This is a very helpful post. I worry that my Kindle 3, after years of heavy use, will come to the end of its life in a few months' time -- and I've been a bit nervous about 'upgrading' to either the Kindle 4 or the Kindle Paperwhite. With this post, I'm significantly more comfortable with the idea of buying the Kindle 4 (black) to replace it. I just have one question -- have you ever used the Amazon lighted case for the Kindle 3? How would you say that it compares to the lighting experience of the Amazon case for the Kindle 4?