Although ebook readers may not be as popular as they used to be, they still have a place in many readers’ hearts. Amazon is more or less the king of ebook readers, and its new Kindle Paperwhite is the cream of the crop. The new Paperwhite has a higher-resolution screen, a new eye-friendly font, and comes with or without cellular data and ads.
The device is almost exactly the same as the old Paperwhite with its 6-inch, glare-free screen, but the new model has “twice as many pixels” as the previous version and features what Amazon calls “laser quality text.” The 300 pixel-per-inch density should make the text even crisper and easier to read. Amazon’s also introduced a new font called Bookerly, and a new typesetting engine makes the new font scale better when you enlarge the text of your ebook.
The Paperwhite is backlit, easily readable in the sun, and doesn’t strain your eyes as much as your smartphone or tablet screen does. It measures 6.7 x 4.6 x 0.36 inches and weighs either 7.2 or 7.6 ounces, depending on which model you buy. The Wi-Fi-only Paperwhite is slightly lighter, while the 3G-equipped version is a touch heavier. Like most ebook readers, the new Paperwhite’s battery should last about a month on a charge.
Those who are interested in the new model can preorder the device for $120 with ads on Amazon’s website. The devices should ship on June 30 to those who preordered. If you want to ditch the ads, you’ll pay just $20 more, bringing the total price up to $140. The 3G version costs $190 with ads and $210 without them. Although the extras can bring the price up a bit, the Paperwhite is still the best bang for your buck when it comes to Kindle ebook readers.
