Comparison of Kindle Paperwhite 3 display (2015) with my older Paperwhite 1 (2012) -- Is the increased resolution (doubled) noticeable?

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The thumbnail photos above are clickable to the larger versions, of course.  These were taken after about 8:30pm at night in low light without flash, with the light just coming from the two Kindles on the table -- the older Paperwhite 1 on the left and the new Paperwhite 3 on the right.

Here's one larger example so that you can have some idea of the difference I saw without needing to click to the larger photos if you're in a hurry.
These photos were taken on the night I received the Paperwhite 3, with very little sunlight left.  Both Kindles were placed on a table top, and I tried to take photos from the middle area between them so as not to favor one over the other.

I'll repeat here what I explain on the photos page at PBase where the full set is shown in larger sizes for 'closer' examination.

These are for a comparison of my new Yr 2015 Paperwhite-3 screen display (resolution differences and display contrast) with my Yr 2012 Paperwhite-1.

Is the higher resolution (double the old model's) worth the $119 to get the newer one?

  That'll depend on the individual.  IF perceived contrast of text against background is more important than sharper text for some Kindle users, it could be better for those owners to keep using the older ones that may be less sharp but which have a dark fuzz around the font making it seem bolder, and there's less light coming from the older Paperwhite.  I've eyes that are somewhat oversensitive to light.

The Paperwhite-2 (2014) (which I didn't upgrade to) received a faster processor, but the Paperwhite-1 which I kept using is noticeably slower than the new Paperwhite 3, so I'm happy to have the higher resolution and faster speed.

  Paperwhite 2 owners are already seeing a speed improvement over Paperwhite 1.  So if you have a Paperwhite 2, the difference will be mainly in the resolution of the text, which is more noticeable if you enlarge the font or try to read a page in smaller fonts.  People reported that the Paperwhite 2 screen released last year was made brighter than the Paperwhite 1.

I do tend to increase the font size these days to '4' or '5' or even '6' when my eyes are tired -- and the new resolution with the Paperwhite-3 (UK model here) makes this even more readable than before and it's also better with smaller text because of less relative blur (not noticeable usually) in the basic font size.

  I used the Helvetica font because it is the boldest one, as I prefer more contrast.

  In the photos, you can see that the built-in light (again, both were set at Level '14' out of a possible '24') is brighter on the new Paperwhite than it is on my Paperwhite 1 (which has always had some minor blotching besides on the display when in lower light (as you'll see in the close-ups) -- and text against the brightness of the newer model can SOMEtimes appear LESS contrasty than on the older model.  The older model is on the left, the newer on the right.

  In my case, the new display is definitely easier on my own eyes.  And it more resembles the white page of a physical book than my old Paperwhite did, as you can see.  Actually, it's quite beautiful.

  I chose a low level of illumination because that's more comfortable for my eyes, but I've seen that others like the built-in light set all the way up to '24' -- however, this way, people won't be disappointed when they see the screen is brighter than shown here, which wasn't true of older models vs the ads.

Which to choose -- the Paperwhite 3 or the more expensive Kindle Voyage?
I covered that in detail in the previous blog article, "How does the new Paperwhite differ from the Voyage model?" -- and Amazon's press release, included in that article, listed everyday Kindle features that many Kindle owners aren't aware of.  Give it a look if you haven't already.

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Kindle News Roundup: Kindle Fire HD 7" on sale again "for limited time" at $159. Photos of new Kindle Fires leaked, with added light on the subject. PowaTag technology's promise and Jeff Bezos' business philosophy

The Kindle Fire HD 7" is back on sale "for a limited time" for $159, or $40 off the normal price, on the 16GB model.

Saw that on the product page last night.  While the Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet 16 GB model is on a special sale, the 32 GB model isn't, still being $229.  The 8.9" model also is not on sale.


The coming Kindle Fire HD - 3rd generation models
BGR's Zach Epstein reported on Sept 11 that BGR had received from "a trusted source" some photos alleged to be of the new Kindle Fire 3rd Generation models to be announced in the next few weeks.  They're said, as noted before, to be lighter and more comfortable to hold, but also more angular.

  The reported specs match those given earlier.

  The images shown by BGR in its photo gallery are fairly dark, and I've lightened up the ones showing the volume rocker and power button now on the back rims and the speakers on the top rim, angled toward the back.  The tablet would not look like this and would be all black, so don't expect this to be the 'look' of it.  I just wanted to make the details more visible.

 The current Kindle Fire HD speakers are on the lower back, where they actually have a a bit more fullness when I prop the tablet up against something which bounces the sound back as they do with 'shells' for acoustic music on stages.  They'd be easier to hear, overall, on the top though, in general, relative to the current ones when nothing is behind them.

When I lightened them up, there are differences in the shades of the top, middle, and bottom portions of the frame specifically aligned with where the parts are joined, with diagonal slants.  It's almost as if it were some kind of mockup.

  Epstein says they made the back details obscure so the unit couldn't be easily traced back to the source due to any unique markings.  So the source may be a 3rd party developer (they sign non-disclosure agreements).

  The main-story's top photo is not in the photo gallery and looks like an ad shot, so it's probably just an illustration for the story to show the expected look of the more angled corners reported.

  The high resolutions promised for the new generation tablets, as mentioned, match the earlier report by BGR, and the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, clocked at more than 2GHz, plus a reported 2GB of RAM should be a boon if the report is accurate (and BGR has been before, on Kindle hardware predictions).  They say it'll run on top of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and offer the same variety of internal storage options.

  As reported before, the 7" would have a front-facing camera (for Skype, etc) but no back-facing one, while the 8.9" model would get an 8 megapixel rear camera also.

  The 7" model would have a 1,920 x 1,200-pixel display vs the current 1280 x 800, and the 8.9" model would boast a 2,560 x 1,600-pixel display vs the current 1920 x 1200 (which is already very clear on a not-quite 9-inch tablet).  The basic Kindle Fire non-HD would go from the current IPS display with 1024 x 600, one report said earlier, to 1280 x 800, so -- if true -- the base model would be going to HD.  These are all non-verified and from BGR's source and matched, mostly, by news reports from Taiwan from suppliers of parts.

  We may know soon.


Jeff Bezos' stated goals, attention to customer experience, and an interesting challenger with a new technology for quick purchasing
An article at ninemsn, by Motley Fool Staff features quotes from Amazon's chief over the years.

  Some of it struck me after reading about the new "secret" technology (PowaTag) that involves taking a smartphone/tablet photo of something you want (that someone might be wearing or using) and then being shown where you can buy it that moment).  Forbes has a headline that is an attention-getter (that's the idea): "The Secret Technology That Attracted $76 Million And Could Eat Amazon's Lunch" and it's definitely an interesting idea that will be used.  An iPhone app almost 2 years ago could take a picture of a sign in another language and translate it for you on the spot.  This would entail getting arrangements with online merchants, and already signed-on, according to UK-based POWA founder and CEO Dan Wagner, are 15 companies, including Harper Collins, Electrolux, Hoover and Lavazza.

  'Using PowaTag will sidestep middlemen retailer sites and allow manufacturers to make direct sales. "Normally I’d look at that book and go to Amazon and buy it and they’d get 30% of the retail price," said Wagner. "It's a game-changer for manufacturers."'

  A key factor will be the delivery systems involved and attention to the customer experience, when possibly many varied partner companies would be involved in fulfillment, delivery, and Powa would take care of post-purchase service.

  A detailed article that Forbes links to is at Techcrunch.  The founder sold another company for $500 million and "has developed e-commerce sites for companies like Tesco, Orange, and the Universal Music Group — which could give some clue to where he holds contacts today and who Powa may count as clients in the future."

  Some goals they might consider are ones that Bezos has put front and center, involving trust and consistency. Examples from the statements about the business philosophy that has drive Amazon to the top:

'   . We’ve had three big ideas at Amazon that we’ve stuck with for 18 years, and they’re the reason we’re successful: Put the customer first. Invent.  And be patient.

' What’s not going to change in the next 10 years?’  And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important... — because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time. … [I]n our retail business, we know that customers want low prices, and I know that’s going to be true 10 years from now.  They want fast delivery;  they want vast selection.

  It’s impossible to imagine a future 10 years from now where a customer comes up and says, ‘Jeff I love Amazon; I just wish the prices were a little higher,’ [or] ‘I love Amazon; I just wish you’d deliver a little more slowly.

  . In the old world, you devoted 30% of your time to building a great service and 70% of your time to shouting about it.  In the new world, that inverts. ’

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Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$229 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $269/$299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $399/$499 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web Kindle DX - $379 $299 (Yes)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire 2, UK -  £129 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK - £159/199 Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $129 Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $199 Kindle Fire HD 7" - 214.00 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $199 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284 France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

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DX photos updated with Mighty Bright lit ones

Added 3 shots of the Kindle DX taken at night with the first two images lit only by the Mighty Bright UltraFlex2 Clip-On Light.

The black one shown on the Amazon page as the "Kindle Version" is highly rated by well over 800 customers, and I don't know what might make it different from the silver one I have except that about 3 of the reviews mention it has padding inside the clip.  I don't know if this is true, since any padding is not advertised and is sold for use with the cover -- but I ordered one to see, because I normally use the silver one seen in my pictures, clamped onto the Kindle cover rather than the Kindle itself.  And I see that one customer says the silver one (seen on the same product page lower down) is less expensive now and is the same as the black "Kindle" one.  I'll know soon.  You can't go wrong with either one.

  Another reason I want the black one is that the silver one tends to strongly reflect back the light shining down from its lamp and distracts me a bit.  I did have an older black light and that was better re reflected light or glare but I lost that one.

  The DX is larger than the Kindle 2 by enough so that I tend not to read it with the cover the way I do with the Kindle 2.  So I've started using the light on the Kindle itself (not quite as easy to use that way).  The pictures indicate it's touching the screen but it isn't, as the clamp starts further in.  I'm aware it could scatch the bezel of the Kindle, but so far it's okay.  I don't recommend using it that way though, as it's not as secure and could scratch the bezel or even the screen. :-)

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UPDATE 7/15/09 - Original posting was made 7/8/09.
I received the black "Kindle version" of the Mighty Bright on Tuesday and it does have an added foam pad that's placed inside the upper clamp, to help prevent scratching the Kindle's (or any other e-reader's) bezel.
Both versions have a pad on the inside of the lower part of the clamp.
  This is important to me because I prefer to use the DX without a cover, and at night I can use this light on the Kindle instead of on a cover.  It's less loose than my older silver one so is more secure on the Kindle -- and the neck, while still flexible, gives some resistance so that it doesn't move from its position as easily as the older version does.  When I put it on the Kindle, it just stayed in the same place and I could place the neck/lamp where I wanted without also causing movement of the base/clamp.

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  This Mighty Bright Ultraflex2 lives up to its name, using 2 super-leds in the lamp, has a switch allowing you to use both (very bright) or just one of the led lights.  It uses 3 regular AAA batteries.  The neck is both flexible and stable - easy to move it into a spot where there's no bothersome glare on the Kindle while it stays in place with no problem.  It's about 3 oz. and this edition was first made available in Feb 2009 while the silver one has been out since 2007.  At the top of the black Mighty Bright page, there is a video of a customer giving a demo of the light.

  In the 3 pictures I added, the first two are taken in the kitchen with no room lights on.  Despite the bluish gray look -- in real life, the light on these in a dark room actually makes the screen look a very light gray, sometimes almost white (similar to the 3rd picture).

  The 3rd picture added is of the Jules Verne screensaver while the Kindle is on the floor, against a door.  This room was lit by a dim overhead bulb while the Kindle DX itself was lit by the Mighty Bright clipped onto it though not showing in the image.  The shade of the screen background is closer to what you see when you use the clip-on light with the unit at night.  This light is highly recommended, whichever version you get.

 The first two pictures in the updated DX set are of a PDF in normal vertical/portrait mode and then the result when the Kindle is rotated, giving a decidedly more easy to read wider-screen version,although it requires you to press the "Next Page" button to get to the lower half of a screen.
  For me it is worth pressing Next Page (though with multi-column format you would also press "Prev Page" to get to the top half again).

 I wish they'd add the native PDF support capability and manual rotation to the smaller Kindle 2, as it is available on most small competitor units being made in the last 2 months, although those new ones don't have the Kindle's study-capabilities (annotations/searches/inline-dictionary, backups) or the 24/7 wireless capability. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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