Kindle DX Graphite first look and macro shots of text

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by MobileTechReview

That is certainly high magnification and the text looks very fuzzy to me. Given our difference interpretations of the same image, we might have to agree to disagree.

Perhaps you have a problem with your eyes. I would recommend clicking on the image and seeing it at 900x600 as it is intended, as you can see individual EPD capsules unmarred by motion blur or defocus. Text of an EPD is never really "sharp" due to anti-aliasing in most font rendering engines, but a decent closeup photo can show the limit of the display's resolution by revealing its smallest elements (subpixels in the case of many displays like LCDs, capsules in the case of EPDs). Your photos do not approach that goal (nor do they come anywhere close), and mine does. That is not a difference of opinion.

[Zorz]

Originally Posted by Pushka

I have a 6 month old K2I, and a brand new K2I (well, that one is hubby's) and the difference between the quality of those two kindles is very surprising. The new one doesnt need the font hack at all. And I can read it on a small size font.

Explain a bit more.

[cheerio6414]

Originally Posted by Pushka

I have seen a couple of new DX previews on youtube, one of which compares it with the original kindle which is not a valid comparison at all. Perhaps it is hard to capture the difference between the old and new DX's, because I am not seeing it in the pictures so far.

I have a 6 month old K2I, and a brand new K2I (well, that one is hubby's) and the difference between the quality of those two kindles is very surprising. The new one doesnt need the font hack at all. And I can read it on a small size font.

Who would compare a K1 to the new Kindle, that is not the same. So much has changed since then

[Sylver]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Perhaps you have a problem with your eyes. I would recommend clicking on the image and seeing it at 900x600 as it is intended, as you can see individual EPD capsules unmarred by motion blur or defocus. Text of an EPD is never really "sharp" due to anti-aliasing in most font rendering engines, but a decent closeup photo can show the limit of the display's resolution by revealing its smallest elements (subpixels in the case of many displays like LCDs, capsules in the case of EPDs). Your photos do not approach that goal (nor do they come anywhere close), and mine does. That is not a difference of opinion.

I agree. I hate to say this (as I really appreciate the effort people take in posting the screenshots), but these photos are really useless as micros and a decent newest generation point-and-shoot should achieve better results than this.

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by cheerio6414

Who would compare a K1 to the new Kindle, that is not the same. So much has changed since then

Someone did; one of the first reviews I saw for the new DX on youtube, a guy is comparing it with the original Kindle - he shows the original packaging etc which looked great by the way. Thought it was a rather silly comparison.

I understand the issue with the fonts on the original post; the new DX shots of the font really dont look as good as the old ones. If it is because they are at different magnifications then they arent really being compared properly.

[cmdahler]

I'd have to agree with most of the posts on this thread. Based on the pics on the review website, I'd have to conclude that the previous generation screen is way better than the new. The shots of the new do show the darker text, but the background appears darker and the text looks very out of focus. It doesn't look like an improvement, but rather a step backwards.

[Sylver]

Originally Posted by cmdahler

I'd have to agree with most of the posts on this thread. Based on the pics on the review website, I'd have to conclude that the previous generation screen is way better than the new. The shots of the new do show the darker text, but the background appears darker and the text looks very out of focus. It doesn't look like an improvement, but rather a step backwards.

I honestly believe these screenshots are useless (not sure if the photos were taken off-focus or issues with digital cropping method), I cannot imagine any ereader would render text like that and not to be recalled as a defect (no matter how dark it is, if it's this blurry it's useless as a reader). I still hope someone with better photo/cropping skills can post more reliable photos for us to compare.

[Pushka]

As I mentioned earlier, having received a brand new kindle (k2I) this week (which was on firmware 2.3) that screen and text is WAY better than the original kindle I bought in October 2009.

[Sylver]

Originally Posted by Pushka

As I mentioned earlier, having received a brand new kindle (k2I) this week (which was on firmware 2.3) that screen and text is WAY better than the original kindle I bought in October 2009.

OK, I am confused, I think everybody is talking about how much improvement on screen contrast is the new DX which is the first device on the next generation of e-ink screen called Pearl. Are you saying your K2I already has a Pearl screen? I understand a Vizplex screen (such as on the K2, Sony PRS 300 or the nook) would still be a lot better than first generation of e-ink, but are you sure your K2I already has Pearl? I will just run to local target to buy one immediately if it already is Pearl, but I doubt.

[AnemicOak]

I just got a new K2i for my mother last week. It's screen definetly has a lighter background and better contrast than my K2 bought at launch. From what I can tell in the little research I did the original K2 screens were made by LG (under a contract with PVI) and the current screens are right from PVI. The current K2i screen looks like any other Viziplex screen I've seen (Sony 505, Opus, Pocket Pro), which is good but no better than other readers out there.

[andrys]

For presentation to non-technical people, you have to do something else.

I kept looking at it and thinking the Nook and the iRex looked so clear and were such a relief to the really fuzzy pics on the right. They don't display what you're describing.

For awhile I thought you had reversed the pics in each set.
I saw them yesterday in the article and was thoroughly confused by them.

LDBoblo's when clicked on and then clicked again to get the actual size is not fuzzy. It lacks dense ink in areas. I can see the spots in the background clearly.

What you say you can do with the new DX and what the macro pics show is
just worlds apart (as far as perception by the reader) as far as your audience will be able to tell (i'm one of them).

I have found, by the way, many photos of white DX's now that show print
that looks very faded, and that may be an answer to why some DX owners
were looking for font-replacements.

My DX1 may have been part of a better batch. Giving you the link to compare
with your older DX (can't remember if you have one available).

http://bit.ly/dxpics

Those have to be clicked on to get the 800x600 ~ images.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by Zorz

Explain a bit more.

The new Kindle 2 Internationals, with software upgrade v2.5.x on them seem to have, in many cases, much darker blacks in the text, and lighter backgrounds, than the owners had seen before the software update.

The new k2i probably has gone through a tighter manufacturing process and is taking advantage of the new firmware maybe. But this is reported quite a bit (actually, it's reported a lot).

[andrys]

Originally Posted by cheerio6414

Who would compare a K1 to the new Kindle, that is not the same. So much has changed since then

The older K1 is known to provide significantly higher screen contrast and darker fonts than the K2 that Amazon made, with thinner fonts and less black coming to the surface in the K2.

They'd be closer to the DX2 than the K2. And people are curious, because the K1 font darkness and screen contrast has been the standard for Kindle users.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by Sylver

OK, I am confused, I think everybody is talking about how much improvement on screen contrast is the new DX which is the first device on the next generation of e-ink screen called Pearl. Are you saying your K2I already has a Pearl screen? I understand a Vizplex screen (such as on the K2, Sony PRS 300 or the nook) would still be a lot better than first generation of e-ink, but are you sure your K2I already has Pearl? I will just run to local target to buy one immediately if it already is Pearl, but I doubt.

Better quality control in the later batches.

I was one of the luckier ones to get a K2 almost as strong in contrast as the K1 (but close-up not so much, with skinny grayer fonts).

I've seen a year of pictures of K2s that some got and they were shown side by side with other K2s using no flash and displaying no difference in shadows or in focus on the keys and buttons of both, and there was a HUGE variance in screen contrast and font darkness.

Some Kindle 2s looked as if the ink had faded over 2 years. It was sort of shocking. I have some older articles that point to various pictures, when anyone searches under "screen contrast" on my blog. And, they faded in direct sunlight, sometimes to nothingness, so they were defective. Some kept them because they were fine indoors.

Families who ordered 2 or 3 Kindle 2's sometimes saw variances so wide that they returned one as unacceptable. That was in a long thread that was a plea to Amazon to make the fonts darker (as they were in Kindle 1. No one was unhappy with the Kindle 1 fonts).

They later concluded there were a couple of bad batches. Amazon replaced any that were problematic and did so without fuss.

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by Sylver

OK, I am confused, I think everybody is talking about how much improvement on screen contrast is the new DX which is the first device on the next generation of e-ink screen called Pearl. Are you saying your K2I already has a Pearl screen? I understand a Vizplex screen (such as on the K2, Sony PRS 300 or the nook) would still be a lot better than first generation of e-ink, but are you sure your K2I already has Pearl? I will just run to local target to buy one immediately if it already is Pearl, but I doubt.

No, I dont really know what the pearl screen might look like, all I am saying is that the K2I I received last week, is much much better than the K2I I bought back in October 2009. I dont even want to font hack it. I bought it through Amazon and am currently living in Australia.

Originally Posted by andrys

For presentation to non-technical people, you have to do something else.

I kept looking at it and thinking the Nook and the iRex looked so clear and were such a relief to the really fuzzy pics on the right. They don't display what you're describing.

For awhile I thought you had reversed the pics in each set.

.

Yup, me too!