Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and Gen10
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2020
Unexpected—Adrian’s is a hold out. These are my first dedicated e-readers.
Note: I refer to the current “basic” Kindle as the Gen10 (tenth generation) as there is little way to differentiate all the basic Kindles. At the time of writing this, the Gen10 and Paperwhite 4 are the latest versions.
I have spent most of my ereading on my iPad Pro and some on my iPhone. I’m also not a big fan of long form fiction so reading on my iPad had not been an issue. But I started reading The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien and I wasn’t really enjoying reading on my iPad. Not because I didn’t like the screen but a 12.9” iPad Pro is a lot to hold for long term reading.
Looking on Amazon, I saw the new Kindle 10th for a reasonable $60 decided to just do it. People love their Kindles and I also liked the idea of a distraction free reading experience. So in the cart and on the way it was to my door.
But right after I made that purchase I saw a refurbished Kindle Paperwhite for only $10 more. I really just wanted a low cost Kindle but with the flush screen, water resistance (IPX8 rated) and the 300ppi screen, I splurged and got the Paperwhite too.
While I don’t know if I really need two, many Kindle reader do have two NDA with Whispersync, both my books and my place within books syncs. I can pick up either and continue reading. To be honest, I had so little experience with Kindles that I needed to see which one really was right for me.
There are a million and one reviews, unboxing, comparisons, and such about these two devices. I watched a bunch—inboxing videos are loathsome but the reviews were mostly constructive.
Having fresh eyes on e-readers, I have only a few things that I think are needed to be said and I’ll keep it simple.
One, the Paperwhite is the nicer device. It is better constructed next feels better in the hand. The back is softouch plastic so it is a little easier to hold onto and with the slightly wider bezels, it gives one’s thumb a bit more to hold.
There is also a very minor lip around the edge of the bezel—no one in any review I watched mentioned this but it is worth noting that the lip add some grip for one’s thumb when holding it. It is enough to help a single handed reading session. The Gen10, on the other hand, has a curved edge that reduce the grip one’s thumb has.
The Gen10 is fine and while it doesn’t have the same ergonomics, it is a great little device. For $60, it is somewhat an obvious choice. It isn’t a complaint about the ergonomics either. It is a low cost device that does its job well but just slightly less than its higher-end sibling. The plastic is a little slick but I also don’t feel like I’ll easily drop it.
One plus of the Gen10, and this is very much a personal preference and some might say minutia, the text of the Gen10 screen is nicer. It has, shall I say, a more paper feel the the slightly more slick screen of the Paperwhite. Maybe this is just a fun observation but the devil is in the details. This matters some to me but not to override the other qualities of the Paperwhite.
Having not mentioned anything about the software or technical specifications, ergonomics is really important for a device one might hold for hours. I focus on these things because it is valuable when deciding why one might spend more money in a device.
No doubt someone will ask about the hardware and software. I rarely spend much time on a device like this caring about processor speed or RAM. Those things do not matter on this device. Nothing about it need performance. However, the Paperwhite does have 8GB of storage which holds hundreds, perhaps thousands of books versus the 4GB on the Gen10. I imagine most will do well with either. The beauty of an e-reader is having an entire library with you anytime, anywhere.
Further, the IPX8 rating for the Paperwhite is worth noting. If one is going to use their Kindle anywhere, one can feel a little safer near a pool or at the beach, for example. A notable addition.
One piece of hardware that is of importance is the display. The screen is recessed in the Gen10 version. Almost no need to mention but the flush screen of the Paperwhite is nice. Day to day, it isn’t really important but design is, so I’m drawn more to the Paperwhite.
300ppi e-ink display, macro
The screen at 300ppi (pixels per inch) on the Paperwhite versus the 167ppi on the Gen10 is hardly noticeable with the exception of small text or images. That’s something echoes by most reviewers—for general reading, I have not found it to make much difference.
At the end of the day, there is something about holding the Paperwhite that makes it a much nicer experience. That’s important if one is going to read for any length of time.
More importantly, there is an expectation to be set. Kindles are not multipurpose computing tablets like iPad. E-ink displays are not P3 color gamut, retina displays—though, 300ppi is nearing the Retina display pixels per inch that starts at 326ppi.
The software/operating systems is a breeze to use. Since the device is really only to do one thing—read books—the Home Screen of Kindle is your library. Within a book, a few features to note, a dictionary to lookup words and a neat function called X-ray. X-ray is more of an encyclopedia that references unique names, place, etc. within the book. This is especially helpful for fiction and series of books. For non-fiction, One can lookup words on Wikipedia. And should any of these words or phrases be of importance, highlighting is stored in an index for one to reference later.
Should one be on WiFi, buying a book is really quick and simple: search, tap, buy, and download. Amazon also uses a feature called ‘Whispersync.’ Buying a book on another device or Amazon.com and it sends it to your default device. In moments, the book purchased is on Kindle and ready to read. And once one has started to read, the place is saved and synced to other devices synced to the same Amazon account. Very nice.
I got a Kindle because I was re-watching Lord of the Rings. There is enough of the story that I could not connect with, little details, that I wanted to read the books. Starting to read on my iPad Pro, it works 100% well but laying in bed, or casually reading on the sofa, the iPad’s big, beautiful screen becomes heavy in the hand. I’m not sure I’m too concerned about the backlit display versus e-ink but I do enjoy a hair more the display on the kindle for extended reading.
The notable weeks of battery life one likely will get with a Kindle is also a fair advantage to note. My iPad Pro lasts a couple of days for me with heavy use but I do like to imagine I could go on a long weekend trip and forego the cable to charge my Kindle; it does use micro-USB so neither my iPad nor iPhone cable can charge it.
There is one expectation that must be set. Kindles are not general purpose computing devices like iPad. It does it’s one job well and nothing more. E-ink is not to be expected to match the speed or brilliance of LCDs or OLED displays. But they have their advantages as mentioned—little to know power draw, easy on the eyes, and great in sunlight/other direct light.
I’m enjoying reading on my Kindle more than any physical book. Battery life is very refreshing having no need to charge frequently. As of writing this, I have only charged my Kindle Paperwhite once since getting it and while I have been reading daily for 30-60 minutes.
It is a nifty device and for anyone who reads, I would recommend Kindle or any e-reader. Once one has it, it is hard to go back to “traditional” books. Pick up a Kindle for $60 on Amazon and try it. If you already have one, perhaps you don’t need to upgrade but the Paperwhite, a bit more money, might be your next Kindle.
Update: I received and charged my Kindle Paperwhite on 9/3/20. Only as of today, 9/25/20 at 10:54 A.M., has the battery final died. I wanted to really put to the test the wonders of e-ink and Kindle battery life. I was able to read all the The Silmarillion and half way through The Hobbit (literally 54%) on a single charge. I read at least thirty minutes a day but usually a bit longer.
My Kindle was connected to WiFi and one more than one occasion I also played with settings, downloaded more books, and explored features of the device.
I’m really impressed with how Kindle holds up. I will be more than confident in go on a vacation without worrying about power and charging.
$60
$109
