Paperwhite 2 status update:
So, the first Paperwhite 2 is going back, has been wrapped for UPS and will return to base. The second Paperwhite 2 is a keeper, as I said, and nothing has happened to change this - so I'm sticking to it.
In fact, I am happy to report I have completed two books on the PW2, which is two more than I ever completed on my PW1. I have actually not read on my $69 Kindle 4B that much since getting the replacement PW2, although no denying the basic Kindle has better blacks, and a better screen/light for reading in "absolute" darkness. There is still newness to the PW2 that makes it intriguing to try out.
Most of my reading on the PW2 has been in the dark, though, but some with some ambient lighting - the light is quite nice and useful in the latter scenario. In the dark I use 6-8, in some ambient lighting maybe 10(ish) light levels. As said, the screen isn't completely evenly lit, and this shows best in the middle light levels when there is little ambient lighting to even it out, go very low or very high and any unevenness hidden better. I think 10-15 is probably the "worst" range. But also as said, my PW2 is good enough to have crossed a very important mental threshold and I do get lost into reading on it. I wouldn't have completed two books on it, if this weren't the case.
I still think reading in darkness is a little problematic. Not because of screen quality issues, I don't see any significant unevenness in levels 6-8, and text blackness is OK... but the screen is pretty dark at that stage and going much up gets jarring and weary on the eyes, when there is very little or no ambient lighting. The contrast between the lit screen and the dark surroundings is very sharp (unlike on a case-lit basic Kindle) and the e-ink feeling is replaced by a more screen-like experience. No doubt, PW2 with its extra layers does look more screenish and less like paper, compared to the basic Kindle. Then again, I seem to nowadays spend maybe 30 seconds of pondering that and next time notice two hours later that I should have gone asleep an hour ago. Perhaps it just really is good enough for me.
One thing I do love almost unequivocally is the PW2 software. It really is nice to use pop-up footnotes and finger-pointing for footnotes and dictionary - that is a major, major upside in my use. Also, writing text is much easier on the touchscreen than on the $69 Kindle 4B of course. Finally, the cover view is just so nice and really makes the books I'm reading that bit more concrete. Were Amazon to make a non-lit version of this device, with a lighted cover integration, and I'd be all over that in three microseconds. I know PW2 has many other kinds of great features too, but I don't really use or need any others. One thing I miss from the $69 Kindle 4B is the reading progress bar. I wish they'd give that back.
Anyway, I now have two Kindles I keep charged and will alternate between them as I see fit, PW2 and the $69 Kindle 4B in the official lighted cover. I am glad to see I can enjoy both now.
Finally, updated PW2 to 5.4.2 yesterday and have Goodreads even on my international Amazon.com account, which is nice although I don't expect to use it anytime soon. Let's close with just a note on how the Cloud Collections work - not an issue for me since I don't use collections, but I did explore how they behave.
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By the way, I explored today how the Cloud Collections actually work.
Turns out, only "Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HD (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HDX, and Kindle for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch" actually update Cloud Collections in real-time as of now. Make cloud changes on these devices/apps, and they will show in other listed devices/apps.
For any other Kindle or Kindle app, including Kindle for PC which I tested quite a bit today (the latest version), category import is a one-time, one-way deal. One-time meaning the time you update to 5.4.2 or the time you register a device or reading up for the first time. So, the first time you update or register a 5.4.2 PW2, it will import collections from Kindle for PC and other types of older devices, but after that if you change something in those older devices or the current Kindle for PC version, those changes will NOT come to PW2.
Of course it is possible Amazon will update other apps and devices to support "real-time" Cloud Collections later.
Here is Amazon's help text on it:
"To import a collection: With Cloud Collections, collections are automatically stored in the Cloud and can be synced between Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HD (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HDX, and Kindle for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch reading apps.
Note: Importing collections from other devices or reading apps to Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HD (2nd Generation), Kindle Fire HDX, and Kindle for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch is currently limited to the first time you register the device or reading app."
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