8 ms·

I have owned the original Paperwhite since it came out, and I love it - can't recommend it highly enough. The frontlighting is wonderful. However, I really wis

I have owned the original Paperwhite since it came out, and I love it - can't recommend it highly enough. The frontlighting is wonderful. However, I really wish that this newer one had physical buttons on the side for turning the pages, like some of the other Kindle models. I find the touchscreen rather irritating when reading. It's much easier to have buttons on the side that you can press without moving your hand/finger. If they had included this, I would easily have laid down $120 for an upgrade immediately.

adestefan 13y ago
I have a Kindle 3 and the sole reason why I haven't upgraded to a Paperwhite is lack of page turn buttons.
OrsenPike 13y ago
God yes I miss those buttons on my paperwhite :( I also wish I could turn the backlight off completely rather than just lower it to the lowest setting.
- nwienert 13y ago
  You can turn it off completely, the lowest setting is off.
  - gmu3 13y ago
    No. The lowest setting is still slightly lit: http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg1?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdPage=1&cdThread=Tx32COF8YL5D7R2 http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg1?_encodin...
    - tzs 13y ago
      I'd say it is more than slightly lit. It is lit enough to read by in a dark room--comfortably once your eyes are dark adapted.
jwr 13y ago
I checked for 1) buttons, 2) a lighter version. Found none of the above, so I'll stick to my Kindle 3. I don't think Amazon appreciates how important buttons are for reading in non-perfect setups. Sure, if you're on your couch or by the swimming pool, you might not care. But try reading on a subway or a bus. Or with gloves on.
- smackfu 13y ago
  7.3 oz is too heavy for you? That's 1.4 oz lighter than your Kindle 3.
  - ericcumbee 13y ago
    I believe he means a lighter color.
amenod 13y ago
Apart from Nook, is there any other "glowing" alternative with buttons? Kobo Glo doesn't have them either AFAIK...
MBCook 13y ago
Did you own a previous Kindle before your Paperwhite? I got a chance to try one earlier this month, and compare it to my 3rd gen Kindle Keyboard. The backlight was nice, but I had a few problems with it. The lack of physical buttons for page changing and the menus drove me nuts. If I'm holding a Paperwhite in my left hand, then to change to a new page I have to move my thumb out far enough, tap, and them bring my thumb "back in" so it doesn't cover the page. I found this to be rather annoying, having the buttons on both sides was so much easier. The other problem I had was font rendering. The Paperwhite was supposed to have a sharper screen than my 3G, but I couldn't notice a difference in text. I'm guessing it's only obvious on pictures. But I did notice that fonts looked noticeably worse. There were little blobs where it looked like things weren't being kerned correctly. I could compare it directly to the same page on my old Kindle and see the difference. I found it quite distracting. Other than that they made some small changes I didn't like. The fact that you just have to 'know' where on the screen to touch for certain things was a little odd. I kept accidentally turning the page when I wanted to bring up the menu. I really liked that it could estimate I'd be done with the chapter I was reading in 15 minutes, but I missed having the progress bar available. I could probably survive the lack of physical buttons, but the font rendering issues really annoyed me. I'll happily keep my Kindle.
- TylerE 13y ago
  I have owned a Paperwhite since release day, and a Kindle 2 for several years before that. My feelings are mixed. I do REALLY miss the next/prev page buttons, and would happily shell out the money for a Paperwhite with buttons. I don't really miss the keyboard at all though. I mostly read at night so the lit screen is a bigger deal than the buttons, honestly. Couldn't ever go back. But both would be killer.
- gambiting 13y ago
  Few things. To change pages with your left thumb you don't have to move it all the way to the right - you can make a little swipe motion on the left side of the screen and it will skip a page. I used to have the Kindle Keyboard(Kindle 3) and my god, its resolution was driving me crazy, like it was never sharp. Paperwhite is a lot better in that regard. HOWEVER - fonts get really jaggy after a few page turns, and that's because the paperwhite only refreshes the entire page every 5 or so turns. You can go to settings and tell it to refresh the entire page every turn - then the fonts are always super sharp. From my personal perspective - I would NEVER trade my paperwhite back for the Kindle 3. I don't mind the lack of physical buttons, and the backlight makes it fantastic.
sliverstorm 13y ago
You know, I had a Kindle 2 and I loved the buttons, but after a book or two with the Paperwhite I'm pretty much completely used to using the touchscreen. It felt risky, but I'm kind of glad now that I took the plunge and got one without any buttons at all- the bezel around the screen is so incredibly small now compared to my old K2.
MichaelGG 13y ago
I find it annoying because there'll be little specs of dust, dirt, or hair, and removing them requires careful movement or I'll page turn. Also, has anyone noticed that the rendering gets slightly messed up (bolder) if you bring up a prompt, like the built-in dictionary? After it disappears, the area it covers has different font weight from the rest of the page, making me turn back and forth to reset it. Rather annoying.
pedalpete 13y ago
My only issue with not having buttons is with links. I don't like to 'watch' where I'm pressing to change the page, but I am often reading a technical book that will link to footnotes and I accidentaly hit a footnote link and the book jumps to god knows where. Now I can't get back to the page I was on (no back button) and spend a bunch of time finding my way back to where I was reading. I've even given up on a book because I couldn't find where I had left off. Otherwise I find I prefer my paper white to my past kindles.
- taejo 13y ago
  There's a back button in the menu.
tzs 13y ago
I've got a first generation Kindle and a Paperwhite. I definitely miss the buttons on cold nights. With the original Kindle, I could comfortably read with every part of me except my face ensconced in warm blankets. A lobster claw like grip through the blanket easily held it in the left hand, and a bonk on the right side either with the right hand, or against my chest, would turn the page. With the Paperwhite, I have to expose a finger (or bring the Kindle under the blanket) to turn the page.
- zheng 13y ago
  I don't have any of these issues, but your description of how you used the 1st gen Kindle is hilarious. Thanks for an unexpected laugh.

adestefan 13y ago

I have a Kindle 3 and the sole reason why I haven't upgraded to a Paperwhite is lack of page turn buttons.

OrsenPike 13y ago

God yes I miss those buttons on my paperwhite :( I also wish I could turn the backlight off completely rather than just lower it to the lowest setting.

nwienert 13y ago
You can turn it off completely, the lowest setting is off.
- gmu3 13y ago
  No. The lowest setting is still slightly lit: http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg1?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdPage=1&cdThread=Tx32COF8YL5D7R2 http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg1?_encodin...
  - tzs 13y ago
    I'd say it is more than slightly lit. It is lit enough to read by in a dark room--comfortably once your eyes are dark adapted.

jwr 13y ago

I checked for 1) buttons, 2) a lighter version. Found none of the above, so I'll stick to my Kindle 3. I don't think Amazon appreciates how important buttons are for reading in non-perfect setups. Sure, if you're on your couch or by the swimming pool, you might not care. But try reading on a subway or a bus. Or with gloves on.

smackfu 13y ago
7.3 oz is too heavy for you? That's 1.4 oz lighter than your Kindle 3.
- ericcumbee 13y ago
  I believe he means a lighter color.

amenod 13y ago

Apart from Nook, is there any other "glowing" alternative with buttons? Kobo Glo doesn't have them either AFAIK...

MBCook 13y ago

Did you own a previous Kindle before your Paperwhite? I got a chance to try one earlier this month, and compare it to my 3rd gen Kindle Keyboard. The backlight was nice, but I had a few problems with it. The lack of physical buttons for page changing and the menus drove me nuts. If I'm holding a Paperwhite in my left hand, then to change to a new page I have to move my thumb out far enough, tap, and them bring my thumb "back in" so it doesn't cover the page. I found this to be rather annoying, having the buttons on both sides was so much easier. The other problem I had was font rendering. The Paperwhite was supposed to have a sharper screen than my 3G, but I couldn't notice a difference in text. I'm guessing it's only obvious on pictures. But I did notice that fonts looked noticeably worse. There were little blobs where it looked like things weren't being kerned correctly. I could compare it directly to the same page on my old Kindle and see the difference. I found it quite distracting. Other than that they made some small changes I didn't like. The fact that you just have to 'know' where on the screen to touch for certain things was a little odd. I kept accidentally turning the page when I wanted to bring up the menu. I really liked that it could estimate I'd be done with the chapter I was reading in 15 minutes, but I missed having the progress bar available. I could probably survive the lack of physical buttons, but the font rendering issues really annoyed me. I'll happily keep my Kindle.

TylerE 13y ago
I have owned a Paperwhite since release day, and a Kindle 2 for several years before that. My feelings are mixed. I do REALLY miss the next/prev page buttons, and would happily shell out the money for a Paperwhite with buttons. I don't really miss the keyboard at all though. I mostly read at night so the lit screen is a bigger deal than the buttons, honestly. Couldn't ever go back. But both would be killer.
gambiting 13y ago
Few things. To change pages with your left thumb you don't have to move it all the way to the right - you can make a little swipe motion on the left side of the screen and it will skip a page. I used to have the Kindle Keyboard(Kindle 3) and my god, its resolution was driving me crazy, like it was never sharp. Paperwhite is a lot better in that regard. HOWEVER - fonts get really jaggy after a few page turns, and that's because the paperwhite only refreshes the entire page every 5 or so turns. You can go to settings and tell it to refresh the entire page every turn - then the fonts are always super sharp. From my personal perspective - I would NEVER trade my paperwhite back for the Kindle 3. I don't mind the lack of physical buttons, and the backlight makes it fantastic.

sliverstorm 13y ago

You know, I had a Kindle 2 and I loved the buttons, but after a book or two with the Paperwhite I'm pretty much completely used to using the touchscreen. It felt risky, but I'm kind of glad now that I took the plunge and got one without any buttons at all- the bezel around the screen is so incredibly small now compared to my old K2.

MichaelGG 13y ago

I find it annoying because there'll be little specs of dust, dirt, or hair, and removing them requires careful movement or I'll page turn. Also, has anyone noticed that the rendering gets slightly messed up (bolder) if you bring up a prompt, like the built-in dictionary? After it disappears, the area it covers has different font weight from the rest of the page, making me turn back and forth to reset it. Rather annoying.

pedalpete 13y ago

My only issue with not having buttons is with links. I don't like to 'watch' where I'm pressing to change the page, but I am often reading a technical book that will link to footnotes and I accidentaly hit a footnote link and the book jumps to god knows where. Now I can't get back to the page I was on (no back button) and spend a bunch of time finding my way back to where I was reading. I've even given up on a book because I couldn't find where I had left off. Otherwise I find I prefer my paper white to my past kindles.

taejo 13y ago
There's a back button in the menu.

tzs 13y ago

I've got a first generation Kindle and a Paperwhite. I definitely miss the buttons on cold nights. With the original Kindle, I could comfortably read with every part of me except my face ensconced in warm blankets. A lobster claw like grip through the blanket easily held it in the left hand, and a bonk on the right side either with the right hand, or against my chest, would turn the page. With the Paperwhite, I have to expose a finger (or bring the Kindle under the blanket) to turn the page.

zheng 13y ago
I don't have any of these issues, but your description of how you used the 1st gen Kindle is hilarious. Thanks for an unexpected laugh.