I am trying out something a bit different here. I am going to review the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. I know I am late to the e-reader reviews, but this is not a review of it as a piece of tech, per se, but as an EDC item.

This is not a tech blog on purpose. But sometimes its fun to look at tech from an EDC perspective. Is this piece of tech small enough and important enough to carry everyday? Is it durable enough to carry everyday? Does it have features or performance that warrant taking it with you everywhere? Very few pieces of tech answer all three questions in the affirmative. Some pieces of tech, regardless of how difficult they are to use, are required in modern life (think: cellphone). But every once in a while something will fit the EDC mold AND be a piece of tech. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is just such a piece of gear.

Here is the product page. There are two versions, one with 32 GB of storage ($159.95) and one with 8 GB of storage ($129.95). I have the 8 GB version. Given that downloads are basically instantenous and the fact that I do not read more than one book at a time, the 8 GB version is fine for me. If you travel and don’t have access to wifi, then maybe you want to load up on the storage so you can read uninterrupted for a very long time. Here is a written review of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. Here is a video review. I received mine as a Christmas present this year. Since then I have read 13 books including the series that is captured in the photos below. I will send you the QSP Parrot if you are the first to name the series AND the book in the comments below.

Because I do not have a scoring system for e-readers and I don’t intend to make one, I am going to use the format I have for video overviews with a recommendation at the end.

What I Like

Display

We are so used to LEDs that the e-Ink seems strange, but the reality is, for this application it is leagues better than what you find on an iPad, iPhone, or any other smart device. It works brilliantly in the sunlight and it works beautifully at night when backlit. Its clean, distortion-free, and incredibly sharp even up close.

Size

It is a hard balance to strike between a huge screen and a huge device. I find the balance struck here just right, given that this is not a daily carry, pocket device. As something you slip in a bag or a purse, this is ideal. I also like the thickness and weight of the device. Its light but still feels solid.

Interface/Speed

Downloading books is not a taxing thing, so, of course, the device is fast. But the real positive here is that I have never had a freeze, failure, or hiccup with the Kindle. It works very, very well and everything is intuitive, working exactly like you would like it to. Amazon clearly took a page from Apple in the look and feel of the UI. It is, for the record, vastly better than the interface on the pretty meh Amazon Echo True Wireless headphones.

Price

Amazon has made it clear that they are going to dominate the market here and they have priced the Paperwhite accordingly. It is better than any e-reader out there, other than the top of the line Amazon Oasis, and yet it is Paperwhite is $149.95.

What I Don’t Like

Charging Port

USB-C is just better than Mini USB. What’s even better than that is Qi charging. The fact that some devices don’t have this charging method in 2020, to me, seems stupid. No wires, no ports that get damaged, nothing to swap or replace. Frankly every consumer electronic from drills to e-readers should have Qi charging. And barring that, USB-C. This, like the Echo ear buds, is an inexplicable commitment to old tech when the new tech is cheap and way better.

Position of the On/Off Button

The power button should be on the side, not the bottom that rests on your person when you are reading. By having the button at the bottom of the unit, it means that you can inadvertently turn it off. It doesn’t happen often, but it has happened more than once. There is no reason the button couldn’t be on the side, either. Its not like there is a speaker or some port that prevents a change in placement.

Conclusion

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Kindle has completely changed how and how much I read. With the ability to read in the sunlight AND at night, plus the convenience of slim device with tons of books, I haven’t even thought about buying a non-reference book since I got the Kindle for Christmas. I am also convinced that the Kindle Paperwhite is the unit to buy. The fancier and more expensive Oasis offers no appreciable upgrade, and the Paperwhite’s simplicity is a feature not a flaw. It works because there is no distraction.

Having read books on my iPad, I can definitely state that the Kindle Paperwhite is a superior experience. There are no pop ups, not notifications, no wireless issues, no fade out in the sun, and no glaring brightness at night. I do think that Amazon, in general, is still a step behind Apple in terms of design of consumer electronics and UIs on said devices. But everyone is. More than a decade after the release of the iPod and no one is even close to Apple. They have gotten at the same rate or faster than their competition has. That said, of the competition I have used—a PC laptop, various Sony devices, various Microsoft devices, a slew of Android stuff—Amazon is the closest based on my experiences with the Paperwhite and to a much lesser extent the Echo Earbuds (which, comparatively speaking, are nowhere near as good as the competition and clearly not the top of the heap like the Paperwhite is).

Finally, I think the Paperwhite makes a persuasive case that it should be considered part of a person’s EDC. Its handy enough, small enough, and durable enough to clearly earn its spot. If you are a reader, I would go so far as to say that this is a critical item. I don’t think it ranks up there with the “Big Three”: wallet, keys, and phone, but it is in that next tier with a pen, knife, and light. In a recent, pre-Covid trip to the DMV I took the Big Three and this and I was perfectly entertained for the 45 minutes it took to get my license renewed. Ironically, there was no line, just no attendants at the counter, so I sat there and read.

Amazon Purchase Links

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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite