Pics of *good* Paperwhites

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

Sirmaru's image is definitely a shadow from a light source at the left as jswinden said. But I also clearly see the 4 darker blotchy areas at the bottom of the screen from the LEDs and a bit of that blotchy effect elsewhere. But I'll admit it's very minimal on your screen compared to others that I've seen. Everyone's eyes are different, but that's about the best screen I've seen from real users and the slightly dark blotches at the bottom wouldn't bother me at all.

I saw it as well, but it's really very minor and a very good screen overall, as you also said. I pretty much see the LED blotches at the bottom on everyone's screen to some degree, along with faint light at the bottom left.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Stingo

Blossom, give in to temptation. After some initial issues with the evenness of the lighting and the shading, some of which has gone away as the device has burnt in and some which I have gotten used to, I can tell you that it is the best kindle reading experience that I have had. Be sure to get it with the Kindle cover. The auto on / auto off effect with the cover makes it feel very "booky". My only regret is that they shrank the memory. I would love to carry a larger library around.

I'm going to wait and check out a demo. This is the first time I actually needed to. I just can't justify with the Quality control issues of ordering one. The non black text worries me. It's one of the reasons I was so unhappy with my K4S. So I'm going to wait. I will be upgrading my Kindle Fire I think to the HD version if I don't get a Paperwhite.

If I do get a PW I will get another Eco-Flip cover or something like it. I need my hand hold. For me the feature of opening a cover and turning on the PW isn't a real issue. I always go to home page before putting a Kindle to sleep because I have to sync when I am done.

[Barty]

simaru: nope I currently don't have a camera except on my iPad, and I wouldn't bother taking any photo with it.

I guess I'm just as baffled that you don't even have any shadows at bottom on yours as you are that other people see so many problems with theirs. But hey, I guess we run the gamut here.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I'm going to wait and check out a demo. This is the first time I actually needed to. I just can't justify with the Quality control issues of ordering one. The non black text worries me. It's one of the reasons I was so unhappy with my K4S. So I'm going to wait. I will be upgrading my Kindle Fire I think to the HD version if I don't get a Paperwhite.

If I do get a PW I will get another Eco-Flip cover or something like it. I need my hand hold. For me the feature of opening a cover and turning on the PW isn't a real issue. I always go to home page before putting a Kindle to sleep because I have to sync when I am done.

Blossom,

The PW syncs as soon as you close the Kindle cover which is built for it. It has a magnetic button which holds it closed, puts it to sleep and starts the sync. One does not have to go to the home page to have the sync.

I tested that by syncing my Kindle Fire as soon as I closed the PW and it was on the right page almost immediately.

However, it would pay to buy the PW in a brick and mortar store and test the unit's screen before paying for it. There are just too many defective screens being reported here.

Its also possible that it takes a few days for the glue between the screen layers to dry. The units being reported here have probably not been stockpiled for more than a day or so. In a few weeks demand may slacken and the PW's may spend some time in a warehouse allowing the glue to dry. Then the incidence of defects will probably plunge since the glue will be totally dry before shipment.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Its also revealing that neither the photo nor the actual device shows any imperfections at all on the bottom where all the photos I've seen here show deep blotches.

I can see the variation in light along the bottom of the screen in your picture from the lower LEDs. You don't have some strange new hardware configuration.

I've adjusted the contrast on a portion of the picture you uploaded to demonstrate. I beleive that the variation is less at higher light levels, such as you use.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

If that is true, then I have NO defects at all. The blue line was a SHADOW. Then my LEDs do not show at all on my screen anywhere. I certainly see no blotches, colors or other defects on my screen at all with my naked eyes.

I can see blotches on yours at the bottom, it's just faint. I really think all the PW's have this to some degree.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I can see the variation in light along the bottom of the screen in your picture from the lower LEDs. You don't have some strange new hardware configuration.

I've adjusted the contrast on a portion of the picture you uploaded to demonstrate. I beleive that the variation is less at higher light levels, such as you use.

I definitely see it in the picture you posted with heightened contrast. However, in the real world on the actual unit I don't see it at all.

It is possible that, using the default lighting of 22 of 24 possible, all otherwise noticeable screen layer shadows are eliminated. I use that lighting in dark and light envirnments. I don't find a need to reduce the lighting even in totally darkened rooms. Remember the only light we see is reflective light from the screen. It is not like the need to reduce screen brightness in darkened area for LCD screens like on the Fire. There the light is direct to one's eyes from the screen and not reflective.

Maybe others should also use that light level and they would have a better experience looking at the screen. As others have said, "ignorance is bliss." Don't take pictures of the screen and just enjoy reading the eBooks at the higher light levels.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Blossom,

The PW syncs as soon as you close the Kindle cover which is built for it. It has a magnetic button which holds it closed, puts it to sleep and starts the sync. One does not have to go to the home page to have the sync.

I tested that by syncing my Kindle Fire as soon as I closed the PW and it was on the right page almost immediately.

However, it would pay to buy the PW in a brick and mortar store and test the unit's screen before paying for it. There are just too many defective screens being reported here.

Its also possible that it takes a few days for the glue between the screen layers to dry. The units being reported here have probably not been stockpiled for more than a day or so. In a few weeks demand may slacken and the PW's may spend some time in a warehouse allowing the glue to dry. Then the incidence of defects will probably plunge since the glue will be totally dry before shipment.

I don't leave WiFi on all the time so it's a useless feature for me unless it turns it right back off then I would be interested.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Maybe folks are just being too picky when they opt to return their units. They use a camera to test their unit and then panic and call CS.

If I get one that looks like yours (still @ 10/25) then I will be happy with my pw.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Maybe others should also use that light level and they would have a better experience looking at the screen. As others have said, "ignorance is bliss." Don't take pictures of the screen and just enjoy reading the eBooks at the higher light levels.

In my case, I tried different light levels and it made no difference. It just really distracting to see greenish/bluish diagonal stripes going across the screen, so I can't really "enjoy" what I'm reading. You don't have the issue so it's seems you can't understand the problem some of us have. I've gone back to using my other Kindles for now.

Oh and the "sourcy" lights at the bottom don't bother me at all.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

In my case, I tried different light levels and it made no difference. It just really distracting to see greenish/bluish diagonal stripes going across the screen, so I can't really "enjoy" what I'm reading. You don't have the issue so it's seems you can't understand the problem some of us have. I've gone back to using my other Kindles for now.

Oh and the "sourcy" lights at the bottom don't bother me at all.

Those diagonal, colored lines could be drying glue like in the iPad 1's several years ago.

Sit on it for 10 days before returning it. Those lines may disappear by then on their own.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Those diagonal, colored lines could be drying glue like in the iPad 1's several years ago.

Sit on it for 10 days before returning it. Those lines may disappear by then on their own.

If my replacement PW looks better than the one I have now, I will not be waiting 10 days. This is an e-ink screen not LCD so I don't know that the iPad comparison is valid.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

If my replacement PW looks better than the one I have now, I will not be waiting 10 days. This is an e-ink screen not LCD so I don't know that the iPad comparison is valid.

I do know when on a LCD when the light is getting ready to go out it's gets a pink tint to it so I wouldn't want to keep it either. The pink tint may go away too for while then bulb may flash on and off till it's completely dead. My first LCD monitor did this. I left it on 24/7 after switching from CRT not understanding they only have so much life. Now I make sure to turn them off when not in use.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I do know when on a LCD when the light is getting ready to go out it's gets a pink tint to it so I wouldn't want to keep it either. The pink tint may go away too for while then bulb may flash on and off till it's completely dead. My first LCD monitor did this. I left it on 24/7 after switching from CRT not understanding they only have so much life. Now I make sure to turn them off when not in use.

That would have been a monitor with a fluorescent bulb for backlight. LEDs (which are used in modern monitors and in the Kindle PW) do not fail in the same way.

[setite]

To help I just took a bunch of photos. Ideally I should have used my nifty fifty prime lens, but I used my Sigma 18-250 macro superzoom lens on a Canon T3i. I threw in a lazy HDR photo too . The super dark photo was an attempt to show that even when you turn the screen all the way down, it is still slightly lit. I noticed this reading in bed. The only time the light is truly off is when you press the power button to sleep. It seems the magnetic cover doesn't even turn the light off right away.



EDIT: Below are photos that should be a little sharper since I used a Canon 50mm 1.8 Prime Lens. It did have a cheap Zeikos UV filter that I was unwilling/too lazy to remove.