Paperwhite 2nd generation to 4th generation?

[ShaneR]

Hey, folks.

Been away from reading and, so the kindle as well, for quite a while. Simple question, then: I have a 2nd generation Paperwhite that is working just fine, but I'm wondering if an upgrade to the 4th generation would be worth it? In particular, curious if the improvement in the screen would be noticable.

Thanks!

[Gandulf]

Well I am new but since nobody has replied will mention 2 things that I am sure of.

4th gen more fonts and water proof 2 meter fresh water for 60 min.

Oh and screen sits flush now, so that's 3 things, hope that helps.

[ilovejedd]

It’s 300 ppi PW4 display versus 212 ppi on PW2. That tends to be more noticeable on small font sizes or images, though.

The flush bezel means there’s a small gap between the the e-ink display and the front so contrast seems just a wee bit lower compared to the PW3. My PW3 appears to have better contrast than my PW2, though, so the samples I have of the PW2 and PW4 appear to be on par on that regard.

[rioachim]

No, I would advise not. My PW2 has more battery life than my wife's PW4, screen is protected from sand and other dirt that already made some fine scratches on my wife's device, reading experience is the same, firmware is final and does not have any bugs, if you have any active content it will not exist on PW4. Other than water proofing and Bluetooth audio books on PW4 I see no advantages.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ShaneR

Hey, folks.

Been away from reading and, so the kindle as well, for quite a while. Simple question, then: I have a 2nd generation Paperwhite that is working just fine, but I'm wondering if an upgrade to the 4th generation would be worth it? In particular, curious if the improvement in the screen would be noticable.

Thanks!

The biggest difference is that the PW2 is 212DPI and the PW3 is 300DPI. But to be honest, the Oasis 3 is better with a 7" 300DPI screen.

But before the trigger is pulled for a newer Kindle, is that what's really wanted? There are other brand Readers to look at such as Kobo and Pocketbook.

[ShaneR]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Think I'll just hold off any new purchase. Was just curious if the screen tech had improved enough to warrant a consideration. Doesn't sound like any of the devices (Kindle or otherwise) have done anything "revolutionary" in that regard based on what I've found. I doubt I'd notice the differences.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But before the trigger is pulled for a newer Kindle, is that what's really wanted? There are other brand Readers to look at such as Kobo and Pocketbook.

If I do need a new device, I'll have a look at these. Kinda forgot about Kobo and don't believe I've heard of Pocketbook. Thanks.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ShaneR

If I do need a new device, I'll have a look at these. Kinda forgot about Kobo and don't believe I've heard of Pocketbook. Thanks.

If you live in the US, you can get Pocketbook Readers from Newegg.

I think you should look at Kobo or Pocketbook to see what they can do vs a Kindle so if you decide you want one, (because the firmware on both is much better then Kindle) you can start saving if you need to.

[BookCat]

I have the PW2 and PW3 and really don't notice the difference in the resolution, in fact I prefer the softer look of the PW2. I bought the second device because I needed more space, and frankly wanted to treat myself. I didn't pay full price for the PW3 which was secondhand from ebay.

[ShaneR]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you live in the US, you can get Pocketbook Readers from Newegg.

I think you should look at Kobo or Pocketbook to see what they can do vs a Kindle so if you decide you want one, (because the firmware on both is much better then Kindle) you can start saving if you need to.

I'll certainly have a closer look when the time comes. I just want to read, though, and am not too bothered about firmware or the features of same. I just need the text on the screen and comfortably readable. I'm to the point now in my "tech life" that I don't want to mess around with the guts of things as an enthusiast. Instead, I just want them to work. That said, the Kindle I have now does everything I need and, based on a little research this morning, the Kobo and others (including a Kindle upgrade) don't offer anything compelling...for me.

[Deskisamess]

I'm trying to upload a picture, but it isn't working for me again. After I select UPLOAD, I get a blank page. I'll try with Chrome.

No joy on Chrome...same thing, a white page after UPLOAD.

I have a Paperwhite 2 and the new Paperwhite 4. Same book, same font, same spacing and size, light all the way up.

The 4 has a noticeably whiter brighter light. I think the font is crisper. If I'm ever able to upload a pic, I will.

[John F]

Originally Posted by ShaneR

I'll certainly have a closer look when the time comes. I just want to read, though, and am not too bothered about firmware or the features of same. I just need the text on the screen and comfortably readable. I'm to the point now in my "tech life" that I don't want to mess around with the guts of things as an enthusiast. Instead, I just want them to work. That said, the Kindle I have now does everything I need and, based on a little research this morning, the Kobo and others (including a Kindle upgrade) don't offer anything compelling...for me.

I'm very similar, I just want to read. But I spend a lot of time reading, so I want the actual reading part to be highly adjustable; I don't want to settle for a line height, font size, or margins that are close enough. I like that I can adjust font size, ... basically down to pixel level (through patching), and than forget about it.

[Deskisamess]

This time it worked...I reduced the image size.

The Paperwhite on the left is the 2nd gen. Settings for both are the same.

I see that reducing the image size made the picture grainy. Sorry...fixed it, deleted bad pic.

[Gandulf]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

This time it worked...I reduced the image size.

The Paperwhite on the left is the 2nd gen. Settings for both are the same.

I see that reducing the image size made the picture grainy. Sorry...fixed it, deleted bad pic.

Can the PW4 be made to look like the PW 2nd gen ? Kinda like the old book look.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Gandulf

Can the PW4 be made to look like the PW 2nd gen ? Kinda like the old book look.

You can turn the light down, but there is no color adjustment. The differences seem stark when side by side, but the 4th gen has a better screen by far imo. The contrast, the clarity, it's just better.

That said, my husband was happily using his 2nd gen with no complaints. His motivation to get a new model was spurred by the recent sale, and the desire to give his 2nd gen to our oldest grandson, who is an avid reader, and was using an old Fire for reading.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Gandulf

Can the PW4 be made to look like the PW 2nd gen ? Kinda like the old book look.

You'd need a reader with the night light for that. Kindle Oasis or a Kobo, for example. Otherwise it's the matter of pure chance. Screen tone varies between devices, even between devices of the same model. To be absolutely certain you can make the screen yellowish the reader must have a night light (aka warm light).