The original kindle keyboard vs Paper white?

[motorcyclist]

Thank you Steve. I appreciate your comments. That was what I thought before I posted my question on the forum :-) I absolutely love the Kindle KB, except that it doesn't have light. Before I had my smartphone and data network, I used the Kindle KB exclusively to access web/read emails whenever there was 3G :-)

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

My wife and I both find the original K3 fully functional and see no need to change.

I would compare it a little to eyeglasses. CR-39 plastic lenses, available since the 1940's, are fine and I have no desire to change. Newer, generally more expensive ones have some advantages -- thinner -- and disadvantages -- worse optics -- making, for me, no interest in changing.

I'm not saying progress doesn't occur. But newer isn't automatically better. The Kindle is superior to the Palm devices I previously used for eReading. I just don't see giving up something I like -- the keyboard, and the music player -- for something I don't need.

As for a light, it's just not generally needed, but we use these in the bedroom:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20315674/

I used to say that the tremendous advantage of the K3 was world-wide 3G web access for text-based sites. This is now greatly degraded due to Google dropping its old flexible mobilizer, resulting in www.readingthenet.com no longer working. But you still can send an email, from almost everywhere, in a pinch.

[motorcyclist]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The basic Kindles, though, have better screens than the old Kindle Keyboard did. Later generation of eInk display. Hence the difference between a basic Kindle and a PW won't be as great as the difference between a KK and a PW.

Thanks! That's good to know as mine is a KK.

[Cinisajoy]

Hey, that question is rather like comparing the Honda Grom 125 with a Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide Ultra Touring Motorcycle.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Newer, generally more expensive ones have some advantages -- thinner -- and disadvantages -- worse optics -- making, for me, no interest in changing.

I'm not saying progress doesn't occur. But newer isn't automatically better. The Kindle is superior to the Palm devices I previously used for eReading. I just don't see giving up something I like -- the keyboard, and the music player -- for something I don't need.

I do most of my reading on my Voyage. I also have the original Paperwhite. My neighbor has a Kindle 4 and my other neighbor has a Kindle Keyboard, which was also my first Kindle. I'm always helping them with theirs so I do get to use them a bit and compare.

Newer doesn't always mean better, as you say. In this case it does. If you have a real need for the keyboard and the lack of a light and the poorer constast doesn't bother you then the Kindle Keyboard is probably a better choice for you. However, if you were to read on a new front-lit Kindle for a week you'd probably never want to go back.

When I was using the Kindle Keyboard I was always accidentally hitting a key and taking myself out of the book. Yes, that was me and I'm a bit clumsy but it was always taking me out of the book. I rarely did searches because it was just so much trouble. I'm an avid dictionary user but I found it easier to keep a dictionary handy than to run that silly cursor all over the place to look words up.

Now when I want to look up a word I touch it and the definition appears. There are no buttons to take me unexpectedly out of my book. Bookmarking is far easier and more efficient. Finding the book I'm looking for is trivial with the touch screen. Everything except actually reading the words already on the screen is far far easier with a touch screen.

As for those words on the screen, they call it a Paperwhite for good reason. The text is dark and the background is white, not the gray on the Kindle Keyboard.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with reading on a Kindle Keyboard if that's what you choose. I just spent an hour showing my neighbor how much nicer the Paperwhite is than the Kindle 4 since Best Buy has the Paperwhite on sale today. No dice! She agreed with every point I made but she's happy with what she has. I have no argument.

However, taste is one thing. Better is another and in this case newer is better.

Barry

[motorcyclist]

Thank you so much everyone for your help and inputs, I truly appreciate them all.

Today after work I stopped by Bestbuy store (in US) and picked up a PW3 for $89 + tax, which came out to $98 total.

I just finished setting it up and am reading my 1st book on the PW3 and I have to say that I absolutely love it much more than my Kindle KB! The touch screen alone is worth the price of admission, comparing to the cursor! :-)

For some reason, it only updated itself to 5.8.1 but the latest is 5.8.2. So I'm going to try a manual update.

Thanks again!

[Barbara1955]

IF I didn't need better lighting I would have Never gave up my K3...

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by motorcyclist

Today after work I stopped by Bestbuy store (in US) and picked up a PW3 for $89 + tax, which came out to $98 total.

Well that's a fantastic deal! I think you chose well, it's the best price for performance out of the four models. In fact you paid only $10 more than the basic kindle for better battery life, nearly double the pixel density and a light (I don't use the light but alot of people do).

There are only two things I don't like about the PW3: the capacitive layer reduces contrast and clarity a little bit, and I don't like how thin the text looks on the 300 ppi Kindles.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by motorcyclist

For some reason, it only updated itself to 5.8.1 but the latest is 5.8.2. So I'm going to try a manual update.

5.8.2 has only been out a few days. Amazon generally wait at least a couple of weeks before commencing "over the air" firmware updates of a new version, probably to see if any significant bugs show up with early adopters.

[motorcyclist]

Originally Posted by HarryT

5.8.2 has only been out a few days. Amazon generally wait at least a couple of weeks before commencing "over the air" firmware updates of a new version, probably to see if any significant bugs show up with early adopters.

Thanks. So we are the beta tester :-)
I was able to download the bin file and updated it myself.

[motorcyclist]

Originally Posted by Katie1

IF I didn't need better lighting I would have Never gave up my K3...

Me too. My old eyes are just not what they used to be and reading in my bed with a table lamp didn't work very well for me anymore. The PW3 is awesome in low light (or no light) reading for sure!

[motorcyclist]

Thanks Barryem, for pointing to Bestbuy that I decided to stop by yesterday to pick up the PW3! The touch screen is sure nice and the built-in light is just awesome!
mike-

Originally Posted by barryem

I do most of my reading on my Voyage. I also have the original Paperwhite. My neighbor has a Kindle 4 and my other neighbor has a Kindle Keyboard, which was also my first Kindle. I'm always helping them with theirs so I do get to use them a bit and compare.

Newer doesn't always mean better, as you say. In this case it does. If you have a real need for the keyboard and the lack of a light and the poorer constast doesn't bother you then the Kindle Keyboard is probably a better choice for you. However, if you were to read on a new front-lit Kindle for a week you'd probably never want to go back.

When I was using the Kindle Keyboard I was always accidentally hitting a key and taking myself out of the book. Yes, that was me and I'm a bit clumsy but it was always taking me out of the book. I rarely did searches because it was just so much trouble. I'm an avid dictionary user but I found it easier to keep a dictionary handy than to run that silly cursor all over the place to look words up.

Now when I want to look up a word I touch it and the definition appears. There are no buttons to take me unexpectedly out of my book. Bookmarking is far easier and more efficient. Finding the book I'm looking for is trivial with the touch screen. Everything except actually reading the words already on the screen is far far easier with a touch screen.

As for those words on the screen, they call it a Paperwhite for good reason. The text is dark and the background is white, not the gray on the Kindle Keyboard.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with reading on a Kindle Keyboard if that's what you choose. I just spent an hour showing my neighbor how much nicer the Paperwhite is than the Kindle 4 since Best Buy has the Paperwhite on sale today. No dice! She agreed with every point I made but she's happy with what she has. I have no argument.

However, taste is one thing. Better is another and in this case newer is better.

Barry

[barryem]

I'm glad you liked it. I've just been reading on my older Paperwhite 1, even though I have the newer one, and it's still a great reading experience.

Barry

[93terp]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

My KK has better contrast than all of the basic kindles that came after it. But they're all subtle variations on the same contrast. I've found the only significant improvement in contrast is the Carta screens on my Kobo Glo HD and Aura H2O.

Totally agree with both points.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by boromir

Judge for yourself. Here your have a video with both of them, PW 300ppi and the Kindle 3.

(Personally I have a PW2 2013 that I never use. And I'm not the only one).

It's NOT back-lit. It's FRONT-LIT.

No eInk reader with a light has a back-light.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

It's NOT back-lit. It's FRONT-LIT.

No eInk reader with a light has a back-light.

... for the very simple reason that eink screens are opaque, and hence cannot be lit from behind.