2 question on Paperwhite - Page 2

EldRick · 09-07-2012, 08:16 PM

Kobo Glo XGA means 1024x768, same e-ink as PW. Backlighting layer is similar.

As far as I can see, the tradeoff between Kobo Glo and Kindle PW is that the Kobo offers much better control over fonts, sizes, and stroke darkness, while the PW has a web browser that the Glo lacks.

For me I'm seriously squashed between rock and hard place on these two readers.

soulfuldog · 09-08-2012, 08:26 AM

I read somewhere that the lighting tech used on the Kobo Glo is the same as the Nook Glowlight, is this the same as the Kindle Paperwhite?

I've read nothing about any change to the touch-screen on the Kobo Glo, so I assume it's still using the infrared tech they've all used up to now, so it's only the Kindle Paperwhite that has changed to the presumably superior capacitive touch-screen?

ijdod · 09-09-2012, 10:07 AM

At a guess the technology for the lighting is the same, but the actual quality of implementation may be different.

As I understand it, the capacitive touchscreen is technically better, but requires an additional layer on the screen. Early Sony e-readers had this. This affected the clarity of the screen. How this affects the PW remains to be seen.

HarryT · 09-09-2012, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vmurph

So even if it had no light, the display is still greatly improved over the KT.

Amazon say that the screen has 25% greater contrast than the previous generation of Pearl screens.

HarryT · 09-09-2012, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ijdod

At a guess the technology for the lighting is the same, but the actual quality of implementation may be different.

As I understand it, the capacitive touchscreen is technically better, but requires an additional layer on the screen. Early Sony e-readers had this. This affected the clarity of the screen. How this affects the PW remains to be seen.

A capacitive touch screen is a layer of a completely transparent "paint" on the surface of the screen. It's a totally different thing to the resistive touch screen that the older Sony's had. That was a physical layer of quite thick material on top of the screen, and significantly degraded the screen readability. Capacitive screens don't do that.

Kumabjorn · 09-09-2012, 10:14 AM

And that is straight from eInk, that makes the same claim.

jswinden · 09-09-2012, 10:38 AM

One of the earlier Sony's also used a layer to create lighting. I think it was the PRS-700(?). It was a big failure as it definitely made the text harder to read. They also introduced a special light cover that used a flip down layer of clear plastic that created the light similar to how the 700 did. I had one for my 600 I believe and it to was terrible. I never saw the 700, but the 600 with lighted clear plastic cover was a headache inducer. But this was a few years ago and it looks like Amazon has done it without these side effects.

BTW, both the 600 and 700 used the older, lesser contrast pre-Pearl eInk screens.

JSWolf · 09-09-2012, 10:38 AM

From the Kobo specs, it does sound like Kobo went with the plastic backed XGA screen from LG. There is no indication if the screen Amazon is using is glass or plastic backed. But, they are both the same resolution/DPI and both have a lighter background then the previous 800x600 pearl screen. Even the new T2 is said to have a lighter background even though it's still 800x600.

JSWolf · 09-09-2012, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jswinden

One of the earlier Sony's also used a layer to create lighting. I think it was the PRS-700(?). It was a big failure as it definitely made the text harder to read. They also introduced a special light cover that used a flip down layer of clear plastic that created the light similar to how the 700 did. I had one for my 600 I believe and it to was terrible. I never saw the 700, but the 600 with lighted clear plastic cover was a headache inducer. But this was a few years ago and it looks like Amazon has done it without these side effects.

The 700 had LEDs along the sides. It waent screen, LEDs, touch layer. It was a real mess and it showed. With the light off, it was not good.

The lightwedge cover was for the 505 only. It caused the 505 to be rather heavy. Also, the contrast was not so good with the light layer on top of the screen. Again, it was awful.

ijdod · 09-09-2012, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

A capacitive touch screen is a layer of a completely transparent "paint" on the surface of the screen. It's a totally different thing to the resistive touch screen that the older Sony's had. That was a physical layer of quite thick material on top of the screen, and significantly degraded the screen readability. Capacitive screens don't do that.

Ah, I stand corrected. Had them mixed up.

Zeebra · 09-09-2012, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vmurph

I believe that's correct. This was a concern of mine, also, so I searched the internet for some good photos. According to one of the techies at the event who had hands-on experience (and a really good closeup photo he supplied), the PW's bezel is nice and flat, same depth as the K4 and KK. Yay, no more shadows

As for the display, it's definitely e-ink. The screen always looks so white in most of the photos. But what I've been itching to know, is what it looks like without the light on.

Well, I finally found a closeup shot of a side-by-side comparison of the KT and the PW with the light OFF. Much to my surprise, the color/shade of the PW's screen is no different from the Touch. So it's the light that makes it look "white"...which I'm actually grateful for, because it allows me to decide just how white I want it.

Side by side comparison of KT & PW (w/light off)

As you can see, even though the PW's background is the same greyish color as the KT (with the light off), the fonts themselves are definitely improved...noticeably darker and crisper. So even if it had no light, the display is still greatly improved over the KT.

Hmm, paperwhite looks papergrey there. Not feeling it now.

SamuraiXSendai · 09-09-2012, 08:12 PM

Notoriously hard to compare brightness side by side. All kinds of distractions come into play, different light angle, different color bezel, etc. Would like to see a square of each cut out and compared without anything else to interfere.

JSWolf · 09-09-2012, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeebra

Hmm, paperwhite looks papergrey there. Not feeling it now.

Currently, there is no eink display with a white background. The light just gives it the effect of being white.

JSWolf · 09-09-2012, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamuraiXSendai

Notoriously hard to compare brightness side by side. All kinds of distractions come into play, different light angle, different color bezel, etc. Would like to see a square of each cut out and compared without anything else to interfere.

I just cut a but out of each screen in the photo and the new screens are lighter.

geekmaster · 09-09-2012, 10:05 PM

I suspect that the early batches of new kindles will use much higher quality control, so they get a lot of great reviews. Later, as demand picks up, they can start shipping the lower quality displays that are still "good enough" for most people.

09-09-2012, 10:38 AM	#22
jswinden Nameless Being	One of the earlier Sony's also used a layer to create lighting. I think it was the PRS-700(?). It was a big failure as it definitely made the text harder to read. They also introduced a special light cover that used a flip down layer of clear plastic that created the light similar to how the 700 did. I had one for my 600 I believe and it to was terrible. I never saw the 700, but the 600 with lighted clear plastic cover was a headache inducer. But this was a few years ago and it looks like Amazon has done it without these side effects. BTW, both the 600 and 700 used the older, lesser contrast pre-Pearl eInk screens. Last edited by jswinden; 09-09-2012 at 10:40 AM.

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09-07-2012, 08:16 PM	#16
EldRick Evangelist Posts: 470 Karma: 112801 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Aura H2O (i86, M96C, Mini&Glo, PRS-950, STR, K-Touch, K-DX, K-3)	Kobo Glo XGA means 1024x768, same e-ink as PW. Backlighting layer is similar. As far as I can see, the tradeoff between Kobo Glo and Kindle PW is that the Kobo offers much better control over fonts, sizes, and stroke darkness, while the PW has a web browser that the Glo lacks. For me I'm seriously squashed between rock and hard place on these two readers.

09-08-2012, 08:26 AM	#17
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	I read somewhere that the lighting tech used on the Kobo Glo is the same as the Nook Glowlight, is this the same as the Kindle Paperwhite? I've read nothing about any change to the touch-screen on the Kobo Glo, so I assume it's still using the infrared tech they've all used up to now, so it's only the Kindle Paperwhite that has changed to the presumably superior capacitive touch-screen?

09-09-2012, 10:07 AM	#18
ijdod Member Posts: 22 Karma: 504852 Join Date: Sep 2012 Device: Kobo Glo	At a guess the technology for the lighting is the same, but the actual quality of implementation may be different. As I understand it, the capacitive touchscreen is technically better, but requires an additional layer on the screen. Early Sony e-readers had this. This affected the clarity of the screen. How this affects the PW remains to be seen.

09-09-2012, 10:14 AM	#21
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	And that is straight from eInk, that makes the same claim.

09-09-2012, 10:38 AM	#23
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,887 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	From the Kobo specs, it does sound like Kobo went with the plastic backed XGA screen from LG. There is no indication if the screen Amazon is using is glass or plastic backed. But, they are both the same resolution/DPI and both have a lighter background then the previous 800x600 pearl screen. Even the new T2 is said to have a lighter background even though it's still 800x600.

09-09-2012, 08:12 PM	#27
SamuraiXSendai Addict Posts: 229 Karma: 1234 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Earth Device: Kindle 1. Kindle 2. IPAD. KDXG. Kindle 3.Fire	Notoriously hard to compare brightness side by side. All kinds of distractions come into play, different light angle, different color bezel, etc. Would like to see a square of each cut out and compared without anything else to interfere.

09-09-2012, 10:05 PM	#30
geekmaster Carpe diem, c'est la vie. Posts: 6,433 Karma: 10773668 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Multiverse 6627A Device: K1 to PW3	I suspect that the early batches of new kindles will use much higher quality control, so they get a lot of great reviews. Later, as demand picks up, they can start shipping the lower quality displays that are still "good enough" for most people.

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