An almost-perfect Kindle? Why the Colorsoft left me torn

The Kindle Colorsoft hasn’t had the best launch. Final 12 months, Amazon made headlines when it introduced its first coloration E Ink pill, with early appears to be like on the gadget promising vibrant coloration for graphic novel readers, all inside that acquainted Kindle interface that we’ve grown to love.

Nevertheless, upon launch, issues shortly went haywire, with studies surfacing that many items had a noticeable yellow strip on the backside that would not go away regardless of what number of instances the gadget was refreshed or reset. After pulling the gadget from their web site and providing an untold variety of refunds and apologies, Amazon quietly fixed the issue, which was reportedly brought on by glue, and really subtly re-launched the Colorsoft, hoping that this preliminary blunder would quickly be forgotten.

After a number of months, I lastly bought my fingers on the Kindle Colorsoft, and now that the yellow strip situation is effectively and really gone, this e-reader is a straightforward suggestion for comedian and graphic novel fanatics. For everybody else although, there is a bit extra to think about from the colourful Colorsoft.

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Kindle Colorsoft

Amazon’s first-ever Kindle e-reader with a 7-inch coloration E Ink show, good for studying magazines, comedian books or graphic novels.

Execs & Cons

• Vibrant coloration E Ink show is simple to learn
• Auto-adjusting entrance gentle sensor works effectively
• Wonderful battery life, even with coloration

• Costly
• Does not include a wi-fi charger
• Slower web page turns

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Value, availability and specs

The Kindle Colorsoft is undoubtedly the brand new “ultra-premium” Kindle mannequin, changing the fan-favorite Oasis because the mannequin above the Paperwhite. And the worth definitely displays this standing, as it’s at present the most costly (non-Scribe) Kindle, costing an eye-watering $280, nearly double the worth of the usual Kindle Paperwhite.

In fact, the important thing improve customers get for this value is the colour E Ink display screen, however the Kindle Colorsoft additionally boasts a barely larger body housing the identical 7-inch display screen, in addition to a battery able to eight weeks of life (primarily based on half-hour of day by day utilization) which Amazon says is identical regardless of whether or not the colour operate is getting used or not.

All Colorsoft items include 32GB of onboard storage (sufficient for a number of hundred books) and are additionally ad-free by default, that means customers do not should pay further to take away Amazon’s lock display screen “options,” and customers can get pleasure from coloration guide covers, or certainly one of Amazon’s premium coloration screensavers when not actively studying.

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What I preferred concerning the Kindle Colorsoft

A vibrant world of coloration

As somebody who often reads manga, graphic novels, and comics, I used to be fairly excited when the Kindle Colorsoft was introduced. Although there are a number of different E Ink coloration e-readers on the market, I used to be curious to see how Kindle, which has turn into kind of synonymous with e-reading within the US, would deal with this new function.

I downloaded Moon Knight within the Evening (2014) and Hellboy Wake the Satan (1994), two comics that I really personal arduous copies of, to check out the colour operate. And although the E Ink does not precisely mirror the pages of the books completely, it is vibrant and contains a very excessive distinction that helps to seize the temper and tone of those two, very darkish volumes.

This was helped by the Colorsoft’s vivid coloration mode, which will increase the depth of colours in less-saturated imagery. In accordance with Amazon, this mode does not produce any extra pressure on battery life, so I discovered myself simply leaving it on because it made no matter I used to be studying look higher, immediately.

Web page turns had been fast, although speedy comics readers might want to get used to a small pause whereas the display screen does a full refresh throughout every flip. Customers additionally may also discover a bit of pause in the event that they use the zoom and pan capabilities to see sure panels up shut, because the show switches to a decrease decision whereas adjusting the picture, after which will reload the picture in its highest decision as soon as completed. The impact is fairly fast, and although it would really feel annoying the primary few instances a consumer turns the web page, I discovered myself quickly getting used to it as I paged via acquainted volumes, at the same time as I zoomed and swiped via completely different panels.

After I converted from comics to studying a daily text-based guide, I discovered the expertise to be just about the identical as studying on a Kindle Paperwhite, with speedy web page activates the unit’s shiny, 7-inch display screen. The auto-adjusting entrance sensor (which can be discovered on the Paperwhite) makes studying nearly anyplace really feel easy, and I discovered the Colorsoft duplicated this expertise precisely. The one actual enchancment that the Colorsoft brings to the desk over the Paperwhite is the flexibility to focus on in coloration, which is nifty, however wasn’t a function I used a lot in apply.

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What I did not like concerning the Kindle Colorsoft

The premium value could also be arduous to justify

As talked about beforehand, the Kindle Colorsoft is not low cost. At $280 it’s the most costly Kindle for studying solely, and for a value that’s almost double that of the Paperwhite, customers aren’t really getting that many new options, aside from the flexibility to see comics and graphic novels in coloration. And sadly, due to its coloration E Ink display screen, the Colorsoft really loses the darkish mode function, which is a little bit of a bummer.

It could have been good for the Colorsoft to incorporate some further options to assist justify its premium value level. A number of Reddit customers on the unofficial Kindle Subreddit have bemoaned the lack of bodily page-turning buttons (like those who had been included within the erstwhile Oasis mannequin) or the addition of a wi-fi charger in order that customers might benefit from the Colorsoft’s wi-fi charging function out of the field.

Such inclusions may need helped this unit really feel extra like a premium-level Kindle as an alternative of simply an costly Kindle with coloration, and will even have made this a extra interesting selection for readers who do not essentially learn graphic novels or comics.

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Do you have to purchase the Kindle Colorsoft?

All of it relies on what you learn

Let’s get this out of the way in which. When you solely learn text-based books, the Kindle Colorsoft is an pointless improve. Although seeing coloration covers is neat, it is not price nearly double the worth of the Kindle Paperwhite, which itself offers a premium-feeling studying expertise. The excessive value is an enormous issue for these contemplating an improve to this latest member of the Kindle household, and should you do not learn comics or graphic novels, you merely don’t want this unit.

Nevertheless, if you’re a graphic novel fanatic, and even only a informal comedian reader, the Kindle Colorsoft is certainly price a glance. The premium really feel of the unit and the vivid coloration E Ink show make studying on this unit a breeze and switching between image-based media and common novels makes this an important all-in-one gadget for the fixed reader.

Really helpful

Kindle Colorsoft

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