Paperwhite Second Gen: First Impressions

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Mayday is a joke! Both Times I use it the person couldn't find anything on the tablet I had to help them. If you want real help call Kindle support otherwise you get alot of misinformation.

It doesn't matter if it's a tablet or eInk it matters is how easy it is to read on it. Some people can't understand that the new tablets are just as easy to read on as eInk. The problem with frontlit readers are they do give you a tad of eyestrain unlike the unlit reader. It took my eyes about 3 months to adjust to the PW.

How is the Nexus 7 as a reader in bright sunlight? Does it eliminate all the glare?

I use my HDX 2013 in dim light and my PW 2013 in bright light. Each fits perfectly in those conditions but in my opinion cannot be reversed. The HDX 2013 eliminates more glare than the HD 2012 but still has too much glare for comfort in bright light.

If the Nexus 7 has no glare like the PW 2013 in bright sunlight, they you are absolutely correct in that the Nexus 7 is the better reader in both ambient light conditions.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

How is the Nexus 7 as a reader in bright sunlight? Does it eliminate all the glare?

I use my HDX 2013 in dim light and my PW 2013 in bright light. Each fits perfectly in those conditions but in my opinion cannot be reversed. The HDX 2013 eliminates more glare than the HD 2012 but still has too much glare for comfort in bright light.

If the Nexus 7 has no glare like the PW 2013 in bright sunlight, they you are absolutely correct in that the Nexus 7 is the better reader in both ambient light conditions.

The best reader for Sunlight is the K4B. The Paperwhite doesn't do well in sunlight unless you like looking through a window and reading.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I don't I own one and I can tell you reading on it wondeful! This isn't like past tablets. Reading on a tablet has really changed. It's no longer eye straining at all. The text is much better on on N7.2 than the Paperwhite.

I do get a little eye strain when reading on the PW1 if I don't take breaks every now and then. No problem with the K4B or the N7.2

Since I just ordered a Nexus 7.2 today, I can't wait to compare! I hope the screen isn't too shiny. I love reading on my Nook HD7 but had to put a matte screen protector on it, it was way too shiny, much shinier than the KFHD7.

[volwrath]

I prefer reading on my PW2 as opposed to my Nexus 7 2013, mainly because the kindle app blows on android.

My N7 makes a great alternative when I don't have my pw2 with me. Nonetheless I would pick my PW2 for all Kindle fiction books that I read.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by volwrath

I prefer reading on my PW2 as opposed to my Nexus 7 2013, mainly because the kindle app blows on android.

My N7 makes a great alternative when I don't have my pw2 with me. Nonetheless I would pick my PW2 for all Kindle fiction books that I read.

I don't blame you. The Kindle app for android is terrible. I never use it. I use Moon Reader. (and others, but Moon is my new favorite).

[krazy4katz]

Originally Posted by fearindex

You may want to check out my Kindle Keyboard vs. PW and Paperwhite 2 reviews:

Kindle Keyboard: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/top...tml#msg1921549
Paperwhite 2: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,165383.0.html

To cut a longer story short, Kindle Keyboard's e-ink screen will look a little bit more like a page of a book than PW2 will, which will look a little bit more like a screen.

Thanks, Fearindex. I may stick with my KK a bit longer. I change my mind about twice a week. k4k

[Barty]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I don't I own one and I can tell you reading on it wondeful! This isn't like past tablets. Reading on a tablet has really changed. It's no longer eye straining at all. The text is much better on on N7.2 than the Paperwhite.

I do get a little eye strain when reading on the PW1 if I don't take breaks every now and then. No problem with the K4B or the N7.2

In bright light, no question, eink is better than lcd due to lack of glare and washout. in fact, the brighter it is, the better eink looks.

In darker or dark room, the difference between front lit eink and high quality hi res lcd is not so clear. Using a light text on dark background and f.lux to adjust the warmth, I think the ipad is actually easier on my eyes. It's bigger, in any event, so I can use bigger fonts, and there's no unevenness or other flaws.

Front light is marketed as convenience for night reading, but the real reason is to compensate for eink's low reflectance (~40% vs 80% for paper).

my ideal dedicated ereader would have same reflectance as good quality paper and same dark, fine text quality as a decent 300dpi laser printer. forget the front light, I'll wear a miner's lamp to read. strip the light layer. heck, strip the touch layer, too. I want nothing between my eyeballs and display. I want true e-ink/e-paper, not LCD wannabe.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

In my case, as soon as I set the brightness of the KPW high enough to actually see that the reader is illuminated, then it just looks really weird to me; somewhat spooky-glowy-floaty-milky-white-blue. (Is that a word? Nope? Pity. Can't describe it otherwise.)

Therefore I set my front-light to a level to brighten the screen as much as possible without making it look illuminated. As soon as that starts to happen, I start to prefer a tablet.

Therefore, if the circumstances are such that I *always* see the Kindle glowing to be able to read, then I'd rather have a tablet, but this is fairly rare.

I notice that if I am reading in bright daylight, which I hardly ever do. At night in the dark, eink works so much better for me. If I read more during the day, I would grab my K4B. The contrast on that thing is absolutely phenomenal, as Blossom said.

[gulina]

post a picture. Please??

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I don't blame you. The Kindle app for android is terrible. I never use it. I use Moon Reader. (and others, but Moon is my new favorite).

Yes moon reader is my definite epub and PDF reader. Totally amazed how far its come in the PDF department. Maybe. I'll start freeing my kindle books again, but whispersync is just so nice

[oecherprinte]

Originally Posted by krazy4katz

Hi Jens,

Just out of curiosity, what do you still like about your KK? I have been considering upgrading from my KK but I keep wavering. I am not unhappy with it. I have an m-edge cover with the light which is still more convenient than a book. However the software on the PW2 intrigues me and, well, new devices are always fun!

Thanks,

k4k

I find the passive e-ink display of the KK very easy on the eyes. On the paperwhite you constantly have to adapt the brightness level to the surrounding light. It looks nice, but I have the impression that the black of the letters on the KK is darker than on the paperwhite. But the background is greyer so the contrast on the paperwhite might be higher.

The paperwhite is just much faster and more intuitive to use. I am reading legal texts on the paperwhite which requires a lot of page changing. That's great on the paperwhite.

So I guess I will still be using the KK occasionally.

Cheers,

Jens

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by oecherprinte

On the paperwhite you constantly have to adapt the brightness level to the surrounding light.

You certainly don't "have to". I never change the light level on my PW; it's always on level 12.

[fearindex]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You certainly don't "have to". I never change the light level on my PW; it's always on level 12.

It is a personal preference thing, of course, but I also need to fiddle with the PW light to keep it from being too bright (often to the point that it is actually a little too dark but that's the way I think it is "best"). I usually vary between 6-10 nowadays.

My comment to the broader discussion:

Definitely there is a more screen-like ambience with PW2 than with basic, non-lighted Kindles. Also, new basic Kindles have blacker text than PW1 or PW2, that is definitely the observation of many.

Last night I read in darkness at 6. It was OK, and the light was perfectly acceptable evenness wise etc. (didn't bother me), but not really that great an experience, quite like a dark LCD. I think I may go back to reading on my $69 Kindle "4B" in darkness with the lighted cover. But the PW2 is nice for its other features, like touch page change and touch dictionary/footnotes, in my opinion.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by xendula

I notice that if I am reading in bright daylight, which I hardly ever do. At night in the dark, eink works so much better for me. If I read more during the day, I would grab my K4B. The contrast on that thing is absolutely phenomenal, as Blossom said.

Makes me wonder what the K4B would look like if it had same 1024x758 carta screen. It would really make the PW look bad.

[oecherprinte]

One topic that hasn't been adressed so far: My old KK is white which offers a paper like reading experience since you do not feel visually boxed in (if you know what I mean). All new Kindle devices are black/dark grey which creates a high contrast edge.

I wonder why Amazon stopped making white Kindles.