Kindle Paperwhite

I have been using the Paperwhite exclusively for reading for two weeks now vs. my other Kindles, and I am writing this review from the perspective of being a long-time Kindle user vs. someone brand new to the Kindle experience as well as in direct comparison to the Kindle Touch, which the Paperwhite replaced.

From an overall standpoint, and considering everything you get (compact e-Reader,touch screen, lighting system), the Paperwhite is a very good e-Reader. I am amazed at how much smaller these e-Readers can become with each new generation yet still not feel like you're losing anything from a "feels like a book" experience.

To address the reading experience, I wasn't sure what to expect with the display. Needless to say, the text on the screen is much more crisp than any of the other version of an e-Ink Kindle I have used, and just to ensure I wasn't being biased I put the Paperwhite next to a Kindle 3 / Keyboard, a Touch, a "regular" Kindle, and a Kindle DX - all on the same page of a book with the covers removed (didn't want the cover to give an optical illusion or anything) - and you can clearly see a better quality in terms of the fonts.

Reading at night is a good experience with the lighting display in comparison to the other versions of Kindle because you don't need an additional light that can get in the way: it didn't disturb, for example, my wife who likes to watch TV in a dark room. It was also very convenient on a plane ride at night as I was able to see the full page of the text vs. a light attachment only reaching most of the screen: there are no impediments to the reading screen.

Turning the page backwards and forwards is as simple as a simple tap of the thumb as you hold the device or, if you prefer, a swipe with your finger in either direction. It did take a little getting used to turning with my thumb as I have been trained after years on a Kindle Keyboard and DX to press a button - it didn't take that long and after about 5% or so into a science fiction novel I didn't even notice the new turning action. This page turning experience is a significant improvement over the previous Kindle Touch and much appreciated!

Accessing the menu structure of the Paperwhite is as simple as touching the top 20-30% of the screen where you can quickly access a keyboard, hit the menu, table of contents, etc. Navigation is a piece of cake.

Web surfing speed with the WiFi feature on the Paperwhite is about the same as the other type of e-Ink Kindles. Doing a side-by-side test I tried the mobile websites of Fox News and CNN and they popped right up; the usual slow sites were still slower than Christmas. Checking email with an e-Ink Kindle via gmail is a chore with this as well as other versions of e-Ink Kindle, but none of that is really important to me as I have too many device that do that anyway: when I have my Kindle, I usually want to read a book vs. surf the web or check email.

Despite what people may say, size matters! In this case, the Paperwhite is not too small and not too large and Amazon appears to have hit the sweet spot. I would highly recommend the Amazon-branded case for it, as it fits snug and firm and automatically puts the unit into sleep mode when you close the cover, and wakes it back up when you open the cover. To see the cover I purchased, click this link: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather Cover, Onyx Black (does not fit Kindle or Kindle Touch)

About the only negative I have for this unit, if you could even call it a negative, is I wish I had bought the 3G version vs. the Wi-Fi only - for someone who travels a lot with my job, what was I thinking?!? Accordingly, I ordered one of those. Despite that statement, for just $119 I think this is a great unit and I enjoyed reading with it: the Paperwhite may soon be replacing my beloved Kindle Keyboard permanently!

Here is a quick video I shot of the new Kindle Paperwhite in action. I attempted to show what the glow screen looks like and address the comments about the LED lights at the bottom. In my opinion, it's no big deal, but hopefully you can get an idea of what some folks have mentioned. The screen is super clear and SUPER bright! I also like the feel of the new screen, it seems to have a somewhat rough texture and truly almost feels like paper.

_______________________________________________________

[0:00] - day.. - Kindle, Paperwhite, Keyboard, Touch - side by side
[0:17] - day.. - Paperwhite - brightness control, page turning
[0:47] - night - Touch, Paperwhite, Keyboard - side by side
[1:00] - night - Paperwhite - zoom to bottom of screen
[1:18] - night - Paperwhite, Keyboard - side by side
[1:22] - night - Paperwhite, Touch - side by side
[1:28] - night - Paperwhite - zoom in, zoom out

NOTE 1: This is not a stand-alone video review. I added the video to illustrate some of the answers in the FAQ section below. References are made by providing the time where the video illustrates a particular answer.

NOTE 2: My initial rating was a 5 stars but I am changing it at least temporarily to 3 stars because some of my friends who bought Paperwhites had to return or are returning theirs for a replacement due to display quality issues ranging from minor to serious or seriously annoying. I suspect and I hope that it's only a temporary quality control slip due to the rush to mass-produce in order to meet the initial high demand. If it turns out to be so and everyone who received a not-so-good product receives a good quality replacement then my rating goes back up to where it started but only time will tell.

NOTE 3: I noticed several comments to this reviews, complaining that I arrived at my current 3-stars rating based on hearsay. This is not the case - see next paragraph which has been there since the very beginning "after seeing what some of my friends received". I had the opportunity to use their devices myself and compare my unit with theirs and found that they had good reasons to ask for replacements. Another complaint is that 3 stars is a 'negative' rating. It is not. Amazon suggests that '3 stars' stands for "It's Okay". I can't see how "Okay" could be viewed as a negative. According to Merriam-Webster online, OK stands for: approval, endorsement.

Meanwhile, my Paperwhite continues to be a fantastic reader and, certain marketing exaggerations and embellishments notwithstanding, I am unaware of a better product in this category. I would still rate my unit a 5 stars but I can't bury my head in the sand and ignore that fact that not everyone is happy with what they got because I actually saw their Kindles, not pictures or videos, and they don't look nearly as good as mine. I only hope and wish that 'luck' doesn't play a big part in getting a great product. Knowing what I know now and after seeing what some of my friends received I would still gamble and order a Paperwhite if I wanted a new reader because Amazon is very good at replacing defective products quickly and returns of defective products are free - no restocking fees - so the risk of paying for and then being stuck with a bad product or a product you don't like is practically nil.
_______________________________________________________

The Kindle readers, not the Fire tablets are in my view Amazon's truly innovative product. The Paperwhite extraordinary display ensures that Amazon will continue to lead when it comes to readers. We've been using Kindles ever since the Kindle 3 a.k.a. the Kindle Keyboard. Besides the Keyboard model we also own a Kindle Touch and a 'plain' Kindle (no keyboard, no touch). When compared to the previous models the Paperwhite is a big leap forward not only because it eliminates the need of a lamp when reading at night but the display is brighter with a better contrast during the day and it's significantly sharper always.

The Paperwhite incorporates and improves on the best features of its predecessors. It's lighter, the touch controls are more responsive, the battery life I am told is still measured in 'weeks' or even months rather than 'hours' and, with one exception, all of the Kindle's e-reader frills are supported: borrowing, all the social features, Whispersync and the new X-Ray.

One notable missing capability is 'speakers'. I am not trying to be an Amazon apologist but I actually don't mind 'no speakers'. Not only because I've only used them once on my Kindle Keyboard but their absence allows for the e-reader to be smaller and lighter and it probably allows Amazon to sell the Paperwhite for a lower price. Besides, there are so many alternative ways to have your book read to you from any of the Kindle apps available for phones and tablets. After all, Paperwhite's strength is its screen and throwing in 2 little speakers would not have added much value. I use the Kindle readers, the Paperwhite included as 'books' and most books (some children books maybe the exception) don't read themselves.

I put together this FAQ to record my experience with Amazon's new reader. I will add to it if there is sufficient interest and expanded with answer to whatever questions may be asked in the Comments section.

[By the way, this may very well be my first 5-star review of a Kindle product (see NOTE 2). I remember rating the Kindle Fire as a 3 stars and the Kindle Keyboard as a 4 stars.]

_______________________________________________________

Q: How does the Paperwhite compare with previous models?
A: The Papwerwhite is a one button, touch screen, keyboardless, speakerless e-reader featuring Amazon's new and quite spectacular Paperwhite display. The video shows [0:00] from left to right the Kindle, the Paperwhite, the Kindle Keyboard and the Kindle Touch next to each other.

Q: What exactly is 'paperwhite'?
A: From what I've seen so far, the technology allows for LED-produced light to distribute almost evenly across the reading surface. This makes the display brighter during the day and eliminates the need of a lamp at night.

Q: How bright is Paperwhite?
A: It's just about as bright as you want it to be [0:17]. There is a sliding scale that allows you to easily select your preferred level from almost 'off' to a level of brightness that hurt my eyes with 24 levels in-between.

Q: In what way is 'paperwhite' better than a tablet's hi-res display?
A: Tablets screens are backlit. Backlit screens are generally difficult to read outdoors and tend to cause eyestrain if read at night. The Paperwhite display reflects daylight and the light generated by Kindle's 4 LEDs the same way paper does and this is good for reading. Books can be read without difficulty outdoors even during a bright sunny day as well as at night.

Q: Is the Paperwhite display better than the previous Kindles?
A: Yes. The resolution is higher, the background can be set to your preferred level of white and the text appears to be darker [0:17].

Q: Is the light evenly distributed on the screen?
A: By and large yes and it's a significant improvement over what you get off an LED reading light [0:47]. At night or when reading in a dark room, 4 small, slightly darker spots - invisible under daylight - can be noticed at the very bottom of the screen [1:00].

Q: Is the Paperwhite display larger than that of previous Kindles?
A: No. Paperwhite's display is the exact same 6" size as that of previous Kindle e-readers.

Q: Is Paperwhite's page turning faster than on previous models?
A: Yes, page turning is significantly faster [0:30].

Q: Does the Kindle Paperwhite come with speakers?
A: No.

Q: How much storage (memory) is available on the Paperwhite?
A: 2 GB but only 1.25 GB are available for storing content.

Q: Is there a MicroSD slot or any other memory expansion?
A: No.

Q: Is a charger included?
A: No, but like all Kindle e-readers, the Paperwhite can be easily and quickly charged off a laptop or most generic or branded USB chargers.

Q: Is a charging/data cable included?
A: Yes, a white Type A to Micro-B USB cable is in the box.

Q: Can you confirm Amazon's claim that the battery life on the Paperwhite is "8 weeks" if Wi-Fi is off.
A: It depends. If you go by Amazon's definition: use it for half an hour daily at brightness level 10, then probably 'yes'. In practice, on full charge lasted 23 days with the Paperwhite on for 1-2 hours daily and a brightness level of 12 and with the Wi-Fi off for all but 30 minutes.

Q: How easy/difficult was it to set up the Wi-Fi connection? And how do you turn it off?
A: Individual experiences may vary but my Kindle immediately detected our home network, prompted me for a password and once I entered it it connected. You turn Wi-Fi off by turning on "Airplane mode".

Q: Does it come with a manual?
A: No but there is a very good interactive tutorial that shows you everything this Kindle can do, from setting up the level of brightness to shopping or borrowing to X-Ray.

Q: Are there any physical buttons?
A: There is only one On/Off button. All other controls, including page turning are through touch.

Q: How much does it weigh?
A: Less than 8 ounces.

Q: I don't like touching the screen with my fingers. Can I use a stylus?
A: Yes, the new screen can be used with a capacitive stylus.

Q: Is the Kindle Paperwhite confined to Amazon's content?
A: No. You can upload non-DRMed content, including MOBI book files. Kindle does not support EPUB but there are very good free EPUB to MOBI converter apps. See the first comment to this review on how to get Calibre, the best free EPUB to MOBI converter.

Q: How is content delivered to the Paperwhite?
A: Content can be uploaded either through Wi-Fi (or 3G) or or through the USB port.

Q: Do I need to backup my Kindle? Read more ›