Anyone got/tried a Kindle Paperwhite?

[WDeranged]

Mine will be here tomorrow, I've heard quite a bit about the screen uniformity problems but I decided to risk it as I'll just send the bugger back if it's wonky.  Has anyone got any first hand experience with these things?

[AwesomeOcelot]

I bought my mother one a few weeks ago, there's no issues as far as I can tell compared to the Kindle Keyboard 3G, the screen is higher resolution, higher contrast, and is backlit, making it much better. The speakers are gone though.

[WDeranged]

Good to know, I'm upgrading from the Kindle Keyboard which was the best £100 I've spent in years so I'm hoping the Paperwhite holds up, it's mostly the screen lighting issues that have worried me.

[kalimeeri]

I have one, and never noticed a marked non-uniformity in daily use.  It's there, but hard to see unless I was really looking for it.  I keep the backlight down, though, because I mostly use it when the house lights are off--it's possible you might see more if you jack it up to full brightness.

[Walsingham]

I just realised that I could convert my entire library to just an empty room, with a wooden scriptorium on which sits my ebook reader. Not sure if I like that idea, but it would be amusing.

[Raithe]

I got my mother a paperwhite to replace her original kindle this last christmas. So far there have been no problems with the screen. Although the last week or so the battery seems to be acting up and the wifi connection keeps turning itself on or off at various times.

[WDeranged]

I've spent a few days with the Paperwhite so I'll have a little ramble, with the light set to it's lowest level the screen is actually less white than my Kindle 3, quite a surprise but it turns out that Amazon intend for you to always keep the light on, the LEDs have a very slight blue tinge and this mixes with ambient light to give the illusion of a whiter background, it's a trick but it really does give the perception of better contrast.

 

In a totally dark (bed)room the results aren't as impressive, it's more evenly lit than the Kindle 3's cover light but the screen has a ghostly blue glow and the fonts don't pop in the same way, if you push the light too far you find that the fonts become washed out and the uniformity issues start to show, it's certainly not bad on a reasonable setting but I feel like It'll take me time to adjust.

 

Functionally the Paperwhite is much nicer to use than the Kindle 3, the interface is really fast and well laid out, I'm especially glad that it feels great to hold, the leather cover gives you plenty to grab and it's about the same weight as a small paperback, the Kindle 3 was slightly too tall and heavy.

 

I'm not 100% sure I'll keep it but at least Amazon give you a month to make up your mind, it does feel great to use and in the right conditions it can look way more impressive than the Kindle 3, I'm just not sure that it holds up in sunlight and total darkness.

 

I just realised that I could convert my entire library to just an empty room, with a wooden scriptorium on which sits my ebook reader. Not sure if I like that idea, but it would be amusing.

 

I have a similar feeling when I realise that every Amiga game ever made can fit into a memory card the size of my thumbnail 

[Raithe]

There's a time and a place for e-books of all sorts.

But I'll never get rid of my library. I like my dead trees too much. There's something about the texture of the paper, the scent of an old book, and the sound of well-worn pages being turned as you read that just make a full reading experience...

[WDeranged]

I love to see books on a shelf but I hate being crushed under a 1000+ page monster and having to carry them around, the Kindle is a bit of a novelty but it's one that's got me reading again

Edited May 14, 2013 by WDeranged

[Gorth]

I love to see books on a shelf but I hate being crushed under a 1000+ page monster and having to carry them around, the Kindle is a bit of a novelty but it's one that's got me reading again

The "bopping" of your nose by a 1000+ tome falling in your face is a good indicator that you should put it aside and get some sleep

[LadyCrimson]

Anything under 600 pages is a short book and paperbacks of 1000+ pages aren't that heavy. Hardcovers are a pain tho...too big for comfy lying in bed reading and too heavy to cart around. Hardbacks are for getting authors to sign them. I don't think I'd be interested in having authors sign a Kindle.