Need advice about buying a new Kindle 8 in 2024

[Quoth]

The T2 is maybe better than Kindle 8. I gave one to a granddaughter. Far better than the T1 which I returned. Also the SD card slot nicely hidden and takes 32G. The K8 (really 1st Basic?) is about 3G free for user content. I've not had a T3, but they seem a last rushed version.

If 50 bucks = 50 USD (USA$), then that's expensive for anything older than Kindle PW3.

If you don't actually break the T2, only the battery (cell) is likely to fail.

Keep the T3. Likely better than an old Kindle 8.

China is full of cheap ereaders.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by rcentros

There was also the Kindle Touch and the Kindle 7 (which was almost the same as the Kindle 8).

I'd have thought they were also both IR touch, but I didn't know, so made no comment.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I didn't know, so made no comment.

What the hell kind of attitude is that?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by quentincompson

Thank you, that would've been a great solution, but, unfortunately, i'm not in the States - i live in Russia (don't hold it against me).

I definitely don't hold that against you. Hope you don't hold it against me that I'm in the United States. (Our government likes to stick their nose in other people's business.)

Originally Posted by quentincompson

I do like the T3, but the hyphenation problem is kind of a letdown, and it seems that the text on the screen is not as pronounced and saturated with black as on my T2 (which also doesn't have the issue of hyphenating words at the end of a line). So it seems that for me T2 is the better option of the two.

P.S. Incidentally, could you tell me if a Kindle 8 also has the same hyphenation issue (dividing some word at the end of lines) as the T3 model?

People used to complain about no hyphenation on the earlier Sonys. (I actually complain about a Nook Glowlight that no longer supports hyphenation in the newer firmware.) But I don't think there is any way to turn hyphenation off on the Kindle (even if you choose "no justification" it still seems to hyphenate). I think if you don't use the justified text setting on a Kobo, it will turn hyphenation off. (I think that's what I read.) PocketBook does have a specific hyphenation setting (off/on), so a PocketBook might be your best choice for no hyphenation. (Or maybe find another Sony PRS-T2 in newer condition?)

EDIT: Sirtel (see below) has pointed out that Kindles will not use hyphenation when you're reading .mobi books so that might a good and simple solution with the Kindle 8.

I don't like the gaps in sentences, so I like hyphenation, but you're definitely not alone in your dislike of split words. I think every eReader company should do what PocketBook does, have a setting to turn it off or on.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I'd have thought they were also both IR touch, but I didn't know, so made no comment.

I still have a Kindle Touch, and I owned a Kindle 7 for a while. I sold it. Then, because the Kindle 8 was on sale for $50 (with five payments of $10), I bought it as an impulse item, set it up and almost never used it. I think the Kindle 7 actually had better battery life. I don't even know what they changed on the 8 (the shape is a little different but otherwise it seems almost identical). I'm sure there was something different, but I couldn't tell you what.

[Sirtel]

For what it's worth, AFAIK Kindles only use hyphenation with the KFX format or with the Hyphenate This plugin. I've never seen any hyphenation with AZW3.

On my Kobos I have to disable hyphenation in the book css (I read justified text).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For what it's worth, AFAIK Kindles only use hyphenation with the KFX format or with the Hyphenate This plugin. I've never seen any hyphenation with AZW3.

Good to know. Thanks. I was surprised to see this so I randomly downloaded a free mobi formatted book from Baen and tested it on the Kindle 8. I was able to verify what you wrote. (I thought I had some mobi books on the Kindle 8, but I guess I was wrong.)

Originally Posted by Sirtel

On my Kobos I have to disable hyphenation in the book css (I read justified text).

Okay. Something I don't know how to do (but I don't mind hyphenation). It's good to know that it can be done, however.

Would that also work when using the Sony PRS-T3?

[quentincompson]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The T2 is maybe better than Kindle 8. I gave one to a granddaughter. Far better than the T1 which I returned. Also the SD card slot nicely hidden and takes 32G. The K8 (really 1st Basic?) is about 3G free for user content. I've not had a T3, but they seem a last rushed version.

If 50 bucks = 50 USD (USA$), then that's expensive for anything older than Kindle PW3.

If you don't actually break the T2, only the battery (cell) is likely to fail.

Keep the T3. Likely better than an old Kindle 8.

China is full of cheap ereaders.

Thank you for the all the advice you've given - it means a lot. I guess i'll stick with my existing readers and refrain from buying Kindle 8) Here's to hoping that T2 lasts another ten years)

The T3 is ok by the way, it’s display is supposed to be a bit more advanced that T2's and the battery has been great so far, but the fact of the word-splitting is annoying, and the way text is displayed on my particular T3 model is somewhat upsetting, though not a deal breaker (the ink is a little duller that on the T2); other than that, it seems to be just as good as T2.

Anyway, thank again for your time and help!

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by quentincompson

Thank you for the all the advice you've given - it means a lot. I guess i'll stick with my existing readers and refrain from buying Kindle 8) Here's to hoping that T2 lasts another ten years)

There's a lag in your messages because of moderation, but I've edited my last post. If you use the Kindle 8 with mobi (rather than KFX) files, it will not hyphenate. (No split words.) I've tested this on my Kindle 8 and can confirm this feature. So the Kindle 8 might still be a solution. There are some other advantages to the kindle. You can install your own fonts, you can more easily set margins and line spacing, you can set the boldness of the font, there are more font size choices, etc.

Originally Posted by quentincompson

The T3 is ok by the way, it’s display is supposed to be a bit more advanced that T2's and the battery has been great so far, but the fact of the word-splitting is annoying, and the way text is displayed on my particular T3 model is somewhat upsetting, though not a deal breaker (the ink is a little duller that on the T2); other than that, it seems to be just as good as T2.

Sirtel, in his post (which you've probably seen by now) says that he set hyphenation off in the "book's css." I'm guessing that should also work for the T3 (but don't know for sure — as I don't know how this works). It might be worth checking into doing as well.

Originally Posted by quentincompson

Anyway, thank again for your time and help!

I hope it was actually help and not more confusion. Good luck with whatever direction you go.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Would that also work when using the Sony PRS-T3?

I guess so, although I've never used a Sony (they were too expensive for me back then). But I'm also guessing it's not what most people would want to do on a regular basis. I edit the formatting of my ebooks anyway, disabling hyphenation is just part of my workflow.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rcentros

There's a lag in your messages because of moderation, but I've edited my last post. If you use the Kindle 8 with mobi (rather than KFX) files, it will not hyphenate. (No split words.) I've tested this on my Kindle 8 and can confirm this feature. So the Kindle 8 might still be a solution. There are some other advantages to the kindle. You can install your own fonts, you can more easily set margins and line spacing, you can set the boldness of the font, there are more font size choices, etc. .

Not mobi - can't use custom fonts or the boldness slider with mobi. AZW3 is better.

[quentincompson]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I definitely don't hold that against you. Hope you don't hold it against me that I'm in the United States. (Our government likes to stick their nose in other people's business.)

) Of course not, no way will i hold something like that against anyone.

Originally Posted by rcentros

People used to complain about no hyphenation on the earlier Sonys. (I actually complain about a Nook Glowlight that no longer supports hyphenation in the newer firmware.) But I don't think there is any way to turn hyphenation off on the Kindle (even if you choose "no justification" it still seems to hyphenate). I think if you don't use the justified text setting on a Kobo, it will turn hyphenation off. (I think that's what I read.) PocketBook does have a specific hyphenation setting (off/on), so a PocketBook might be your best choice for no hyphenation. (Or maybe find another Sony PRS-T2 in newer condition?)

EDIT: Sirtel (see below) has pointed out that Kindles will not use hyphenation when you're reading .mobi books so that might a good and simple solution with the Kindle 8.

I don't like the gaps in sentences, so I like hyphenation, but you're definitely not alone in your dislike of split words. I think every eReader company should do what PocketBook does, have a setting to turn it off or on.

I might've made a bit of a mountain out of a molehill there, sorry - the hyphenation issue is a little exasperating at the moment, but i'm sure i'll get used to it with time... it's just that i haven't encountered a similar problem on the T2 and it seems a bit jarring right now. By the way, even though the T2 doesn't hyphenate words, i also haven't noticed that the e reader has compensated this by making gaps in the sentences - the text is uniformly justified. In addition, for the first couple of days of use the T3 was the same, but then is started this word-splitting nonsense).

If you interested to see what i mean, i've uploaded at imgur a picture of the way the same text displayed on both T2 and T3. Here's the link: https://imgur.com/a/MOxayze


Anyway, i apologise for my rambling... thank you once again for taking the time to help me out, i appreciate it!

[quentincompson]

Mr. Rcentros, i apologise, yeah, there's a lag due to the moderators- i've responded to you message, but its still being moderated.

P.S. There's one more thing i'd like to pick your brain about, if that's ok - do you know if there's some supposed lifespan for the e-ink display as well? I mean, my T2 is ten years old - how many more years the e-ink display is supposed to be good for before it throws the towel, so to speak?

As for playing around with a book's css - i'll try looking it up - i'm not really tech savvy and right now it's all Greek to me.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by quentincompson

P.S. There's one more thing i'd like to pick your brain about, if that's ok - do you know if there's some supposed lifespan for the e-ink display as well? I mean, my T2 is ten years old - how many more years the e-ink display is supposed to be good for before it throws the towel, so to speak?

No one really knows, as ereaders using an eink screen have been in existence only for 17 years or so. I'd guess something else will stop functioning before the display does.

[Quoth]

About 19 for Sony and 17 for Kindle.

I've two Kindles about 14 years old. The batteries (really cells) have been replaced. The displays are OK (Pearl). Some folk here seem to have older viziplex eink.

Physical damage (cracked substrate) or excessive heat (sun on car dashboard) breaks them. I've not heard of one wearing out as such, though the Kobo Touch (c version) I had suffered terrible ghosting.

The Sony PRS-350 (14 years old) I have is far better than the same age Kindles for SW (touch and buttons). It's amazingly still on the original battery, but bits of the plastic are crumbling. I have to turn it on/off via a mapping pin poked in. Screen is lovely and being 800 x 600 Pearl eink 5″ looks better than all the old Pearl 6″ 167 dpi 800 x 600 screens. IR touch and no front-light, so the screen isn't impared by a capacitive or light pipe layers (which need Carta).