Paperwhite Second Gen: First Impressions

[FanciFreez]

As far as B&N Bookstores.. they have so much wasted space in their stores.. isles of books that no one even looks at.. what a shame.. they need to downsize fast.. they need some mini stores/cafe style.. sell Coffee, top selling books and Magazines .. and Ebook readers etc..

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Rizla

I don't think that's fair. The Kindle UI has some nice features, but the old Nook ST has folders which is superior to Kindle collections. Also it allows custom fonts, unlike the Kindle which no longer does and seems to be going backwards when it comes to user customization. I think the Kobo is also much better for font customization than the new Kindle. The Kindle seems to be going into lock-down.

In fact, the whole issue of Amazon locking down the Kindle fonts is not getting enough air-time. To not allow users to add their own fonts is going way too far. I am not aware of any other e-reader that has ever done that. It is possible to embed fonts, but it's a massive pain and a horrid kludge and and beyond the ability of the vast majority of users.

You can add fonts to your stock Nook ST? No, I didn't think so. I tried,and I could not do it, though when I rooted it, custom fonts worked fine. So don't compare that to a kindle as if its a feature of the nook. Yes the PW1 could be fixed for custom fonts. And it is disappointing that it doesn't work on the PW2. Embedding the fonts works great. I wonder if embedding fonts would work on an unrooted nook st? I no longer have mine to test.

So far,the only commonly available reader in the US that will take extra fonts is kobo. AFAIK.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by Rizla

If you can't see the pinholes in those images than you are not qualified to comment on the quality of screens. They are extremely obvious to me, and my eyesight is only average.

I hate to say this but most PW 2013 readers LIKE the fonts, the white background and the CONTRAST. I really could care less if my unit has or does not have pin holes.

At my age a Kindle Paperwhite is LITERALLY A MIRACLE. Just look at printed pages if you want to see defects. Its like day and night.

Try the competitive eInk readers and you will see they are GARBAGE by comparison to the PW 2013. Amazon will take the market and in 5 years there will be no competition, not even Apple will stand against them.

If someone gets a unit where PIN holes bother him, just exchange it for a new unit. Amazon has great return policies which others cannot match.

The entire PIN hole controversy is a niche area and I really doubt if the vast majority of PW owners can see them. Only those, who wear certain types of eye glasses, can even see them.

There are some problems with the PW's such as freezes, lack of page control, battery failure and others but even they are a very small minority of units shipped.

I've read HUNDREDS of reviews at the Amazon site and a mention of a PIN hole is a distinct RARITY. Only here we get all the PIN hole complaints as we got all the color complaints last year.

The reason the SAME people get the same color and / or pin hole problems on many unit exchanges and others never get them I believe has something to do with their glasses which make their vision very sharp and ultra sensitive to those kinds of defects.

My brother is going deaf. He got a very expensive ear insert where he could hear folks talking through walls and hundreds of feet away on streets and in restaurants. Only he could hear them. Thus, he returned that device for a slight loss of hearing versus the ultra sensitive detection. Some glasses may have the same problems.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I hate to say this but most PW 2013 readers LIKE the fonts, the white background and the CONTRAST. I really could care less if my unit has or does not have pin holes.

At my age a Kindle Paperwhite is LITERALLY A MIRACLE. Just look at printed pages if you want to see defects. Its like day and night.

Try the competitive eInk readers and you will see they are GARBAGE by comparison to the PW 2013. Amazon will take the market and in 5 years there will be no competition, not even Apple will stand against them.

If someone gets a unit where PIN holes bother him, just exchange it for a new unit. Amazon has great return policies which others cannot match.

The entire PIN hole controversy is a niche area and I really doubt if the vast majority of PW owners can see them. Only those, who wear certain types of eye glasses, can even see them.

There are some problems with the PW's such as freezes, lack of page control, battery failure and others but even they are a very small minority of units shipped.

I've read HUNDREDS of reviews at the Amazon site and a mention of a PIN hole is a distinct RARITY. Only here we get all the PIN hole complaints as we got all the color complaints last year.

The reason the SAME people get the same color and / or pin hole problems on many unit exchanges and others never get them I believe has something to do with their glasses which make their vision very sharp and ultra sensitive to those kinds of defects.

My brother is going deaf. He got a very expensive ear insert where he could hear folks talking through walls and hundreds of feet away on streets and in restaurants. Only he could hear them. Thus, he returned that device for a slight loss of hearing versus the ultra sensitive detection. Some glasses may have the same problems.

I've not got involved in this argument so far but your comment that ultra sensitive glasses could cause the wearer to see pin holes is laughable.

I wear glasses as I am shortsighted, I've been wearing them for 40+ years, yet my real close vision is still better without glasses.

My PW2 will be arriving today and even though I wear glasses I will be looking for pin holes with my naked eyes, my eyes practically nose pressed to the screen. I hope I don't see one, but if I do it will be because its there, not because I wear ultra sensitive glasses!!!

Next you'll be saying X-Ray glasses exist......

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I hate to say this but most PW 2013 readers LIKE the fonts, the white background and the CONTRAST. I really could care less if my unit has or does not have pin holes.

At my age a Kindle Paperwhite is LITERALLY A MIRACLE. Just look at printed pages if you want to see defects. Its like day and night.

Try the competitive eInk readers and you will see they are GARBAGE by comparison to the PW 2013. Amazon will take the market and in 5 years there will be no competition, not even Apple will stand against them.

If someone gets a unit where PIN holes bother him, just exchange it for a new unit. Amazon has great return policies which others cannot match.

The entire PIN hole controversy is a niche area and I really doubt if the vast majority of PW owners can see them. Only those, who wear certain types of eye glasses, can even see them.

There are some problems with the PW's such as freezes, lack of page control, battery failure and others but even they are a very small minority of units shipped.

I've read HUNDREDS of reviews at the Amazon site and a mention of a PIN hole is a distinct RARITY. Only here we get all the PIN hole complaints as we got all the color complaints last year.

The reason the SAME people get the same color and / or pin hole problems on many unit exchanges and others never get them I believe has something to do with their glasses which make their vision very sharp and ultra sensitive to those kinds of defects.

My brother is going deaf. He got a very expensive ear insert where he could hear folks talking through walls and hundreds of feet away on streets and in restaurants. Only he could hear them. Thus, he returned that device for a slight loss of hearing versus the ultra sensitive detection. Some glasses may have the same problems.

I'd also like to say that none of the stock fonts are much good. Most are too thin and light. On my PW1 I use my own font, and I'm going to try embedding fonts if I keep the PW2.

Just because you are happy don't negate the rest of us who think this could be better, it's insulting, and the more you try to defend your position the more you insult us.

Not nice behaviour on a public forum.

Your making yourself look an idiot.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I hate to say this but most PW 2013 readers LIKE the fonts, ...

How do you know? Couldn't it just be that they settle with what they have, not knowing that there are alternatives?

The entire PIN hole controversy is a niche area and I really doubt if the vast majority of PW owners can see them. Only those, who wear certain types of eye glasses, can even see them.

The reason the SAME people get the same color and / or pin hole problems on many unit exchanges and others never get them I believe has something to do with their glasses which make their vision very sharp and ultra sensitive to those kinds of defects.

I have never worn glasses in my life, yet I can see pinholes as much as I can see green-pink blotches and all the other issues reported this and last year.

[fearindex]

Originally Posted by Dee Q

The shadows at the bottom are still visible although they are not as obvious as those on the PW1. Am I right?

On KBoards there are PW2 pictures with more and less shadows on the bottom, and all pictures show the shadows when looked at inverted, but overall Amazon has done a good job at lessening the visibility of the bottom shadows in PW2.

[Chi Cygni]

pinhole/glasses discussion

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by xendula

I have never worn glasses in my life, yet I can see pinholes as much as I can see green-pink blotches and all the other issues reported this and last year.

Same here - I've never needed glasses and I can see the pinholes on those pictures just fine, just like I could see the green & pink blotches on the PW1

[HarryT]

Having used my PW2 for a week, now, I'm extremely pleased with it. During the daytime, there's relatively little difference between the appearance of the PW1 and 2, other than that the 2 has a somewhat lighter background, and a yellowish tint, but when reading at night the difference is dramatic - the PW2's screen is so much clearer than the PW1.

[Yolina]

I've found the same Harry - I am absolutely over the moon with my PW2. It is so much nicer to read on than the PW1.

Edit: slightly OT but having put my PW1 on ebay, I'm amazed at the number of listings that say "latest model" whilst they're in fact selling a PW1 rather than a PW2

[levante]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I wear no glasses, have a large cataract in my right eye which has not been surgically corrected and have macular degeneration in both eyes which can never be surgically corrected.

A person with normal vision (or glasses) sees this:


A person with cataract sees this (or less):


A person with severe macular degeneration sees this:



Glasses are useless in these cases

Sirmaru, it´s logic that you can't see pinholes or blobs in the PW. The awsome thing is that you can read.

If you doctor says that you have a 20/20 vision it is possible that you need a new doctor.

[Dee Q]

I really feel sorry for those whose PWs have some pinholes.. Gee, mine traveled an extremely long way from the US to Vietnam and thankfully she's perfect.

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by latepaul

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to like my calibre dropbox folder - possibly too many folders. I was able to navigate away from it this time but it was sitting there with its little spinning indicator for a good ten minutes before I abandoned it.

Just a follow up on this in case anyone has the same problem. First I'm pretty sure the spinning indicator stays spinning on some pages regardless of whether there's any activity or not. I've seen this on the desktop with some sites also. Second I used the search tool on the dropbox page and that gets me to the file which I can then download (by clicking the download button, not by clicking on the "link" which I think is just underlining). Actually this is better way to go anyway because when looking for a book I usually know the title, but to navigate the folders on dropbox I need to know the author which I may have forgotten.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I'd also like to say that none of the stock fonts are much good. Most are too thin and light. On my PW1 I use my own font, and I'm going to try embedding fonts if I keep the PW2.

You should definitely try it before making any decisions about keeping it. Embedding fonts is the only thing that keeps me happy with it. If I couldn't do it, I would not keep the PW2, even though the screen lighting is so much more even than my PW1 was.