[julierenee13]

I am expecting my Kindle 2 to arrive tomorrow and I am just so confused about the accessories I will need. 

1.  The skins:  Do these protect the Kindle or are they cosmetic only?  Most of the ones I have seen seem very distracting, is that the case? 

2.  Cover/Case:  I am a mom of 3 and carry a diaper bag which is what I will put my Kindle into.  I want to buy a case for it, as my diaper bag can get kind of gross.  I was thinking of something like the Bella Bersa bag that I can just drop in the diaper bag but see people also have covers in addition to a case.  Do I need both?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  My mom is getting hers today and I would love to share some of this information with her too. 

-Jules

 

[Rhiathame]

I am expecting my Kindle 2 to arrive tomorrow and I am just so confused about the accessories I will need.

1. The skins: Do these protect the Kindle or are they cosmetic only? Most of the ones I have seen seem very distracting, is that the case?

They do protect the Kindle from minor scrapes and such. They do not provide protection from dropping them however. And of course they are very pretty! I had the same question as you about the distraction and I have found that I am not distracted at all by my skin. I had a 3acp skin which I just replaced with Quest from DecalGirl and I didn't find either of them distracting.

2. Cover/Case: I am a mom of 3 and carry a diaper bag which is what I will put my Kindle into. I want to buy a case for it, as my diaper bag can get kind of gross. I was thinking of something like the Bella Bersa bag that I can just drop in the diaper bag but see people also have covers in addition to a case. Do I need both?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. My mom is getting hers today and I would love to share some of this information with her too.

-Jules

I use just a cover but that is because I can slip mine into my purse with little difficulty.

 

[MAGreen]

The skins are wonderful in protecting from minor scratches and scuffs. They aren't distracting at all, in fact, some people like them better than the plain white. The darker colors seem to fade away better than the white. Try Decalgirl.com, there is an affilite link in the KB header! There is also mytego.com for custom skins.
The BB bags are a wonderful idea and if you are putting it in your diaper bag you might want to look at the laminated, water resistant ones. The cover is really needed to protect the screen. Some of the covers make holding the Kindle easier as well. For an inexpensive one check out Strangedog.com. You have to almost haunt his site on the weekends to get one, but they are beautiful and a good route to go if you don't want to spend a lot. The M-edge are more mid-priced, and very lovely as well. The more expensive, and the best in my opinion, is the Oberon leather covers. Take a look at Oberondesign.com. The ones that are available from Amazon work and are as inexpensive as the Strangedog. Then, of course, there are the $100+ Cole Haan selections. I would check out Oberondesign.com first! Just my 2 cents!

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

As has been said, the skins protect the Kindle somewhat from scratches and dirt, they are easy to clean and remove or replace.  As for being distracting, I liken it to a spouse or friend getting a new haircut.  At first you only notice the haircut, but pretty soon, they start looking like themselves again and you don't notice the haircut!

I would think for a diaperbag, the Borsa bags that are laminated would be perfect!

If you're going to be carrying the Kindle in your diaper bag with other stuff such as bottles, jingle toys etc, and treating your diaper bag the way the daughters-in-law treated their diaper bags (jamming them into the car with the car seat, etc) you probably want a rigid cover of some kind to protect the screen.

Betsy

 

[ghum]

I do not have a skin but am thinking of purchasing a skin for my Kindle 2.  If you are getting a skin it might interest you to know that a while back one of the threads on the Kindleboard stated that they bought a skin from 3acp and that when the skin was removed there was residue on the kindle that could not be removed.  That same person stated that they had previously bought a skin from Decalgirl and had not had this problem.

 

[enwood]

I have Starry Night skin from Decalgirl and it is not distracting at all.  As matter of fact, I find it rather soothing.  Don't know if I could handle a skin with very bright or a very bold pattern though.

The laminate fabric from Borsa Bella sounds perfect for your diaper bag.  Especially if it's anything like mine used to be. 

I love my oberon cover, but if you are looking to cut costs a little, and are interested in a bag for your kindle, then the amazon cover would work just fine for protecting your screen.  I actually really liked the amazon cover, but got tired of the black.  I may still try to find a way to spruce it up and use it from time to time.

 

[Cuechick]

I created this post for this board and it has now been lost pages back. I think it will help make some sense of it all...

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,6505.0.html

 

[kim]

Remember, most of what you get here is someone's opinion.  We are all full of advice but I don't think there is any one answer, you will find the answer that is right for you.

In my opinion..

1.  I like the skins.  It adds some personality to the stark white K.  I've had a couple skins and I make sure they aren't bright or flashy because I don't want them to be distracting.  So far, they have not been distracting at all.  And I love the idea that it might help with little scratches and it will protect from finger dirt and such.

2.  I personally think it's nuts that some people have a bag to protect their cover.  In my opinion, the cover is the protection.  But that's just me.  I have an Amazon cover because it's small and lightweight and fits nicely into a purse.  I also like the way a cover flips open like a book and you can start reading.  It annoys me to have to zip, unzip, pull out, put into a case.  But again, that's just me.  Betsy had a great point - if your diaper bag get's messy, then maybe a case would be better protection. 

ok.  I've rambled on long enough without saying much, so I'll stop now.

 

[VictoriaP]

Skins:  protection from scratches, provides change from boring all white, darker skins can provide the illusion of a lighter screen background for those who have trouble with darker screens.

Cover:  Booklike, provides protection from scratches, falls & random objects that may hit Kindle.  Also can make Kindle more comfortable to read for some, providing larger area to grip.

Case/sleeve:  Envelope type pouch meant to hold a Kindle with no cover.  Typically provides minimal protection against falls, decent against other objects, good against scratches.  These are usually designed to be fairly snugly fitted around a naked Kindle.

Bag:  These are typically meant to provide extra coverage and/or easier transportation for the Kindle.  As Kim commented, many of us use them as much to protect our cover investment as we do to protect the Kindle.  If all I had was an Amazon cover, I probably wouldn't use a bag either, because as the cheapest option out there, it's pretty easily replaced--and besides, basic black leather is the easiest to touch up with polish!  On the other hand, since the Amazon cover doesn't include any type of closure, a bag can help keep other items in your tote from slipping between the cover & the screen.  I agree, the zipper is an added nuisance, but it also means crumbs & other debris don't end up on my K2 while it's being carried around.

All of these also can range from very utilitarian to insanely decorative, and there's no wrong choice on that front.  

 

[akpak]

In the situation you describe, I think I'd want all three protection options. The skin is probably the least important, but I really like it to protect from random dirt while reading.

If you want to be really sure, you'll want a stiff/solid cover and place it in a waterproof/resistant pouch. The Borsa Bella laminated cotton comes in a size that would fit your Kindle inside a case. That way the screen is protected by two layers (one of them stiff or solid, one of them waterproof).

There are also other waterproof pouches... Just search for Kindlers who like to read in the bathtub

 

[B-Kay 1325]

What Betsy said.  I have a skin, 3 covers and 2 BB bags and I wouldn't take Aurora (my KK) anywhere without them.  You can't have too much protection.

 

[MonaSW]

I have a dark red skin with a geometric design (Humidor by DecalGirl). I don't find it distracting at all and it does protect the surface of the Kindle from the minor every day scuffs and smudges all devices get. The DecalGirl skin also does not appear to leave a residue on the Kindle when removed.

I have an Oberon Designs cover for my Kindle for the protection it provides. I have dropped my Kindle in this cover from about 4 feet with no damage at all.

Bags can add additional protection for the Kindle by keeping small items from worming their way into my Kindle cover and scratching the Kindle's screen. My Kindle goes into Vera Bradley's purse cosmetic before getting stuffed into my purse.

For hiking, I put the Kindle (sans purse cosmetic) into the Borsa Bella travel bag, with whatever else I need to keep on me (driver's license, vehicle insurance, emergency credit card, cell phone) in the front pocket of the travel bag.

So that's why I have what I have.

 

[Tippy]

I have a skin -- didn't think I would like, but do.  It adds some interest.  I have Strangedog, M-Edge and Oberon covers.  Love my Oberon the most.  I also have two BB bags, a regular kindle bag and a travel bag.  Love them both.  If I were putting my Kindle in a diaper bag, I would have a cover and a bb waterproof bag.  That way I think you could be almost certain nothing bad would happen to your Kindle.  Have fun making your choices!

 

[kyliedork]

don't listen to them julie, run now while you can before the kindle dressup cult brain washs you

 

[Kind]

I wouldn't think the skins are distracting at all.

 

[Angela]

As far as needing accessories, I would say you don't have to have anything other than what came with the Kindle (please don't shoot me accessory enablers ). BUT, I would recommend a cover or protective case of some type if you plan on carrying the Kindle with you anywhere.

I do have a DecalGirl skin on my Kindle. Not because I needed it, but because I wanted one. After seeing some of the scratches on the skin lets me know that it is doing its job. I have even been thinking it is time for a change and am trying to pick out a new skin that would coordinate with my mocha medge cover AND a purple Oberon (that I am saving up to buy).

The cover is the only other protection I use. I feel perfectly safe with it in my purse or laptop case. I haven't gone crazy buying lots of cases, covers and bags (not because I don't want too, just can't afford it), but when shopping for new purses at the after Christmas sales, I did test each one to make sure my Kindle with cover would fit inside its own pocket!

Do/buy whatever you feel comfortable doing. Most of all have fun!

 

[julierenee13]

Thanks everyone for your wonderful suggestions!  I have my Kindle 2 (of course I LOVE it) and have ordered a skin from Decal Girl, an M-edge Prodigy Hinge Case and a BB bag!  Can't wait to get them.  I really feel uncomfortable without a case and can't wait until mine gets here tomorrow!

-Julie