Kindle Paperwhite inferior..

[tmf2]

Originally Posted by aceflor

Without the light it is the best screen resolution I have ever seen on an e-ink device, and I have seen many.

Will that's a pretty subjective statement. My Kindle 4s has darker fonts and much much better contrast then the PW which suffers due to the diffusion layers, thinner gray and smaller fonts. but the point is moot really I bought the PW for the light for night reading and if it cannot produce positive results for that particular usage then its nothing more then a Paperweight to me.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by tmf2

Will that's a pretty subjective statement. My Kindle 4s has darker fonts and much much better contrast then the PW which suffers due to the diffusion layers, thinner gray and smaller fonts. but the point is moot really I bought the PW for the light for night reading and if it cannot produce positive results for that particular usage then its nothing more then a Paperweight to me.

Resolution is the key word.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by robko

There is the option to have the bar present or clear. Personally I have it clear since there is really only a smudge across the bottom of the screen with the Kobo rather than distinct cones of darkness and I find the bar more distracting.

Thanks for the reply.

[7hir7een]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for. If there is the possibility of one light differing from another, maybe I will wait until my Walmart got one in stock as to make an exchange easier.

Unfortunately, Walmart no longer carries Kindle products as about a month ago. AFAIK, Best Buy and Staples are the only retail stores I know of that are/plan on carrying them. So, look there

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for. If there is the possibility of one light differing from another, maybe I will wait until my Walmart got one in stock as to make an exchange easier.

I had to exchange my previous Kindle at Walmart, the first did not have one in stock, and they had to call around to 3 other stores to find one that had it. Then had to wait in a couple of lines (30 minutes at least) there before the exchange was effected. And the exchange was not a foregone conclusion, it could easily have resulted in a refund had it been out of stock everywhere. Killed an entire morning. I think their customer service was decent enough but in the future I won't consider buying in a store. Amazon CS is so much more empowered and convenient.

And as noted elsewhere Walmart and Target no longer carry Kindles. Best Buy and Radio Shack still do, but perhaps not the entire lineup.

[Tarana]

I think it comes down to the facts that a largish percentage of units ARE defective and some people have expectations that simply aren't met by this product.

I bought a Paperwhite for my mom and have been testing it prior to gifting it. I have 2 other kindles and a Nook. I've been pretty happy with it. Yes, there is splotchiness at the bottom, but it ends where the text begins, so it's been a non-problem. I've tested it in complete dark, although this is not how my Mom will ever use it and still been happy with it. I would like the text to be a little more saturated with contrast when the light is on, which would be an issue for some people.

After 3 returns, Doug, I think you should just get your money back and hold off for new technology. I certainly would be frustrated at this point if I got bad unit after bad unit. Maybe the unit is fine and you simply have a different expectation? Doesn't matter. You are unhappy with what you have. While I am getting a little spoiled with this PPW, I don't actually need the lighting as it is rare for me to have poor lighting and I don't normally read in bed-it's freaking my cat out. However, if I were to buy one with the internal lighting, I would get either a Nook or maybe a Kobo because I want that SD card option - makes sideloading that much easier.

[MrDoug]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I think it comes down to the facts that a largish percentage of units ARE defective and some people have expectations that simply aren't met by this product.

I bought a Paperwhite for my mom and have been testing it prior to gifting it. I have 2 other kindles and a Nook. I've been pretty happy with it. Yes, there is splotchiness at the bottom, but it ends where the text begins, so it's been a non-problem. I've tested it in complete dark, although this is not how my Mom will ever use it and still been happy with it. I would like the text to be a little more saturated with contrast when the light is on, which would be an issue for some people.

After 3 returns, Doug, I think you should just get your money back and hold off for new technology. I certainly would be frustrated at this point if I got bad unit after bad unit. Maybe the unit is fine and you simply have a different expectation? Doesn't matter. You are unhappy with what you have. While I am getting a little spoiled with this PPW, I don't actually need the lighting as it is rare for me to have poor lighting and I don't normally read in bed-it's freaking my cat out. However, if I were to buy one with the internal lighting, I would get either a Nook or maybe a Kobo because I want that SD card option - makes sideloading that much easier.

I think Amazon/Kindle has said.. we have a problem.. we are going to fix it.. so, if you wait a couple of months you will get a perfect copy.. I returned my final copy today.. BB and others have pulled the original first releases and Amazon/Kindle have a new improved product in the PipeLine.. that is what I have been hearing.... not to mention, they have the Kindle Fire HD and are probably going to try to wiggle out of e-ink reading devices.. just my 4 cents (inflation)..
Doug

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by MrDoug

BB and others have pulled the original first releases and Amazon/Kindle have a new improved product in the PipeLine.. that is what I have been hearing....

Where have you heard this? I haven't heard anything about Best Buy pulling them? I don't think BB's received very many of them and it seems they sold them out pretty quickly.

[MrDoug]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

Where have you heard this? I haven't heard anything about Best Buy pulling them? I don't think BB's received very many of them and it seems they sold them out pretty quickly.

Well, I went to BB in Boise today and tried to buy one.. just to see.. they said they will not have anymore until FURTHER notice.. not even a delivery date.. they ALSO said they have had a Over the Board return rate.. that is what a retail salesperson I know quite well told me..
Doug

[vxf]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for. If there is the possibility of one light differing from another, maybe I will wait until my Walmart got one in stock as to make an exchange easier.

With the light off, my KT screen is a much better reading device than the PW. Resolution might be better on the PW, but contrast is not, and fonts are 'washed out' compared to the KT.

With the lights on, it's a whole different story.

Also, I have stopped reading the forums over the past week or so, as I have been really busy at work, so I don't know how widely reported this is - but my PW screen seems to be strongly affected by some environmental factors I have not yet pinned down. On most days, it's a pretty even screen (aside from the bottom shadows of the LEDs). But on other days, I see pinkish spots. I still have to figure out why it changes. But I have shown it around and others have confirmed - it's not just my eyes being tired. And it's not external lighting either.

It's not a perfect reading device. But it's much better than anything else I have owned so far. My biggest complaints, actually, have nothing to do with the screen - rather, with the fact that it's a bit heavy (or... unbalanced? I don't know, it FEELS heavy, at least compared to the new SONYs) and the fact that battery life is laughable, with the screen and 3g on.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by MrDoug

Well, I went to BB in Boise today and tried to buy one.. just to see.. they said they will not have anymore until FURTHER notice.. not even a delivery date.. they ALSO said they have had a Over the Board return rate.. that is what a retail salesperson I know quite well told me..
Doug

I see. I wouldn't be surprised if they had returns, but I'm assuming they don't have them on the shelf because they didn't get very many and they sold them. Just my feeling. I have not heard of them pulling them, I really don't think they received very many to begin with.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by vxf

With the light off, my KT screen is a much better reading device than the PW. Resolution might be better on the PW, but contrast is not, and fonts are 'washed out' compared to the KT.

With the lights on, it's a whole different story.

Also, I have stopped reading the forums over the past week or so, as I have been really busy at work, so I don't know how widely reported this is - but my PW screen seems to be strongly affected by some environmental factors I have not yet pinned down. On most days, it's a pretty even screen (aside from the bottom shadows of the LEDs). But on other days, I see pinkish spots. I still have to figure out why it changes. But I have shown it around and others have confirmed - it's not just my eyes being tired. And it's not external lighting either.

It's not a perfect reading device. But it's much better than anything else I have owned so far. My biggest complaints, actually, have nothing to do with the screen - rather, with the fact that it's a bit heavy (or... unbalanced? I don't know, it FEELS heavy, at least compared to the new SONYs) and the fact that battery life is laughable, with the screen and 3g on.

Thank you for all those in depth information. I dug out my old prs-300 and use that for now . That one does have worse contrast than the KT, but then I guess it is because no pearl. I don't understand why the PW has a stupid touch layer though if IR works just fine - maybe that is why the PW looks washed out compared to KT?

I will wait a while and see what happens - maybe everything will be better with PW soon.

[Joshua.P]

Originally Posted by MrDoug

BB and others have pulled the original first releases and Amazon/Kindle have a new improved product in the PipeLine.. that is what I have been hearing.... not to mention, they have the Kindle Fire HD and are probably going to try to wiggle out of e-ink reading devices.. just my 4 cents (inflation)..
Doug

Didn't a previous poster say you only got you first ereader a month ago...? And know you're saying your privy to inside information at both Bestbuy and Amazon. TBH you sound like your full of it.

[JoHunt]

Originally Posted by MrDoug

not to mention, they have the Kindle Fire HD and are probably going to try to wiggle out of e-ink reading devices.. just my 4 cents (inflation)..
Doug

No. Amazon sells millions of e-ink readers yearly and will continue to sell millions in years to come. Just because you personally had a bad experience doesn't mean that Amazon is going to discontinue making e-readers

And not having a product until further notice usually means that they have sold out and don't know when they will receive more units, not that the product was pulled. You even have to wait until December 17 to get one direct from Amazon.

[Soldim]

Originally Posted by joehunt

And not having a product until further notice usually means that they have sold out and don't know when they will receive more units, not that the product was pulled. You even have to wait until December 17 to get one direct from Amazon.

Or, it might imply quality control problems delaying deliveries.