New model Kindle 4 just arrived at my home!

[nesler]

Originally Posted by Papi

I agree. I thought maybe the eInk layer is still the same but they have a different glass layer on top of it that is less reflective / more transparent, but even if it's "only" that I think they surely would have advertised it...Well it's not the first time we hear of 2 supposedly same (Pearl) screen that look different. Or like some suggested, maybe eInk screens do slowly fade with time.

Some time ago, I remember reading an article (or forum post) in which the author had used photographic equipment to determine the black/white levels of the K3, in order to compare it to previous generations. Sounds like we need a new round of tests.

Come to think of it, it may have been a fairly simplistic test involving the use of Photoshop to check light levels of the font and background in photos taken of various Kindles.

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Enjoy!

Would love to know about page numbers and locations,please!?!

What would you like to know? I can tell you they work just like they did on the K3 if that helps.

[Daveoc64]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

If they had improved on the Pearl screen, why would they not be trumpeting that from the rooftops?

They're still selling the "Kindle Keyboard" and in their comparison table, they list all of the devices (Kindle Keyboard, Kindle DX, Kindle Touch and "Kindle") as having a x" E Ink Pearl screen.

There are two possibilities here:

1) They don't want to make the older Kindle Keyboard/Kindle DX look bad by comparison

2) The screen genuinely hasn't changed

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

I'm convinced the e-ink screen fades with time, and that's what's causing it to look inferior on the Kindle 3.

I'm fairly certain the new K4 screen is what my K3 looked like when it was brand new.

My K3 is only three months old and was seldom out doors as it literally got over 100 degrees nearly everyday this past summer. @Scion can verify the temps as she lives in the same metroplex. So I didn't read out doors! Didn't want to melt.

[nesler]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

I'm convinced the e-ink screen fades with time, and that's what's causing it to look inferior on the Kindle 3.

I'm fairly certain the new K4 screen is what my K3 looked like when it was brand new.

I'm not comfortable with these sorts of subjective tests. Looking at a Kindle 2 screen, it looks pretty good until you put a K3 next to it. The human mind is INCREDIBLY subjective. The issues Sony had with clarity and contrast in their first generation of touch-based readers serves as a pretty good lesson on how much quality can be impacted by what is between the e-ink screen and your eyes.

Claims about fading have to be regarded as extremely subjective, until testing can be done comparing K3s to one another, showing if there are variations from one to the next.

[Daveoc64]

Originally Posted by jswinden

What would you like to know? I can tell you they work just like they did on the K3 if that helps.

Can you try and see if you can access archived personal documents?

http://ilmk.wordpress.com/2011/09/29...-the-in-cloud/

It might need the Kindle 4.0.1 update

[replica145]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Here are the menu items from various screens in case you would like to compare them with your K3:

Home Screen Menu

• Turn Wireless Off
• Shop in Kindle Store
• Change Font Size
• View Archived Items
• Search
• Create New Collection
• Sync & Check for Items
• View Downloading Items
• Settings
• View Special Offers
• Experimental
• Screen Rotation

Settings Screen Menu

• Turn Wireless Off
• Shop in Kindle Store
• Change Font Size
• Update Your Kindle
• Restart
• Reset to Factory Defaults
• Legal
• Sync & Check for Items
• Screen Rotation

Collections Screen Menu

• Turn Wireless Off
• Shop in Kindle Store
• Change Font Size
• Add/Remove Items
• Rename collection
• Delete Collection
• Screen Rotation

Book Screen Menu

• Turn Wireless Off
• Shop in Kindle Store
• Change Font Size
• Go to...
• Sync to farthest Page Read
• Book description
• Search this Book
• Add Bookmark
• View Notes & Marks
• View Popular Highlights

Can you change the font size of the home screen, as in the titles/collections displayed? Or does it just allow you to change your book font while outside the book?

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by jswinden

My K3 is only three months old and was seldom out doors as it literally got over 100 degrees nearly everyday this past summer. @Scion can verify the temps as she lives in the same metroplex. So I didn't read out doors! Didn't want to melt.

It's my story and I'm sticking to it!

*puts fingers in ears* lalalalalalalaallala

I really don't think the eInk screen is any different on the K3 and the K4. They are both Pearl 6" screens. I do think that either Amazon used a different top layer over the K3 screen and/or they tweaked the firmware to make the K4 screen work better. I've read that the eInk screens have much more capabilities than is utilized by current readers, so perhaps they tweaked the software to take better advantage of some of those capabilities.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by jswinden

What would you like to know? I can tell you they work just like they did on the K3 if that helps.

So, to be clear: There is a progress bar with the percentage read and chapter marks, then when you choose the menu it displays the page/location numbers?

Originally Posted by replica145

Can you change the font size of the home screen, as in the titles/collections displayed? Or does it just allow you to change your book font while outside the book?

No, that option is greyed out on the Home screen.

Originally Posted by Nyssa

So, to be clear: There is a progress bar with the percentage read and chapter marks, then when you choose the menu it displays the page/location numbers?

Yes, see the photos I posted on the first post. You see Page x of y - Location xx of yy when you press the Menu button.

[replica145]

Originally Posted by jswinden

No, that option is greyed out on the Home screen.

Darn. I'm really hoping for some more customization with the next major update. Thanks for the info!

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Yes, see the photos I posted on the first post. You see Page x of y - Location xx of yy when you press the Menu button.

That's exactly what I wanted to know! Thank you very much.

[xari]

FYI: We ordered one of these for my Mom (non-KSO version) and I've been playing with it/getting it set up for her.

In any case, just wanted to report that the page turns on the K4 are CRAZY fast now.

Basically, it seems as though they've been able to eliminate that split-second black-out (inverse image) that we've all become used to.

I find that the black-out happens very occasionally, but most of the time the text of the current page simply gets overlayed with the text of the next page for an instant and then the text of the new page kind of snaps into focus.

It's really kind of neat!

[Edit: Corrected a typo.]