Is my Kindle 4's background too dark?

MRKisThaTKid · 10-18-2011, 07:23 AM

I received my Kindle 4 yesterday and I feel slightly disappointed with the screen. The problem is it is my first eBook reader so I have nothing to compare it to. I read somewhere that the background should be around the same as an aged paperback but I've grabbed the most aged paperback I can find in the house and it's definitely brighter than the Kindle.

I've taken a photo with the kindle next to the book under slightly limited natural light, hope the link works.

Do you think I should return it or is this about what is it to be expected? What is Amazon's replacement policy for factors like this?

mewmartigan · 10-18-2011, 07:36 AM

Amazon's return/exchange policy for the Kindle is excellent...so you could try that route.

However, I think your screen is average and I don't think you'd see much difference if you swap it.

Does the background bother you while reading? If so, you could try some of the other fonts (or even the font hack) to get the text to stand out more.

HarryT · 10-18-2011, 07:36 AM

That looks entirely normal to me.

booklover6 · 10-18-2011, 07:49 AM

It looks fine to me. I think you should spend a few hours reading a book or two on the device before you make any decisions.

MRKisThaTKid · 10-18-2011, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mewmartigan

Amazon's return/exchange policy for the Kindle is excellent...so you could try that route.

However, I think your screen is average and I don't think you'd see much difference if you swap it.

Does the background bother you while reading? If so, you could try some of the other fonts (or even the font hack) to get the text to stand out more.

Under good light it is readable. To be honest I'm just suffering from that obsessive feeling of having a dud.

If you think it's normal then I'm happy with that. Thanks for your opinion.

Lalilulelo · 10-18-2011, 10:38 AM

It's the same as the other ereaders. Just looks less bright next to the gray frame that replaced the black one of the previous Kindles.

Blossom · 10-18-2011, 11:15 AM

On my first K4 the background was a gray and the text was dark gray. This was unacceptable to me as my K3 is creme with black text. The second they sent me is light gray background was near black text. I kept it and changed the font to something blacker. Now I suggest if the background is not as light as light gray and the text doesn't look black to exchange it. There is a bad batch going around it seems and some people are getting K4s that do not have that good of contrast a screen as a Pearl Screen should be.

I know you can't rely on a pic to capture what it really looks like. Believe me I've tried. So I can just describe to you what the two I had looks like, now they're are others here who have been very lucky to get one with excellent contrast but if you look at the reviews on the K4 at Amazon you will see some of us just don't have that luck and all you can do is replace it and hope for a better one.

Barty · 10-18-2011, 11:40 AM

Despite what you may have heard, eink is not like paper. It's just more like paper than LCD. The kindle ads also show them as having a white background or near white, but that is a combination of careful lighting and maybe some photoshopping. The screen is gray in normal lighting condition.

Whether yours is grayer than it should be is impossible for us to say from a photo. The only way you can tell is to do a side by side comparison with a new nook, Sony, or kindle 3 or 4.

pidgeon92 · 10-18-2011, 12:39 PM

I think your screen looks terrific.

Blossom · 10-18-2011, 12:59 PM

The problem I noticed when trying to take a pic of the K4 is the text always looks bolder then it really is. I've tried with flash and no flash, moving the light around but finally gave up. This doesn't happen with the K3. I think it's something to do with the Bezel on the K4. So when you see a pic of the K4 keep in mind that it may not really look like that. Amazon's pics are either deceiving or they used a different manufacturer for the screen.

shinew · 10-18-2011, 03:23 PM

that's normal.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=31

Todd Young · 10-18-2011, 04:21 PM

And here I was with my Kindle 2 thinking I'd missed out on a better screen with the Kindle 3. Your screen looks much the same as mine, unlike the Amazon ads.

gweminence · 10-18-2011, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Young

And here I was with my Kindle 2 thinking I'd missed out on a better screen with the Kindle 3. Your screen looks much the same as mine, unlike the Amazon ads.

I think if you saw a k3 screen next to a k2, you'd see a very good improvement. The k3 is a pearl screen, where the k2 is not.

Judging screens from photos is rarely a good idea.

seajewel · 10-18-2011, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gweminence

I think if you saw a k3 screen next to a k2, you'd see a very good improvement. The k3 is a pearl screen, where the k2 is not.

Judging screens from photos is rarely a good idea.

Agreed. and light makes such a huge difference in e-ink screen readability. A well-lit e-ink screen can look almost white whereas in a dim area the screen will look dark grey.

HarryT · 10-19-2011, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blossom

The problem I noticed when trying to take a pic of the K4 is the text always looks bolder then it really is. I've tried with flash and no flash, moving the light around but finally gave up. This doesn't happen with the K3. I think it's something to do with the Bezel on the K4.

You could perhaps cover each reader with a sheet of paper with a hole cut it in so that only the screen is visible. That would allow you to compare the screens directly, free from the influence of the bezel colour.

10-18-2011, 07:23 AM	#1
MRKisThaTKid Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Kindle	Is my Kindle 4's background too dark? I received my Kindle 4 yesterday and I feel slightly disappointed with the screen. The problem is it is my first eBook reader so I have nothing to compare it to. I read somewhere that the background should be around the same as an aged paperback but I've grabbed the most aged paperback I can find in the house and it's definitely brighter than the Kindle. I've taken a photo with the kindle next to the book under slightly limited natural light, hope the link works. Do you think I should return it or is this about what is it to be expected? What is Amazon's replacement policy for factors like this?

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10-18-2011, 07:36 AM	#2
mewmartigan Guru Posts: 852 Karma: 8242060 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis (2019)	Amazon's return/exchange policy for the Kindle is excellent...so you could try that route. However, I think your screen is average and I don't think you'd see much difference if you swap it. Does the background bother you while reading? If so, you could try some of the other fonts (or even the font hack) to get the text to stand out more.

10-18-2011, 07:36 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	That looks entirely normal to me.

10-18-2011, 07:49 AM	#4
booklover6 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,545 Karma: 14008730 Join Date: May 2008 Location: PA (USA) Device: Kobo Clara, 2E, Libre 1, PW4, PW5, 2022 Kindle, Kobo Libre Colour	It looks fine to me. I think you should spend a few hours reading a book or two on the device before you make any decisions.

10-18-2011, 10:38 AM	#6
Lalilulelo Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 7298 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Algeria Device: Sony PRS-T1	It's the same as the other ereaders. Just looks less bright next to the gray frame that replaced the black one of the previous Kindles.

10-18-2011, 11:15 AM	#7
Blossom Treasure Seeker Posts: 18,708 Karma: 26026435 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kobo HD Glo, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Andriod Devices	On my first K4 the background was a gray and the text was dark gray. This was unacceptable to me as my K3 is creme with black text. The second they sent me is light gray background was near black text. I kept it and changed the font to something blacker. Now I suggest if the background is not as light as light gray and the text doesn't look black to exchange it. There is a bad batch going around it seems and some people are getting K4s that do not have that good of contrast a screen as a Pearl Screen should be. I know you can't rely on a pic to capture what it really looks like. Believe me I've tried. So I can just describe to you what the two I had looks like, now they're are others here who have been very lucky to get one with excellent contrast but if you look at the reviews on the K4 at Amazon you will see some of us just don't have that luck and all you can do is replace it and hope for a better one.

10-18-2011, 11:40 AM	#8
Barty doofus Posts: 2,555 Karma: 13089041 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	Despite what you may have heard, eink is not like paper. It's just more like paper than LCD. The kindle ads also show them as having a white background or near white, but that is a combination of careful lighting and maybe some photoshopping. The screen is gray in normal lighting condition. Whether yours is grayer than it should be is impossible for us to say from a photo. The only way you can tell is to do a side by side comparison with a new nook, Sony, or kindle 3 or 4.

10-18-2011, 12:39 PM	#9
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	I think your screen looks terrific.

10-18-2011, 12:59 PM	#10
Blossom Treasure Seeker Posts: 18,708 Karma: 26026435 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kobo HD Glo, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Andriod Devices	The problem I noticed when trying to take a pic of the K4 is the text always looks bolder then it really is. I've tried with flash and no flash, moving the light around but finally gave up. This doesn't happen with the K3. I think it's something to do with the Bezel on the K4. So when you see a pic of the K4 keep in mind that it may not really look like that. Amazon's pics are either deceiving or they used a different manufacturer for the screen.

10-18-2011, 03:23 PM	#11
shinew Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 1008082 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NYC Device: Kindle PW, K4 Touch, iPad2, Samsung Galaxy S II	that's normal. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=31

10-18-2011, 04:21 PM	#12
Todd Young Addict Posts: 243 Karma: 1004164 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle 2	And here I was with my Kindle 2 thinking I'd missed out on a better screen with the Kindle 3. Your screen looks much the same as mine, unlike the Amazon ads.