Dad wants a Kindle.
Mom wants to buy him one.

What do I need to know…

Looks like Kindle vs Paperwhite vs Oasis?

With ads or without?

Accessories?

no bad options

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iPad with the Kindle app is my vote...

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA

Quote
Markintosh
iPad with the Kindle app is my vote...

Mine too.

But cost more... but can do waaaay more.

Looks like $280 is the best deal now... surprised they haven't gone to $250 like last year.

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

We've got 3 paperwhites in the house. With ads is fine (they are just on the screen until you turn it on, so who cares). Lots of cases for $15.

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Get one with a backlight, in case you are shopping used (many older kindles do not have backlighting).

I was looking to update an older first gen paperwhite, and I thought the newest paperwhite is the sweetspot of top features and less $$ than the Oases.

The Paperwhite is the way to go if you want a simple reader. The iPad fans are right about flexibility and fun, but sometimes you just want the reader with a long battery life.

Capacity is not an issue with Kindles since books with mostly text take up space measured in kb not gb. The UI is simple for reading. The ads are no big deal, only on the lock screen, and only updated when you turn on wifi, which is only when you want to download a book. (Saves battery bigly not to run wifi.)

The biggest issue for an older person is the book shopping experience on the Kindle. I much prefer the web and then let the downloads happen automagically. If they are comfortable Bezosville users they will slide into Kindle very easily. If not, the book buying UI on the Kindle leaves something to be desired.

It is also possible to replace the Kindle battery some years in. A new battery is $10 and the process is simpler than any iphone work.

My 86yo mom can't tell the difference between a cell phone and tv remote, but she can still use her kindle (old paperwhite - it's simple and very light weight) and order up new books and everything. She even taught herself how to do this back before she started losing her brain power. It's the ONLY piece of tech that she has EVER used that I haven't and that means no tech support from me (not needed).

The thought of a Kindle with a Kindle Unlimited subscription sounds nice in theory. But keep in mind the newer "good" books, the current stuff you see reviews for and stuff in the NYT bestsellers list are not included with Unlimited. ie. Obama's new book is $18 for the Kindle version. Queen's Gambit is $11. And you won't own the physical book to pass along to someone or donate to a free bookshelf when done. It's all in the cloud somewhere.

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Agreed that iPads are more flexible. That includes running whatever App your local library uses to share eBooks. The latter might be an important consideration if your parents frequent their public library rather than buying books.

FWIW, my Mom let my late Father's iPad sit for months until my sister hooked it up to Mom's local library. Now, it's her favorite toy.

That said, I much prefer the Kindle for reading books. It's lighter (important for older folks) and the battery lasts for a few weeks rather than a few hours. Also the UI is dead simple.

Do get one that's backlit. Do get the higher resolution display (or pictures in downloaded books will be worthless). Do not worry about ads - they are only on the lock screen.

As mentioned above, books are bought on Amazon. When the kindle wi-fi is on (usually off to extend battery life), books will automatically appear.

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Embarassing myself on the Internet since 1978.

More of the same- got a paperwhite for a younger kid, smaller and less expensive than iPad, lasts for so long, can trust they won't get onto other apps or websites without any supervision.

Paperwhites are fantastic for folks with mild macular degeneration. Completely changed spouse's mom's world.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future