New model Kindle 4 just arrived at my home!

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by Noughty

I wanted to ask about screen refresh. I think it might be annoying to have it flash black every page, to flash every 6 pages is also annoying but also gets you worse quality.

Do all eink devices refresh like that?

The full flash takes much less time than if you were turning the page of a physical book. Not to mention less ghosting than a partial flash.

It's really a non-issue except for marketing purposes or if you're excessively bothered by it.

[Zeebra]

Question about partial screen refresh vs. full flash -- does anyone know how this affects battery life? Is partial screen refresh better on battery then a full screen flash? Just curious if battery performance on the new Kindles will be better if you leave the partial screen refresh for 6 pages as opposed to the full flash on each page. Would be interesting to test out for a month on each setting.

[Zeebra]

Originally Posted by Blossom

The Screen is disappointing. It's has grey cast to it and the text is defiantly not black as my K3 it's a very dark grey. I put it next to my K3 and realize that my K3 background looks white compared to the K4. It's possible the glass used is the problem here I don't know... it is not the same kind as the one used on the K3.

It's variation in production from screen to screen. I have two separate Kindle Keyboards to compare to. My old one was purchased in October 2010, my wife's Kindle Keyboard in March 2011. My old Kindle Keyboard has a "whiter" background on the screen then my wife's Kindle Keyboard from April 2011. When I compare my wife's from 2011 to the new Kindle, they are at least equal, or the new Kindle is slightly better in terms of "whiteness". So there's variation even between Kindle keyboards.

Originally Posted by Blossom

The Screen is disappointing....

Edit: I got it upgraded but how do I change the refresh settings? I was able to set my main kindle address now. To bad they can't have separate email addresses. I also notice a setting in MYK if I paid $30 I can later remove the ads if I want to but it so tiny I don't think I will but it's good to have that option. I cancelled the Touch.

To set Page Refresh option go to page 3 of 3 in Settings .

EDIT: I just added this tip to the K4 Tips thread.

As far as screen, I'm sorry you got a bad one. I think that is probably all there is to it. With so many K4s being produced, I'm thinking they are probably built in different factories and perhaps even by different companies. There has been and always will be a lot of variance between screens. K3s have this and so will the K4s. Mine looks better than my K3 as do many others, but we probably just looked out in which units we got. I would complain to Amazon. I bet they will replace it. Some of the K2s and K3s had issues on some units and they replaced them no questions asked.

Originally Posted by Noughty

I wanted to ask about screen refresh. I think it might be annoying to have it flash black every page, to flash every 6 pages is also annoying but also gets you worse quality.

Do all eink devices refresh like that?

Until this past summer, all the major brands of E Ink readers sold in USA refreshed after each page turn. This summer saw the Nook Touch and Kobo Touch released with page refreshes every few pages. Now the K4 follows suit. I cannot speak for the Nook Touch, but the Kobo Touch definitely suffered from the page refresh ever few pages. Kobo added the option, similar to what the K4 has in FW 4.0.1, to set the page refresh to every page and that made a big improvement IMO.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Until this past summer, all the major brands of E Ink readers sold in USA refreshed after each page turn.

The above isn't quite right. My kindle classic "flashes" on every other page. There is no way to adjust it.

BOb

Originally Posted by pilotbob

The above isn't quite right. My kindle classic "flashes" on every other page. There is no way to adjust it.

BOb

I wasn't aware the K1 did that. However the K2, K3, and DX all flashed after every page, as do the Sony readers up through the x50 series, and MOST (if not all) of the others. So it isn't like a page refresh after each page is a new annoyance, just in case anyone was wondering. It is less noticeable on the newest readers due to increased processing speed. If anything, the trend toward refreshing the screen only once in several pages is merely a marketing gimmick aimed at the non-techie masses.

[Zeebra]

Here's the screen variation that you can see even in the Kindle Keyboard. Note the one underneath is a *newer* Kindle Keyboard purchased in 2011, the top one is an older Kindle Keyboard purchased in 2010. The older one definately has a "whiter" screen, I can see it with the naked eye.

[pilotbob]

Seems like eInks production process leaves something to be desired.

BOb

@Blossum mentioned in a post that we can now opt out of the Special Offers on the K4 (but apparently not the K3) by changing a setting on the Amazon Manage Your Kindle / Manage Your Devices web page. I captured the option window and attached it below. A lot of people kept asking for this option with the K3 SO models, so it is nice that Amazon listened and gave K4 SO model owners the option to unsubscribe to Special Offers. You need only click the option and pay the $30 difference and your SO becomes a non-SO model.

To unsubscribe to Special Offers, go to your Amazon Manage Your Kindle / Manage Your Devices web page. In the Subscribe column, click Edit next to your K4 SO. Follow the instructions on the screen that displays.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by jswinden

To set Page Refresh option go to page 3 of 3 in Settings .

EDIT: I just added this tip to the K4 Tips thread.

As far as screen, I'm sorry you got a bad one. I think that is probably all there is to it. With so many K4s being produced, I'm thinking they are probably built in different factories and perhaps even by different companies. There has been and always will be a lot of variance between screens. K3s have this and so will the K4s. Mine looks better than my K3 as do many others, but we probably just looked out in which units we got. I would complain to Amazon. I bet they will replace it. Some of the K2s and K3s had issues on some units and they replaced them no questions asked.

Thanks I found the settings after I read the manual.

I don't know, I mean I watched several Youtube videos on the K4 last night and I have to say the screens all looked like mine. I went back and watched Lisa's review and have to say her K4 looks like my K4 display. Maybe my K3 is better then most and I am just spoiled my it.

If you look at the pic you can tell my K3 definitely has black text here and the K4 is an off black or very dark grey. The background in the pics are subtle but for some reason I can get the camera to capture the true background color of the K4.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Laura81

Hmmm... maybe I should consider getting the K3 keyboard instead of the K4 non touch, even though I don't really want a keyboard. Decisions, decisions. I'd probably look at a Sony but pretty sure they don't sell them internationally.

I think you will love the K4. If you want I will take pics and compare them side by side with the Pocket Pro if that will help. The difference is very noticeable.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by Laura81

Hmmm... maybe I should consider getting the K3 keyboard instead of the K4 non touch, even though I don't really want a keyboard. Decisions, decisions. I'd probably look at a Sony but pretty sure they don't sell them internationally.

I am going to wait and hold it on my own hands (before pre-order). I believe Best Buy or Target here in USA will sell one for Holidays. If not, I am not in a rush, my Kindle 3G works perfectly fine.

I used the keyboard sometimes when searching books on the go or if I'm reading on a coffee shop, and the keyboard is very convenient. Not just because its a physical keyboard, but because adds extra space to hold.

Other users already mentioned this, but I will miss turn page buttons on the Kindle Touch 3G ...

[Zeebra]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Thanks I found the settings after I read the manual.

I don't know, I mean I watched several Youtube videos on the K4 last night and I have to say the screens all looked like mine. I went back and watched Lisa's review and have to say her K4 looks like my K4 display. Maybe my K3 is better then most and I am just spoiled my it.

If you look at the pic you can tell my K3 defiantly has black text here and the K4 is an off black or very dark grey. The background in the pics are subtle but for some reason I can get the camera to capture the true background color of the K4.

Yup I see it Blossom, but as you can see from my post a little bit up, my two different Kindle Keyboards show the same behavior in screen differences, that is one of the Kindle keyboard has a far lighter background then the other. I think this is normal variation in production, and might indicate production changes from 2010 to 2011 (since the more recent Kindle keyboard has the greyer background)

[tank0]

Any suggestions about cover and reading lights?
The cover with light by amazon is too expensive. almost a new Kindle with special offers.