K4NT vs. the New $69 Kindle

Originally Posted by ixtab

If you actually had a Kindle, you would at least know what you are talking about.

I actually like the Title bar and wouldn't mind a bit if Amazon gave us the option to toggle it On/Off for all book pages. If it displayed the time that would be even better.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I actually like the Title bar and wouldn't mind a bit if Amazon gave us the option to toggle it On/Off for all book pages. If it displayed the time that would be even better.

It does display the time you hit the menu key on the K4.

[heeby]

My Kindle 4NTs look as good as any of the new pics I have seen. I went through a few to get good screens. I am quite sure the screen is exactly the same in the new one...E-Ink has not released a better Pearl screen. Maybe they got some better quality control and the variation isn't as noticeable...or maybe the OP got a great one in the screen lottery this time and his old one wasn't so good. And the Black bezel WILL trick the eye to some degree. Also comparing cut outs etc is not going to prove anything since there is such a variation in Pearl batches and individual screens.

Regarding the paperwhite it's not looking so great now that photos are showing up. It looks identical to the current models with the light off. I had really hoped it would have an actually "whiter" background. Typical marketing misdirection.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by heeby

My Kindle 4NTs look as good as any of the new pics I have seen. I went through a few to get good screens. I am quite sure the screen is exactly the same in the new one...E-Ink has not released a better Pearl screen. Maybe they got some better quality control and the variation isn't as noticeable...or maybe the OP got a great one in the screen lottery this time and his old one wasn't so good. And the Black bezel WILL trick the eye to some degree. Also comparing cut outs etc is not going to prove anything since there is such a variation in Pearl batches and individual screens.

As a owner of the K4B I can say it's WAY better than my K4S. The text is really black and the background is much lighter and cleaner looking.

[heeby]

Originally Posted by Blossom

As a owner of the K4B I can say it's WAY better than my K4S. The text is really black and the background is much lighter and cleaner looking.

And if I recall you always had a very bad screen on your K4. Mine is excellent with a very light grey background and very dark black contrasty text. I have seen huge variations in screen samples. If I compared those to mine I would think I had some fancy new model of screen as well...but the truth it is is just sample variation. I think you are falling prey to sample bias. Your first one was horrible...so this one naturally looks a LOT better. It's the same Pearl screen...there might be some software and font tricks going on but it's not a huge difference in reality across common screen examples.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by heeby

And if I recall you always had a very bad screen on your K4. Mine is excellent with a very light grey background and very dark black contrasty text. I have seen huge variations in screen samples. If I compared those to mine I would think I had some fancy new model of screen as well...but the truth it is is just sample variation. I think you are falling prey to sample bias. Your first one was horrible...so this one naturally looks a LOT better. It's the same Pearl screen...there might be some software and font tricks going on but it's not a huge difference in reality across common screen examples.

Sorry but I had 2 K4S units and had the privilege of seeing another one at the doctors office while I had mine. I think you got a really good one which are out there but alot of them were bad quality. If I hadn't had a K3 I wouldn't have known it could better. My new K4B is actually better than my K3 I use to brag about. It has a nice creme background with black text.

It's not a font thing either. I am using the same custom font on both K4s and the K3 the difference is amazing!

[heeby]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Sorry but I had 2 K4S units and had the privilege of seeing another one at the doctors office while I had mine. I think you got a really good one which are out there but alot of them were bad quality. If I hadn't had a K3 I wouldn't have known it could better. My new K4B is actually better than my K3 I use to brag about. It has a nice creme background with black text.

It's not a font thing either. I am using the same custom font on both K4s and the K3 the difference is amazing!

I am not saying your new one isn't great. I am saying it's not a new type of screen or anything in my view. I bet they just sorted the quality control a bit or you got one of the really good ones. I have seen a ton of really bad K4s and Touch models too..but have seen some superb ones. During that release there was a huge variation. E ink screens vary from creamy to grey to green and contrast varies a lot too between samples. The screen in your new one is still a Pearl screen...no new technology has been used.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by heeby

I am not saying your new one isn't great. I am saying it's not a new type of screen or anything in my view. I bet they just sorted the quality control a bit or you got one of the really good ones. I have seen a ton of really bad K4s and Touch models too..but have seen some superb ones. During that release there was a huge variation. E ink screens vary from creamy to grey to green and contrast varies a lot too between samples. The screen in your new one is still a Pearl screen...no new technology has been used.

I agree with that too. As I said in my other thread. It looks like Amazon step in and fixed the quality control issue let's hope it stays that way. The creme looks so much better than a gray background.
All the K4s I've seen were grey and looked dirty. I am getting a PW too later. I can't wait to have a light to read in the dark with.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I actually like the Title bar and wouldn't mind a bit if Amazon gave us the option to toggle it On/Off for all book pages. If it displayed the time that would be even better.

Agreed. I really missed the title bar when I switched from my K2 to K3.

[techiegirl]

I've had every Kindle since the K2 and agree with Blossom. The K4B is much sharper and looks much blacker than the previous generations. I wasn't unhappy with the previous generations, but this one is totally the best I've seen.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by techiegirl

I've had every Kindle since the K2 and agree with Blossom. The K4B is much sharper and looks much blacker than the previous generations. I wasn't unhappy with the previous generations, but this one is totally the best I've seen.

I finally got to read with it last night. It's a great little reader. I read for 6 hours on it. I can't believe how easy it is to hold one handed and turn the page. My Silver one I was always dropping in my lap but this one with the new finish on the back and the easy clicking buttons makes it a delight to hold. Now if I only knew how to keep the back from staining.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I can't believe how easy it is to hold one handed and turn the page. My Silver one I was always dropping in my lap but this one with the new finish on the back and the easy clicking buttons makes it a delight to hold. Now if I only knew how to keep the back from staining.

I use the Marware SportGrip for my K4S and love it. It's high quality silicone, form fitted for all of the buttons, and causes no staining whatsoever. I've been using the black one since last May.

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I finally got to read with it last night. It's a great little reader. I read for 6 hours on it. I can't believe how easy it is to hold one handed and turn the page. My Silver one I was always dropping in my lap but this one with the new finish on the back and the easy clicking buttons makes it a delight to hold. Now if I only knew how to keep the back from staining.

How do you read with it one handed? I love my new K4B but I'm so used to the page turn buttons at the bottom of my Sonys that I can't quite figure out the Kindle.

Andrew

Originally Posted by andyh2000

How do you read with it one handed? I love my new K4B but I'm so used to the page turn buttons at the bottom of my Sonys that I can't quite figure out the Kindle.

Andrew

I am the opposite. I never understood why Sony placed the buttons below the screen rendering one-handed use extremely awkward. To use the low buttons you have to hold the reader by the bottom bezel which means there is a tendency for it to lean backwards and place a lot of stress on your thumb and hand. It was okay for landscape reading, but for portrait reading it gets an F from me in ergonomics. Holding a reader by the lower bezel also makes it more difficult to balance the reader on my fat belly.

The ergonomics of the K3 and K4 really outshine those of the Sony readers as far as one-handed operation. At least in my opinion they do.

EDIT: I've owned several Sony readers BTW, so I've used both Sony and Kindle extensively.