I inherited an offcast Kindle touch and have loved it. I chuck it in my bag when I'm going somewhere an have all my books and guitar tabs available. I've never connected it to the internet, just sideload files from calibre over USB.
this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2025
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Why TF do Kindles and the like even need to exist? I read on my iPhone while the audiobook is playing. I want a smaller phone and maybe an iPad mini for reading/media.
I mean, I get it. “Reading without the distractions.” But Do Not Disturb and self control are a thing and have never been a problem for me. I can either enable DND, or I can swipe away emails (or deal with them and come back) as they come in. This isn’t rocket science. And my iPhone drops to 1Hz so while it’s not eInk, it’s good enough. I love the dark mode but black on sepia is more natural.
Why TF do Kindles and the like even need to exist? I read on my iPhone while the audiobook is playing.
if you prefer to read on your phone, by all means read on your phone.
but making the jump from that to "e-readers should not exist" is fucking stupid.
Do Not Disturb and self control are a thing and have never been a problem for me.
congratulations. would you like a gold star.
This isn’t rocket science.
I have ADHD. regulating my attention sometimes is rocket science.
obviously that's not the only reason, I have neurotypical friends and family who love their e-readers, and I'm sure there are people with ADHD who prefer reading on their phones.
remember that there are 8 billion people in the world, and not all of them have the exact same preferences as you do. that isn't rocket science.
E-ink is easier on the eyes, especially for extended reading. Same for the lack of backlight.
The screen is bigger than a phone.
The battery lasts much much longer. Reading doesn't need to kill the phone battery when it is on it's own device.
Reading can be done in places where phones are not permitted (I take my Kindle with me when I take my kids to the pool).
Readers can be cheap enough that it isn't really a problem having both devices.
My Kindle is significantly lighter than my phone which makes it easier to hold for long stretches. The screen is bigger and I can render the text a little larger without sacrificing too much.The screen doesn't produce light on it's own which reduces eyestrain. My Kindle has a warm nightlight which I hope helps me sleep better. The page turn buttons are better placed than the volume buttons
I've read for hundreds and hundreds of hours on both phone and Kindle and the Kindle is absolutely worth the cost for me (once it's hacked). I hope there are better and more open options available when it finally dies.
For me, trying to read a book on any display that isn't e-ink is a horrible experience that hurts my eyes pretty quickly. Even more so on a tiny phone screen.
EReader like Kindle is just right size for me to read. I found size of phone feels too narrow, especially as I have larger font size.