Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

I had earlier used Kindle touch� with Wifi for 3 years following which screen became unreadable due to static image retention. So next in line for me was an upgrade to the Kindle Paperwhite with back lit display and better screen clarity [Pixels per square inch]. In the box: Inside as accessories you get just a data cable for file transfer and charging the device from a 5V/1A USB host and a brief instruction leaflet packed in a slim brown card board case. No AC adaptor included, it will cost extra! Screen quality: There is a definite boost in screen resolution to 221 PPI with this model and it shows. Contrast is better and more crisp compared to original Kindle keyboard and the kindle touch�. One major drawback with previous gen Kindle touch was absence of back lit display which this model removes. The inclusion of backlight helps text to appear more crisp and easy to read in low light conditions. It is soft lit, meaning it won't be as harsh as reading on a tablet or smartphone. Also visibility under direct sunlight is as good as previous gen Kindle touch, which is one strong area for the Kindle. There was an issue with image retention in previous gen Kindle, which Amazon has removed with better refresh of the e-ink. Still minor retention is present but I got used to it in due course. Portability/Ease of reading: This model is thinner and lighter than my previous gen Kindle, which in itself was lighter than a 300 page paperback. So reading on the device with single hand won’t be an issue at all for a longer duration without strain on hand. Back of the device has a rubbery feel, which makes it easier to grip and not drop down while reading! Software/Performance: Amazon has improved screen refresh rates resulting in lesser ghosting and faster page turns. Also introduced are 8 fonts and density which can be used based on the person using. You can buy books from Amazon account. Books can be stored either in the 2GB of the device memory or in Amazon cloud which you can access either through inbuilt WiFi radio transfer the purchase from Laptop via the cable provided. This model also allows sideloading of books [.mobi and .pdf] bought outside the Amazon store, which makes it very flexible, unlike Apple devices which doesn't allow side loading content easily. Books bought on the Amazon store gets synced to all devices where you have Kindle app installed like on Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone etc and all highlights, comments, last page read etc gets synced across all devices making reading on multiple devices a breeze!. A neat touch! Also the choice of books available in Amazon store is nothing short of amazing! There is also included an experimental browser and audio player, but it is nothing much to write about. You would be better off using the one on your phone/tablet. Loading webpages or viewing e-mails won't be a good experience due to slow screen refresh rates. PDF, Microsoft Word files [.doc/.docx], Images etc can also be viewed on the Kindle and there is independent contrast setting for PDF viewing. But, I feel reading PDF on a� screen is not very ideal. Battery: With a single charge which takes around 3-4 hours from 10% to 100%, the battery lasts for around 24+ hours on moderate screen brightness and Wi-Fi On only when needed. This translates to around 2 weeks of reading with 1-2 hours per day, which is just about great. Memory: Amazon reduced to 2GB from 4GB for previous model. This doesn't affect much since your books will be available on the cloud [5GB free storage] and can be downloaded when needed. So not much of an issue. 2GB [around 1.2GB of usable storage] still can hold 1000+ books in Amazon Kindle format [.azw/.mobi] Intended customer: Kindle has been synonymous with e-book reading and all devices in this range with e-ink display are meant for the avid reader who reads more than 3-4 books a month. It is a must buy for all bookworms who don't prefer carrying around lots of books. For those who read around 1 book or less a month, I would recommend to go for a small tablet like Nexus 7 with 7” screen or a phablet with 5.5 inch screen with low screen brightness setting to reduce screen glare and having PPI > 200 to avoid eye strain on long term use. Pro's : 1. Improved screen quality, crisp and has better contrast than outgoing model 2. Back lit display for reading at night and in low light rooms 3. Excellent direct sunlight readability 4. Excellent battery life 5. Improved processor for faster page turns and lesser ghosting 6. Perfect size for long term one handed reading without strain on hand Con's: 1. No AC wall adaptor included in sales package. Only a USB to Micro USB cable provided 2. Text to speech is absent 3. Speakers absent compared to previous model 4. Memory reduced to 2GB of which around only 1.2GB is usable.(read more)