![Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High Resolution Display with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi [Previous Generation]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81fFQJNigJL.__AC_SY300_SX300_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg)
I had never owned a Kindle prior to purchasing this one, so I was a little apprehensive about getting one, but I did my research and extensively read the other reviews before settling for this one. Here's what I think: I love it!
At first, I was surprised about the size -pretty small -yet in a positive way. It's easy to grab with one hand and you don't feel like you're going to break it cause it's solid and well built. It is pretty self-explanatory as far as how to operate. You turn it on and granted you have a Wi-Fi connection available you're set to begin. After registering your tablet, which is a breeze, if you already have an Amazon account, then you're ready to begin uploading ebooks, either using your Kindle or if you prefer using your computer, if you're connected via the USB cable that comes with the product. Also, you can buy books while on your laptop and later on, when you have time, plug in your Kindle and it automatically detects your purchases and transfers them unto your tablet. It is that simple.
Now here is my review as far as the readability on the product: it is way batter than an actual book! If I would have known that reading off a Kindle would not strain my eyes at all -I would have purchased one many years ago! In the past, if I read for two hours, I'd have blurry vision the rest of the day. Now, I have read for three, almost four hours at a time with my Kindle and have had no eye strain, period. I cannot recommend this product enough if you're an avid reader. It will change the way you read, forever. I never thought that I would stop liking real books until now. I am now planning to use my Kindle as much as I can for the rest of my life and reduce the amount of books I own. It is a lot better for me, when it comes time to move, and a lot better for the environment.
Next on the review, 3G or not 3G? Well, if you have internet at home or work or school, or if you live close to a free wireless signal, I would recommend you to save some money and not get the 3G service. You have to take into consideration that there are a lot of free signals out there and you're probably not going to be using your paperwhite to browse the internet much. I don't think that that is the main purpose of this device, as it is all in black & white (more grey than black). After using computers with full color, it is hard to get used to browsing the internet in a grayscale. Yet, to each its own.
I also had a hard time deciding whether or not to get the full-add edition or pay the extra $20 and get the one without. I decided adds or recommendations would annoy me, so I paid the extra and I am very happy I did. Now, before you cry out in despair as you receive your Kindle and realize that even though you paid extra there are still recommendations on the bottom of your "Home" page, let me explain to you how simple it is to remove those: [Press] Menu>Settings>Device Options>Personalize your Kindle and then press the on/off button under "Recommended Content." That's all! You'll be free from all Amazon Recomendations forever. In the long run, I personally believe it is worth it, especially as your library begins to expand and those recommendations that you thought you didn't mind are now blocking your view.
One more rant on my part. Beware that the device does not come with a power adapter, only a USB cable. I would seriously recommend you buying the Amazon (white) adapter. I did and I do not regret that decision. When I purchased it, it was $9.99, ten dollars off the original price. At the time that I am writing this review it is selling for only $6.04 -now that's a bargain! I know, you can fit any other adapter to the USB cable and it will do, but it won't look right! Use part of the money you're saving from not getting the 3Gs and do yourself a favor and get it. It will look sleek and it will help you greatly, especially if you're on the road a lot and you don't want to carry a laptop. Yet don't worry too much about it, it's a minor detail, as the charge on these things lasts a long time, especially if you keep it on Airplane Mode.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and I would recommend this device to anyone who is looking for convenience and portability. I have read my paperwhite in complete darkness, in full light, in medium light settings and even under the covers on cold nights and it has far surpassed my expectations.
Misnamed "Paperwhite", still far better than Kkb (K3) with light
OLD REVIEW: I just got my so-called "Paperwhite", and while I'm giving it 4 stars (EDIT: A replacement Kpw changed me to 5 stars) as an excellent e-reader, it is not well-named. First, without the light on it is no whiter than my old Kindle keyboard (Kkb or K3), so you have to use the light most everywhere as revealed in the Guide. Instructions say to use bright light in bright conditions, dim light in darker ones, but on my first Kpw, by the time the effect of the light was visible at all in *any* ambient conditions it was unevenly blotched with a large extra-bright spot on the screen, so it will take some getting used to if I don't ask for a replacement. The overbrightness appeared to result from the way the third light from the left looking down is installed, so a very uneven appearance is created whenever the lights are on, NOT AT ALL LIKE THE PICTURES FEATURED ON THE Kpw SALES PAGES, NOR IS IT WHITE LIKE PAPER, even though it is legible everywhere and actually pretty nice over 7/8ths of the screen. If you look at "all customer images", near the sales page top, the picture I uploaded is on page 4 of images & has a note titled "area of much-too-brightness" near the bottom right. EDIT: I returned the 1st Kpw due to the unevenly lit display, and the CS experience was flawless. The second one arrived in less than 48 hours(!) after my call and has a MUCH BETTER display, much more evenly lit, like the best "real" pics, and while I still feel it's misnamed, it is a far better experience than any other reader I've seen or owned. Thanks to Amazon for making this a great purchasing experience. If you don't like your paperwhite, I suggest you tell them it doesn't work right. My four lights are very evenly installed and apertured now, with only the slight and very even smudging at the bottom of the screen. All that said, the operating system is much faster than my K3, I like being able to enter "go to" locations more easily, and go to actual page numbers too. I also like the speed better, tho it still takes too long to flip thru pages like a real book. Using the integrated light should be not much worse than getting used to and managing other uneven-coverage booklights, even though it is quite disappointing, and NOT Paperwhite like in their pictures. The Kpw's small form is great in the hand and it seems very sturdy. I've been using the "sportscar-finish-like" Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather Cover for several hours now and I like it better and better all the time, so I'm changing my previous review on it to 5 stars, also. My hands are finding good one-hand-holding comfort now. Also, I stupidly took days to figure out it stands perfectly when flipped open if you switch to landscape mode, even on uneven surfaces, as long as it's not too smooth or it has something to back it up. The Kpw fits into it beautifully and is absolutely armored inside this cover, and it displays the Kpw so well. My last wish is that it weighed less. So let all that I wrote before be a lesson to me about how first impressions can evolve with experience. Also, back to the Kpw, I've read the owners manual, and I can't find what the official method is for moving thru the pages of books while you're on the home pages where the titles are listed when in list-view. Tapping the "page forward" area selects a title. Swiping works, but I'd prefer a button or a spot to tap. I don't know how it supposed to work. Owner's guide doesn't seem to differentiate between paging around in a book or in your pages listing your dozens of book titles. Also, sometimes when I mean to flip rapidly thru book pages, I accidentally jump back or forward a chapter, or find myself at the table of contents, and these movements aren't covered in the manual. With the K3, I could press the five-way to move thru the chapters, and I hear the Touch can be swiped up or down to jump chapters, but Kpw apparently doesn't do that. So anyone who knows how these tricks work feel free to comment....I keep having to use the back "button" when I accidentally go to the TOC, just to find my way back to where I was, which could be confusing and distressing for the less "tech savvy", but only takes a second to implement. Bottom line: If someone had shown me the first Kpw I had without telling me the name, and the screen were just a bit more evenly lit, I'd probably still have bought it to replace my K3, for convenience, speed, build quality. Now that it's been replaced, it's a 5 star pleasure to use. But in the interest of truth in advertising, Amazon should ditch the totally misleading "Paperwhite" name in favor of something like "Glow" or "Lumi" or something and replace the still VERY MISLEADING PICTURES with actual ones of real "Paperwhites". C'mon, Amazon, get real!
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2013
- Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2013
