[Katsunami]

I just did a test between a good mass market paperback and the Kindle Paperwhite with its light off. I've set the PW to match the paperback's print as well as possible. I've used my own custom fat version of DejaVu Serif, set on size 2, line spacing 3. The font is now comparable in size and line spacing to the one in the book.

I observe, in normal /mediocre incadescent room lighting:
- The Kindle is darker than the paperback. The paperback can still be read, the Kindle can't.
- The font in the book is still thicker and blacker than my fat DejaVu Serif. Maybe I'll try and make an even fatter one.
- When lighting conditions improve, the non-lit Kindle catches up but never exceeds the book.

When using the light:
- In mediocre lighting of this room, the Kindle's light needs to be set to at least 8, to start matching the readability of this paperback, and to 12-13 (and font size 3) to match a high quality hardback.
- When lighting conditions deteriorate beyond a certain point, readability of the book fails completely, while the lit Kindle is as readable as ever.

Of course, the Kindle has indisputable advantages such as dictionaries, custom fonts and sizes, no spine breaking while reading (as long as you don't drop it), lighter, thinner, easier to read with one hand, carry 1 book or 50 books without extra volume.

I've had a Touch for over a year. I've been using bigger fonts and sitting in better lit places than was necessary with most books I have (though I do have some exceptionally dark-gray and badly printed paperbacks). While less readable, the Touch offered the other advantages mentioned, particularly font sizes and weight. Of course I've also gotten used to the Touch because of not reading real books.

When comparing, the Touch and non-lit Paperwhite look like a bad paperback, while a slightly lit PW at level 8 looks like a good paperback, and a well lit PW on level 12-13 looks like an exquisite high quality hardback. In darkish circumstances (in which you would use a reading light), the PW trumps any book or non-lit reader.

I could never return to a non-lit reader. If I had to choose now between books or a non-lit reader, the books would win out, or I'd rather use a 7 inch tablet on low settings in less than perfect light, and the non-lit reader in good light only.

The front-lit reader leaves everything in the dust: books, non-lit readers, and tablets.