Paperwhite 3 First Impressions

[pippin65]

Coming from a Paperwhite 1 i must say the pw3 is a big improvement. Lighting is good. Fonts are crisp, as are pictures. All in all, I'm pleased I upgraded. I recycled my pw1 by buying a nice, flowery Omoton case, which seem quite nice, and giving it to my wife.

[JSWolf]

There is one thing that is not good with the PW3. As of now, the typesetting is not accessible. Amazon has decided to use some super secret method of turned the typesetting on.

If you read mostly side loaded eBooks or you buy a lot not from the BPHs and you are upgrading to the PW3 to get the new typesetting, keep the Kindle you have as we don't know the super secret way to turn on the typesetting.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is one thing that is not good with the PW3. As of now, the typesetting is not accessible. Amazon has decided to use some super secret method of turned the typesetting on.

If you read mostly side loaded eBooks or you buy a lot not from the BPHs and you are upgrading to the PW3 to get the new typesetting, keep the Kindle you have as we don't know the super secret way to turn on the typesetting.

Oh the irony !!!!
...because you have been part of the Kindle Devs here for so long now...

[cvkemp]

From what I am reading and have read about the new PW3, Amazon said they were releasing the new device and at some point in the future they would be updating it and the other devices to the new typeset engine. So I am not surprised that the new PW3 does not have everything that some are expecting.

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by cerem0ny

Hrmmm, this kind of relates to what I was wondering...
maybe you or anyone with a PW3 can help me out? They text on the Voyage looks like it kind of 'floats' ontop of the screen, like, on the very first layer... anybody know what I mean? It looks incredible... wondering if the PW3 has the same effect on text?
Cheers!

Very happy with my Voyage but man, am I a sucker for anything 'NEW!' :P

The PW3 absolutely doesn't have that float over the screen feel that the Voyage has. Just like Kolenka said the main difference between the Voyage and PW3 is the glass front on the Voyage. It really makes the screen pop.

To imagine how the PW3 looks, just imagine the PW1 or 2 with slightly sharper font rendering.

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is one thing that is not good with the PW3. As of now, the typesetting is not accessible. Amazon has decided to use some super secret method of turned the typesetting on.

If you read mostly side loaded eBooks or you buy a lot not from the BPHs and you are upgrading to the PW3 to get the new typesetting, keep the Kindle you have as we don't know the super secret way to turn on the typesetting.

I already explained that the enhanced typesetting is not available on the PW3 currently. I suspected as much and tested it. I agree with you that nobody should buy the PW3 just to get that typesetting, since the Basic (7th gen), PW 2 and Voyage will all receive that update at the same time. And on top of that it will take probably the better part of a year to see nearly all ebooks updated with the enhanced typesetting.

I wish Amazon had simply made justification and hyphenation options in the font settings like Kobo did instead of something completely publisher controlled. But it's better than nothing.

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

It's interesting since for me, the lights were reversed. My Voyage is a bit warmer than the PW, but with a bit more even lighting.

That makes me think that they probably just use the same light for the two models and there is just model to model variation.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you read mostly side loaded eBooks or you buy a lot not from the BPHs and you are upgrading to the PW3 to get the new typesetting, keep the Kindle you have as we don't know the super secret way to turn on the typesetting.

If you read mostly side loaded books, it doesn't matter. You can embed your choice of fonts and enable hyphenating. Typsetting works when you do that.

FTR the bookerly font doesn't look too good on the Voyage. It looks good on the Kobo Glo HD with the weight upped, but it's too light on the Voyage.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

I already explained that the enhanced typesetting is not available on the PW3 currently. I suspected as much and tested it.

No need to suspect or test anything: Amazon explicitly tell you that it's not yet available in the description of the device on their web site:

Coming soon—All-new typesetting engine lays out words just as the author intended for beautiful rendering of pages. With improved character spacing and the addition of hyphenation, justification, kerning, ligatures, and drop cap support, our best-in-class typography helps you read faster with less eyestrain.

(Emphasis present in the original)

[jackie_w]

...our best-in-class typography...

I wonder what that's supposed to mean? Sounds like fightin' talk

[Barty]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No need to suspect or test anything: Amazon explicitly tell you that it's not yet available in the description of the device on their web site:



(Emphasis present in the original)

Hmm what about the video posted by Len showing features like hyphenation, ligatures, and kerning on the pw3? Did he get a special unit or was he using a book with special sauce?

[SCION]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Scion has the WiFi Voyage and wants a 3G kindle. I'm in the same situation I would love a 3G Voyage but can't justify the price.I guess we were both hoping a PW3 3G would do but with all that I have heard and seen it appears not. My hubby has my old PW2 3G and he's not tempted at all by the PW3.

Thanks, Josie. Yes, this is true.

I also like the feel of the Paperwhite vs the Voyage. And would use it without a case, as I do with the Kobo H20.

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by Barty

Hmm what about the video posted by Len showing features like hyphenation, ligatures, and kerning on the pw3? Did he get a special unit or was he using a book with special sauce?

Yeah exactly that is why I had to test it myself. The reviewers might have received a beta version of the firmware update that hasn't rolled out yet. Either that or they didn't really know what they were looking at. Didn't know if early adopters of the PW 3 would get that firmware early. Well now I know, the answer is no.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is one thing that is not good with the PW3. As of now, the typesetting is not accessible. Amazon has decided to use some super secret method of turned the typesetting on.

If you read mostly side loaded eBooks or you buy a lot not from the BPHs and you are upgrading to the PW3 to get the new typesetting, keep the Kindle you have as we don't know the super secret way to turn on the typesetting.

Originally Posted by aceflor

Oh the irony !!!!
...because you have been part of the Kindle Devs here for so long now...

What I want to know is why JSWolf is harping on all over the place about the typesetting? What does he care?

I am unaware of JSWolf having ever owned a Kindle device at all.
Yet for some reason he is constantly talking about them, and being critical of everything.

Speaking as a happy Kindle owner, and support gnome (and moderator) in the Kindle dev forums... well, anyway, we aren't all that hot and bothered.



I suppose once Amazon actually releases the feature, we will know more, and maybe there will actually be something to talk about.
My $0.02 -- the new typesetting is for a thread that purports to discuss "Paperwhite 3 First Impressions". The PW3 does not ship with the new typesetting, so it certainly can't be your (rhet.) "first" impression.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

What I want to know is why JSWolf is harping on all over the place about the typesetting? What does he care?

I am unaware of JSWolf having ever owned a Kindle device at all.
Yet for some reason he is constantly talking about them, and being critical of everything.

My point exactly.