when to buy the kindle - please help

ajkaorjun · 11-09-2012, 01:57 PM

hi all! this is my first post. i badly need your advise as i'm pretty confused. there won't be any kindle with color e-ink in 2012. but will there be any in 2013? this buying decision ( buying paperwhite right now or wait till next year for color ) means a lot to me as i am a first-time ebook reader buyer from a developing country and just can't change gadgets every year for obvious reason.

in case you all suggest me to buy the paperwhite now, shouldn't it be wise to wait for a couple of months to avoid the faulty pieces, as returning goods to amazon is a difficult and complex affair for international customers.

thanks in advance.

pidgeon92 · 11-09-2012, 02:13 PM

Frankly, I don't think color eink is ever going to hit the marketplace. Not with tablets becoming so ubiquitous and [relatively] inexpensive.

If you want an eink reader, and are concerned about the PW screen, go with the less expensive Touch or non-Touch model. There have been few complaints about either.

susan_cassidy · 11-09-2012, 02:46 PM

If you really want color, buy a tablet.

petrucci · 11-09-2012, 05:36 PM

Welcome to the forum! e-readers are very good at what they do, that is display text. If that is all that you desire from the new device, then I would not wait to purchase one. The $69 Kindle is very good, as is the Nook, and many other basic e-readers on the market.

If you want a lighted e-reader, I would advise you to wait, as it is a new technology. Many people have been having problems with the Kindle Paperwhite screen. The Kobo Glo seems to be getting good reviews, although some users complain that it is too bright to read in the dark.

If you want a device to do anything more than read text, the only reasonable economical option is to purchase a LCD based device. There is a color screen e-reader on the market, the ectaco jetbook, but it is very expensive. I do not expect the price to drop on color e-readers in the near future.

ajkaorjun · 11-10-2012, 09:04 AM

thank you all for your suggestions.

i watched jetbook and hanvon color readers in youtube but didn't find them attractive. i've decided to go with the kindle brand as amazon has a small but growing footprint ( presently beta ) in our country.

my jellybean tablet caters to all my browsing needs. but it's still a backlit lcd at the end of the day and reading colored magazines is not something that can be happily achieved without tears!

i'm looking for these answers so that a wise decision can be made.

1. apart from books i'm going to use my kindle for reading comics and magazines in color. hence - it's worth waiting for the color eink kindle as long as someone has commited on record about it ( i didn't find any evidence on net ). project vivit is interesting as they also use a 6-inch color eink screen but it's still too early to say that it'll be the future kindle.

2. if i had to choose between paperwhite and touch :

a. can we say touch + reading in dark = paperwhite? or it's more than that?? someone who has used both can help me - is the paperwhite resolution more crispy? amazon claimed that they've crammed 62% more pixel inside it.

b. is amazon going to improve the firmware / hardware in the next couple of months so that they can get rid of the present limitations of paperwhite? cases like this must've happened before and you guys can educate me based on past buying experiences. if there's some real good probability that they'll do the needful then i'm gonna wait and buy the paperwhite in summer 2013.

HarryT · 11-10-2012, 09:55 AM

I own both the Touch and the Paperwhite. My recommendation would be to get the Paperwhite, no question about it. The increased resolution makes the text a lot crisper and easier to read, and the light works extremely well.

weatherman · 11-10-2012, 09:58 AM

If you plan on reading comics and magazines, that is much better handled by a tablet. I would not look for an e-ink device that will do that for at least two years.

The Touch is discontinued, as far as I understand it, so for a touchscreen device the PW is the only choice. The differences between the Touch and the PW are deeper than just the light - the touch on the PW is capacitive instead of resistive so it's much better. The screen is arguably better resolution, though at the expense of contrast when the light is not in use. There are other slight differences, but generally e PW is an improvement over the Touch.

As for firmware updates, I don't think anything will fix the screen problems that some users have but other minor improvements are likely. That said, never buy a device because you hope it will get better - always buy the device for what it is today. Otherwise you are bound to be disappointed.

HarryT · 11-10-2012, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weatherman

The differences between the Touch and the PW are deeper than just the light - the touch on the PW is capacitive instead of resistive so it's much better.

The Touch has an infrared touch screen, not a resistive one. The touch screens on both the Touch and the PW work very well. Really nothing to choose between them in that respect.

weatherman · 11-10-2012, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The Touch has an infrared touch screen, not a resistive one. The touch screens on both the Touch and the PW work very well. Really nothing to choose between them in that respect.

Ah, I stand corrected. I had thought that the Touch was not as good with gestures, tap-n-drag highlight, etc as the PW.

To the OP: I should also clarify what I meant by "no color e-ink for at least two years" - color e-ink already exists, and alternatives do as well such as the oft-mentioned but rarely-seen Pixel Qi. But to show up in a Kindle - that I don't expect for at least a couple of years, and even when they do appear they will likely be significantly higher priced than current reader or tablets.

HarryT · 11-10-2012, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weatherman

Ah, I stand corrected. I had thought that the Touch was not as good with gestures, tap-n-drag highlight, etc as the PW.

I certainly haven't found that to be the case myself. I do prefer the slightly "textured" feel of the screen surface on the PW to the completely smooth screen on the Touch, though; it provides more positive feedback. Some people have said that they don't like the somewhat deeper bezel on the Touch (it's deeper because of the IR emitters which are around the edges of the bezel).

petrucci · 11-10-2012, 02:05 PM

I assume that color magazines and comics involve pictures, which benefit from a larger screen. I do not anticipate Amazon releasing a large screen color e-reader anytime soon. They have let the Kindle DX sell out, and are not taking orders for more at this time. They deny that it is discontinued, but it appears that it is. If you want an e-reader for color mags, then the ectaco jetbook is one of the only options. The price will probably not drop in the near future, as it is a niche product. Ask around on this site for users' experience with its screen. From what I have heard, most people like it.

If you decide against a color e-reader, then I would recommend the $69 Kindle, as a fair number of Paperwhites are defective. It is unclear whether or not Amazon will be able to fix the problem with the screens in the next few months, I suspect that they will not. Many companies decide to stick with products with a high defect rate, such as Microsoft and its xbox 360.

BeeTee-Ess · 11-11-2012, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajkaorjun

thank you all for your suggestions.

i watched jetbook and hanvon color readers in youtube but didn't find them attractive. i've decided to go with the kindle brand as amazon has a small but growing footprint ( presently beta ) in our country.

my jellybean tablet caters to all my browsing needs. but it's still a backlit lcd at the end of the day and reading colored magazines is not something that can be happily achieved without tears!

i'm looking for these answers so that a wise decision can be made.

1. apart from books i'm going to use my kindle for reading comics and magazines in color. hence - it's worth waiting for the color eink kindle as long as someone has commited on record about it ( i didn't find any evidence on net ). project vivit is interesting as they also use a 6-inch color eink screen but it's still too early to say that it'll be the future kindle.

2. if i had to choose between paperwhite and touch :

a. can we say touch + reading in dark = paperwhite? or it's more than that?? someone who has used both can help me - is the paperwhite resolution more crispy? amazon claimed that they've crammed 62% more pixel inside it.

b. is amazon going to improve the firmware / hardware in the next couple of months so that they can get rid of the present limitations of paperwhite? cases like this must've happened before and you guys can educate me based on past buying experiences. if there's some real good probability that they'll do the needful then i'm gonna wait and buy the paperwhite in summer 2013.

May I suggest a compromise.

As you already have a Nexus 7 tablet, which you find not ideal for general reading, why not contemplate using it just for comics and coloured magazines, and buying what Americans often refer to as the $69 Kindle (on this forum it is usually called the K4) for general reading.

You have not mentioned where you live, but the K4 Kindle is a relatively inexpensive purchase, light in weight, and really good for general reading. It will let you defer a decision about colour e-ink.

Certainly, Amazon have not yet made any announcements about such a product, and even when they do, as you correctly observe, you would not want to have to deal with possible returns from another country, should the initial experience prove less than satisfactory.

nicepal · 11-11-2012, 01:06 AM

Though i never own ereader before & first time decided to get a paperwhite, to me the paperwhite is very good if you just want a ereader & you won't get distracted to do other thing while reading as compare to a tablet. But offcourse a tablet's colour screen may be more attractive...

If you always read under light source, you may want to get the previous version as it is cheaper but the front lit paperwhite is really attractive.

It's very difficult to wait for the next better version as amazon may come out a new version every 1 to 2 yrs...
( Harry, thanks for reminding me that )

HarryT · 11-11-2012, 01:53 AM

Please don't use "SMS abbreviations" when you write messages. They make them difficult to read, especially for people for whom English isn't their first language.

ajkaorjun · 11-12-2012, 01:56 AM

ok! all these inputs are really valuable. i've "almost" made up my mind to go for the touch - here's why.

jetbook and similar color readers are new kid on the block. investment-wise it'll be bad buying decision. i'm a first time buyer and don't wanna take any chances. let's wait for this technology to mature a bit.

nook and kobo are good alternatives but after-sales service, customer support, availability of content etc are non-existent for my country . but for kindle i can buy books without paying the cross-currency fees ie i can pay in my own currency. i guess amazon have stopped accepting orders for touch to push paperwhite ( domestic ) sales but it's still available for us.

amazon-india store is known as junglee-dot-com.

http://www.junglee.com/b/683893031/r...rd_i=807881031

i must confess that the innovative "reading in the dark" feature is very enticing, practical and must-have if you have a spouse or partner. but i'm not gonna loose my slumber worrying whether my new paperwhite is a-ok or not. i'll play safe and stick with touch.

anyway, i'm really curious to know is this "1-inch" a real game-changer? i mean - reading comics and magazines on a 7-inch tablet vs a 6-inch ebook reader??

i also didn't get this part of the story. why "some" and not "all" are complaining about paperwhite? does that imply the technology / engineering design is perfect but incorrectly implemented in some gadgets ( due to manufacturing / quality control issues or whatever )??

thank you all for helping me out! contributions are still welcome.

11-09-2012, 01:57 PM	#1
ajkaorjun Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: calcutta, india Device: none	when to buy the kindle - please help hi all! this is my first post. i badly need your advise as i'm pretty confused. there won't be any kindle with color e-ink in 2012. but will there be any in 2013? this buying decision ( buying paperwhite right now or wait till next year for color ) means a lot to me as i am a first-time ebook reader buyer from a developing country and just can't change gadgets every year for obvious reason. in case you all suggest me to buy the paperwhite now, shouldn't it be wise to wait for a couple of months to avoid the faulty pieces, as returning goods to amazon is a difficult and complex affair for international customers. thanks in advance. Last edited by ajkaorjun; 11-09-2012 at 02:01 PM. Reason: typo

11-11-2012, 01:06 AM	#13
nicepal Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Though i never own ereader before & first time decided to get a paperwhite, to me the paperwhite is very good if you just want a ereader & you won't get distracted to do other thing while reading as compare to a tablet. But offcourse a tablet's colour screen may be more attractive... If you always read under light source, you may want to get the previous version as it is cheaper but the front lit paperwhite is really attractive. It's very difficult to wait for the next better version as amazon may come out a new version every 1 to 2 yrs... ( Harry, thanks for reminding me that ) Last edited by nicepal; 11-11-2012 at 10:04 AM. Reason: Lengthen those words.

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11-09-2012, 02:13 PM	#2
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	Frankly, I don't think color eink is ever going to hit the marketplace. Not with tablets becoming so ubiquitous and [relatively] inexpensive. If you want an eink reader, and are concerned about the PW screen, go with the less expensive Touch or non-Touch model. There have been few complaints about either.

11-09-2012, 02:46 PM	#3
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	If you really want color, buy a tablet.

11-09-2012, 05:36 PM	#4
petrucci Groupie Posts: 198 Karma: 1647827 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Welcome to the forum! e-readers are very good at what they do, that is display text. If that is all that you desire from the new device, then I would not wait to purchase one. The $69 Kindle is very good, as is the Nook, and many other basic e-readers on the market. If you want a lighted e-reader, I would advise you to wait, as it is a new technology. Many people have been having problems with the Kindle Paperwhite screen. The Kobo Glo seems to be getting good reviews, although some users complain that it is too bright to read in the dark. If you want a device to do anything more than read text, the only reasonable economical option is to purchase a LCD based device. There is a color screen e-reader on the market, the ectaco jetbook, but it is very expensive. I do not expect the price to drop on color e-readers in the near future.

11-10-2012, 09:04 AM	#5
ajkaorjun Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: calcutta, india Device: none	thank you all for your suggestions. i watched jetbook and hanvon color readers in youtube but didn't find them attractive. i've decided to go with the kindle brand as amazon has a small but growing footprint ( presently beta ) in our country. my jellybean tablet caters to all my browsing needs. but it's still a backlit lcd at the end of the day and reading colored magazines is not something that can be happily achieved without tears! i'm looking for these answers so that a wise decision can be made. 1. apart from books i'm going to use my kindle for reading comics and magazines in color. hence - it's worth waiting for the color eink kindle as long as someone has commited on record about it ( i didn't find any evidence on net ). project vivit is interesting as they also use a 6-inch color eink screen but it's still too early to say that it'll be the future kindle. 2. if i had to choose between paperwhite and touch : a. can we say touch + reading in dark = paperwhite? or it's more than that?? someone who has used both can help me - is the paperwhite resolution more crispy? amazon claimed that they've crammed 62% more pixel inside it. b. is amazon going to improve the firmware / hardware in the next couple of months so that they can get rid of the present limitations of paperwhite? cases like this must've happened before and you guys can educate me based on past buying experiences. if there's some real good probability that they'll do the needful then i'm gonna wait and buy the paperwhite in summer 2013.

11-10-2012, 09:55 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I own both the Touch and the Paperwhite. My recommendation would be to get the Paperwhite, no question about it. The increased resolution makes the text a lot crisper and easier to read, and the light works extremely well.

11-10-2012, 09:58 AM	#7
weatherman Addict Posts: 385 Karma: 1010052 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: (previous: Kindle 2, Kindle Fire) Kindle 4 WiFi, K3K, KPW	If you plan on reading comics and magazines, that is much better handled by a tablet. I would not look for an e-ink device that will do that for at least two years. The Touch is discontinued, as far as I understand it, so for a touchscreen device the PW is the only choice. The differences between the Touch and the PW are deeper than just the light - the touch on the PW is capacitive instead of resistive so it's much better. The screen is arguably better resolution, though at the expense of contrast when the light is not in use. There are other slight differences, but generally e PW is an improvement over the Touch. As for firmware updates, I don't think anything will fix the screen problems that some users have but other minor improvements are likely. That said, never buy a device because you hope it will get better - always buy the device for what it is today. Otherwise you are bound to be disappointed.

11-10-2012, 02:05 PM	#11
petrucci Groupie Posts: 198 Karma: 1647827 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I assume that color magazines and comics involve pictures, which benefit from a larger screen. I do not anticipate Amazon releasing a large screen color e-reader anytime soon. They have let the Kindle DX sell out, and are not taking orders for more at this time. They deny that it is discontinued, but it appears that it is. If you want an e-reader for color mags, then the ectaco jetbook is one of the only options. The price will probably not drop in the near future, as it is a niche product. Ask around on this site for users' experience with its screen. From what I have heard, most people like it. If you decide against a color e-reader, then I would recommend the $69 Kindle, as a fair number of Paperwhites are defective. It is unclear whether or not Amazon will be able to fix the problem with the screens in the next few months, I suspect that they will not. Many companies decide to stick with products with a high defect rate, such as Microsoft and its xbox 360.

11-11-2012, 01:53 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Please don't use "SMS abbreviations" when you write messages. They make them difficult to read, especially for people for whom English isn't their first language.

11-12-2012, 01:56 AM	#15
ajkaorjun Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: calcutta, india Device: none	ok! all these inputs are really valuable. i've "almost" made up my mind to go for the touch - here's why. jetbook and similar color readers are new kid on the block. investment-wise it'll be bad buying decision. i'm a first time buyer and don't wanna take any chances. let's wait for this technology to mature a bit. nook and kobo are good alternatives but after-sales service, customer support, availability of content etc are non-existent for my country . but for kindle i can buy books without paying the cross-currency fees ie i can pay in my own currency. i guess amazon have stopped accepting orders for touch to push paperwhite ( domestic ) sales but it's still available for us. amazon-india store is known as junglee-dot-com. http://www.junglee.com/b/683893031/r...rd_i=807881031 i must confess that the innovative "reading in the dark" feature is very enticing, practical and must-have if you have a spouse or partner. but i'm not gonna loose my slumber worrying whether my new paperwhite is a-ok or not. i'll play safe and stick with touch. anyway, i'm really curious to know is this "1-inch" a real game-changer? i mean - reading comics and magazines on a 7-inch tablet vs a 6-inch ebook reader?? i also didn't get this part of the story. why "some" and not "all" are complaining about paperwhite? does that imply the technology / engineering design is perfect but incorrectly implemented in some gadgets ( due to manufacturing / quality control issues or whatever )?? thank you all for helping me out! contributions are still welcome.

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