Amazon prices up Kindle Paperwhite for Blighty
Always-on backlight, higher res display
Amazon has priced up the Kindle Paperweight - sorry, Paperwhite; Freudian slip there - for the UK.
The Paperwhite is Amazon’s first e-reader with a backlit E Ink display, the notion being that the illumination doesn’t merely make it possible to read books on the gadget in the gloom, but also that it makes for a higher contrast view in better lit situations.
The display is 6in in size and sports a higher resolution - Amazon didn’t say what - to yield a pixel density of 212ppi, up from 167ppi on the old 800 x 600 Kindle. Better screen, but less storage, mind: the Paperwhite has 2GB of on-board storage, 1.3GB of which is available for book storage, down from 4GB. There’s no storage expansion port.
Like Barnes & Noble’s existing Nook SimpleTouch with Glowlight - launched earlier this year, but making its UK debut shortly - the Paperwhite sports a touchscreen. It replaces the old Kindle Touch. Amazon claims the Paperwhite has an eight-week battery light with the backlight on.
Unlike the B&N e-reader, the 169 x 117 x 9mm Paperwhite has 3G connectivity if you’re willing to pay £60 extra for it. The Wi-Fi only version will set you back £109. Amazon’s taking orders now, but won’t ship product until 25 October. ®
COMMENTS
Re: Backlight???
"I think we can afford not to be too pedantic about it."
You do read the comments forum don't you?
Pedantry is something that us I.T. chaps are quite proud of.
Re: Hmm - sold at cost for £75 in the US or with a 46% margin in the UK
The $119 version is without sales tax and is ad-supported. The non-ad-supported version is $139 and is the version we get in the UK.
$139 = £86.53 + VAT = £103.84
A £6 difference isn't that bad. Amazon are one of the better companies for price equality between the US and UK.
Re: 30 minutes a day for 8 weeks...
I made no comment on whether or not it was low. But wouldn't it be less misleading if Amazon advertised the battery life as 28 hours rather than 8 weeks?
I'm surprised they didn't advertise it as unlimited* battery life.
*Based on 0 hours reading per day
I don't see why there is such a fad for touchscreens. (I have a kindle keyboard 3G but I would probably get one of these if it didn't have a touchscreen).
The main reason why this is good is negated by scumming up the screen with fingerprints.
If you use a screen protector you remove one of the great properties of eink.
(If the screen stays immaculate for a year for most people perhaps I will reconsider).
It sucks you don't even get a wall charger anymore with kindles as well. (I am glad I have two already one free with a replacement kindle).
Re: Hmm - sold at cost for £75 in the US or with a 46% margin in the UK
You are missing out on things like tax and such.
Americans have different sales taxes levied by different states so it is impossible to quote a single price for the whole of the US unless you go excluding tax.We have the luxury of having a national single rate so it can be included in the sticker price. I know that doesn't account for all of the difference, but it does take the edge off it. They would also have to deal with different financial pressures in different markets, shipping and have to price it based on an estimate of what they reckon the exchange rate is going to do over the next year or so.
I persnally do not think it's that bad a differential.
