I remember receiving my first Kindle back in 2010. I felt like an established reader at that point, getting into the eBook market ahead of everyone else. Today, I still have that Kindle Keyboard, and I still have much love for it. But 2019 is a new era, and thanks to a good friend, I received the brand new Kindle Paperwhite Waterproof for my birthday 6 months ago. I figured now is as good a time as any to share my thoughts on the device, after using it for so long already.
The Kindle Paperwhite Waterproof is marketed as the thinnest and lightest Kindle yet. It has a 300dpi glare-free display, which is sharp enough to give you paper-like text quality in any type of lighting.
Coming from the Kindle Keyboard, which had no back-lighting, the Kindle Paperwhite is an incredible step up for me. It was agitating having to flick a light on when I couldn’t sleep at night and wanted to carry on reading my current book. With the Kindle Keyboard, I can read comfortably whether the light is on or off, and the crispier text is easier on my eyes. You can adjust the brightness of the screen to many levels, and the dimmer you have it, the more battery you’ll save. There’s even a “dark mode” with a black background and white text, which is proven to be better for the eyes in some cases.
Speaking of battery, one of the first things I noticed was that the Paperwhite doesn’t hold the battery nearly as long as my Kindle Keyboard did. This is understandable however, as the Paperwhite is doing way more with its operating system than the older Kindles. Even so, a full charge of the Paperwhite should last over a week if you’re an avid reader. However, if you’re the type of reader that dabbles every now and then, expect your Paperwhite to hold the battery for anywhere up to an entire month (or longer).
The biggest difference in the reading experience when upgrading from a Kindle Keyboard, is the lack of buttons on the Kindle Paperwhite. I have to admit, I sometimes miss having the back and forward buttons at the thumb when I was ready to turn pages. Don’t get me wrong, the Paperwhite’s touchscreen is great, and responds well when I’m ready to turn the page. But the problem comes when I don’t want to turn the page. I often find myself having accidents where my finger brushes against the screen slightly, enough to flip the page over when I didn’t want to. A few times, I’ve put the Paperwhite aside to check messages (on my phone) after finishing a chapter, only to see that my arm has somehow flipped pages ahead by accident. At least with the Keyboard, there were little to no accidents like this.
As for navigation, it’s something I had to adjust to for at least an hour or so. This is because, the Kindle Keyboard was simple in its approach. That approach was basically: ‘here are all your books in a giant list…enjoy’.
The Kindle Paperwhite however, has many added features and details, one of these features being good old Ads. With a higher quality screen, things are laid out in a much more appealing way than they were in 2010, and if you’ve owned any of the kindles from the past five years or so, you’re probably already used to the layout. You’ll see a selection of book covers from your collection, comprising of the last few books you opened. As you scroll down the home page, you’ll also see categories of books that relate to your reading tastes. Clicking on “Your Library” will expand on the books in your collection, allowing you to download books you’ve purchased from Amazon, or read the ones you’ve already downloaded. You can also adjust the layout, choosing from a grid or a list. You can also create your own folders and collections to sort your books in.
One of my favourite features, is the addition of Goodreads. Because I’m a huge Goodreads nut. Having the ability to update my Goodreads right from the device I’m reading from is a big deal for me. But again, this is a feature that’s been around for at least five years now, but I was too far behind thanks to my blind loyalty to my beloved Kindle Keyboard.
Sadly, I’m not as adventurous as some people, so I don’t get to gloat that my Kindle is waterproof as the sea splashes all over my display while I’m drinking cocktails on the beach. The most I get to test this feature is when a drop of water from my bottle hits the screen, which probably wouldn’t have been enough to do any damage had the device not been waterproof. But the Paperwhite Waterproof is IPX8 rated, which means it can handle up to two meters of water for up to 60 minutes.
All in all, I’d say that the Kindle Paperwhite Waterproof was a necessary upgrade for me. I’d been parading my Kindle Keyboard around for far too long, despite it crashing on me at random intervals. The Paperwhite gives me more advantages than disadvantages over my previous e-reader and it’s a lot nicer to hold. Not to mention, there’s a bunch of kick-ass covers to get for the device. The price may be slightly too high for the tech, considering there are devices with more advanced tech for cheaper. But for me, the years of customer satisfaction with the Amazon library make it all worth it for me. Plus it was a gift, so there’s that…(Thanks Ramz)
Check out the Kindle Paperwhite Waterproof on Amazon UK (£119.99)
Check out the Kindle Paperwhite Waterproof on Amazon US ($149.99)
