30.11.2018

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 4 (2018 – Tenth Generation) is a welcome update to the Paperwhite. Whilst externally, the new Paperwhite 4 has a similar look to the previous Paperwhite 3, there are some subtle and not so subtle differences that mark this Paperwhite as a device to be reckoned with. Most of the changes are under the hood, and include a new 1500 mAh battery, upgraded LPDDR rom and a more powerful 1gb Cortex Processor. This brings the Paperwhite 4 in line with last year’s (2017) Oasis 2.And this is not the only thing in common the two devices have;The new Paperwhite 4 has the same IPX8 water resistance rating as the Oasis 2.For those not savvy on what the different IP water resistant ratings mean: this Kindle can survive an accidental dunking in water, or having a drink spilled on it. You can sit in the bath and use it. You can sit in a swimming pool and read from it. It can stand getting a little wet – BUT, it is not designed to be used underwater. So those hoping for a Paperwhite they can use whilst diving, or in the shower will be disappointed. But then, why would you want to read a book whilst you were diving or in the shower? The IPX8 rating is welcome, and frankly should be a standard on all future Kindles. I have suffered the annoyance of a Kindle being killed by a glass of water, thanks to the family cat. Whilst I keep all three separate these days, it’s nice to know that a little water isn’t going to kill the device.Audible integration has become a standard for Kindle eReaders since the launch of the Oasis 2 in 2017, and for those Kindles that have a Bluetooth chip installed. There hasn’t been an audio jack on a Kindle since the Third Generation Kindle Keyboard. The new Paperwhite 4 is no exception, this means you have to pair Bluetooth headphones with it to listen to your Audible books. The device is fully Bluetooth compliant, and I had no problems connecting any of the Bluetooth headsets I own.Audible integration works well on those eBooks where you opted to purchase the Audible narration, allowing you to switch between reading or listening to your book. Immersion reading is not supported however, but that makes perfect sense given the display is eInk. Switching from Audible to eBook will take you to the page you are on, rather than highlight the word. It’s not too big a problem. For those Audible books you own without the accompanying eBook, you can listen to them as normal.The Audible controls are basic, Amazon need to introduce a few more control options – such as the ability to stop at the end of a chapter, or a timer to stop playing after a set time. These are minor things that would improve the Audible experience on all the Kindle eReaders that support it. However, it is nice to have all your books – eBooks or Audible, on one dedicated device.Like the Oasis 2, the Paperwhite 4 has two storage options; 8gb and 32gb. This is a major improvement over previous generations which have 4gb. Kindle OS does use some of that storage, normally about 1gb to 1.25gb – but that’s still allowed the user to have around 1-2,000 eBooks on their Kindle. Storage has never been a big deal as Kindles have always had enough storage space for the most avid of readers. 8gb (minus the amount used by the OS) allows for storage of around 6-7,000 eBooks, depending on size per book. It allows for 30 or so Audible books – or a mix of the two. If you have a lot of eComics, then I would suggest opting for the 32gb version as they tend to be larger than eBooks or Audible files. Storage management is dealt with very nicely and has been since the 5.10 OS update that more modern Kindles received.So how does it feel and how does it perform? The Paperwhite 4 is lighter and thinner than the previous Paperwhite 3, at 181g it’s comfortable to hold. The rubbery non-slip back feels nice and has a natural warmth to it, it’s not as cold or as hard as a full metal or hard plastic back. Some people have said it feels “cheap” – but I counter that by pointing out how practical it is to have a non-slip back, that it sits well and holds well against your fingers. It adds to the comfort when holding the device. It adds some protection to the device against drops and will prevent corners being chipped or damaged by accident.The screen is flush this time, there is no raised bezel. Gorilla-glass covers the entire front of the device, and thanks to coatings is antiglare so reading in direct sunlight is not a problem. The display is still as crisp as the Paperwhite 3 – it is in fact the same 6 inch 300ppi E Ink Carta screen as used on the Paperwhite 3; this is one area that Amazon has not touched (and didn’t need to). Reading is a joy, and thanks to recent OS updates now offers numerous settings to customise the display to suit how you want to read. There is a built-in option to invert the screen, white text on a black background. This is particularly nice when reading before bed, as it puts less strain on the eyes.The flush bezel around the screen looks chunky but is designed well. It allows the device to be held without accidently touching the capacitive touch screen. It’s nice to see thought like this being put into the design. The touch screen is very responsive and allows for two-point touching, handy for the pinch and zoom options for text – and for PDFs and eComics.The screen is lit evenly by 5 LEDs, an increase from the 4 used on the Paperwhite 3. Lighting is evenly distributed across the entire screen. This is one area where there are very few issues these days as uniform lighting is something that has been mastered since its introduction in 2012. The LEDs are a different hue from previous Kindles. They are not as overtly blue as previous versions, but more a warmer colour. This is a nice change and gives the screen a more “paper like” look.There is no comfort light option, in fact there is no automatic light adjustment sensor at all. Like previous Paperwhites, the screen light has to be adjusted manually. This is – again – no change from the Paperwhite 3. Automatic light adjustment sensors and the like are a staple of the Flagship Kindle, the Oasis 2. It’s no surprise this option wasn’t included on what is now Amazon’s mid-level eReader.Out of the box, the device comes installed with Kindle OS 5.10.1.1 – which is the version used on more recent Kindle eReaders (Oasis, Oasis 2, Paperwhite 3). As soon as you connect to Wi-Fi you will be updated to 5.10.1.2 – an update that applies only to the Paperwhite 4, which adds to the overall performance of the device. This includes a new low power mode for when the kindle is switched off for more than an hour. It’s toggled on by default and will mean that if you leave your Kindle off for more than an hour is will take a little longer to wake up, as the device enters a hibernate mode when not used for more than an hour.Speaking of battery life; I got this on the day of release. I have charged it once. I don’t leave Wi-Fi on, or Bluetooth for that matter (I only toggle Bluetooth on when I want to use Audible). I have the screen light set to 10, the font size set to 5. I read a couple of hours a day, I have listened to an Audible book, which does hit the battery. But I have 63% left on the battery as of typing this. Given this includes setting the device up and leaving it to index the 500+ eBooks I downloaded onto it, I’m impressed. This bodes well for future battery life.Something a lot of people forget – or don’t know - when you load an eBook onto your Kindle, the device “indexes” it. This is all part of how any Kindle handles any eBook and allows you to search through it. All Kindle eReaders do this. So, if you dump 500+ eBooks on it, it’s going to take a few hours to index all those books and will cause a slow down on the device until it’s done. Even with a new processor and more ROM, the Paperwhite 4 is not a super-computer or high-end tablet. It’s a dedicated eReader. Give it time to do its job (2-4 hours if you dump 500+ ebooks on it) and then use it. You’ll get the best out of the device then and see just how well it does perform.Like previous Kindles, no wall socket adapter is included in the box, just the device and a Micro USB data/charging cable. It’s disappointing that Amazon haven’t taken the opportunity to make this the first Kindle eReader to have a USB-C port, rather than the old Micro USB. Of course, there would be no performance advantage in doing this, but rather make it more convenient in terms of making it easier to plug the cable in, and mean you only have to carry one cable with you when you go on holiday, as most modern phones use a USB-C type charging cable. But until it has an impact upon performance, I can’t see Amazon making this leap to changing the cable type needed.If you’re looking to upgrade your Kindle – or looking to get your first Kindle, but don’t have the budget for the Oasis 2, then this is a good device to go for. Remember, that if you opt to purchase a device “with special offers” you are going to have ads. They do not impact on either the device performance, or overall reading enjoyment.Overall, I’m going to give this 5-out-of-5. This is an amazing upgrade to the mid-range Kindle. It’s not a massive upgrade, but a welcome and recomended one.

19.7.2019

I received my new Kindle Paperwhite today, and I'm very pleased with it. The display is much clearer and brighter than the old one and it charges more quickly. The additional storage is nice to have, as I read MUCH more than my husband does and was constantly having to cycle books off his Kindle to make room for more. This one should hold enough to get me through an entire two-week holiday without having to find a wi-fi hotspot! I haven't actually dunked it in water (I mean, I'm not stupid), but it claims to be waterproof in up to two metres of water for up to 60 minutes, which seems like more than adequate protection for the average person,who's more likely to read it in the bathtub or at a rainy bus stop than while deep sea diving.I'd like to address some complaints I've seen from other reviewers, many of which seem to be based largely on failure to read the product listing thoroughly. The most common issue seems to be the presence of advertising instead of screensavers. That's what you get when you buy it at the promotional price, which is £10 cheaper. It does not flash ads at you throughout the book -- they only appear in place of the screensaver, and are easily dismissed by swiping up. I find them easy to ignore, but if you find ads that distressing, pay the extra £10. If you can afford a Kindle you're not *that* hard up, now, are you?One frequent complaint is that books can only be downloaded from the cloud by clicking them individually; this is not true. It was extremely easy to transfer books onto it from our family library using the Amazon website's "Manage Your Content and Devices" menu under "My Account". Once on your library (or family library) page, simply click "Select All" and you can download everything you have in one click. It does take a minute or two per book, but if you're expecting to download dozens or hundreds of books instantaneously you're delusional anyway.Some reviewers complain that the screen is more 'glaring' and less like reading a real book than earlier Kindles. First off, no e-reader will ever duplicate the experience of reading a real book. If you're that fussy about it, buy real books. That's what I do most of the time, but the Kindle is very useful for travel and other places I'd rather not take paper books (I used to take a second suitcase on holiday just for books). I also don't use the Kindle for any book I feel strongly about owning forever, because let's face it: Kindle books aren't really yours, you're just buying a license to read them. If Amazon were to go under, you would lose access to any that weren't already on your device.As for the screen itself, I don't find it 'glaring' or excessively bright at all. It is very white, but that's because it's a greyscale display. You can enable white text on a black background if you prefer (this is in the Accessibility preferences). I will say that the contrast doesn't seem quite as strong as on the older Kindle (the text seems less black), but given that the light is much more consistent, I don't find that problematic.If you prefer a blue light filter for reading at night, you'd do better to buy a nice full colour tablet. I would not recommend a Fire tablet; I have one and the display has very poor resolution and is not good for reading. My Samsung Galaxy Note is clearer, but not as crisp as the Kindle -- which is why I decided to buy my own after using my husband's for several months.I've also seen several people complain about battery life. If you read the product description, it clearly states that battery life of up to several weeks is possible if you are reading for 30 minutes per day with wi-fi turned off and the backlight set to 13. If you're reading for a couple of hours or more a day and leaving the wi-fi on, obviously your battery life will suffer.When turned on, the wi-fi works very well. The touchscreen seems more responsive than the older Paperwhite. Page transitions are slightly faster (though still not seamless), and the device feels substantial and well made despite being about 50g lighter than my husband's device. I don't enjoy audiobooks, but I tested the Audible narration with a bluetooth speaker and it does work perfectly well. The Paperwhite does come with a USB connector but no plug for an electric socket, so if you're short on those you might want to pick one up. The Amazon-branded one is ridiculously overpriced, however, given that you can buy a perfectly serviceable one for less than £5 elsewhere.I'm very pleased with this purchase. I do feel like the Kindle is a little pricier than it needs to be, but it's a solid device and does what it says on the box. No serious complaints from me; my only quibble is with the contrast, and it's in no way serious enough to complain about. If you're happy with your existing Kindle I wouldn't recommend upgrading, but if you think the increased storage, decreased weight, and waterproofing add value, it's well worth picking up.

6.3.2020

This is an almost perfect eReader only let down by a couple of minor things which can be overlooked for the price. First off I bought this as an update to my 2016 Basic Kindle which was my first eReader and I couldn't be happier with the upgrade really. It comes in a minimalist packaging with just a basic manual and a charging cable, there is no charging plug supplied and for me that is very good as I already have plenty of them from previous devices and another would just be overkill and sit in the packaging unused but if for any reason you don't have one already lying around this could be an issue but really, who doesn't already have several from other devices!It's thinner than the basic but slightly taller but very light and comfortable to hold,much more so than most physical books. The higher resolution 300dpi screen is nicer to read from over the 167dpi Basic model and the additional fine tuning with the font boldness control over the Basic is nice, if you use larger size fonts it will also look smoother to the eye.. You can add custom fonts which my Basic model could not do which is nice but not necessarily a must have for some but good to have the ability to add them if you do want to. The screen is slightly more reflective than my Basic was but still easily readable in most conditions and in full sunlight.The new flush screen is very nice and wont get fluff and lint trapped in it as my previous Basic model did and won't require cleaning so often and with this iteration it brings 2 major things that my Basic didn't have. First up is that it is lit (which the latest Basics do actually have now but didn't then) which now means I can read in bed with no additional lighting or when waiting for a train without having to stand directly under a platform light and he light works very well for me, it seems to light the screen evenly and being front-lit it doesn't tire or strain my eyes when reading in a dark environment as a back lit scren does, unfortunately there is no way to make the light warmer in tone though. Secondly it has an IPX rating for being waterproof which with the inclement UK weather means I can read waiting for trains and buses without trying to shield it from the elements and I can relax in a bath reading without worrying if dropped that my Kindle will die on me.The battery life is good too, with my commute on trains and a bit of reading in bed I read for 2-3 hours a day with the wifi off mostly and the light off during the day but on after dark at a brightness of 10 (out of 24), it will last me around 2-3 weeks before it requires a charge, it seems to be longer without the special offers than it was before I had them removed so if your battery is not lasting as long it may be those that are affecting it.I got the 8GB model (6GB is actually usable storage space, the rest is taken up by the operating system) which is 4GB more than the Basic which was starting to get full but to be honest with about the 400 mixed books and comics I have on it I still have 4.5GB free space, so there is plenty available space for maybe another 800 books and more than enough on it already to keep me reading for at least a year anyway even if I didn't acquire any more content. As for the kindle book store, there's quite a wide selection of books to buy (the biggest eBook store) and there are plenty of old (public domain) classics that are free and a lot of indie writers often put a few of their books up for free too (to get you hooked on a series and purchase further volumes) and if you have the a standard Prime account there is a selection of about 1000 books (that change on a monthly basis) that you can borrow up to 10 at a time to read for free too!I don't listen to audio books so I can't comment on that functionality.The only things that let it down are that there is no colour control on the light so although it is only slightly blue in hue you can't change it to a slightly warmer light to make it a little more comfortable at night. Also I don't really like the rubberised finish on the back as it is a fingerprint/grease magnet although if kept in a case that won't be so much of an issue. And the only major complaint I have with it really is that, like my previous Basic model the power button is on the bottom of the device, this is not so much of an issue when it is kept in most cases but if you use it without one it does occasionally get activated and switches the screen off which can be annoying. If a button is really required to be on the bottom of the why can't it be one of the type that is flush with the frame and needs to be pushed in a little to activate!So with the little niggles I have with it why am I still giving it 5-stars you may ask, well it's a fantastic device and I bought it on Prime day so for what I paid for it, it really is a good value reading device (if I had paid full price I might only rate it 4-stars).

21.3.2019

~Pros~- A backlight! Yes, we all wished that our 7th gen kindles had some form of glow to them for bedtime reads (or maybe if you were reading in a cave) and now we have it! The ability to set it specifically to your needs is also a nice bonus.- The E-reader, whilst being lightweight and compact enough to comfortably fit in a large jacket pocket, is also suprisingly robust. I have dropped mine a few times and it is still working fine; that being said though, it would be wise to invest in a case for reasons I will mention in a moment!- It has a lovely 300 ppi touchscreen that makes reading your library of books a joy.- The kindle store actually has many free books that you can download on this device,so no further investment is necessary granted you want to read classics like treasure island or les miserables. However, most books do require payment, which brings me to...- ...The kindle discount on books! Indeed, often you will find that novels on the kindle will cost less in general than their physical counterparts! Excellent for bargain hunters and bookworms alike who do not mind using a screen to view their beloved books!-Cons-~ As mentioned prior, you will want to get a case. This is for three main reasons;A: The kindle is a fingerprint magnet, which is generally a consequence of using the material that amazon uses in order to mass produce the plastic shell for the unit. If you like your electronics pristine, be sure to cover the back at the very least!B: The kindle screen, whilst being lovely to look at, is not very tough and thus prone to scratches. Given enough scratches, your unit may lose functionality in terms of the touchscreen, so (I hate to sound like a parent here but) take good care of it!C: Most importantly to me, the sleep button is located on the bottom of the unit. This may not seem like much of a complaint until you factor in the fact that most people will likely hold the unit by the bottom, where they will inevitably accidentally press the sleep button and interrupt their reading! Very frustrating, and for this very reason a case is quite necessary for your device.~ The kindle itself will take up a lot of computing power to index your kindle book library upon registering the unit, which can drain battery quite significantly for the first day of owning the device. However, this problem will not likely persist beyond a few hours to a day or two granted your library of books isn't in the thousands!~ The kindle in general does run quite slowly at times; due to it using an E-ink display, the display will not be as fluid as a regular LED display as the display physically functions differently to make itself look like paper! Try not to be impatient, just think of it like you are turning a page quite quickly! Another brief complaint is that sometimes the screen does not refresh itself and words from a previous page may linger on the screen- in this case you may want to select the "refresh screen every page" setting in the kindle settings.All in all, I love my kindle! I think its a fantastic bit of kit for the train, for the plane (granted your airline allows it) and perhaps even for a trip on the Seine! If you want a compact, backlit and overall high quality E-reader, the kindle paperwhite is for you! If you do not fancy spending the money, do not worry! Your phone is also capable of reading kindle e-books; simply download the kindle app! Happy shopping all!

29.12.2018

I have loved my wife's 4th generation Kindle ever since I stole/liberated it several years ago from her neglectful hands. As a reading experience, it was absolutely what it needed to be and I used it daily. As a result, it's looking a little worse for wear now, starting to get a little bit of screen bleed and has an annoying black spot on the screen. I was clamouring for a new Kindle and when this came up for sale for £90 over the Black Friday weekend, I directed the wife (with a great lack of subtlety) to purchase it for Christmas for me (after spending more research time on e-readers then I spent on buying a house).Firstly, I cannot be understated as to how great a value proposition this device is.The lighting goes to ridiculously bright levels (I usually read in the dark on setting 7-8 and it goes all the way to 24 or something) and makes nighttime reading a real joy, something which I couldn't do with my old Kindle. The waterproofing works - a dunk in the bath didn't effect it (even if it did effect my breathing) and I can see that this being a really useful feature for me.It's light, which is really important for one handed reading and the touch screen has a really pleasing textured feel. I thought I might miss physical page turn buttons more than I actually did, and found that the touchscreen was really responsive. I love being able to do quick dictionary look ups and browsing the store is far far better than the 4th generation Kindle.Right, let's talk about the flaw. As I said, I've conducted lots of research into e-readers before settling on this Kindle and was debating switching to Kobo but in the end - 90 quid cannot be sneezed at. No reviews I read or watched seemed to mention this problem, but it started annoying me almost immediately - the flipping power button location is absolutely horrendous.I've lost count of the number of times I've accidentally switched off the device while reading and how this design choice has got through product testing, I'll never know. The 4th generation Kindle has the power button in the same location, yes, but it is recessed into frame so that accidental button pushes are nigh on impossible. This one sticks out a good 2mm (see attached picture) from the frame and when you're reading one handed (or at least when I'm reading one handed) my little finger rests underneath the power button. I'm having to consciously think about how I'm holding the device, which is definitely not what you want or need when you're trying to immerse yourself in a book.There's a good chance that this could just be me and the way that I hold it, but it definitely detracts from an otherwise flawless reading experience. I've had to buy a case so that the power button is slightly more recessed and this has worked in reducing power button pushes though not entirely eliminated them. The problem is that I really don't like having a case for a product like this, it increases its weight and thickness to the point where one handed operation is far less comfortable. At least it's likely to look pristine for longer I suppose.So in conclusion, the Kindle is still a 5 star device for me (maybe 4 and a half) that offers great value (especially if you get it on a deal) but curse you product testers for not putting the power button somewhere sensible!

21.7.2019

This is my third Kindle and my second Paperwhite. I just upgraded from the 6th Gen but was it worth it?Putting aside that I got a great deal on prime day I was looking to upgrade anyway. My old case needed replacing and I wanted the latest tech so chose to make the leap.Noticeable differencesI love the flat surface, this to me is one of the better changes. I like things to look new and one thing that use to annoy me was the amount of dust that was collected around the dip where the screen was in the 6th generation even though I had a closing case on it. Not only did it attract dust but the black finish around the edges where you held the kindle was a magnet for fingerprints and greasy marks.The new kindle doesn’t have this issue with a completely flat front it makes it simple to wipe clean without having to get around edges and while the new one still shows fingerprints they are not as noticeable. Thumbs up from me!It’s thinner and easier to hold. This mostly is because of the bottom which is now smaller and all one size whereas the 6th Gen had a wider bottom and my thumb would always sit there which wasn’t comfortable. This new one eliminates that issue perfectly.Differences that are there but not really noticeableScreen looks pretty much the same, maybe the text is a little clearer but unless you had them side by side you wouldn’t notice.It’s lighter but again unless I have them both in my hand, I really wouldn’t notice. I have a case on them anyway so this adds to the weight.It’s water resistant…….I don’t read in the bath or in a swimming pool but it’s handy to know it’s there.You can store audiobooks and the space has doubled to 8GB (unless you go for the 32GB) Again I don’t use audiobooks and if I did I would probably use my phone so 8GB is more than enough as I never filled my 4GB one before. Those of you wanting to use the audiobooks you can link Bluetooth headphones as there is no headphone jack.Things that seem the sameSpeed at which you swipe pages, turn the device on and navigate the kindle to me all seem the same speeds.Any negatives?Mostly minor. I would have liked to see a USB-C charging point as this is the way tech is going and it’s a quicker charging time.Battery life seems a little worse than the 6th Gen. I am 35% into my first book on here and I am down to 68% in less than a week whereas my 6th Gen didn’t ever seem like it needed charging. I am using it at night more so maybe it’s the backlight. This is based on the same settings (You can improve your battery by turning off wifi but I wanted to do a comparison)Wake up isn’t instant and you have to swipe to unlock. My old one just turned onto where I was reading rather than have an extra thing to do to wake up. My feelings are this is because you now have a flat screen and it’s easier to hit so you may move the page but another part of me see’s this as Amazon’s way to put advertisements on the screen.VerdictA much nicer smaller Kindle that feels comfortable to hold when reading which is all I want from these devices. The only real concern to me is the battery life compared to my previous Gen 6 however I am pleased I made the jump and this is a recommended product from me.Happy Reading

11.7.2020

I've been a long time user of Kindles from the two pre-screen keyboard, and the joystick and paddle versions through to the earliest touchscreen model which has been solid and reliable for many many years. So what makes this Kindle worth the upgrade?The first is the Bluetooth Audio connection. Listening to audiobooks as well as reading has become almost daily routines with Audible making journeys as well as sitting at home playing music through headphones and Hi-Fi simple and easy.The second is that it's finally OK to read while relaxing in the bath without the risk of dosing off and… well you can guess the rest.The nicest part though is the usability. The interface feels more accurate and responsive.Previously I found the touchscreen mildly annoying with swipes on the main screen being mistaken for book selections (and vice versa) and menus being slow to respond to inputs. The new screen is very easy on the eye especially at night and the older model's screen seems greener than the comparatively pure white. It also performs better in both brightly lit and dark environments and infinitely less tiring on the eye than a laptop screen, opted for the 32GB model to accommodate my rather ridiculous number of books and audiobooks I like to have to hand: there are so many out-of-copyright non-DRM .mobi formatted classic Victorian and 20th Century books available that are a pleasure to enjoy alongside the simply huge number of Kindle formatted books to borrow and buy.AccessoriesI recommend getting a case (I went with a grey Amazon cloth covered waterproof case - the experience in terms of size and weight is that of a small-midsize paperback - with the added advantage it switches on when the cover is opened and it's firmly held shut and turns off when you close it (the magnets in the cover also keep the front cover firmly attached to the back of the case, and therefore out of the way, after it's open.I've stuck with Kindle from the outset and even though I have checked out competitors' products I've always found the Kindle Paper-white to have a superior feel.There are two reasons that I don't give this Kindle a full 5 star rating. Firstly is their continued closed-market approach with incompatibility with pretty much anything but the proprietary format Kindle books and .mobi formatted (non-DRM) books, making it impossible to read even the open standard .epub format books widely available, or even directly loading PDF documents which verges on the ridiculous.The second issue is not choosing a form-factor and sticking to it. My older Kindles remain in use or have been donated to charities - I don't like the increased consumer waste resulting from tweaking the size and shape of Kindles resulting in the huge increase in associated wasted materials consumed with needing to buy new cases every time I buy a new device. That said the packaging is recyclable.I hope this helps you weigh up the pros and cons of buying this waterproof Kindle PaperWhite and associated cover. Overall it's a great device having the ability to take a literal library of books anywhere in something the size of a small paperback is something I use daily.

9.3.2019

I've read a lot of reviews of the new kindle paperwhite 2018 on amazon as well as other websites. Common thing about these reviews is they concentrate on the obvious stuff, double storage, waterproofing etc. They however fail to elaborate on the most important part, the screen, all they do is mention its 300 ppi. So I wanted to focus on the screen and mention a few things I wish I knew before purchasing (not that it would have stopped me anyway but I like to be informed). I uploaded a video as well that demonstrate what I'm about to review.Firstly I was excited about the inverted colour mode. Previously I had the cheaper kindle,without the backlit screen but sometimes when I have trouble falling asleep I like to read and I don't want to disturb my girlfriend with lights on so I decided to buy the new paperwhite seeing how happy she was with her older 2nd gen paperwhite. So the dark mode was something I really looked forward to but it turned out to be a let down. The problem is the system seems to be rendering the page first in normal colour mode than it swiftly changes it to dark mode. It looks like it can buffer a few pages ahead but every 10 or so pages and it needs to "refresh" causing the screen to flash (see the video) This is quite annoying in a dark room and it completely defeats the purpose of the dark mode. More over to add to inconvenience the kindle does this with medium brightness so after the darkest setting I use for reading it really hurts my eyes.The same thing happens if I just turn on the kindle, the kindle starts up with full brightness and then automatically goes to the last used brightness level, which is again less than ideal in a dark room. I wouldn't be bothered with it if I didn't know that my girlfriendsolder paperwhite can remember the brightness level and it starts up with the last used setting.The other nuance I noticed is the minimum brightness on the new paperwhite is about 2-3 times brighter than the previous gen ones. I understand this is due to the increased numbers of led's around the screen and it wouldn't be really an issue if the dark mode worked. However as mentioned earlier the dark mode is not perfect so I'm left with the normal mode and the increased brightness strains my eyes more.On the other hand - unlike the previous paperwhite models - you can actually turn off the screen light (see end of the video) which is immensely helpful when reading outdoors as you don't need any backlight with an e-ink display. This conserves battery and leads to a more pleasant reading experience.Issues aside the new paperwhite is really one of the best choice out there and I can live with it's faults but I wouldn't be suprised if someone thought these issues to be a deal breaker for them. The battery life is amazing I'm a casual user and I leave the kindle in airplane mode most of the times and the battery saver is switched on. After 19 days the battery is on 62%.The new kindle paperwhite has everything going for it to become the perfect e-reader in its price range but a software update is needed to address the mentioned issues.

10.3.2020

OK Folks, The first Kindle I bought was great. It was fantastic. Perhaps the only reason it froze after about 2 years was because I had not yet written a review of it. What a fantastic idea! And I, at least, continue to rather prefer buying Kindle books and reading on a Kindle to reading all except older books. It surely must be more ecologically viable to not have to print hundreds of books. And convenient, to be able to have a portable library at your fingertips. The electric charge also keeps very well in Kindles. If this one is waterproof, then that is an improvement, but I would not want to throw it in the bath to try it to its limits. For anyone who suffers with sight problems the ability to change the Font is great.A formerly Dyslexic relative of mine told me that because he did not feel the pressure remembered from school of having a heavy book in front of him he just instead had to cope with a page at a time that he does so, and first did so and could hardly believe that after a while he had managed to complete his first book ever. Not only that, but I do have to say that before the Kindle came out the Book Industry as led by the Publishers was highly exlusive in a rather prejudicial manner: less that it was exclusive, but that its intention was often to exclude.I like Jeff Bezos from what I have seen of him (the Boss of Amazon). It is my theory he was never given enough credit for the magnificent invention of the Kindle.It may be that he went into overdrive as a result of this oversight. I admit that I have been in overdrive also to an extent, and am currently in some circles known as one of Amazon's "wildest customer". It may be that with the outbreak of Coronovirus people are going to be wanting to order more from Amazon and expect intrepid parcel deliverers to treck out to meet all their demands. I myself DID intend to try to stop using Amazon for anything other than Kindle books, and perhaps to listen to Albums before I order them from HMV. The problem is sometimes I have found that HMV has refused to acknowledge an Album of great worth and refuse to scout it into its stock. So, maybe I will use it for Music a little if necessary. I am hoping NOT to use it to watch films because the Carbon Footprint of Streaming both on Amazon and competing services like Netflix is said to be high....and if I am going to stream video I would prefer to keep it to YouTube. For now, I am hoping to be able to continue my Prime Membership to show for a while how grateful I do feel towards what Amazon has done for me.But Jeff Bezos has come out himself now as someone who is really concerned about Climate Change and the Environment....and it may indeed have been this initial concern which led him to invent the Kindle...as it was my concern also that led me to buy one in the first place.

20.11.2018

Some years ago, I bought one of the early Kindles but have to confess that I never really used it on a regular basis. I found its operation rather clunky and the absence of a back-light was a real hindrance. Eventually, I started to read kindle books via the Kindle app on my iPhone 5, the big draw back obviously being the size of the screen - so lots and lots of screen-swiping! Anyhow, having got used to reading books electronically, I thought I'd check out the latest Kindles and see if it was worth buying one. I was drawn to the features available on the All-new Kindle Paperwhite - and I was equally impressed by all the rave reviews. So, I took the plunge and bought one.Am I happy with my purchase - you bet I am!My new Kindle came within four days of placing the order, and it was nicely boxed up in protective packaging. Inside, I found a Kindle, USB lead, and a small booklet (regarding the warranty and how to take care of the device). One of my concerns (and I know others have expressed this) was whether or not my existing library (154 books) would be difficult to access via the new Kindle - I needn't have worried though because the whole procedure to achieve this was easy-peasy. Straight out of the box, I switched on the Kindle to find that the battery had around 50% of power. I then waited a few seconds before following the on-screen set-up instructions - even for me, this was child's play. There were a few requests that I skipped (like wishing to link in with social media or to get latest book info from Goodreads). I then had to choose a wi-fi network from the drop-down box, followed by filling in my network password. I'd say that within three minutes I was up and running and all of my 154 books were sitting there on the screen. After acquainting myself with the menus etc, I switched off the device and placed it on charge (yellow/orange light displayed). Within the hour it was fully charged (green light displayed). So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed using this Kindle.I paid the extra £10 to get 'without special offers' - if you don't want irritating pop-up ads interfering with your reading enjoyment then I would advise you to do likewise. I haven't tested the waterproof capabilities of this device as I don't intend to use it whilst in the bath or in the swimming pool. However, I may occasionally place it inside my backpack when out hiking - so it's reassuring to know that if I'm in a down-pour, the odd drop of water won't harm it. It's obviously wise to protect your device, so I have mine secured in a Fintie Slimshell Case made of Lightweight (100g) PU leather, Amazon sell these for around £15. I believe they're available in 16 different designs - mine is the Z- Galaxy one which I think looks rather cool......

2.8.2019

I am very happy to upgrade my review of the Kindle PaperWhite 10th Generation to 5 star. I had to return the first unit as it was driving me up the wall with the touchscreen which had a mind of its own. The replacement Kindle is light, versatile and the touchscreen is easy to use and compares well with my other touchscreens. I have had it for about 24 hours and have read 9 chapters of my current book. This has included using VoiceView Screen Reader for a couple of chapters. This is a major step forward after the loss of my 10 year old Kindle with Keyboard which would read almost all my books in either a male or female digitised voice. I am so pleased to have this feature back even with limited controls and only a digitised female voice.

10.9.2019

I bought this to replace my old Voyager as I like to read in the bath and hate those waterproof bags. It's a similar shaped device without dedicated back/forward buttons which I can live with, but sometimes it seems to go off a few pages in one direction or other and I've still not figured out whether it's something I'm doing, or a fault with the system.It is marketed as being waterproof, but the first thing that strikes you when it arrives is the way they back-peddle with the instructions that come with it. They say that if you accidentally immerse it in water, switch off, remove the cover and sit it upright to drain water from the bottom charging port. You also have to allow it to dry off,

22.6.2019

Time to pension off my 7 year old Paperwhite (battery dying) and buy the latest generation to replace it. I bought mine on offer nearing Fathers Day so saved £20.The 10th Generation Paperwhite is brilliant. The screen is crisper, backlight is brighter, more responsive and once you've signed in, all your books are in the Cloud ready to download and resume your reading.A bonus I find is in the Accessibility settings, you can invert the screen so the background is black, and the text white. I find this is great for night time reading and it's easier on my eyes as a result. Super!Having read through the Kindle User Guide, Im delighted to see we can add our own custom fonts to the device.

13.2.2019

Prices change all the time, but I took advantage of a recent Amazon sale on the All-new Kindle Paperwhite. It's actually the second time that there has been a sale on this version of the Kindle (within about the last 6 to 8 months since launch). As such, I suspect that Amazon may offer a discount off this Kindle at least a couple of times a year. If you're price conscious like I am, then you may want to be just a little patient.In terms of performance, this All-new Kindle Paperwhite is a visible improvement on the one that I bought about three years ago. The new version has twice the memory, but that was never an issue for me - I had several hundred books downloaded on my old Kindle and it still had plenty of space for more.

15.6.2020

I love my new kindle paperwhite. It’s lighter to hold than my ond one (7 yrs). . I decided it was time to get a new one as the old ones battery needed charging every couple of days , so here I am with my brand new 10th edition one and boy am I pleased with it .It came with a Charging cable , two tiny instruction books which I was unable to read, but no worries as , it’s all on the paperwhite anyway and easily read as you can enlarge the print . It does not come with a charger if you need one it’s a 9 volt one you need.Due to already having a registered paperwhite on Amazon I found my books downloaded automatically and in no time at all ,

Kindle Paperwhite (2018) - Reviews

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