Next Kindle - backlit and full color

[Barty]

Originally Posted by Noughty

I just read the reviews from the future and most of them only scared me. Some even say about upgrade from e-ink which is just a horrible idea. The only reason I want an ebook reader is to spare my eyes. Otherwise I can read on my laptop or phone.

That's just one of the scares .

I am wondering if it is possible to buy previous generation when the new one is launched? Like, if kindle 4 is launched , will I be able to buy kindle 3 for a little while? just in case kindle 4 will be a downgrade .
How was it before? Could you buy kindle 2 with kindle 3 already on sale?

No amazon isn't dropping the k3. I'm more concerned that eink hasn't seen any improvement this year and there's no credible competition. Mirasol, which is supposed to have product shipping by now, is still MIA.

[Jowi]

Originally Posted by Bratzzo

Hi,



this is something, which I hear very often.
But for me it sounds very, excuse me, stupid.
Reading in the dark, without some light in the background, strained the eyes. So I always light the room a bit when I am reading. This not depends on the display.
If I would read on a LCD in the dark, I would strain my eyes twice.


Bratzzo

I read on my iPod touch 4th gen in bed in the dark on night mode, which has a black background and only the text is lit - and with the brightness all the way down, even in total darkness the letters are almost 'too' dim, but really it's just right. VERY easy on the eyes. Having my e-ink Kindle in bed with a book light comparably is very disruptive to my DH trying to sleep next to me. So if you haven't even tried or seen this setup, don't assume it strains the eyes. It doesn't. I actually sold my kindle 1 when I got my iPod touch because I preferred it in bed, and that is where I do most of my reading. I only recently got a kindle 3 (kso) due to wanting it for camping/reading at the park this summer.

[Bratzzo]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Jowi

So if you haven't even tried or seen this setup, don't
assume it strains the eyes. It doesn't.

in this case, I only trust my own experience.
Reading without some contrast at the background, strained my eyes much more than with some light.
But the longtime impact is much stronger. The risk of developing myopia increases. That is not my own experience. But both, the optometrist and the ophthalmologist told me.
Not to mention my parents. They have told me that all the time, as I read as a child under the blanket with a flashlight.


Bratzzo

[VydorScope]

Basically some people find E-INK with an external light source hard to read, and some people find LCD's hard to read. In general there is no evidence that LCD bothers eyes any more or less then e-ink does, (heck even Amazon backed off from that stance) but in specific people tend to prefer one over the other. Its personal taste influenced by each persons make up.

I remember decades ago being told "dont read to many paperback books because you will strain your eyes" then years later "dont watch tv it will strain your eyes." And so one. Now its "dont look at LCD" next it will be LED, or E-Banana or whatever. The baisc truth here is that your eyes are light receivers, wether the light is reflected (e-ink) or projected (LCD) its still light. Again different people have different sensitivities, so there will be variations in experience.

I have currently have 20-10 vision and have been reading on a computer screen since 1983. Doesn't bother me one bit. I know it bothers others, and for them I am glad e-ink exists. Its great to have choice!

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Bratzzo

Hi,



this is something, which I hear very often.
But for me it sounds very, excuse me, stupid.
Reading in the dark, without some light in the background, strained the eyes. So I always light the room a bit when I am reading. This not depends on the display.
If I would read on a LCD in the dark, I would strain my eyes twice.

Bratzzo

I'm sorry if it's sounds stupid to you but I enjoy reading at night in bed when my husband is alseep. I can't have any light or it would wake him up. He grumbles if I use a book light so that is out. Reading on my phone does not hurt my eyes at all. I use Mantano and a nice grey background with Tahoma black text. I can read for hours with no problems.

I started out using a Toshiba netbook with PDF then bought my Pocket Pro and now have my K3 and soon a Sony T1. I love eink but without light you need something else to read. I notice no eye strain at all unless I am reading with a light background on a LCD but when I had my netbook I learned early on a grey background helps with that problem.

Truthfully with my K3 I have to stop everyone once in awhile because I get dry eyes and everything starts to run together but we are talking if I read for 3+ hours. a normal reading span for me 5+hours. On my phone I don't have this problem but with 3.2" screen it gets old turning page after page. A 7" tablet would be wonderful!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Tablets don't do a thing for me, plus I don't consider going from eInk to backlit LCD an upgrade, anyway.

I don't see the Kindle Tablet as a replacement for my K3. No way. But as an additional device to use for different situations. I see myself travelling with 3 devices now -- my laptop for work, my K3 for reading, and my new Kindle Tablet for watching movies, surfing in bed, etc., in the hotel. That I can read books on it is irrelevant, since I expect the K3 to continue to be my reader of choice. But I end up spending a fair amount of time in the hotel after work, and the last thing I want to do is even open my computer, so a more general purpose device has some appeal.

I was an early adopter of Microsoft's Tablet PC, and have always liked the form factor. So I'll be interested in the Kindle version. (I'm not willing to even consider an iPad. )

[jondelfin]

If it is not E-ink for me it is useless as a reader. I have a tablet for all the other stuff but would never try to read a book on a backlit display.

[captkjaneway]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Tablets don't do a thing for me, plus I don't consider going from eInk to backlit LCD an upgrade, anyway.

Agree 100% - if Amazon bring out an LCD tablet, then my next reader will not be one of theirs. I will revert to using my Archos or Acer W500 rather than re-invent the wheel and spend more on something I already have, or find an eInk reader.

[MichelRenaud]

Originally Posted by captkjaneway

Agree 100% - if Amazon bring out an LCD tablet, then my next reader will not be one of theirs. I will revert to using my Archos or Acer W500 rather than re-invent the wheel and spend more on something I already have, or find an eInk reader.

I'm sure it'll be a LCD tablet - and that's fine. It's a tablet. As long as they continue making Kindles based on e-ink, I don't see any reason to panic.

[bmf]

Originally Posted by MichelRenaud

I'm sure it'll be a LCD tablet - and that's fine. It's a tablet. As long as they continue making Kindles based on e-ink, I don't see any reason to panic.

I'll be curious to see the battery lifetime of the new tablet vs kindle 3. For me the kindle does two things far better than any tablet:

1. e-ink is IMHO easier to read
2. the battery life (thanks to e-ink) is fantastic

If this new one needs recharging every 2 weeks then great, but I don't see how that will be possible.