Fire is going in my bag more. The ability to whip it out, read, and have the media on the side for when I'm too brain-dead to read (IE: between classes) is fantastic. I'm not experiencing much eyestrain, but that might be because I make sure to fiddle with the brightness depending on the time of day and where I am before I get down to it.

So it's definitely possible. Amazon has a generous return policy, so you might try it out and see what it does to your eyes when reading on it for more than a few minutes.


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## Nickinev (Aug 31, 2010)

I've been reading on my Fire since I got it. I put it on Sepia and use the screen filter app. The resolution is so nice and I'm finding it to be very easy on the eyes. I also love the fact that I can easily look up words or phrases in google or wikipedia and then get right back to my book.

Nicole


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

I love reading on it.  I've been reading the Steve Jobs bio on it, I was previously reading it on the iPad.  As far as weight, it doesn't bother me.  Doesn't matter the device I always have it resting on something, so there's that.  But the screen doesn't bother me at all, at night I switch it to white on black text and it's great.  The option to have other functions are great, like surfing the next, playing games, you know...all that stuff.  I'd say buy it where you can have a decent return policy and then try it out.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Nickinev said:


> I've been reading on my Fire since I got it. I put it on Sepia and use the screen filter app. The resolution is so nice and I'm finding it to be very easy on the eyes. I also love the fact that I can easily look up words or phrases in google or wikipedia and then get right back to my book.
> 
> Nicole


What screen filter app are you talking about? I was using white on black but found even that kind of glary when it's the only light. . .I'm liking the sepia and I turn the brightness down.


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## Raffeer (Nov 19, 2008)

Department of questions that everyone but me has the answer to.

Uh? Sepia? How do I get to it? Been searching without finding. Help!


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

Raffeer said:


> Department of questions that everyone but me has the answer to.
> 
> Uh? Sepia? How do I get to it? Been searching without finding. Help!


Sepia is in the book settings when you have a book up. Press the center of the screen for the menu, press the "Aa" option, then you have all of your reading settings, fonts, color, size, etc.


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## trastan (Nov 14, 2011)

I'm another who uses their Fire as their main reading device. I haven't found a problem with the weight of it, nor do I have any significant eyestrain (though I look at glowing screens for most of the day already). I may look into a standard kindle in the future, but this is working perfectly, at least for now.


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## CKVolnek (Jul 18, 2011)

Thanks for sharing all your experiences. Now, I know I have to put the Fire on my Christmas list.


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## Neon8 (Oct 19, 2011)

Do some reading on the Fire but home reading on the Touch. Fire for out and about. Goes with me and if I want to read just whisper sync to current page. Used to take my IPad and K3 everywhere now just the Fire. Thanks Fire for lightening my load


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## Nickinev (Aug 31, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> What screen filter app are you talking about? I was using white on black but found even that kind of glary when it's the only light. . .I'm liking the sepia and I turn the brightness down.


It's an app I sideloaded. Just google Screen Filter apk. It works great for reading at night.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Nickinev said:


> It's an app I sideloaded. Just google Screen Filter apk. It works great for reading at night.


Ah! So it's not in Amazon's appstore. . .what does it do?


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## Bob327 (Nov 17, 2011)

I just received my Fire Saturday...and have been "learning what I need to do to sideloading apps from my phone...

BUT yesterday I used it to read with and to be frabnk after an hour or so I switched to my regular Kindle (it is the one with 3G and a keyboard..who knows what generation it is) but I find it much easier to use (except in the dark) then the fire...  after an hour I switched back to the fire and confirmed my own personal preference to use my kindle and not the fire..

Bob G.


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## Nickinev (Aug 31, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Ah! So it's not in Amazon's appstore. . .what does it do?


It cuts down on the glare without having to dim your screen very low. Someone on here described it as sunglasses for your kindle.  Just a warning though - don't dim all the way and then enable it because it will be very hard to disable it (I know from experience)!


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## BMathison (Feb 4, 2011)

I'm doing all of my reading on my Fire.  I do most of my reading at night, or in a dimly lit room.  I tried reading lights to attach to my old Kindle, but they kept on getting in my way.

Have had a bit of eyestrain (as I read an entire book yesterday), but nothing too much.  I'm going to try the toned-down screen with tan/brown.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

> I can't decide if I want to do the touch, or if I want the fire.


I couldn't decide either. So I got both . I still prefer reading on e-ink, especially for long periods. I may try the Fire tonight before I go to sleep. I like to read before falling asleep, so I'll see how it is.


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## Stellamaz (Aug 12, 2009)

I'm still doing my "heavy-duty" reading on K2, but I do love the Fire for reading in bed at night. Two reasons: First, I have never been able to find a book light that I could stand, for either a DTB or my Kindle; they either don't light the page or screen evenly, or get in the way, or have shadows, etc., etc., so I love the Fire's backlight for this (I use the sepia screen, dimmed way down.)  Second, I love that there are no clicking page-turn buttons. We live in the boondocks and our house is quiet at night ... so quiet that those clicking buttons - which are never a problem otherwise - sound like clacking typewriter strikers when there's no other noise. (Or am I the only one who remembers what actual typewriter strikers sound like?)

I love the Fire; have had few problems with it, and most of those I did have were either due to operator error or just a matter of getting used to things.


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## katy32 (Dec 20, 2010)

My k2 is currently on loan, and i sold my k3 so I'm reading on just the fire now.  I find that if I switch it to the cream background I can read comfortably on it.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I tried without adjusting the brightness and felt like my corneas were burning!  Just happy to do my reading on my K3.  But will try again with adjustments, assuming I stick with the Fire.


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## lowspark (Apr 18, 2010)

This is my first night with my fire and I will be doing all my reading on it. I finally retired my K2 so this is different but cool. Also my first Fire post


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Congrats on your first Fire post! 

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I've been reading on the Fire the last couple of nights before bed. . . using sepia with the brightness down to about half. . . .still have the bedside light on.  it's worked great. . . I turn the thing upside down so I can just prop it and not worry about pushing the button and page turns are dead easy.  I still like the eInk most of the time. . .but the Fire works better than I expected. . . .I've used the kindle app on both my Xoom and Droid. . . .one is too big and one is too big. . . but the Fire is just right! (I feel like Goldilocks!)


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## Lee (Nov 7, 2008)

I carry around a lot of stuff during the day, so I'm still carrying my K3 for reading at job or on the way to job, to help keep my load light.  But at home I'm doing all my reading on the Fire.  I didn't like reading on the iPad, but the Fire's resolution seems sharper (I guess because of the smaller screen, more pixels per inch).  I'm still trying to decide between black-on-white and sepia.  (Like Ann in Arlington, I found the white-on-black to be too reflective -- I could see myself reflected on the screen!)  It's really cool to read it in bed with all the lights off.  As others have said, just make sure to dim the brightness.


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## lowspark (Apr 18, 2010)

Well tonight is my first night at work with my new Fire. That battery is really draining fast with the wireless turned OFF. I had it fully charged and its down to 80% the first couple of hours.


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## Vet (Apr 25, 2010)

That sounds about right. I lose about 10% an hour on both my iPad and the Fire. I really like reading on my Fire using the sepia setting. I haven't picked up my K3 since receiving my new toy.


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## eneisch (Mar 22, 2009)

I have been reading on my iPhone and iPad for a while so my eyes are accustomed to reading on a LCD screen.  I like the smaller form factor of the Fire as I find it to be a better size than the iPad for bringing my book with me wherever I may roam.  That being said, I will also be keeping my K3 as it will be the best choice for reading outdoors in the park and beach.  Can't have too many gadgets!


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

Lee said:


> I carry around a lot of stuff during the day, so I'm still carrying my K3 for reading at job or on the way to job, to help keep my load light. But at home I'm doing all my reading on the Fire. I didn't like reading on the iPad, but the Fire's resolution seems sharper (I guess because of the smaller screen, more pixels per inch). I'm still trying to decide between black-on-white and sepia. (Like Ann in Arlington, I found the white-on-black to be too reflective -- I could see myself reflected on the screen!) It's really cool to read it in bed with all the lights off. As others have said, just make sure to dim the brightness.


Yeah it does have higher pixels per inch. I noticed it is a little sharper than the iPad.


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

I read mainly at night and use the white on black dimmed way down.  I do not find the Fire heavy as I often read on my iPhone and they are nearly the same weight.  Since I put the cover on my Fire, it is much easier to hold as it is less slippery than the backing on the Fire.

I bought the Fire for reading, but have enjoyed being able to pop online and check mail every now and then plus using Drop Box has been really nice to keep track of my knitting pattern without printing it out.


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

I really think I will continue to use my K3 for reading, but found my spot in the book synced so easily to my newly arrived Fire! I figured out how to turn down the brightness, but how do I change to the sepia tone?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

While in the book, click on the middle of the page to bring up the bottom menu bar and click on the Aa to bring up the "appearances" menu.

Sepia with brown text is the right hand color mode, at the bottom of the Appearances popup menu.

Betsy


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## TraceyC/FL (Mar 23, 2011)

I just have to say that I have always loved reading in bed, but despised book lights. I started with ebooks on my Sony Clies and peanut press, moved on to my iPod Touch and then my iPad. The LCD never bothered me, Sepia on all the devices rocks....

But those of you that haven't tried reading in the dark snuggled up to your Fire in some unheard of reading position... Just try it, you might like it!  

I'm normally on my side with my iPad on the diagonal, since I share my bed with no one, I have a box of checks I rest it on and if i get my blanket just right, I don't even have to hold it! I bet it would be easier with the Fire since it is smaller.

So basically what I'm saying, in my personal opinion, backlit ereaders are the best thing to ever happen for nighttime reading!!!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Love my iPad and now my Fire for reading at night.  I just never could love the book lights I tried.

Betsy


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