Kindle Paperwhite drops to 3.5 star rating on Amazon.com

[jswinden]

Check out this video introducing the PW from Amazon.com.

Look at seconds 16 through 26 where they zoom in on the text. That is such blatant BS. No way the text ever looks that good. So definitely marketing BS and hype.

[jswinden]

I was checking out the image on Amazon.com that illustrates how the new light layer works. See below:



Since light tends to fall off with distance it makes sense to design the nanoimprinted light guide layer to push more light toward the end of the layer which is supposed to be at the top of the PW. As the light travels from bottom to top and gets farther away from the LEDs it is supposed to push more light onto the screen. I wonder if this layer can be turned around, and if so, whether that would cause the dark shadow at the top of the screen? Probably not possible, but still I could see this happening in a lax manufacturing process.

[Gameboy70]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Pictures or you got a Kobo Glo.

The first picture is from day one with the Paperwhite, taken in somewhat dim light with the brightness set at 17, where I usually leave it. The second picture was taken indoors, in mostly window light, with the brightness set to the same level. I did have some initial problems with Whispersync, but never with the screen.

Last Sunday I finally checked out the Glo at Target. I actually didn't think the light distribution was noticeably better than the PW; in fact, I liked it less. I get that it has more LEDs, but I found the GlowLight's top-down light cones way more distracting than the Paperwhite's bottom-up light cones. But I did like its physical page turn controls and the fact that it has real page numbers. I can't figure out why Amazon still can't provide page numbers.

[xendula]

Gameboy70, is this pleasure reading?
What State did you see it in?
The Targets around here don't carry the Kobos any more. Not sure if BestBuy does, so I would not know where to try one out. They seem to have less coloration problems.

[Rizla]

I notice that the pre-release reviews didn't show the PW in the dark. The reviews were 'glowing' and the images were unrealistic. No wonder some people are annoyed with Amazon. A lot of the people who are peed off now are ex-fanboys. The whole thing is interesting and I have pop-corn.

[Gameboy70]

Originally Posted by xendula

Gameboy70, is this pleasure reading?

Learning is always a pleasure.

What State did you see it in?
The Targets around here don't carry the Kobos any more. Not sure if BestBuy does, so I would not know where to try one out. They seem to have less coloration problems.

I saw it in Santa Monica, California. Didn't see any Kindles, though.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by Gameboy70

Learning is always a pleasure.

I saw it in Santa Monica, California. Didn't see any Kindles, though.

Target decided to get rid of Kindles a few weeks ago. Now their stores are very Nook centric - at least around here.

[Helgetus]

Originally Posted by Gameboy70

The first picture is from day one with the Paperwhite, taken in somewhat dim light with the brightness set at 17, where I usually leave it. The second picture was taken indoors, in mostly window light, with the brightness set to the same level. I did have some initial problems with Whispersync, but never with the screen.

To you the screen looks fine apart from the lower area where the LED's are. When I look at the picture I see a large red area (top center and to the left). Do you not see it?
Maybe the top right looks greenish?

[shanghaichica]

Originally Posted by Helgetus

To you the screen looks fine apart from the lower area where the LED's are. When I look at the picture I see a large red area (top center and to the left). Do you not see it?
Maybe the top right looks greenish?

For once I'm glad for my poor eyesight lol. I couldn't see anything like that.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by Helgetus

When I look at the picture I see a large red area (top center and to the left). Do you not see it?
Maybe the top right looks greenish?

Same here. I hope that Amazon does now realise that there's quite a number of people who can see these colour casts quite clearly and that they really need to do something about it! When I cancelled my UK preorder, I did put in the (optional) reason for cancellation that it was because of those pink and green blotches that I had noticed on many pictures and that I would wait until these were resolved to change from my K3 (even if that means having to wait for the next iteration of the PW!)

[tubemonkey]

Current Kindle Ratings

• 4.5 -- K3 Keyboard
• 4.1 -- K4 Black
• 3.9 -- Fire HD
• 3.7 -- Paperwhite
• 3.4 -- Fire 2

I heart my K4S. I like it better than my K3.

[Trauma Doll]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Current Kindle Ratings

• 4.5 -- K3 Keyboard
• 4.1 -- K4 Black
• 3.9 -- Fire HD
• 3.7 -- Paperwhite
• 3.4 -- Fire 2

I heart my K4S. I like it better than my K3.

Are these the average ratings on amazon.com?

If so, what's up with the Fires that people typically complain about? I know basically nothing about that device.

[Chucky77]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Current Kindle Ratings

• 4.5 -- K3 Keyboard
• 4.1 -- K4 Black
• 3.9 -- Fire HD
• 3.7 -- Paperwhite
• 3.4 -- Fire 2

I heart my K4S. I like it better than my K3.

I'd be curious to know what the PW's average rating would be when you discount all the reviewers furiously giving one star reviews as it doesn't do text to speech / has smaller storage capacity than they'd imagined (both listed in the specs when they ordered) or that they are annoyed that despite ordering 2 weeks ago it's not arrived yet.

These idiots seriously throw off the average.

[Trauma Doll]

Originally Posted by Chucky77

I'd be curious to know what the PW's average rating would be when you discount all the reviewers furiously giving one star reviews as it doesn't do text to speech / has smaller storage capacity than they'd imagined (both listed in the specs when they ordered) or that they are annoyed that despite ordering 2 weeks ago it's not arrived yet.

These idiots seriously throw off the average.

I've said this before, but if you're going to toss out the bad reviews you don't agree with, you also have to toss out all the 'fanboy' reviews from people who post reviews saying stuff like "I haven't gotten my PW yet but I've seen the pics and I know it's going to be AMAZING, so ignore all these bad reviews!!!!!"

In short--the average is the average. I know people really, really want to believe you should just toss out X percentage of pointless negative reviews, but they're there on every high-profile product. It doesn't stop stellar high-profile products like iPads from hitting 4.5 stars.

[petrucci]

And the DX was discontinued with a 4.0. If reviews are taken into account, I would expect the PW to be replaced.

Maybe the flaws in the PW are part of Amazon's grand plan to get consumers to use lcd products so they can sell them videos.