Sep 17, 2014 12:32 PM
11086 Views
The ebook reader. A product with a very specific function, to translate the experience of reading a paper book onto a tablet like digital device. Yes, tablets can also display books, magazines and a host of other media. But where ebook readers excel is their ability to display books without causing long term eye strain.
Kindle Range
Perhaps the best known and bestselling ebook reader in the world is the amazon kindle range. They have been the pioneers and while contenders like Sony, Barnes & Nobles, Kobo etc. have tried to take a share of the market, the kindle reigns supreme. Why?
It is a good quality device at a low price
Amazon’s Kindle E-Book store is the largest in the world. There is literally no book you cannot find there
The Kindle EBook reader has 3 variants – the Basic Kindle, without a touchscreen or backlight which sells for Rs. 6,000. The Kindle Paperwhite with high-res touchscreen and a backlight for Rs. 10,000, and the Paperwhite 3G, same as the paperwhite, but with a 3G connection slot. We are reviewing the basic Kindle Paperwhite(wifi) version.
The Packet and Initial Impressions
The Kindle comes in a simple black sleeved cardboard box. The contents include the Kindle and a simple white micro USB Cable only.
The Paperwhite is black in colour and at first impressions looks like a tablet PC with a 6” inch screen. It is as thick as a normal HB pencil and is easily portable. It is around 30% lighter than an ipad Min / Nexus 7 tablet, and will fit in a jacket pocket. It feels solidly build with a power and micro USB located at the bottom. I dropped it once and part from a small chipping in the corner it was unscathed. The bezels are thicker than one would expect, but actually good for reading, which we shall come to later.
Screen
The key differentiator between a Kindel Ebook reader and a tablet is that the Tablet relies on a traditional LCD / LED screen while the Kindle has an e-Ink reader. E-ink is not an active but a passive type of screen, i.e. it is not backlit but relies on ambient lighting to display the contents of the screen. It can only display shades of black and not colour. Because it is not backlit, long term eye strain does not occur.
The problem is that because a traditional E-Ink reader relies on ambient lighting, you cannot read it in the dark. This problem is resolved with the Paperwhite, which uses a front lit screen(not back lit like LCD)s to help you read even in the darkest of conditions. The best part is that it still does not hurt your eyes, and the backlighting makes it look even closer to printed paper than a normal E-Ink screen. The best part it, since it is an E-Ink screen, it looks even better in the sun, unlike LCD’s which wash out.
The display is touch and has a matte finish so it feels pleasant to move your fingers on it. And it does not show smudges and dirt like an LCD until much later. I only need to wipe it with a microfiber cloth every 2 months.
Battery Life
Amazon claims its Kindle will last for eight weeks at a charge if read for one hour daily. I find that to be a bit of a stretch, as I managed to get only 2 weeks with around 90 minutes of reading each day, or around 21 hours on medium brightness.
Switcing off the Wifi will extend that battery life by another 4-5 hours, and reducing the brightness to 1/3rd will give you another 10% extra.
However, keeping the display on high brightness ensures you run out of juice within 14 hours. Still it is way better than any tablet, which will give 7-8 hours max.
Reading and Downloading Books
So how does the Kindle work for reading EBooks. It is excellent.
The thing is though, the Kindle recognises ebooks only in the MOBI Format. MOBI is amazon’s proprietary format, and all its ebooks are sold in that format only. To purchase from amazon is easy. Buy the book and it gets added to your library. You can then either download it automatically to your Kindle via wifi, or plug in your USB cable and manually transfer it to your device. The kindle has 2GB of in-built memory, which can store around 2,000 books, which is way more than you will ever need.
The kindle works excellently for reading books. You can change the font and text size and spacing, along with having a search and navigation which enables you to easily navigate chapters and specific sections.
One excellent part of Kindle is that you have the kindle app which is downloadable for tablets, smartphones and PCs. So if you read one part of the book and reach a particular page, that gets synched with your other kindle app devices, so when you log in, you can continue where you left off in your kindle and vice-versa.
The issue is that Kindle does not support Epub, a very popular format in the ebook domain. Lots of free and discounted books are available from other soureces in this format, so you have to convert them before you can see them in Kindle. And many times, the conversion results in a loss of formatting, which is painful.
I Use Calibre Ebook Software for Windows to help me organize and convert my ebooks. It is a free download and highly recommended.
Not Meant for Other Content
The thing with the kindle is that it does one thing very well, i.e. display books. But for everything else it is hopeless.
Yes, in theory, you can show PDF, and JPEG pictures on the Kindle. Problem, is for one, the screen is black and white, so it is pointless. Secondly, the resolution is rather low so pictures come across looking unsharp and strange. And finally, PDF files cannot be zoomed or moved around properly, plus take a long time to load or navigate. For these documents you are better off using an ipad / android tablet.
Comparison to tablets
A tablet might not display books as good as the Kindle, and it will strain your eyes, but as a device, they provide a 1000 times more utility for the same or lesser price.
For one, good tablets are now available for less than Rs. 10,000, which makes the Kindle look overpriced
Tablets can let you surf the net, play games, watch movies and music, and also use a camera. Things the Kindle just cannot do
With the Kindle App, you can use your tablet like a Kindle. Just purchase and download your books from amazon / other sources, log into the kindle app and reach to your hearts desire
Tablets have bigger screens(7 inch and above), and are much better for displaying PDFs
Conclusion
The Kindle Paperwhite is a device with only one purpose; to the perfect substitute for a paper book. In that respect it succeeds, and if you are avid reader, go for it. Your eyes will definitely thank you. For the rest of us though, a Kindle App on a tablet / ipad makes much more sense in terms of value.
P.S. I recommend the Amazon Kindle Flip Leather cover if you are purchasing a Kindle Paperwhite. Yes, it is expensive at Rs. 3,000 but it built solidly and has an excellent finish. Not to mention it has a close and power off function, i.e. when you flip the cover over the screen, the device automatically switches off; a very useful feature.
