Kindle 2 flaw: Lighter text causing headaches?
The blogosphere is buzzing with user reports that the text is lighter on the Kindle 2 than the Kindle 1. But is there more to the problem than meets the eye?
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Whenever a next-generation version of a product is launched, inevitably you get comparisons to the previous model--and what the older model did better. Well, in the case of the Kindle 2, the nitpicking is in full swing as several blogs have taken up the debate over whether the Kindle 2's text is lighter than the original Kindle's.
On Joe Wikert's Kindleville blog, one reader lodged the following complaint:
Side-by-side, the K1 text is bolder and jumps out at you. It's as if the low fidelity, dot-matrix-like typeface of the K1 is better suited for the reading experience than the feathered, crisp, 16-shades of gray of the K2. After 30 minutes of reading on the K2, my eyes get tired and I actually experience mild dizziness, headaches. Never experienced that with the K1.
In the Mobileread forums, a reader posted that he had decided to return the Kindle 2 after he noticed "low contrast on text as compared to kindle 1...text on kindle 1 is really good it is dark and somewhat thicker than kindle 2 at the same font size, menu is normal on kindle 2." He said he spoke to a Kindle representative (we assume a customer service person), who said he'd heard complaints from other Kindle 2 users as well.
On Amazon, there's a thread titled, "Amazon: Please make the text darker on Kindle 2!"
The thread's starter, BMK, is calling for an e-mail campaign to encourage Amazon to update the firmware on the Kindle 2 to fix the alleged problem.
"Kindle 2 is capable of producing darker text than the default setting, which is light, thin, and difficult to read for many people. Customer Service has reportedly told at least one person that the standard text could have been a darker shade of gray/black than the one that was chosen."
So, what's the deal? Are people imagining things or is there really an issue?
Well, we looked at the Kindle 2 and Kindle 1 side-by-side and it appears that the background is every so slightly lighter on the Kindle 1, which helps create the perception that the contrast is worse. Furthermore, the font on the home page for listing all your content is different on each Kindle 2. The font on the Kindle 1 has no serifs and appears bigger and bolder.
I personally read Michael Connelly's "The Brass Verdict" on a plane recently for 90 minutes straight on the Kindle 2 without a problem. I keep the font at level three (the middle size) and it seemed fine. Some say they notice the "lightening" issue more acutely with the two smaller font sizes. There's also a separate issue with images or text leaving a residue or ghost effect on your current page. (This I can confirm is definitely true). Some are saying that the more pronounced ghosting is a trade-off or byproduct of the Kindle 2's faster refresh rates on page turns.
The simple way to eliminate the "ghost" is to force a page refresh by pressing ALT-G on the Kindle 2's keyboard. Some forum posters have suggested that makes the text "pop" more, but I don't think it changes the lightness or darkness of the text--it just creates a uniform background that may slightly improve the perceived contrast of the text. All that said, it is a problem that hitting ALT-G has the impact it does--and Amazon needs to figure out a way to better clear the ghosting without having people do a manual page refresh.
Small changes to formatting may alter readers' perceptions.
(Credit: Kindleformatting.com)To further complicate matters, the Kindle 2 has slightly different formatting from the Kindle 1. The Kindle Formatting blog has an excellent post on all the small formatting changes (yes, the Kindle 2 has been reviewed in many different ways that you probably never thought of).
Joshua Tallent, the "e-book guru" behind the blog, writes:
"The new 16-level grayscale screen, in addition to making images clearer, has made the Kindle font (Caelicia) show up a bit better on the screen. That actually makes the font a little bit lighter, from what I can tell, but it does not make it significantly less readable."
In the end, it's difficult to say how much of an issue this really is. The screen flaws with the Sony PRS-700 are much more noticeable--and severe--and, as I said, I haven't had a problem reading for long periods on the Kindle 2. But I suspect that if you're a heavy Kindle 1 user, you may be sensitive to these slight changes.
The obvious solution would be for Amazon to put out some sort of firmware upgrade that will give readers a choice of contrast or text gradations in the settings menu that makes everyone happy (the question is whether this is possible). I would also hope that the same firmware upgrade addresses the ghosting and ALT-G issues. If there were a trade-off in performance, the user would ideally have some choice as to whether they want to make speed sacrifices.
As always, feel free to weigh in. If you own a Kindle 2--or both a Kindle 1 and Kindle 2--please post your personal observations.
Hunkered down in New York City, Executive Editor David Carnoy covers the gamut of gadgets and writes his Fully Equipped column, which carries the tag line "The electronics you lust for." He's also the author of "Knife Music," a novel. E-mail David. Follow David on Twitter. 
Love the screen, impressed with images and photos, I'm sold on the 5-point navigation. Just wish Amazon would darken the text, say 20% (the same amount the page turns were adjusted). After all, this is America..."If we could put a man on the moon..."
In short, there's a serious problem with the display. The text is simply too light to read comfortably. It needs far more contrast. It's hard to read even under perfect lighting conditions. Reading on my Ipod Touch is easier on my eyes.
I've been debating whether or not to send my Kindle back since the day it arrived. I really don't want to. Except for that one fatal flaw it's an excellent product. Yes, the interface is a little clunky. I wish the battery life were longer and that the battery were user-replaceable. But I expected that when I bought the thing. It could be better in those areas, but none of them are deal breakers. A screen that makes my eyes hurt is most definitely a deal-breaker though.
I called Amazon tech support today to see if they were aware of the problem. The tech support person was very polite but acted like she'd never heard about the issue. I referred her to CNET and to the discussion groups on the Amazon website. She said she'd look into it. I basically told her that I didn't want to return my Kindle and wait for the next generation, but that I'd have to do so unless Amazon publicly acknowledges the issue and promises a fix. And soon. I only have 30 days to return it. If I haven't heard something definitive by then I'm afraid my beloved Kindle will have to go back. It's simply not worth $350 in it's current state.
If you're thinking of buying one I suggest that you wait and see what Amazon does. Maybe they can simply release a firmware update that cranks up the contrast. I sincerely hope so.
Cathy815
It's not like we're asking Amazon to "Free Tibet" or anything; just send a simple Firmware Update that allows users to darken the text. Our eyes will thank you, Amazon!
In keeping with that position, they're sending me a new Kindle 2. I guess the theory is that they don't have a systemic problem with the display. They claim that I just got a bad unit. Judging from the thousands of discussion group posts and dozens of articles describing exactly the same problems, I rather doubt that the replacement will be any better. Hope springs eternal though so I'm going to give it a chance. I'll post again when the replacement arrives.
I have both a K1 and a K2 and see very little difference in the screens. The fonts are different. The K1 font is a little heavier and the line-height is larger. Both are quite readable. I do suspect that there are some bad batches of screens in the new K2. There were some bad screens in the K1 and Amazon replaced them upon request.
I've actually gotten used to the "fuzzier" K2 text. But why can't I have a choice? Anyone remember "New Coke?" Bottom line is, Amazon has little incentive to change their design mid-generation since it represents the #1 Player in e-readers. Once you introduce competition (Apple, Plastic Logic, Barnes & Noble?), then I guarantee they'd feel the heat and fix the text/contrast.
So, perhaps there is ANOTHER option open to Amazon to fix this issue, and that is to allow the user to SELECT this font as the default? This one really IS more readable....it looks just like the default font on my Sony PRS-505.
Perhaps this ISN'T an option? Maybe the font is "embedded" somehow in the AZW1 book? Anyone have any further insight?
But the real test was when I compared it to my K1. There was no comparision, whatsoever. The K1 text jumped out at me, while the slightly darker and larger "A Hidden Place" text seemed hazzy, fuzzy.
What does it all mean!?!
Off-Topic: GRvalencia, what did you think of the book. I rather enjoyed it (the story that is :-)
-Life in the Amazon
KINDLE: for those who are colorblind,.
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,4564.msg97308.html#msg97308
Some were interested in the 16-shades impact on photos, some wanted to compare them side by side, in general. I took some photos with natural light behind and above them but also some with a lamp distance favoring the Kindle though I aimed the light across the Kindle 2 to compensate for it. My K2 screen is just slightly green-tinged relative to K1 but is not a problem. In SOME light, the thinner font on the K2 is definitely lighter and it frustrates me because it's hard to focus on it when it's like this.
However, in most light it is okay. It all depends on how the light hits the Kindles and the strength of the light.
My K2 does not have the "dark gray" screen that so many others say they and relatives clearly see when comparing the K2 gray against their older K1 gray, and even between two K2s that they have.
E-Ink company's quality control may be somewhat subpar but I have mostly enjoyed my own K2 and would not return it, as it is still easier to read than some magazines, as I can change the font AND the distance between rows (Shift-Alt-[1 through 9] to expand or shrink distance from the default of '3'... The kerning is closer for the K2 which adds to difficulty with lighter font. But we can at least increase distance between rows.
Navigation and speed are much better on the K2 and, for the most part, it's a joy to use and actually quite addicting. I've never read so much in my life. And that includes the free RSS feeds pushed to my Kindle daily from kindlefeeder.com (for free) as well as the NewYorker with cartoons that costs $3/mo from Amazon and is beautifully formatted.
In looking at the K2 basic font in certain lighting, it's clear to me that it does not have to be so light and they should do something about this. That it's thinner means there's just that less to see easily.
But in most light, the font is dark enough. It's just that the K1 font is good in any light.
- Andrys
I bought a book today "Fault Line: A Novel" by Barry Eisler. Each chapter begins with the first line in bold font. It is just SO obvious how much better and more readable this is when you see some bold text followed by some normal text. If they would just offer a "bold all text" setting on the font selection screen, I think everyone would go away happy.
- by March 25, 2009 8:52 PM PDT
- I finally compared my Kindle2 side-by-side with another one at work...my screen was darker and the font fuzzier. I called Amazon and they overnighted me a replacement. It is MUCH better. the lightness of the background different is VERY slight, but the crispness of the font is very obvious. Several people have picked the new one in a blind test, saying the font was crisper and the screen background lighter.
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(26 Comments)YAAHHHH. I wasn't going crazy after all.
Hats off to Amazon Customer Service. They rock!