Kindle Paperwhite (5th Generation)
Chaim Gartenberg (via Hacker News):
Amazon is refreshing the Kindle Paperwhite for the first time in nearly three years with an updated model, adding a bigger 6.8-inch E-Ink display that’s brighter and has adjustable color temperature, USB-C charging, a faster processor, and weeks more in battery life.
Amazon has clearly realized there’s more opportunity here and has added a second Paperwhite model, the Signature Edition. In addition to the features in the base model Paperwhite, the Signature Edition also includes wireless Qi charging, sensors that automatically adjust the backlight color temperature (on the base Paperwhite it has to be done manually), and 32GB of storage (compared to the base Paperwhite’s 8GB).
All of that will run you $189.99, a $50 premium over the base Paperwhite’s $139.99. And both of those prices are Amazon’s ad-supported “with Special Offers”; getting rid of those will cost you an additional $20.
Devin Logan (via Hacker News):
I don’t think the e-reading experience really mimics the experience of reading a physical book. To me, the reading experience on an e-reader is really more comparable to a really nice electronic experience – the matte page is nice, it’s easy to flip the page, and it’s easy on the eyes (which is something I’m very particular about).
For me, my e-reader is an alternative way to read that’s more convenient in specific situations: for travel, obviously, but also for the times I’m too distracted or unfocused to focus on a physical book.
Previously:
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I’ve had my current Kindle for over 10 years and still use it several times a month. There’s nothing about it that feels old or inadequate, but it does seem like a good time to upgrade. Interestingly, I’ve never used any Apple product for that long.
I have the Kobo Libra H20 Devin ended up buying as well as the Kindle Oasis. I love the Kobo software - it supports standard EPUB as well as sending articles easily via Pocket and Dropbox, and the UI is generally superior as well.
Unfortunately, Kobo’s hardware is crummy. The entire device feels incredibly cheap. The plastic creaks and cracks constantly and is just not pleasant to hold. Worse, the page turn and power buttons are some of the worst I have seen on any device. The power button is so mushy it’s almost impossible to tell if you’ve actually pressed it or not. The page turn buttons feel loose and are actually actively unpleasant to press. They make multiple creaking sounds whenever you press them, and don’t actually register a key press unless you get your finger in exactly the right place on the button.
By contrast, the Oasis feels rock solid, and that page turn buttons are exceptional - no play at all, just a solid, satisfying click whenever you press them. Some of the best physical buttons I’ve seen on any device.
I gave up on Kindles a long time ago.
I use the kindle app on the largest iPad Pro.
Every book I have is LARGE print.
I am very satisfied with this solution to the paucity of large print books.
