name=”intellitxt”> By now, it’s pretty clear Amazon is betting big on ebooks-and Not necessarily just for ebook readers, but for color tablets, smartphone apps, and browser-based reading as well. Nonetheless, for many people, an ebook reader is still the best choice. It’s distraction-free, easy to hold and use, and lasts for weeks on a single charge. The new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite ($ 119 with special offers, direct), newly updated for late 2013, is the best ebook reader we’ve tested, and our new Editors’ Choice, Replacing last year’s version. Amazon gets so much of the experience right in this 6th-generation model That it’s an obvious upgrade from any older ebook reader without edge lighting, and possibly even some with That feature.
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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013)
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Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch With GlowLight
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Design, Display, and Hardware
On the surface, the Kindle Paperwhite looks very similar to last year’s version. It Measures 6.7 by 4.6 by 00:36 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.3 ounces; the dimensions are the same, but it’s two tenths of an ounce lighter. It’s still housed in a soft-touch rubberized coating That feels nicer than what Barnes & Noble uses on its ebook readers. The old Kindle logo on the back panel has been switched out for the more recognizable Amazon logo. Otherwise, the bottom edge features the same micro USB charger port, status LEDs, and power button as before: there are no other hardware controls.
The 6-inch display delivers a reasonably sharp 212ppi and 16 levels of gray, and Amazon has tweaked the contrast levels once again. But the real story is the upgraded edge lighting. Unlike last year’s model, you do not see any blooming along the bottom edge of the screen, and the light is just brighter this time around. Amazon overpriced claims to have improved touch response by 19 percent, though the older version was still pretty accurate in my experience.
View all 9 photos in gallery The Kindle Paperwhite hooks into 802.11b/g/n networks, and a 3G cellular option is still available for a hefty $ 70 extra; That model weighs 7.6 ounces instead of 7.3. Charging is easy with the bundled micro USB cable, and takes about four hours. But there’s no included AC adapter; you’ll need to use a PC. (My Windows 7 PC thoughtfully says “Device driver not installed successfully” when ever I plug in the Paperwhite to charge it.) Amazon sells a small USB-compatible AC adapter for $ 19.99, as well as a $ 39.99 leather cover with a magnetic clasp That wakes up the device When you open it.
Interface and Reading
The Home button brings you to the home screen. A top row of icons contains Home, Back, Light, Cart, Search, and Menu buttons, the latters Of which drops down additional options for creating collections, syncing, and changing settings. You also can toggle between displaying all of your books in the cloud or just the ones on the device. The cover-based interface is easy to get the hang of, and you can flip back and forth between the display cover and a list view. In typical Amazon fashion, along the bottom are suggestions for buying additional books.
Once you select a book, you can start reading. The reading interface looks and works almost the same as on the previous version. Most of the right hand side of the display, all the way down to the bottom edge, acts as a giant page turn button. A small portion on the left steps back a page, while an inch-deep bar across the top brings up a two-row Menu bar. The first row contains the same icons as on the homepage. Beneath the first row are buttons to adjust the font, go to a specific page, bring up X-Ray for more information on a topic, Share to Facebook or Twitter, and Bookmark pages.
Reading is a delight. Aside from the much brighter display, the best thing about the new Kindle Paperwhite is how fast it is. Loading books and turning pages feels quick, and makes the old Paperwhite model seem oddly sluggish. Amazon overpriced reduced the frequency of full-page screen refreshes, from once every six page turns, Thu Whenever an internal algorithm Decides it’s for incidental preserve font sharpness.
Kindle Page Flip, X-Ray Upgrades, and the Kindle Store
Along the bottom of the interface is a new bar with the Kindle Page Flip, Which makes it much Easier to scan through books using a slider near the bottom of the page. It’s not the slider, it’s the large thumbnail preview of each page as you go through; it’s about as close to flipping through a real book you can get on a screen. I still find it frustrating to pick up an ebook reader and look for a specific chapter, or refer back to something. This does seem to help, Although nothing will beat a real book in That regard. It’s still Easier to scan through real paper pages for big areas of whitespace That signify the start and end of chapters.
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