Kindle 4 screen is THE SAME as K3.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by mikeschr

I haven't posted here very often, but I was at a different Kindle forum where there was a bit of hysteria, and thought I'd come over here. This was the first thread that caught my eye.
I have a DXG, a K3, and a Touch. The screens look virtually identical on all of them.
It's hard for me to believe there's a difference between the models when the people who have actually tested them with instruments have found them to be the same.

I thought I'd count the number of people in this thread who say that they've looked at both units, and count the ones on either side.
14 people say the screens are the same or the K4 is better, and 12 say the K3 is better.
It looks like more people are saying the K3 is better because the same few people on that side are posting over and over.
So, those few people, instead of seeing their situations as isolated cases, have concluded that there's a systemic problem, even though most people say the new screen is the same or better, and tests have shown them to be the same.

This is fascinating to watch.

Check out the reviews on the K4. You will see several saying they have the same issue. I have been contacted by several people with this issue as well privately some are members here and some saw my post from Google.

My first conclusion was a bad batch was going around. Now the Touch is out I am not so sure.

[ThomasC]

mikeschr, thanks for that wonderful bit of insight into this issue. Glad it's so fancinating for you to watch, lol!

cheers,
Tom

[Zeebra]

Originally Posted by mikeschr

I haven't posted here very often, but I was at a different Kindle forum where there was a bit of hysteria, and thought I'd come over here. This was the first thread that caught my eye.
I have a DXG, a K3, and a Touch. The screens look virtually identical on all of them.
It's hard for me to believe there's a difference between the models when the people who have actually tested them with instruments have found them to be the same.

I thought I'd count the number of people in this thread who say that they've looked at both units, and count the ones on either side.
14 people say the screens are the same or the K4 is better, and 12 say the K3 is better.
It looks like more people are saying the K3 is better because the same few people on that side are posting over and over.
So, those few people, instead of seeing their situations as isolated cases, have concluded that there's a systemic problem, even though most people say the new screen is the same or better, and tests have shown them to be the same.

This is fascinating to watch.

The problem is there would be MORE people saying the K4 screen is inferior if many had already owned a Kindle 3 previously. The only ones that can really comment are those that have owned both devices. Like I mentioned earlier, if I hadn't have owned a Kindle 3, I would have never known anything was different about the screen. It's fine in bright light as many are saying, but a bit harder to read in lower light. The Kindle 3 had a better contrast.

[Zeebra]

For those still doubting about differences in Kindle screens from 2010 to 2011, here are 2 Kindle 3's (Kindle Keyboards). Both have the same case, so no "optical illusions" based on different coloured backgrounds around the screen. Tell me you see no difference.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=458

[hani69]

I don't see the difference from the picture you showed. Besides, the new kindle is cheaper, much better looking, lighter, and faster. So even if there is a small difference, I think it's worth it to get the new one.

[ThomasC]

Thanks Zeebra, I can tell the difference, maybe some cannot. This difference under lower indoor lighting conditions would be even more dramatic imho.

hani69, glad you're happy with your new K4. Many seem pretty satisfied with it. Just do yourself a favour and never compare it to an older, lighter background coloured K3 or DXG, lol!

Cheers,
Tom

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Zeebra

For those still doubting about differences in Kindle screens from 2010 to 2011, here are 2 Kindle 3's (Kindle Keyboards). Both have the same case, so no "optical illusions" based on different coloured backgrounds around the screen. Tell me you see no difference.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=458

Thanks for posting the pic. I can see the difference.

[Zeebra]

Originally Posted by hani69

I don't see the difference from the picture you showed. Besides, the new kindle is cheaper, much better looking, lighter, and faster. So even if there is a small difference, I think it's worth it to get the new one.

You really can't tell that the Kindle on top has a "whiter" background as opposed to the more gray looking bottom Kindle? I thought it was fairly obvious to the naked eye.

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by Zeebra

You really can't tell that the Kindle on top has a "whiter" background as opposed to the more gray looking bottom Kindle? I thought it was fairly obvious to the naked eye.

Did you switch them around and look again? When I did that with mine, the one with the better screen was suddenly the other one.

[Zeebra]

Originally Posted by blue_skies

Did you switch them around and look again? When I did that with mine, the one with the better screen was suddenly the other one.

Yes, the difference in colour is very noticeable it's not just because one was on the bottom. I don't' have a picture of the other way around and unfortunately I don't' have the gray Kindle keyboard anymore (I kept the better one for my wife)

[Barty]

We are having a family get together, which in my family, is like a mini kindle convention. The white k3 and my k3 graphite look the same. If the bevel makes any diff in perceived contrast, i dont see it. My sister's KT has NOTICEABLY darker background. I mean, it's not like some slight thing you have to go back and forth and say yeah I think this one is a little lighter after looking at it for two minutes. It's apparent right away.

now I don't know what other people's k4 look like compared to their k3. *All I can tell you is how THIS k4 compares to these two k3 I have access to. *Even when sitting by my bay window, where my k3 is nearly white, the k4 is a shade darker. *Under less light,the difference is more. *The text looks the same on both.

Is it unacceptably bad? *No. *Do I prefer my k3? *Yes! The text is just as crisp. But the darker background means you need more light to get the same contrast. I think the eink background is too gray as it is and was hoping they'd made progress but they seem to have stood still this year. I want better contrast much more than color or higher resolution.

Are people being influenced by negative reviews? *Is it confirmation bias? Well, a friend, who is totally non techie and doesn't hang around in forums talking about her gadgets and doesn't *know anything about this controversy, asked if there is a way to " make the screen brighter" because her KT is darker than her k2. *Yes, TWO. *I told her about the page refresh thing but she says it doesn't help. It's not surprising because the background of the k2 and 3 are pretty much the same; the difference is the "ink" is darker on pearl.

(I do think the KT is really nice but it doesn't work for me physically, so the whole screen issue is kind of moot for me)

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Barty

We are having a family get together, which in my family, is like a mini kindle convention. The white k3 and my k3 graphite look the same. If the bevel makes any diff in perceived contrast, i dont see it. My sister's KT has NOTICEABLY darker background. I mean, it's not like some slight thing you have to go back and forth and say yeah I think this one is a little lighter after looking at it for two minutes. It's apparent right away.

now I don't know what other people's k4 look like compared to their k3. *All I can tell you is how THIS k4 compares to these two k3 I have access to. *Even when sitting by my bay window, where my k3 is nearly white, the k4 is a shade darker. *Under less light,the difference is more. *The text looks the same on both.

Is it unacceptably bad? *No. *Do I prefer my k3? *Yes! The text is just as crisp. But the darker background means you need more light to get the same contrast. I think the eink background is too gray as it is and was hoping they'd made progress but they seem to have stood still this year. I want better contrast much more than color or higher resolution.

Are people being influenced by negative reviews? *Is it confirmation bias? Well, a friend, who is totally non techie and doesn't hang around in forums talking about her gadgets and doesn't *know anything about this controversy, asked if there is a way to " make the screen brighter" because her KT is darker than her k2. *Yes, TWO. *I told her about the page refresh thing but she says it doesn't help. It's not surprising because the background of the k2 and 3 are pretty much the same; the difference is the "ink" is darker on pearl.

(I do think the KT is really nice but it doesn't work for me physically, so the whole screen issue is kind of moot for me)

I figured the Touch had the issue the K4 does and now I know it does. I agree I was hoping for better contrast with the newer eReaders. I am really impressed with the T1's contrasts if Sony ever makes it stable. I'd buy one.

It's funny the K4 & KT needs better contrast and the Kindle Fire needs less contrast! It's too bright for reading and you have to use a 3rd party app so it doesn't make your eyeballs burn at night. Amazon needs to fix these issues! *pouty face*

[Snorkledorf]

The photo looks like what I saw when my replacement K3 arrived a number of months ago. I got a replacement because the screen on my original K3, which was bought the moment they were announced, went wacky with white stripes and such. There was a clear difference between the two with the newer one being just a shade murkier, but I wasn't about to coerce Amazon to send a second replacement unit to me in Japan.

I was really hoping the K4s would have been another step up like the K3 was from the K2. But it looks like Amazon chose the tactic of pushing prices on all their units as low as possible this time around. Very understandable with the iPad dominating the high end of the tablet world, so I think it was a smart move for them in the long term. It's just that it had the side effect of leaving us e-ink users without a kick-ass jump in technology. And in some cases, a bit of a backslide.

From what I've heard, e ink displays can be of differing grades depending on how they came out of the manufacturing process, and they're priced/sold to manufacturers based on that.

If Amazon could get their hands on an about-the-same quality screen for cheaper, they'd probably focus on minimizing costs, rather than maximizing quality. In the current economy that's probably the best choice, even if it means that I don't buy any of the new models even though I had the cash pre-allocated for it months ago.

[sieg66]

I just received a second-hand K3 I just bought and I can compare them side by side. It seems that objectively the white is not very whiter on the K3, but that it is rather the letters that are more black or have a better "density of black pigment" or definition. I'll have to further examine it to know better.

[Lbooker]

Originally Posted by hani69

I don't see the difference from the picture you showed. Besides, the new kindle is cheaper, much better looking, lighter, and faster. So even if there is a small difference, I think it's worth it to get the new one.

I do not see the difference if I increase the contrast and luminosity on my computer's monitor. But if I look at Zeebra's linked picture with contrast and luminosity settings that emulate a poorly-lit environment, the difference is clear...and quite scandalous since many here want better E-ink screens with improved contrast and whiter background in new readers. What a let-down !