Help please: Should I exchange my Paperwhite? (screen pictures)

[bokolobs]

Hi all,

I got a Kindle Paperwhite last Monday. And even though my expectations were lowered a bit by the reviews and sample pictures of the uneven lighting, I was still disappointed. My Paperwhite has a bit of pink discoloration and dark(ish) spots but not as bad as compared to others who have posted pictures of their screens.

For those who have exchanged their Paperwhite because of the screen, were you successful in doing so? How many units did you go through before you were satisfied? I am thinking of exchanging mine too but I don't think I can go through the hassle of exchanging three times or more.

I have attached some pictures of my screen. Is this as good as it gets? Do you think I should ask for an exchange?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. I hope you could enlighten me a bit. I reside outside the US and dealing with Amazon is pleasant but the long wait always bothers me.

[booklover6]

I do see colors on yours. I am sure others will, also.

The question is, does it bother you, or not? Is it worth the hassle of exchanging, or not?

[sparklemotion]

I exchanged mine quite a few times for various different issues (6 times maybe?) and I'm happy with my current one. I think only you can really know if the screen works for you. I would put it on the light setting you'll use the most and live with it for a week or so and see how you feel about it.

I do see color hues on yours, but then I see them on all of the posted pics to varying degrees. I don't think yours is particularly worse or better, if that is what you're asking? It really just depends on how it looks in person to you. Good luck with your decision.

[Yolina]

I see the colours too and would ask for a replacement if that were mine.

I got lucky and received an ok one after one exchange, which is just as well as I wouldn't have had the patience to play the multiple replacements Kindle lottery and would have just returned for a refund and stuck with my K3.

[HarryT]

As has been said, the key question is not "what does the screen look like in the dark with the light on maximum brightness", but rather "what does the screen look like in the conditions in which I typically use it". Your screen looks like a normal PW to me; the only thing that matters is what YOU think of it in the conditions in which you actually read.

[heatherlynn]

i wouldn't be bothered with the colors as much as seeing little pinholes of white light shining through. if your screen doesn't have that, consider yourself lucky and stick with it. to be honest, i think your screen looks good from the pictures but it may look different to you in person.

[Skydog]

IMHO, the display of your PW looks good. But my opinion is irrelevant. As Harry T has pointed out many times, using the PW in your typical reading environment and at your preferred light level should be the determining factor.

[ixtab]

Looks pretty normal to me, too. But as HarryT said, it's your decision in the end - use it as a reader for a couple of days, in your average reading condition.

Then, if you're not satisfied, go for an exchange. But if you expect something significantly more "perfect", then be prepared to exchange it many times, as others did (IMHO, some people are simply expecting too much or being overly critical - no offense intended, just my personal opinion).

[Joy736]

I think your screen looks pretty good. I don't think a replacement will look much better, if any. You have a much bigger change of ending up with a worse one.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by HarryT

As has been said, the key question is not "what does the screen look like in the dark with the light on maximum brightness", but rather "what does the screen look like in the conditions in which I typically use it". Your screen looks like a normal PW to me; the only thing that matters is what YOU think of it in the conditions in which you actually read.

Agreed. While the pictures you took look ok to me, it is ultimately up to you OP if returning it is worth the hassle.

[patrickt]

Looks normal, and acceptable, to me, too, but maybe you too can be one of the users who demands, and gets, 6 or more replacements. Oh, and I don't see any pink on the screen shots.

[tmf2]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Looks normal, and acceptable, to me, too, but maybe you too can be one of the users who demands, and gets, 6 or more replacements. Oh, and I don't see any pink on the screen shots.

I plainly see pink and dark hues, I've seen and had worse. Normal..... sure, being a normal paperwhite is merely acceptable. It boils down to what you can live with. I returned 4 units before I received one that the colors were faint enough that it was not a distraction while reading. Find it amazing some don't see colors , I don't know if that's a blessing or curse. Heres hoping the 2nd gen will address the persistent screen issues.

[ixtab]

Please trust objective tools more than subjective impressions. I'm not an expert (at all) in image editing or manipulation, but I've just used GIMP with the images posted, and guess what: The color histogram shows that they're almost perfect "grayscale" images...

[bokolobs]

Thanks so much for the reply, guys!

I have contacted Amazon CS and asked them if this is indeed as good as it gets. I'll be contacting their replacement team to determine if I have a defective device. I guess I will send them pictures.

I'm afraid (and already exhausted) of the idea of going through 2+ replacements to get a "perfect" device. Honestly, I'm a bit relieved that most of you think I have an average looking screen.

Thanks ixtab for the histogram idea. However, I downloaded customer images of defective Paperwhites from Amazon and their histograms looks the same as that of my screen. Am I looking at them the wrong way? What am I searching for here? Hehe

Thanks HarryT, I will consider your take on this. I'll be reading and relaxing this weekend and will decide if the screen really bothers me. Then I'll make a move (or not) on Monday.

[tmf2]

Originally Posted by bokolobs

Thanks so much for the reply, guys!

I have contacted Amazon CS and asked them if this is indeed as good as it gets. I'll be contacting their replacement team to determine if I have a defective device. I guess I will send them pictures.

I'm afraid (and already exhausted) of the idea of going through 2+ replacements to get a "perfect" device. Honestly, I'm a bit relieved that most of you think I have an average looking screen.

Thanks ixtab for the histogram idea. However, I downloaded customer images of defective Paperwhites from Amazon and their histograms looks the same as that of my screen. Am I looking at them the wrong way? What am I searching for here? Hehe

Thanks HarryT, I will consider your take on this. I'll be reading and relaxing this weekend and will decide if the screen really bothers me. Then I'll make a move (or not) on Monday.

If you decide on returning it FWIW I and several others have had better luck when we processed a return vs exchange. All my exchanges were pretty bad ( pink/blue screens) only when I processed a return and ordered a new PW did I get one acceptable. I don't think their are perfect ones some just worse then others the rainbow coloration's were driving me nuts no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. From a scale of bad to good yours looks in the barely fair range. Just my .02.