Had a Paperwhite 3 for years, looking for upgrade with a good screen

[Leddie]

Hey all!

I've owned a Paperwhite 3 since I got it as a gift in 2017, it's all I've had when it comes to e-readers, and it's been a blast. I love the paper-like screen, having hundreds of books in a single device, etc.

But as new devices have come I've grown interested in getting an upgrade (things like waterproofing, orange light, bigger screen). The PW4 didn't interest me much since it wasn't that much of an upgrade I felt like, but the PW5 has certainly caught my eye with all its features, and it looks like a great device. My only worry is that according to some reviews I've seen, the screen isn't very sharp due to the flush screen compared to devices with sunken screen. Everything else I'm fine with.

I've seen other well-known e-readers like the Kobo or Onyx, but I don't know much about them, so any input is welcome!

Things I don't care much for:

-Audiobooks
-Huge storage space
-The Amazon store (I mostly read sideloaded books, which I convert with Calibre)

Things important to me:

-Screen quality/sharpness
-Orange light (I mostly read during the evening/night, so I'm really interested in this)
-Bigger screen (looking to jump up from my 6" screen)
-Customization (adding my own fonts, editing things like margins, spacing, the more customizable the better.)

My budget is $200.

[Sirtel]

The Kobo Libra 2 seems like a good option for you. It has one of the best screens I've seen. And Kobos are very customizable.

[Quoth]

Use the existing Paperwhite as a serial number so you can read Amazon books on a Libra2. Put it in a drawer, don't unregister or give it away. You can copy/paste the PW serial number from your Amazon web page into a free 3rd party plugin on Calibre (Mac, Windows or Linux). Pick Download via PC for all Amazon books & then pick your PW.
I have PW3 & original Libra. Kobo far better Calibre support and the 7" with page turn buttons a big improvement. Series, covers, collections, annotations back to PC all work properly.

[JSWolf]

One thing for sure, the screens of the PW4 and PW5 are not as good as the PW3.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Leddie

The PW4 didn't interest me much since it wasn't that much of an upgrade I felt like, but the PW5 has certainly caught my eye with all its features, and it looks like a great device. My only worry is that according to some reviews I've seen, the screen isn't very sharp due to the flush screen compared to devices with sunken screen. Everything else I'm fine with.

If you live near a Best Buy you can see one in person. I would be a little leery of the negative reviews about the quality of the screen. I've seen some people who think it's good. If you can I would check it out for yourself.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One thing for sure, the screens of the PW4 and PW5 are not as good as the PW3.

Have you seen a PW5?

[Strether]

Originally Posted by rcentros

If you live near a Best Buy you can see one in person. I would be a little leery of the negative reviews about the quality of the screen. I've seen some people who think it's good. If you can I would check it out for yourself.

That's good advice. I bought the new PaperWhite and the Libra 2 and I do all my reading on the PaperWhite. Of all the reasons not to buy the PaperWhite, the sharpness of the screen would be the last reason I'd come up with. It has a beautiful screen and is super responsive and has the best battery life of any e-reader I've ever owned. I'll probably keep the Libra 2 as a backup, unless Amazon releases a new Oasis and then I might reconsider--especially if the Oasis has a decent battery.

If you're relying on reviews of the PaperWhite that you read on this site, you should keep in mind that this is not a Kindle-friendly crowd, for one reason or another. (Some don't like Amazon on principle, and others feel very comfortable installing patches so they can finely tune their reading experience.)

Jim

[Leddie]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The Kobo Libra 2 seems like a good option for you. It has one of the best screens I've seen. And Kobos are very customizable.

I've watched some reviews on YouTube of it, and it really does seem like a good device. I could see the screen quality difference on a video even, and it does look sharper.

Originally Posted by Quoth

Use the existing Paperwhite as a serial number so you can read Amazon books on a Libra2. Put it in a drawer, don't unregister or give it away. You can copy/paste the PW serial number from your Amazon web page into a free 3rd party plugin on Calibre (Mac, Windows or Linux). Pick Download via PC for all Amazon books & then pick your PW.
I have PW3 & original Libra. Kobo far better Calibre support and the 7" with page turn buttons a big improvement. Series, covers, collections, annotations back to PC all work properly.

Ooh, that sounds interesting. I do like the idea of better Calibre support since I use it so much.

Originally Posted by rcentros

If you live near a Best Buy you can see one in person. I would be a little leery of the negative reviews about the quality of the screen. I've seen some people who think it's good. If you can I would check it out for yourself.

I wish I did, but I don't . My only info comes from YouTube videos (which I've seen in 1080p and full-screen, lol), reviews, and now this forum.

Originally Posted by Strether

That's good advice. I bought the new PaperWhite and the Libra 2 and I do all my reading on the PaperWhite. Of all the reasons not to buy the PaperWhite, the sharpness of the screen would be the last reason I'd come up with. It has a beautiful screen and is super responsive and has the best battery life of any e-reader I've ever owned. I'll probably keep the Libra 2 as a backup, unless Amazon releases a new Oasis and then I might reconsider--especially if the Oasis has a decent battery.

If you're relying on reviews of the PaperWhite that you read on this site, you should keep in mind that this is not a Kindle-friendly crowd, for one reason or another. (Some don't like Amazon on principle, and others feel very comfortable installing patches so they can finely tune their reading experience.)

Jim

Haha, I'm not a big fan of Amazon, but the idea of fine-tuning my device is not something I'd be against. Seems like there's a lot of patches around, though.

I like the sound of the Libra 2. I only wonder about its responsiveness/performance, but it seems like a well-rounded device. The only outrageous thing about them seems to be the official covers sell at $40 lol.

[ZodWallop]

I agree. I don't doubt that the Libra 2 has a better screen than the Paperwhite. But the differences likely aren't as vast as stated here.

I have a Nook Glowlight 3 and it has the best screen of any of the 6" readers on the market. Yet reading on my Clara or on my old 6" Glowlight Plus (which uses the same screen, but is degraded a little by being flush like the Paperwhite) is still perfectly nice.

Go see a Paperwhite in person.

The Libra 2 still might be a better reader for your purposes. But don't be too swayed by reports on the screen if you haven't seen it in person.

One thing the Paperwhite has over the Libra is the speedier processor. Watch videos on it and that thing flies (for an ereader).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Have you seen a PW5?

I've seen some really good photos and have read that the PW5 is very similar to the PW4. When Amazon made the switch from the indented PW3 to the flush PW4, they didn't do it correctly and the PW4 was just muddy and not as sharp. The PW5 is similar.

[Pjama]

The PW5 has a beautiful screen - it’s much clearer than the rather blurry PW4 screen - no comparison.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Pjama

The PW5 has a beautiful screen - it’s much clearer than the rather blurry PW4 screen - no comparison.

And the Libra 2 screen is clearer then the PW5 screen.

[Pjama]

They are both great, no question. I think the Libra 2 is a smidge sharper, yes, but the PW5 is still an excellent reader.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Pjama

They are both great, no question. I think the Libra 2 is a smidge sharper, yes, but the PW5 is still an excellent reader.

And one thing not yet mentioned is that Kobo dithers images better then Amazon.

[LDB]

I've had several Kindles over the years. I also have a Kobo Aura One. I like the Kobo better for screen resolution and font adjustability. The only thing is that Kobo has some books available while Kindle has LOTS of books.