Confusion about the Kindle PaperWhite

[kevinpars]

Just curious, why not use the light? Bezos basically said that people would want to use the light even in bright daylight. If it improves the screen and the new battery supposedly will last just as long with it on, I don't see a reason why not to use it.

I bought it with the intention to use it with the light on - otherwise I would have just bought the $69 Kindle.

[tomsem]

Andrys Basten has an excellent discussion on the potential 'fragility' issue here:

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2012...-e-reader.html

She was at the launch event and got a 'Kindle Team member' to comment:

In fact, I asked Kindle Team Staffers at the press event about my concern over fragility of a 2nd layer that houses lights over the text display, as I'd read so many reports on mild encounters of the screen with even-soft surfaces that resulted in damage to the lighting mechanism. I mentioned reading information from Nook owners at Barnes and Noble's tech support site.

One Kindle Team member actually gave me an answer (blow me down! as they tend to be so non-commital about everything).

He said that the Paperwhite light-system layer (it has only 4 Led lights) is "strong" and can handle quite a bit. I asked if they had done tests that involved dropping objects onto the screen of a Paperwhite, and he said that they had, and that it had survived all manner of drops onto the surface. I asked him if they'd dropped anything heavy on it, and he said, yes, and mentioned a rather heavy "brass" object and that it survived that too.

And if you go to the Nook forum here, there's been ongoing discussion like the following recent thread:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=190623

There, 'dakini' reports;

I'd heard about the light holes and assumed it was probably sensationalist reporting till I got to see one in the US. It had the same light holes. I asked the Nook sales person at that B and N and he said it was caused by a fake fingernail. He added that it happened regularly to their demo models so they stopped replacing them.

Still, I have to assume most people are happy with their Nook STw/G's and haven't had an issue. Apart from Nate's report, and reports about his report, I don't see nearly as many complaints in Nook forums and coming up in Google searches as I'd expect if it were a rampant problem. But only B&N knows for sure.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by tomsem

... I asked the Nook sales person at that B and N and he said it was caused by a fake fingernail. He added that it happened regularly to their demo models so they stopped replacing them. ...

I remember seeing "fingernail dents" in some keys on keyboards used by women with long nails, when I did computer repair service. A touchscreen may eventually have the same problem (perhaps even the new Paperwhite kindle). Just be sure to keep your nails trimmed. And do not wear sharpened stainless steel fake nails when using your Paperwhite...

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

I remember seeing "fingernail dents" in some keys on keyboards used by women with long nails, when I did computer repair service. A touchscreen may eventually have the same problem (perhaps even the new Paperwhite kindle). Just be sure to keep your nails trimmed. And do not wear sharpened stainless steel fake nails when using your Paperwhite...

I wonder if some people have gotten used to using fingernails to touch the screen (to reduce transfer of skin oil to screen surface). That works with IR touch screens. This technique probably won't work with Paperwhite as it has a capacitative touch screen.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I wonder if some people have gotten used to using fingernails to touch the screen (to reduce transfer of skin oil to screen surface). That works with IR touch screens. This technique probably won't work with Paperwhite as it has a capacitative touch screen.

But it might work if you apply metallic fingernail polish to those long nails.

[detayls]

Originally Posted by joblack

I have read a lot of information about the Kindle PaperWhite but some questions remain.

I do not intend to use the included light so will it be 'paperwhite' even if the artificial light is disabled? Does it have an improved eink display or does the higher contrast come from the artificial light?

You can only dim the light. There is no off switch.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

I made a comparison between Story HD's 768x1024 display and Kindle Non-Touch, by putting both side by side on a flatbet scanner with a black cloth on top. Since the scanner has a uniform light source the result should be "objective" as well. In any case I'd rather trust my own comparison than anything the manufacturer claims.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/att...2&d=1321187447

I took the liberty of cropping and recreating your image... this image is a combination of the two screens w/ a Left/Right split...

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by twowheels

I took the liberty of cropping and recreating your image... this image is a combination of the two screens w/ a Left/Right split...

Attachment 92925

Those difference could be accounted for by eink temperature differences, or how long since a full flash update. It actually takes about 3 full flash updates of the same page to get the best image quality.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by kevinpars

Just curious, why not use the light? Bezos basically said that people would want to use the light even in bright daylight. If it improves the screen and the new battery supposedly will last just as long with it on, I don't see a reason why not to use it.

I bought it with the intention to use it with the light on - otherwise I would have just bought the $69 Kindle.

A background light of some sort wouldn't be 'paper like'. Thanks I just wanted to know that without light there will be no improvements (except the resolution). I can stay with my 'old' Kindle.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by joblack

A background light of some sort wouldn't be 'paper like'. Thanks I just wanted to know that without light there will be no improvements (except the resolution). I can stay with my 'old' Kindle.

Actually, it would be just like paper that contains UV (whiter than white) dye, which emits more visible light than hits it (including the bluish fluorescence).

Much (but not all) computer printer paper contains this fluorescent dye (which makes it EXACTLY like the Paperwhite eink display).

[ixtab]

Originally Posted by detayls

You can only dim the light. There is no off switch.

Wrong. You can clearly see in the demo videos that the light can also be completely turned off.

Anything else wouldn't make sense anyway - why on earth should Amazon force their readers to always keep the light on, even if it's not required?

Spoiler:

... roughly between 1:00 and 1:10:

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by joblack

A background light of some sort wouldn't be 'paper like'. Thanks I just wanted to know that without light there will be no improvements (except the resolution). I can stay with my 'old' Kindle.

We should know soon. I certainly wouldn't form any conclusion from this thread...

[Format C:]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Remember that contrast is measured with a photometer - it's a purely objective measurement.

You're right.
But "a 25% increase" is a relative measurement.
25% of what? A "white on black" refelctivity ratio? Expressed id dB? Is it a peak value? or an average?

But what really counts is the subjective part: how much does a 25% increase improve actual reading?

Can't wait to answer this last question from direct experience....

[Gameboy70]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I think that without the front light, the eInk screen will have the same contrast as the entry level Kindle without a touch screen.

Unless someone with expertise in optics can correct me, I'd assume that adding a uniform light source to any surface would result in a uniform reflectance across all regions. The blacks and the whites would both reflect 100% more light if you increased the front light by 100%. So I don't see how the front light would increase contrast as measured by a photometer.

Amazon's Kindle sales numbers are so full of smoke and mirrors that your skepticism over their technical specs doesn't surprise me. I tend to believe them for just one reason: when I see side-by-side photos of the Paperwhite and previous Kindles, 25% looks accurate, if not conservative. It doesn't look like the PW will have the same contrast as paper. All I care about is that it's better than the Kindle line's traditional greyscale display.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by detayls

You can only dim the light. There is no off switch.

Really? That's odd - the Kindle Paperwhite manual clearly states that the light can be switched off. Is the manual incorrect?