Search for the perfect lighted Kindle e-ink reading experience (alternatives to PW)

[fearindex]

As these comments started to seep into off-topic in the Paperwhite Second Gen: First Impressions (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...223764&page=60) thread, I thought I'd make a post of my own.

Quick background, my Kindle story started with the first international Kindle, the Kindle 2. Since then I have purchased one or more of every generation, mostly on launch. I still have a Kindle 2, Kindle 3 Keyboard (have had two), $79 Kindle 4 Silver, Kindle Paperwhite and $69 Kindle 4B/5 Black (have two). Not a single Kindle has ever broken (knock on wood), nor have I ever returned or exchanged any one of them.

What really got me hooked on e-books was the e-ink screen. I'm so in love with the concept that I often jokingly say I even love the full-screen page refreshes (I always use them to avoid ghosting), because they remind me of the magic. E-ink is a really great invention for reading books on, that text right there on the top of the screen, staying without power, looking almost like printed text and not like a screen at all. I already loved it on Kindle 2, but from Kindle 3 Keyboard forwards the addition of Kindle-powered lighted covers made the story even more compelling. With the integrated reading light one still gets the book-like benefit of the e-ink screen, but with an independent lighting solution for dark moments. Also the light in the third generation Kindle was very well positioned in the sense that it shone on the Kindle, not into your eyes.

My troubles with Kindle started with Kindle 4, when intially they didn't offer the always-on page refresh (luckily that came later) and also I had various issues with the lighted cover - its lower quality feel, but most importantly a light that shone into my eyes. I wasn't crazy about the silver color either. I found myself missing the K3 a little, but I gave it to a family member to use, and persevered. I liked page turning buttons too, so it was disappointing to see them lost on the high-end version of Kindle in this generation. When Kindle Paperwhite was announced, I put those concerns aside and I ordered it and had it shipped to Europe via third-party courier right around launch day. From what I can tell, my PW is pretty good - the screen is slightly crooked, it has one "dead" pixel and the light is more even than on some, but still I couldn't get used to it. It has lower contrast and text blackness, but mostly the "milky" (as some said here) look of the lighted screen in dark just kills that e-ink magic for me.

My Kindle PW text blackness compared to $69 Kindle 4B/5:



Bigger image: http://imageshack.us/a/img20/2248/ki...paperwhite.jpg

After the Kindle PW disappointment (I still have it, though, and unlike my initial concerns using touch on the PW is just fine), I went onto finding a better solution than I had at the time. I read mostly in dark, so a lighted solution is necessary for me and I was still miffed about the Kindle 4 lighted cover, even after reading many books on it. I briefly considered using the PW with light turned down to minimum and an external clip-on light, but the awkwardness of a non-integrated solution kept me away from that - it would have weighed a lot too...

Here is my mock-up (PW placed on top of lighted Kindle 4) how a lighted cover would have looked on my Kindle PW:



Bigger image: http://imageshack.us/a/img9/6817/lightedpaperwhite.jpg

I then read positive reviews of the new screens they put in the $69 Kindle (some call the black one Kindle 4B, some Kindle 5) and ordered one - and indeed, it was the inkiest, blackest black I have seen in any Kindle. Indeed, this small improvement, along with the mature software the baby Kindle now had, were enough to finally make me like the baby Kindle more than my old Kindle 3 Keyboard.

That still left the problematic official lighted cover for the Kindle 4/5. Most of the external issues I could deal with, but the biggest thing was the glare from the light that shone in my eyes and meant I tended to keep the Kindle in an abnormally straight position to avoid that glare. Turns out, the solution to this problem is fairly simple: a bit of double-sided tape and a piece of opaque cardboard attached to the light. I posted some more pictures of that here: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,131020.0.html

My baby Kindle lighted cover fix:



Bigger image: http://imageshack.us/a/img23/6103/ki...dcoverfix3.jpg

Now, this is not the end of that story though. Later or different versions of this same cover have different LEDs (pics: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,164293.0.html), some warmer and less bright, so when I was getting some more covers for family, I ended up having to use glossy cardboard instead to intensify the light shining towards the Kindle itself - this can help if you need a little extra punch so that the light reaches all corners of the page better. OTOH, some might actually prefer the newer warmer LED, because they cause less hotspotting on the top of the screen.

Here is the 2011 light compared to the TeckNet cover (another cover I tried: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,130865.0.html) and below it official 2011 and 2013 lights compared:



Bigger image: http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/2...kindledark.jpg

Now, I'm still on the case of perfecting the Kindle e-ink reading experience. Kindle PW2 is on international pre-order (starts shipping the 15th), to give another go at that, and I'm planning on putting some DecalGirl on the baby Kindle to lessen glare and finger prints on the front bezel. I still have one more baby Kindle cover to try out, too, to see if the light remains the same.

That's my story so far.

In case anyone is interested in my comparisons of different Kindles, here they are:

My Kindle PW review: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,129852.0.html
$69 Kindle 4B/5 and $79 Kindle 4/4S vs. Kindle PW: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/top...tml#msg1921055
Kindle 3 Keyboards vs. the above: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/top...tml#msg1921549
Kindle 2 vs. the above: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/top...tml#msg1923663

[fearindex]

Just FYI, I just posted some more pictures and experiences of the Kindle 4/4B/5 official lighted cases and DecalGirl films for the same Kindle in the links below:

Amazon lighted leather covers, olive green, wine purple, black:



Bigger image: http://imageshack.us/a/img534/2000/e0pz.jpg

More: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/top...tml#msg2358676

DecalGirl matte skin on the left:



Bigger image: http://imageshack.us/a/img163/3382/ry6h.jpg

More: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,164514.0.html

[HarryT]

You'll confuse people by referring to a Basic Kindle as a "Kindle 5". Around these parts we use the firmware version number to designate the version number of Kindles, hence the K5 is the Kindle Touch. I'd recommend you use the same naming conventions as everyone else, or you'll merely confuse people.

[fearindex]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You'll confuse people by referring to a Basic Kindle as a "Kindle 5". Around these parts we use the firmware version number to designate the version number of Kindles, hence the K5 is the Kindle Touch. I'd recommend you use the same naming conventions as everyone else, or you'll merely confuse people.

Fair enough, I am new here. Will take heed.

I have tried calling in the $69 Kindle 4B/5 or just baby Kindle to cover all the different names people have for it depending on where they hail from. I do know people refer to it with different names in different places. Personally I do consider the black baby Kindle the fifth-generation of basic Kindle, since there was no such option in the fourth generation.

Anyway, just so that there is no confusion, above is about the black $69 Kindle that I believe is called Kindle 4B by many here. Although, to add to the confusion, it is not SO so it really isn't $69... (Yes, why oh why doesn't Amazon have more descriptive names for them...)

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by fearindex

Fair enough, I am new here. Will take heed.

I have tried calling in the $69 Kindle 4B/5 or just baby Kindle to cover all the different names people have for it depending on where they hail from. I do know people refer to it with different names in different places. Personally I do consider the black baby Kindle the fifth-generation of basic Kindle, since there was no such option in the fourth generation.

Anyway, just so that there is no confusion, above is about the black $69 Kindle that I believe is called Kindle 4B by many here. Although, to add to the confusion, it is not SO so it really isn't $69... (Yes, why oh why doesn't Amazon have more descriptive names for them...)

I'd suggest referring to that one as the "Basic Kindle" or K4.

[new]

Originally Posted by fearindex

Fair enough, I am new here. Will take heed.

I have tried calling in the $69 Kindle 4B/5 or just baby Kindle to cover all the different names people have for it depending on where they hail from. I do know people refer to it with different names in different places. Personally I do consider the black baby Kindle the fifth-generation of basic Kindle, since there was no such option in the fourth generation.

Anyway, just so that there is no confusion, above is about the black $69 Kindle that I believe is called Kindle 4B by many here. Although, to add to the confusion, it is not SO so it really isn't $69... (Yes, why oh why doesn't Amazon have more descriptive names for them...)

I just am now reading this posting. Actually I called it K5BNT at first and was corrected (rightly so I guess) but I got the 5 from Wikipedia because I was so confused on what they are called anymore. They called it 5 because it came out the same time as the PW I believe. Even though it does have 4 software. So blame Wikipedia or Amazon

Great posting by the way. I am wondering where I am getting the paper to make a little flag for my light. I did order black Gaffing tape I found for $6 on Amazon. Very pricey for larger quantity. I may use that as a decal to block any glare instead of DecalGirl. Gaffing tape is suppose to not leave residue. We will see. The cover will be here today.

[fearindex]

Originally Posted by new

Great posting by the way. I am wondering where I am getting the paper to make a little flag for my light. I did order black Gaffing tape I found for $6 on Amazon. Very pricey for larger quantity. I may use that as a decal to block any glare instead of DecalGirl. Gaffing tape is suppose to not leave residue. We will see. The cover will be here today.

Thank you.

I don't think a regular gaffing/felt tape would leave residue on the cover's light arm, the hard plastic on the light arm seems quite resilient. I wouldn't put any tape on the softer plastic or leather parts, though, of course - but for this you don't need to either. That's the beauty of it, just a small thing on the light arm.

Personally I used a very small piece of regular two-sided tape, the kind you use with paper, just a double-sided variant (by Scotch, 3M, somebody like that...). Comes off very well too from the light arm, even after time, not a problem. I have done this with the black cover, I don't know if the grey-inside colored covers would reach any different, but as far as I remember they too use hard plastic on the light arm, so probably not a problem there either.

The cardboard I used came from a local crafts store. I'm sure in many places they sell such cardboard in crafts stores, hobby stores, paper stores, bookstores, the kind of place where you'd take your kids to buy pens, paper, coloring stuffs...

I bought a large sheet of black cardboard and then just used sharp scissors to cut small parts to try different sizes.

[xendula]

Very good post. I agree that the K4B has the blackest black of any eink Kindles, and I think it has a nice, cream-colored background,as opposed to the silver K4 that has just dirty grey in my eyes. I can see why you refer to it as a Baby Kindle, since it is one cute little device! The contrast on it is what I had hoped it would be on the PWs.

I still end up neglecting it because I always grab my blotchy PW1 instead. What I like about the PW are the covers, the fact that it turns on as soon as I open the cover, and the fact that the light is more even than with an external light source.

[fearindex]

Originally Posted by xendula

Very good post. I agree that the K4B has the blackest black of any eink Kindles, and I think it has a nice, cream-colored background,as opposed to the silver K4 that has just dirty grey in my eyes. I can see why you refer to it as a Baby Kindle, since it is one cute little device! The contrast on it is what I had hoped it would be on the PWs.

I still end up neglecting it because I always grab my blotchy PW1 instead. What I like about the PW are the covers, the fact that it turns on as soon as I open the cover, and the fact that the light is more even than with an external light source.

Yes, the official PW cover is very nice - I have it for my PW1 and intend to use it on the PW2 when it arrives. Although for me it is the opposite, I neglect the PW. But I do agree, the PW cover is nicer, the auto-on is great and the whole quality of the cover is much better than on the Kindle 4 cover, which is OK but not great. PW cover also has some really nice colors available.

I'd love to like the PW, the nice covers are one reason. Maybe PW2 will, against all odds, surprise me. But so far I've like non-frontlit e-ink experience the best. It is just so "pure".

[new]

Originally Posted by fearindex

Yes, the official PW cover is very nice - I have it for my PW1 and intend to use it on the PW2 when it arrives. Although for me it is the opposite, I neglect the PW. But I do agree, the PW cover is nicer, the auto-on is great and the whole quality of the cover is much better than on the Kindle 4 cover, which is OK but not great. PW cover also has some really nice colors available.

I'd love to like the PW, the nice covers are one reason. Maybe PW2 will, against all odds, surprise me. But so far I've like non-frontlit e-ink experience the best. It is just so "pure".

I am going to wait for PW3 next year if then. I am now enjoying my K4NT (baby kindle or $69 kindle)
I am fine tuning my cover for the K4NT, I put masking tape over the light as it was sooo bright and white. Now is more subdued and yellow like I like. It covers the whole page to read too, no shadows at the bottom like my PW has.

So I am happy reading on that. Yes the PW cover is nicer, but the lighting is better for me right now with the new baby. Also I do have to hit the little switch to turn on, but I don't have to do that to turn off it does it automatically when I stop turning pages. But I will use both readers.

I do want to make the outside of the cover more grippy, non-slip. Any ideas? The cover is slick, not like the PW cover.

By the way it is the 2013 model by the description you gave before, not the older model. But the light is much better than the clip-ons I have tried in the past, I have a closet full of them.

[Dr. Drib]

So is the K4NT (baby kindle or $69 kindle), the one that is still currently available from Amazon, or has it been retired?



Don

This is a very helpful post. I worry that my Kindle 3, after years of heavy use, will come to the end of its life in a few months' time -- and I've been a bit nervous about 'upgrading' to either the Kindle 4 or the Kindle Paperwhite. With this post, I'm significantly more comfortable with the idea of buying the Kindle 4 (black) to replace it. I just have one question -- have you ever used the Amazon lighted case for the Kindle 3? How would you say that it compares to the lighting experience of the Amazon case for the Kindle 4?

[Steinhoff]

You know, for me some of greatest attributes of e-readers are:
- Convenient portable library at size of your palm
- Built in Dictionary at the tip of your finger, so as not to break the flow of reading immersion. (Which in my case is really important, because I am obsessive with vocabulary, I want to savor every nuance and subtleties unfamiliar words that are conveyed in the context)
- The Internets huge wealth of content gratis.
- Annotations, bookmarks and highlights,etc..

That being said, I still do have a few gripes with this technology, as some of the members of this forum have mentioned the inconsistent blackness and ghosting of e-ink is inherent to e-Ink unless you refresh the page of course. Also the lag of tactile feel of paper
But perhaps most important of all, the endless pursuit for the latest and greatest model that consumers such as myself would easily fall prey to.
In hindsight owning all these devices is really redundant for "me" , since the end goal for myself is to enjoy, learn and get the most of the materials that I read. Well that's just my two cents.

[fearindex]

Originally Posted by Marsi

This is a very helpful post. I worry that my Kindle 3, after years of heavy use, will come to the end of its life in a few months' time -- and I've been a bit nervous about 'upgrading' to either the Kindle 4 or the Kindle Paperwhite. With this post, I'm significantly more comfortable with the idea of buying the Kindle 4 (black) to replace it. I just have one question -- have you ever used the Amazon lighted case for the Kindle 3? How would you say that it compares to the lighting experience of the Amazon case for the Kindle 4?

Thank you!

Yes, I have. Here is my Kindle 4 vs. Kindle 3 comparison, including the lighted cover:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/top...tml#msg1921549

Overall, I was happier with Kindle 3 and the Kindle lighted cover during its use then I have since. I never had any issues. With Kindle 4 I have had issues, most importantly the new light shining into my eyes (now using a cardboard to cover it) and also I don't think the Kindle 4 case is as high quality as the Kindle 3 case is.

That said, I couldn't go back to the Kindle 3 now either. I still have it, so I could if I wanted to. I just don't think I would want to. The text blackness has improved and ultimately the small size of the $69 Kindle is just damn convenient. Now that I've gotten used to the keyboard not being there, I think I'd find it a distraction to the booklikeness of it all. So, after modding the Kindle 4 cover light with cardboard, and after the Kindle 4 product and software maturing by the black version (I had some issues with the initial silver product and software), it is the best Kindle experience I have had so far.

But I do think Kindle 2 and 3, for me, represented a lot simpler times. From Kindle 4 onwards one has had to sacrifice something when choosing a new Kindle, be it feature compromises (keyboard, audio etc.) or quality issues. I think in many ways Kindle 3 was the most balanced Kindle generation of them all (even though it too had some production faults at first, I never had those). After that Amazon's priorities changed and thus, for me, it became harder to find that perfect e-ink reading experience.

[fearindex]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

So is the K4NT (baby kindle or $69 kindle), the one that is still currently available from Amazon, or has it been retired?

Yes, K4NT is the $69 Kindle still available from Amazon. I think it comes from the words Kindle 4 non-touch. Some call the black $69 Kindle Kindle 4B and some call it Kindle 5, although that is not the habit on this forum. Some also call it the baby Kindle due to its smallest size or the basic Kindle.