Finally bought an eInk device

leebase · 06-22-2021, 11:26 PM

I said I'd buy a kindle when they dropped to $50. Well, it wasn't quite that low but I snagged a kindle paper white during this year's Prime Days.

I've been reading on phones and tablets for more than 10 years. I have zero problems. I read, at times, for hours on end. One of the reason I never bought an eInk device is that I already had tablets and smartphones.

My early thoughts?

Nice and light. Lighter than my phone. Nice size for reading novels. Would not read PDF's on it, but I still have a tablet for that.

Easy to read. The 300dpi is crisp and clear. Not AS crisp and clear as my iPhone or iPad mini. But better than a lot of pulp paperback books I've read in my life.

It's slow at loading a new book, but that's not something I do often enough to care. The "page to page" is fast enough. Not "as fast" as a smartphone or tablet, but much better than the original eInk devices. Enough, IMHO, to "not be an issue".

Dark mode was sufficient. Not "as nice" as my custom selected colors I setup in my favorite book apps. But, enough to read in the dark pleasantly. I read in dim or low light FAR more than out in the bright sunlight.

I was kind of concerned about the lighting. But, it's definitely "fine". I can read black on white or white on black with plenty of flexibility in the intensity. I can't change the intensity level as quick or easy as an app...but easily enough.

I'm sure it's going to be a lot easier to read outside in the sunlight. I haven't done that yet. Nowhere where I normally read is filled with bright sunlight. But when I need to, it will be nice to have an eInk device.

It is weird that "turning it off" still leaves an image visible. I know the battery life will be crazy good compared to my "charge every day or every couple days" with my iPad. I've never found plugging my devices in at night to be a burden. Still, it will be nice to go on a long flight or go on vacation and simply not have to worry about charging my reader.

It is kinda nice to be free of the many distractions that come from my smartphone or tablet. I always have my phone with me, so it's not like I'm ever far away from distractions. Still...I can see already what some of you have really liked on this topic.

It's a nice device. Worth the $79 I spent. It's an addition to my reading options. I do not see it replacing reading on my tablet or phone. Just augmenting.

hobnail · 06-22-2021, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

I do not see it replacing reading on my tablet or phone. Just augmenting.

Too bad this forum doesn't have reddit's /remindme function; I'd like to see how you feel after a year.

hobnail · 06-22-2021, 11:44 PM

Was the higher dpi the reason you went with the Paper White over the Kindle?

leebase · 06-23-2021, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobnail

Was the higher dpi the reason you went with the Paper White over the Kindle?

Yes. It’s a better screen. I don’t know how it compares - I just knew that I didn’t want a worse screen

hobnail · 06-23-2021, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

Yes. It’s a better screen. I don’t know how it compares - I just knew that I didn’t want a worse screen

I have an ancient Kindle Touch which is the same dpi as the current Kindle, 167, and after I bought the Oasis I pulled out the Touch to see how it compared and as I remember, the difference wasn't really significant or noticeable. I suspect it's because they do a good job with dithering.

Quoth · 06-23-2021, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobnail

I have an ancient Kindle Touch which is the same dpi as the current Kindle, 167, and after I bought the Oasis I pulled out the Touch to see how it compared and as I remember, the difference wasn't really significant or noticeable. I suspect it's because they do a good job with dithering.

It depends on the font size too. My grandson uses a tiny font on his PW3 that certainly can't work on a Kindle Basic/Touch/Keyboard.

leebase · 06-23-2021, 12:59 PM

I spent some time in the backyard reading. Clearly eInk excels here compared to the iPad. There is no glare. It was an overcast day so there was no problem reading the iPad….but this was the first scenario where I'd rate the eInk as clearly better.

Back inside, I’m finding the Kindle Paperwhite does a good job with lighting itself when I’m reading in dim light. No effort is needed by me. It appears to “just work”.

On the downside…it’s another device to carry around. I always have my phone….and in my house I also always have my tablet with me. I’m typing this from my tablet. The I’m going to set it down to read the kindle.

If I wasn’t trying to find out how I feel about the kindle, I’d just keep reading on the tablet.

SleepyBob · 06-23-2021, 01:23 PM

I find that I enjoy reading on my Paperwhite, but I'm not interested in carrying it around, so it is strictly an at-home/vacation device for me.

Sirtel · 06-23-2021, 02:37 PM

I don't carry my ereaders around either. But then I only read at home anyway.

hobnail · 06-23-2021, 03:50 PM

I always have a backpack whenever I go some place on public transit, so my kobo goes in that.

JSWolf · 06-23-2021, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobnail

I have an ancient Kindle Touch which is the same dpi as the current Kindle, 167, and after I bought the Oasis I pulled out the Touch to see how it compared and as I remember, the difference wasn't really significant or noticeable. I suspect it's because they do a good job with dithering.

I've compared my H2O to my T1 and the H2O was noticeably better then the T1. The T1 has a Pearl 800x600 screen. The H2O has higher resolution and a Carta screen.

pwalker8 · 06-23-2021, 05:40 PM

I wear a scott e-vest so I just slide the Kobo into a pocket. It's very light and doesn't take much room. I rarely put my iPad in a pocket, it's a bit too heavy.

rcentros · 06-23-2021, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

It depends on the font size too. My grandson uses a tiny font on his PW3 that certainly can't work on a Kindle Basic/Touch/Keyboard.

That's been my experience. I find with the higher resolution (300 dpi) eReaders I read with smaller fonts than I do with my 167 or 212 dpi eReaders. I didn't even really realize until I started carrying the older (beaten up) readers on the road with me. I think Sony has/had the best 167 dpi screen and fonts (once I learned how to make the contrast better).

conan50 · 06-23-2021, 10:43 PM

My last e-ink device was the first Paperwhite. Haven't had an e-ink device in about 5 years or so. I was in the just use a tablet category. But I splurged on a new Paperwhite during Prime sale. I've had to eat a bit of crow. I love the new Paperwhite. Easier on my eyes, lighter to hold, breezing through my current book. Yep, it has won me over to e-ink.

crossi · 06-24-2021, 01:22 AM

I've had an ereader since the kindle keyboard came out. I've bought a tablet twice to try them. They're both gathering dust on my shelves. The tablets were just too heavy to read comfortably or to carry around and these were small tablets. For computer type functions the tablets can't match my gaming desktop. Not portable enough, not powerful enough. Just can't find a use for them. Don't have a smart phone but I can see a use for them if I needed to make an emergency call when out of the house or use google maps to find somewhere. With my old eyes I don't think I could read on a phone for long unless it was huge and then it would be too big to carry around.

06-22-2021, 11:26 PM	#1
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,976 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	Finally bought an eInk device I said I'd buy a kindle when they dropped to $50. Well, it wasn't quite that low but I snagged a kindle paper white during this year's Prime Days. I've been reading on phones and tablets for more than 10 years. I have zero problems. I read, at times, for hours on end. One of the reason I never bought an eInk device is that I already had tablets and smartphones. My early thoughts? Nice and light. Lighter than my phone. Nice size for reading novels. Would not read PDF's on it, but I still have a tablet for that. Easy to read. The 300dpi is crisp and clear. Not AS crisp and clear as my iPhone or iPad mini. But better than a lot of pulp paperback books I've read in my life. It's slow at loading a new book, but that's not something I do often enough to care. The "page to page" is fast enough. Not "as fast" as a smartphone or tablet, but much better than the original eInk devices. Enough, IMHO, to "not be an issue". Dark mode was sufficient. Not "as nice" as my custom selected colors I setup in my favorite book apps. But, enough to read in the dark pleasantly. I read in dim or low light FAR more than out in the bright sunlight. I was kind of concerned about the lighting. But, it's definitely "fine". I can read black on white or white on black with plenty of flexibility in the intensity. I can't change the intensity level as quick or easy as an app...but easily enough. I'm sure it's going to be a lot easier to read outside in the sunlight. I haven't done that yet. Nowhere where I normally read is filled with bright sunlight. But when I need to, it will be nice to have an eInk device. It is weird that "turning it off" still leaves an image visible. I know the battery life will be crazy good compared to my "charge every day or every couple days" with my iPad. I've never found plugging my devices in at night to be a burden. Still, it will be nice to go on a long flight or go on vacation and simply not have to worry about charging my reader. It is kinda nice to be free of the many distractions that come from my smartphone or tablet. I always have my phone with me, so it's not like I'm ever far away from distractions. Still...I can see already what some of you have really liked on this topic. It's a nice device. Worth the $79 I spent. It's an addition to my reading options. I do not see it replacing reading on my tablet or phone. Just augmenting.

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06-22-2021, 11:44 PM	#3
hobnail Running with scissors Posts: 1,592 Karma: 14328510 Join Date: Nov 2019 Device: none	Was the higher dpi the reason you went with the Paper White over the Kindle?

06-23-2021, 12:59 PM	#7
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,976 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	I spent some time in the backyard reading. Clearly eInk excels here compared to the iPad. There is no glare. It was an overcast day so there was no problem reading the iPad….but this was the first scenario where I'd rate the eInk as clearly better. Back inside, I’m finding the Kindle Paperwhite does a good job with lighting itself when I’m reading in dim light. No effort is needed by me. It appears to “just work”. On the downside…it’s another device to carry around. I always have my phone….and in my house I also always have my tablet with me. I’m typing this from my tablet. The I’m going to set it down to read the kindle. If I wasn’t trying to find out how I feel about the kindle, I’d just keep reading on the tablet.

06-23-2021, 01:23 PM	#8
SleepyBob Evangelist Posts: 426 Karma: 8522810 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle PW3	I find that I enjoy reading on my Paperwhite, but I'm not interested in carrying it around, so it is strictly an at-home/vacation device for me.

06-23-2021, 02:37 PM	#9
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,994 Karma: 243829945 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I don't carry my ereaders around either. But then I only read at home anyway.

06-23-2021, 03:50 PM	#10
hobnail Running with scissors Posts: 1,592 Karma: 14328510 Join Date: Nov 2019 Device: none	I always have a backpack whenever I go some place on public transit, so my kobo goes in that.

06-23-2021, 05:40 PM	#12
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,196 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	I wear a scott e-vest so I just slide the Kobo into a pocket. It's very light and doesn't take much room. I rarely put my iPad in a pocket, it's a bit too heavy.

06-23-2021, 10:43 PM	#14
conan50 Fanatic Posts: 597 Karma: 14054112 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: kindle	My last e-ink device was the first Paperwhite. Haven't had an e-ink device in about 5 years or so. I was in the just use a tablet category. But I splurged on a new Paperwhite during Prime sale. I've had to eat a bit of crow. I love the new Paperwhite. Easier on my eyes, lighter to hold, breezing through my current book. Yep, it has won me over to e-ink.

06-24-2021, 01:22 AM	#15
crossi Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 12000001 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Wahington U.S. Device: kindle	I've had an ereader since the kindle keyboard came out. I've bought a tablet twice to try them. They're both gathering dust on my shelves. The tablets were just too heavy to read comfortably or to carry around and these were small tablets. For computer type functions the tablets can't match my gaming desktop. Not portable enough, not powerful enough. Just can't find a use for them. Don't have a smart phone but I can see a use for them if I needed to make an emergency call when out of the house or use google maps to find somewhere. With my old eyes I don't think I could read on a phone for long unless it was huge and then it would be too big to carry around.