Design
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is the first E-ink e-reader from this company with a backlight function. Such an update was quite logical, given the requests of users.
The design of the Kindle Paperwhite is reminiscent of older Amazon models. This e-book will surely sound familiar to those who have had a Kindle 5 and a Kindle Touch that have been discontinued to boost sales of the new e-book. The rounded edges and wide edges around the 6-inch screen are exactly the same as the latest Kindle model.
But this time the plastic is black, not gray. Gray has prevailed in Kindle models since 2007 because it helped mask the grayish tint of E-ink screens. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite does not need such tricks, as it has a backlit display and good contrast.
The plastic case is made using soft-touch technology. It is, of course, more pleasant to hold in your hands than hard plastic or metal. But, it should be noted, this e-book is one of the heaviest in its class (about 200).
Another difference between the Kindle Paperwhite and the Touch is the lack of navigation buttons. At the bottom, next to the microUSB connector, is the power button and that's all. No buttons responsible for turning pages or menus. All control is carried out using the touch screen.
Also, you won't find a headphone or speaker jack here. Obviously, this was done to reduce the price of the device. Moreover, their absence is unlikely to upset many potential buyers.
But 2GB of internal memory can be called a reason for criticism. Because the similarly priced Kindle Touch has 4GB of storage. However, when you think about it, this is not such a big problem. After all, most users will not use even a tenth of the internal memory of their e-book. Amazon also made a suitable interface so that books located in the Cloud storage are as accessible as files on the device itself.
Screen
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite may have gained a little in weight and decreased in functionality, but its screen is still as wonderful as that of other new models of this company. The backlight and touchscreen aside, the Kindle installed the same E-ink system that made them so popular. For those who don't know, E-ink screens use white and black microcapsules to produce monochrome images that look more natural than those on LCD screens. The backlight may be the main innovation in the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, but the E-ink panel has also been improved.
The resolution has been increased to 768 x 1,024, with a pixel density of 212dpi. This makes it possible to make the text clearer. Of course, the pixel density of this e-reader is much lower than on the Retina screens of the iPhone 5, but even if you bring the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite very close to your face, you will notice that there will be no image decay, which was very common in earlier versions.
But we must admit that the main new feature of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, which buyers will pay attention to, will be the backlight, and not the improved resolution. Four LEDs located at the bottom of the device illuminate a nanofilm that scatters light evenly across the entire screen. This successfully helps you read in the dark without straining your eyes too much. It should be noted, however, that the dispersion is not entirely uniform. It is clearly seen that the greatest concentration of light is concentrated at the bottom of the screen. The backlight also has a slightly bluish tint. The intensity of the backlight can be controlled and even turned off altogether if not needed.
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite interface has changed significantly compared to the rest of the Kindle models. The basic concept remains the same: books can be opened and flipped with one tap on the screen. But the rest of the controls have changed completely and now depends on six icons that pop-up when you click on the top of the screen once.These are: Main Menu, Back, Backlight Intensity, Search, Settings, and the Kindle Store.
There is also a second row of icons that change depending on which menu you are in. If this is the main menu, then a small button will pop up allowing you to switch between the internal memory of the e-book and your Cloud library. If you're reading, the second row of icons helps you control font size and style, borders, and line spacing. There are six font types to choose from, eight font sizes and three border / spacing options.
It also introduces a very interesting X-Ray function, which, unfortunately, does not work with all e-books. X-Ray presents us with a list of all the characters and a small graph of their appearance in the book. By clicking on the name of a character, you will receive more complete information about him, with the ability to download it from Wikipedia.
It is possible to send a message and a link to the book you are reading on Facebook or Twitter.
The manufacturer did not forget to leave those functions that were in other models. By clicking on any word, you will get its full description from the dictionary, translation and meaning from Wikipedia.
The functionality of the Kindle Store remains the same. Navigation there is simple and straightforward. The store offers not only books, but also newspapers and blogs. Using a system that Amazon calls Whispernet, books are automatically transferred to your Kindle even if you buy them from your computer.
You can just as easily transfer your personal digital library to Paperwhite. Connect the e-reader to your computer using the supplied microUSB cable and get full access to the internal memory. The only problem is that Paperwhite does not support EPUB format. But now there are enough ways to convert EPUB to suitable formats.
The Kindle Paperwhite supports the following formats: AZW (Kindle format), MOBI, PDF, DOC, JPG, GIF, BMP, and PNG. But for those looking for an e-book specifically for viewing PDFs, it is better to look at another model, such as the Sony PRS-T2, because they are difficult to read on the new Kindle due to the too slow scaling.
The same can be said for the built-in browser. It is too slow and cumbersome and is best used only when absolutely necessary.
Output:
Of course, there is still a lot to improve here, but we can say for sure that the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is the best Kindle product so far. It may not have all the features found in the various e-book series, but this device is perfect for a comfortable reading experience.
