I've played a bit more with my new basic now and in the lamplight the screen is the same yellowish white as that of the old basic. It only seems grayer in daylight. The text is a bit less bold (also, font rendering is quite different), but the contrast is still very good actually, better than on my old silver basic (after the font update). The difference with the old black basic is really only noticeable when comparing them side-by-side.
I suppose the new basic might grow on me in time. After all, I read almost two years on the silver basic, which has darker screen and poorer contrast, and I loved it. The new 2014 basic is by no means a bad reader, it's just that the old black basic has a truly excellent screen, and I've been spoiled by it.
