For some light reading
Does
the Kindle Paperwhite have what it takes to convince hardcore book lovers to go
digital?
My wife and
I like to read. In fact, we love books as much as we like reading them. The
wife’s Rushdies, Márquezes, Ghoshes, Murakamis, and Kunderas cohabit peacefully
with my Tolkeins, Archers, le Carres, Rankins and Wodehouses on our
floor-to-ceiling, wall-spanning bookshelf. Now neither of us had ever
considered an e-book reader, so I was quite intrigued with the idea of
reviewing the Kindle Paperwhite. Could it replace the joy of flipping through
the slightly yellowed pages of a favourite hardbound?
I switched on the device, and downloaded Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, The Ancient Curse by Valerio Massimo Manfredi and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Together, these books would have weighed 1.2kg. On the Paperwhite, they weighed just 213g – the weight of the device. With a capacity of 1.2GB, the Paperwhite is estimated to hold up to 1,000 titles. So yes, it does make practical sense when it comes to space and weight.
Now, the Kindle I reviewed was a ‘3G + Wi-Fi’ version. This means I could use Wi-Fi whenever available, and I could also download books on the move wherever there was a Vodafone network. This 3G feature (only for book downloads) is free for the lifetime of the device.
When it comes to reading, this e-reader’s built-in light is a clincher. It uses a front-lit, anti-glare display that guides illumination towards the screen and away from your eyes so you don’t strain your peepers. Hah! No more night lamps. You can also adjust its brightness to suit your needs. Additionally, the Paperwhite lets you customise your reading experience by letting you choose between six fonts and eight different sizes. The screen’s resolution of 212 pixels per inch, ensure you get crisp text even if you choose the smallest font.
While reading, you can also long tap on any word to find out its meaning, or in the case of a reference — whether person, place or occurrence — read more about it on Wikipedia (through Wi-Fi only). Plus, you can highlight or annotate paragraphs, which can then be accessed from the main menu. A great reviewer’s tool, I thought.
Navigating the Paperwhite is easy. To turn to the next page, lightly tap the right-most portion of the screen; tapping the left portion means turning back a page. A light touch at the top-end of the display takes you to the main menu with options to adjust the screen lighting, navigate books on the Kindle and a keyword search feature.
At the time of writing, the Kindle had been in use for two weeks, and it only needed to be charged once; putting its battery life at around 20 hours with 3G and Wi-Fi.
In conclusion, the Paperwhite is lightweight and convenient to hold – ideal for commutes. Also, the fact that you can download a sample chapter before you buy a book, adds to its allure. Besides, you can find a whole bunch of free-to-download titles – and yes, I simply loved how it automatically bookmarks your spot on all your books.
On the flip side, you might find yourself going back to your local bookstore to request titles that haven’t yet made it to the Kindle Store. No denying the Paperwhite works splendidly for night owls who read in bed, but then the question remains: novel lighting tech aside (no pun intended), why should I buy the Paperwhite at 11,000, when I can use the Kindle app on my tablet or phone for free? More importantly, why should I pay discounted prices for e-books, when lots of Indian edition books retail for less? One can argue for, or against this device. I guess, it’s a decision each one must make for themselves. Me, I’m quite tempted, but my wife is going to stick to her paperbacks and hardbounds. Kindle Paperwhite 3G: 13,999 Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi: 10,999
I switched on the device, and downloaded Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, The Ancient Curse by Valerio Massimo Manfredi and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Together, these books would have weighed 1.2kg. On the Paperwhite, they weighed just 213g – the weight of the device. With a capacity of 1.2GB, the Paperwhite is estimated to hold up to 1,000 titles. So yes, it does make practical sense when it comes to space and weight.
Now, the Kindle I reviewed was a ‘3G + Wi-Fi’ version. This means I could use Wi-Fi whenever available, and I could also download books on the move wherever there was a Vodafone network. This 3G feature (only for book downloads) is free for the lifetime of the device.
When it comes to reading, this e-reader’s built-in light is a clincher. It uses a front-lit, anti-glare display that guides illumination towards the screen and away from your eyes so you don’t strain your peepers. Hah! No more night lamps. You can also adjust its brightness to suit your needs. Additionally, the Paperwhite lets you customise your reading experience by letting you choose between six fonts and eight different sizes. The screen’s resolution of 212 pixels per inch, ensure you get crisp text even if you choose the smallest font.
While reading, you can also long tap on any word to find out its meaning, or in the case of a reference — whether person, place or occurrence — read more about it on Wikipedia (through Wi-Fi only). Plus, you can highlight or annotate paragraphs, which can then be accessed from the main menu. A great reviewer’s tool, I thought.
Navigating the Paperwhite is easy. To turn to the next page, lightly tap the right-most portion of the screen; tapping the left portion means turning back a page. A light touch at the top-end of the display takes you to the main menu with options to adjust the screen lighting, navigate books on the Kindle and a keyword search feature.
At the time of writing, the Kindle had been in use for two weeks, and it only needed to be charged once; putting its battery life at around 20 hours with 3G and Wi-Fi.
In conclusion, the Paperwhite is lightweight and convenient to hold – ideal for commutes. Also, the fact that you can download a sample chapter before you buy a book, adds to its allure. Besides, you can find a whole bunch of free-to-download titles – and yes, I simply loved how it automatically bookmarks your spot on all your books.
On the flip side, you might find yourself going back to your local bookstore to request titles that haven’t yet made it to the Kindle Store. No denying the Paperwhite works splendidly for night owls who read in bed, but then the question remains: novel lighting tech aside (no pun intended), why should I buy the Paperwhite at 11,000, when I can use the Kindle app on my tablet or phone for free? More importantly, why should I pay discounted prices for e-books, when lots of Indian edition books retail for less? One can argue for, or against this device. I guess, it’s a decision each one must make for themselves. Me, I’m quite tempted, but my wife is going to stick to her paperbacks and hardbounds. Kindle Paperwhite 3G: 13,999 Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi: 10,999
Savio
D’Souza TL130818
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