I love my original Kindle as it is easy to read in bed. I increase the font if needed. It is also good in bright sunlight. If you go on holiday, easy to pack the kindle rather that several heavy books. After a while I found the free and cheap books are not that great. Authors I really want are quite expensive, seeing how I only read them once usually.
However, you cannot get library books on a normal Kindle. This is why I later got a cheapie offer for a Amazon fire tablet, as you can join the online section of your local library and borrow books on the tablet, it is great, and free. They are returned automatically so no fines, and you can reserve too. However, the screen is different to a normal Kindle, so it is very hard to read outside in bright sunlight.
So they both have advantages and disadvantages.