Paperwhite Second Gen: First Impressions

[xendula]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I often read in bed, using a lamp that points at the Kindle over my left shoulder. (Or more accurately, it points just beside it, or otherwise it will create glare.) I could read without any frontlight; I did so with the Touch.

However, the frontlight of the Kindle makes the page brighter; I raise it to *just* below the point where you start to see that the Kindle is lit by anything else than the lamp behind me. Setting the frontlight like this makes the screen more readable.

What I like to know if the KPW2 changes the following...

If I would raise the Kindle's frontlight more than mentioned, the screen does become brighter and whiter of course, but in a very strange way. As I said in another post some time ago, it looks like "milk between two sheets of glass with letters floating in it". It looks really strange, and the screen becomes really hard to read, at least for me. Also, the letters seem to look smaller, but of course they aren't.

Does the KPW2 change this? I'm assuming that if I'm experiencing a too bright frontlight like this that there are more people around to whom it looks the same.

I can't have it too bright so close to my face, so it's difficult to say. I usually read in complete darkness at very low light settings, around 6 or 7, sometimes even less.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by xendula

I usually read in complete darkness...

I really dislike that, exactly because of what I described. I need the Kindle to be at setting 8, maybe 9, to actually read in complete darkness, and then the "milk" effect is already there. Not suprising, as any setting is brighter than the ambient light when reading in complete darkness

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I really dislike that, exactly because of what I described. I need the Kindle to be at setting 8, maybe 9, to actually read in complete darkness, and then the "milk" effect is already there. Not suprising, as any setting is brighter than the ambient light when reading in complete darkness

I too read in complete darkness at night like xendula mentioned. Generally I start off with the light at maybe 8, but then it goes down to maybe 4 or so. I don't notice the milk effect.

[Ocicat]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I often read in bed, using a lamp that points at the Kindle over my left shoulder. (Or more accurately, it points just beside it, or otherwise it will create glare.) I could read without any frontlight; I did so with the Touch.

However, the frontlight of the Kindle makes the page brighter; I raise it to *just* below the point where you start to see that the Kindle is lit by anything else than the lamp behind me. Setting the frontlight like this makes the screen more readable.

What I like to know if the KPW2 changes the following...

If I would raise the Kindle's frontlight more than mentioned, the screen does become brighter and whiter of course, but in a very strange way. As I said in another post some time ago, it looks like "milk between two sheets of glass with letters floating in it". It looks really strange, and the screen becomes really hard to read, at least for me. Also, the letters seem to look smaller, but of course they aren't.

Does the KPW2 change this? I'm assuming that if I'm experiencing a too bright frontlight like this that there are more people around to whom it looks the same.

I read the same way in bed, keep the PW2 at 6, the same setting than former PW1. Never did try to increase the light, will test tonight and let you know tomorrow.

The few times I read in complete darkness, I had the light down to 3-4 and did not find it too comfortable. BTW it makes a great light if you get up at 2-3 am and do not want to wake up anybody else.

[Ocicat]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

I have noticed that too. The 3 PW2's I saw all had that same yellow screen, not too much variation between them, but all definitely yellow. It's crazy (and frustrating) how much these units vary. I'd be curious to see one that didn't have a very yellow screen.

Here is weirder.... My yellow screen PW2 seems to be changing color, not when it is in sleep mode, but with the light on.

I opened it sunday afternoon and its screen was bluish grey. Same today and I love it because it makes the font darker!

Is the screen reacting to ambient temperature?? We have a cooler front and my house was 69-70° vs 75-76°.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by Ocicat

Here is weirder.... My yellow screen PW2 seems to be changing color, not when it is in sleep mode, but with the light on.

I opened it sunday afternoon and its screen was bluish grey. Same today and I love it because it makes the font darker!

Is the screen reacting to ambient temperature?? We have a cooler front and my house was 69-70° vs 75-76°.

Wow that is weird! I had this happen to me with the color hues on the PW1. Sometimes they would be more blue or more pink and I always wondered if it has something to do with temperature.

I wouldn't expect that change with the tone of the overall screen though, how odd. I prefer blueish grey over yellow too. I hope yours stays bluish grey for you! hehehe.

[Ocicat]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

Wow that is weird! I had this happen to me with the color hues on the PW1. Sometimes they would be more blue or more pink and I always wondered if it has something to do with temperature.

I wouldn't expect that change with the tone of the overall screen though, how odd. I prefer blueish grey over yellow too. I hope yours stays bluish grey for you! hehehe.

If it is the ambient temperature I might sew a special PW summer cover where I can insert ice packs.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by Ocicat

Here is weirder.... My yellow screen PW2 seems to be changing color, not when it is in sleep mode, but with the light on.

I opened it sunday afternoon and its screen was bluish grey. Same today and I love it because it makes the font darker!

Is the screen reacting to ambient temperature?? We have a cooler front and my house was 69-70° vs 75-76°.

Too bad my yellow screened one never changed color hues.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by Ocicat

If it is the ambient temperature I might sew a special PW summer cover where I can insert ice packs.

hee hee! Good thinking!

Originally Posted by xendula

Too bad my yellow screened one never changed color hues.

Put it in the refrigerator for an hour and see what happens.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Put it in the refrigerator for an hour and see what happens.

lololololol.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Put it in the refrigerator for an hour and see what happens.

sounds a bit cruel

[Barty]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I often read in bed, using a lamp that points at the Kindle over my left shoulder. (Or more accurately, it points just beside it, or otherwise it will create glare.) I could read without any frontlight; I did so with the Touch.

However, the frontlight of the Kindle makes the page brighter; I raise it to *just* below the point where you start to see that the Kindle is lit by anything else than the lamp behind me. Setting the frontlight like this makes the screen more readable.

What I like to know if the KPW2 changes the following...

If I would raise the Kindle's frontlight more than mentioned, the screen does become brighter and whiter of course, but in a very strange way. As I said in another post some time ago, it looks like "milk between two sheets of glass with letters floating in it". It looks really strange, and the screen becomes really hard to read, at least for me. Also, the letters seem to look smaller, but of course they aren't.

Does the KPW2 change this? I'm assuming that if I'm experiencing a too bright frontlight like this that there are more people around to whom it looks the same.

To me, the pw2 screen looks best when it does not look like the light is on. That is, when you set the light so it more or less matches the ambient light. As long as I use the light to lighten the screen and mask how not-white the screen actually is, I get a decent reading experience -- more like reading a book, as Amazon claims.

But if I push the light up more than ambient light because there isn't enough light to read by, then it looks like what it is -- a glowing lit screen. I see all the screen unevenness and I'm very aware of looking at a screen. You know how when you saw the kindle for the first time. you thought the message on it was a printed sticker, and when you realized you were actually looking at the screen it was a wow moment. The light destroys that illusion.

If anything, the pw2 is worse in this respect because the yellow bias makes the screen look more hazy.

Ps: I never read in complete darkness. I find that very unpleasant.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by Barty

To me, the pw2 screen looks best when it does not look like the light is on. That is, when you set the light so it more or less matches the ambient light. As long as I use the light to lighten the screen and mask how not-white the screen actually is, I get a decent reading experience -- more like reading a book, as Amazon claims.

But if I push the light up more than ambient light because there isn't enough light to read by, then it looks like what it is -- a glowing lit screen. I see all the screen unevenness and I'm very aware of looking at a screen. You know how when you saw the kindle for the first time. you thought the message on it was a printed sticker, and when you realized you were actually looking at the screen it was a wow moment. The light destroys that illusion.

If anything, the pw2 is worse in this respect because the yellow bias makes the screen look more hazy.

Ps: I never read in complete darkness. I find that very unpleasant.

This is exactly the way I set the light level on my PW1. When reading outside, my light is at 12 at least, if nor more. We have lots of sun here and a high luminosity, so I need a high light level if I am reading at the pool. But if I am inside at night, the light goes down. I don't read in complete darkness anymore, my husband says the light of the kindle bothers him then more than my bedside lamp.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by aceflor

This is exactly the way I set the light level on my PW1. When reading outside, my light is at 12 at least, if nor more. We have lots of sun here and a high luminosity, so I need a high light level if I am reading at the pool. But if I am inside at night, the light goes down. I don't read in complete darkness anymore, my husband says the light of the kindle bothers him then more than my bedside lamp.

I usually leave mine on 8 but have it on 5 now I think my light has change since last firmware upgrade. I know that sounds odd but all of sudden 8 is too bright for dark room reading.