How does kindle scribe clarity and contrast compare to PW?

[Cosmos]

I'm trying to get a new device but having had both mobiscribe wave and newest inkpad 4, I have been disappointed with clarity/sharpness and contrast compared to my PW4. I would keep my PW4 but I do need a larger device.

On my PW4, it seems that text would pop out and is sharper despite being an older generation eink Carta screen (not the newest Carta 1200). I'm starting to believe device manufacturing and layers matter more than Carta 1200 looking at how older devices are doing very well.

In any case, has anybody compared the Scribe to their older PW device? How does the screen fare?
I'm also interested in the sage. Has anybody compared that to a PW?

I just want to add that I don't feel like I'm being picky. There is really a significant difference in eye comfort when I compared the previously listed devices with my old PW4, which I did not expect.

Thanks.

[Avwriter]

Originally Posted by Cosmos

I'm trying to get a new device but having had both mobiscribe wave and newest inkpad 4, I have been disappointed with clarity/sharpness and contrast compared to my PW4. I would keep my PW4 but I do need a larger device.

On my PW4, it seems that text would pop out and is sharper despite being an older generation eink Carta screen (not the newest Carta 1200). I'm starting to believe device manufacturing and layers matter more than Carta 1200 looking at how older devices are doing very well.

In any case, has anybody compared the Scribe to their older PW device? How does the screen fare?
I'm also interested in the sage. Has anybody compared that to a PW?

I just want to add that I don't feel like I'm being picky. There is really a significant difference in eye comfort when I compared the previously listed devices with my old PW4, which I did not expect.

Thanks.

Both the Scribe and the current gen PW(5) have the same 300ppi resolution. This is higher than the PW4, but I do not own one and cannot speak to how it looks. However there are a couple of factors to keep in mind. 1. The Scribe has a much bigger screen, so that 300ppi should look slightly less sharp than the 300ppi on the PW5 (after all, the same image is being stretched over a broader area. This is the same reason that a smaller computer monitor looks sharper than a larger one with the same resolution 2. The Scribe has a slightly more textured screen (creating the more paper-like texture for the pen to move across) also very slightly reduces clarity. Personally, I find the difference to be quite subtle, but if I am brutally honest, the text on my Oasis 3 looks slightly sharper than on the Scribe (I only notice this if I put them side by side).

[Cosmos]

Thank you for confirming this about the layer on top and clarity. I'll probably steer away from the scribe for now and try a kobo sage.

I think however that two different size 300 ppi screens will in theory display an image with same density provided that the image has an adequate resolution. Images with high enough resolution should appear as sharp or as dense (300pixels of the image displayed per inch) on both screens. The image being displayed bigger on the bigger screen should still look as sharp (300ppi) if the image resolution is big enough. Every inch of both displays can show the same number of pixels which means that the 10 inch screen has many more pixels in total to compensate for its size and provide same PPI.

For the two monitors example, if they are a different size but display the same resolution/same total number of pixels (although resolution is a vague term and doesn't always correlate with PPI), then the larger screen will indeed be less sharp/clear because it has a lower pixel density.

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by Avwriter

Both the Scribe and the current gen PW(5) have the same 300ppi resolution. This is higher than the PW4, but I do not own one and cannot speak to how it looks. However there are a couple of factors to keep in mind. 1. The Scribe has a much bigger screen, so that 300ppi should look slightly less sharp than the 300ppi on the PW5 (after all, the same image is being stretched over a broader area. This is the same reason that a smaller computer monitor looks sharper than a larger one with the same resolution 2. The Scribe has a slightly more textured screen (creating the more paper-like texture for the pen to move across) also very slightly reduces clarity. Personally, I find the difference to be quite subtle, but if I am brutally honest, the text on my Oasis 3 looks slightly sharper than on the Scribe (I only notice this if I put them side by side).

PPI stands for pixels per inch. The Scribe has a higher resolution and therefore the same quality/sharpness as the PW5. The image is not being "stretched".

[Quoth]

PW3, PW4, PW5 and Scribe all have the same resolution in dpi or ppi. Only the total pixels differ, due to different screen sizes.

They all in theory have exactly the same sharpness. Variations are due to blurring and diffraction effects of the layers on top of the actual active part of the scree,

PC graphics modes are often confusingly stated as HD resolution, or SVGA resolution or 4K resolution. These are not resolutions as you need to know the screen size. It's horizontal (or vertical) physical dots or pixel count divided by screen width in inches that gives the dpi or ppi.
Vertical will give the same answer unless the dots/pixels are not the same size in both axis. Thus a 15″ a true HD format monitor/screen has identical resolution to a 30″ 4K (PC/TV not Cinema) monitor screen, if both are 16:9 aspect ration (about 147 ppi). True "HD" at 16:9 is 1920 x 1089 vs 3840 x 2160 for "4K" 16:9 monitor/TV irrespective of screen size.

See https://www.sven.de/dpi/

Thus for about 300 dpi an HD screen would be about 7.4" diagonal and for 4K about 14.8" (14.685" is very close to 300 dpi). An Ereader screen is often 3:4 ratio. old TVs before 1947 maybe 5:4, later 4:3. Widescreen TV is 16:9. Some monitors, phones and tablets are 16:10 or even 21:9 = 3:1.

Screen size or total number of pixels alone tells you nothing about resolution. Resolution is number of pixels on a line divided by the phyiscal length of the line.

EDIT:
1) The HD Ready is meaningless. It simply means, whatever the poor native pixel count or shape of screen is, an HD 1920 x 1080 image will display, with maybe only 30fps interlace or 25 fps interlace. No assurance progressive 25, 30, 50 or 60 works.
2) Domestic monitor / TV 4K assumes a 16:9 screen. Cinema/movies have many Wide Screen ratios and there are many resolutions in Cinema called 4K. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution Also "resolution" is a misnomer for pixel count! A so-called 4K Resolution screen could be 72 ppi to 360 ppi (or higher, see so called retina screens).

[Avwriter]

Originally Posted by Quoth

PW3, PW4, PW5 and Scribe all have the same resolution in dpi or ppi. Only the total pixels differ, due to different screen sizes.

They all in theory have exactly the same sharpness. Variations are due to blurring and diffraction effects of the layers on top of the actual active part of the scree,

PC graphics modes are often confusingly stated as HD resolution, or SVGA resolution or 4K resolution. These are not resolutions as you need to know the screen size. It's horizontal (or vertical) physical dots or pixel count divided by screen width in inches that gives the dpi or ppi.
Vertical will give the same answer unless the dots/pixels are not the same size in both axis. Thus a 15″ a true HD format monitor/screen has identical resolution to a 30″ 4K (PC/TV not Cinema) monitor screen, if both are 16:9 aspect ration (about 147 ppi). True "HD" at 16:9 is 1920 x 1089 vs 3840 x 2160 for "4K" 16:9 monitor/TV irrespective of screen size.

See https://www.sven.de/dpi/

Thus for about 300 dpi an HD screen would be about 7.4" diagonal and for 4K about 14.8" (14.685" is very close to 300 dpi).

Screen size or total number of pixels alone tells you nothing about resolution. Resolution is number of pixels on a line divided by the phyiscal length of the line.

Sorry for misstating the PW4 resolution. I was remembering the older PW! and PW2 units which did have lower resolution.

[tomsem]

I will just say both PW5 and Scribe have significantly better displays than PW4, and I'd stay away from PW4. And while PW5 might be a bit sharper, I prefer having more screen real estate to work with, and so Scribe wins out for me.

PW5 is of course more portable and comfortable to hold, but that's not as important for me at present as I do all of my reading at home and don't travel much.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I will just say both PW5 and Scribe have significantly better displays than PW4, and I'd stay away from PW4. And while PW5 might be a bit sharper, I prefer having more screen real estate to work with, and so Scribe wins out for me.

PW5 is of course more portable and comfortable to hold, but that's not as important for me at present as I do all of my reading at home and don't travel much.

Agree with all that 100% about PW4.

[JSWolf]

The PW3 has a better looking screen then the PW4. The PW4 looks muddy. The PW5 has a better screen then the PW4.

You don't need to a 300DPI screen to be good. My Kobo Aura H2O has a 265DPI screen and it's better then the PW4.

I've not seen the Scribe in person, but I would expect the screen to be better then the PW4. It's not hard at all to be better.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Quoth

PW3, PW4, PW5 and Scribe all have the same resolution in dpi or ppi. Only the total pixels differ, due to different screen sizes.

They all in theory have exactly the same sharpness. Variations are due to blurring and diffraction effects of the layers on top of the actual active part of the scree,

PC graphics modes are often confusingly stated as HD resolution, or SVGA resolution or 4K resolution. These are not resolutions as you need to know the screen size. It's horizontal (or vertical) physical dots or pixel count divided by screen width in inches that gives the dpi or ppi.
Vertical will give the same answer unless the dots/pixels are not the same size in both axis. Thus a 15″ a true HD format monitor/screen has identical resolution to a 30″ 4K (PC/TV not Cinema) monitor screen, if both are 16:9 aspect ration (about 147 ppi). True "HD" at 16:9 is 1920 x 1089 vs 3840 x 2160 for "4K" 16:9 monitor/TV irrespective of screen size.

See https://www.sven.de/dpi/

Thus for about 300 dpi an HD screen would be about 7.4" diagonal and for 4K about 14.8" (14.685" is very close to 300 dpi). An Ereader screen is often 3:4 ratio. old TVs before 1947 maybe 5:4, later 4:3. Widescreen TV is 16:9. Some monitors, phones and tablets are 16:10 or even 21:9 = 3:1.

Screen size or total number of pixels alone tells you nothing about resolution. Resolution is number of pixels on a line divided by the phyiscal length of the line.

EDIT:
1) The HD Ready is meaningless. It simply means, whatever the poor native pixel count or shape of screen is, an HD 1920 x 1080 image will display, with maybe only 30fps interlace or 25 fps interlace. No assurance progressive 25, 30, 50 or 60 works.
2) Domestic monitor / TV 4K assumes a 16:9 screen. Cinema/movies have many Wide Screen ratios and there are many resolutions in Cinema called 4K. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution Also "resolution" is a misnomer for pixel count! A so-called 4K Resolution screen could be 72 ppi to 360 ppi (or higher, see so called retina screens).

And to recap: ppi/dpi is one thing, and resolution is another thing. Don't mix the terms and say something like "PW3, PW4, PW5 and Scribe all have the same resolution in dpi or ppi." It's confusing.

I'll give Quoth a pass since he is trying to clarify things.