Kindle Paperwhite 3G+Wi-Fi 6" E-Reader

I pre-ordered my new Kindle Paperwhite the moment it was announced. I currently own the 3rd generation Kindle, aka Kindle Keyboard, and was finally ready for an upgrade. I skipped on the original Paperwhite because my trusty old Kindle keyboard was (and is) still going strong and I really didn't have a compelling enough reason to upgrade until this year. Age and the annoying presbyopia that comes along with it has made reading more of a challenge. As recently as last year, I could read my Kindle keyboard comfortably in pretty much any lighting other than really low light. In that short time span it became progressively harder to read my Kindle, even with reading glasses, unless I had absolutely perfect lighting. Perfect lighting isn't always available, especially late at night when you're trying to squeeze in one extra chapter while your sleepy significant other lies beside you pondering a million ways to extract revenge for the loss of sleep. So I hightailed it to Amazon and ordered the latest Paperwhite. The illuminated screen, sharp crisp text, and better contrast of the new Kindle Paperwhite was the perfect solution. I no longer have to search for perfect lighting and I no longer have to nervously sleep with one eye open after finishing a late night reading marathon. I still need the reading glasses but at least I don't need to light the Kindle up like Times Square to be able to read it. Once I had my new Kindle in hand, I immediately appreciated the upgrade from my old Kindle. The new touch sensitive screen is much better and brighter than my previous model and absolutely perfect. Although I don't normally fret over tiny backlighting issues, I found no problems whatsoever with the new Paperwhite screen. It's bright and evenly lit. I read about issues with the previous Paperwhite screen while researching for a new Kindle but the screen looks perfectly fine to me. Operation of the Kindle using the touchscreen is much faster and more responsive than my Kindle Keyboard buttons. Speaking of buttons, I love that I no longer have the awkward side buttons that I would occasionally press by accident while holding the Kindle with one hand causing unintended page turns. The touch screen also makes tasks like highlighting, jumping to different sections and even typing itself so much easier. If you're coming from a non-touchscreen Kindle, learning to use the touchscreen is super easy and there is a brief tutorial as soon as you power on the device to help get you accustomed to using the touchscreen and features. In a matter of minutes I was navigating through my new Kindle just as easily and effortlessly as my previous model. You would think typing with a keyboard is easier but the Kindle Keyboard only has letters on the main keyboard. I had to press buttons to open menus and use a d-pad to navigate as well as to find special characters and numbers. It was chore if I had to enter things that contain a combination of letters, numbers and special characters, like my Wi-Fi password. Now I just type everything on the screen with ease. The screen resolution and lighting are perfect and allow me to read anywhere, even in bed with the lights off as my wife sleeps undisturbed. As far as size, the Paperwhite is smaller in both height and width, especially without the keyboard, but still retains the same screen size. The size, weight, ease of use and better readability have made this a very satisfying purchase. I only have one complaint, the omission of the AC adapter. It was included with my Kindle Keyboard as well as my Kindle Fire (1st gen) but the Paperwhite only comes with a USB cable for charging. I could use the charger for my previous Kindle but I gave it to my daughter along with the Kindle Keyboard. I did have a few extra USB chargers lying around from old cell phones but had already gave or tossed those away as well. It's always unwanted junk lying around the house until the day after you get rid of it. That's when you discover you actually still need it. Lesson learned. Anyway, I begrudgingly purchased the optional 5W charger. I just feel that it should be included, even if it bumps the price up a couple dollars (although not nearly the $20 Amazon charges for the adapter). At least I got five bucks knocked off the price for bundling and an MP3 store credit. Other than excluding the charger, I have absolutely no other complaints about my Kindle Paperwhite. In addition to the adapter, I purchased the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather Cover, Royal Purple (does not fit Kindle or Kindle Touch) which fits the Kindle like a glove. Although the new Kindle Fire HDX looks like an awesome new tablet, I didn't need another tablet, I needed a better E-reader. That's why I stuck with the Paperwhite. I just prefer reading on traditional Kindles instead of full-feature color tablets. I've tried reading on the original Kindle Fire, as well as an iPad Mini, an iPad 4, and a Nexus 7 (through the Kindle app). I just never found reading for long stretches on a full-color glossy screen tablet to be anywhere as enjoyable or immersive as reading on my Kindle. Despite the beautiful full-color covers and photos that the full-feature tablets offer, they just don't have that feel that's comparable to reading a page from a real book like the traditional Kindle e-readers. Color tablets are better suited for magazines and graphical novels but not plain old text. The Kindle's e-ink display is still king of the hill when it comes to reading primarily text. That's just my personal preference. If you do not currently own a color tablet you may have a more difficult decision to make because tablets like the Kindle HDX include numerous other benefits that basically turn it into a little handheld computer and personal entertainment device. If I didn't already own other tablets I may have opted for the HDX but I honestly prefer having a dedicated E-reader and would likely still keep a Kindle E-reader on hand, even if I purchased the HDX. The low prices Amazon's of entire Kindle line definitely make owning both a possibility for anyone in need of both. For the same price as a 16GB Retina iPad, you could purchase a Kindle HDX 8.9 and a Paperwhite. For just a tad more than the cost of an iPad Mini, you could purchase a 7" Kindle HDX and a Paperwhite. Unfortunately, I think some of the costs are recouped through the price of the accessories but at least they aren't mandatory. If you prefer a cover and charger there are plenty of good quality Paperwhite covers and compatible USB AC adapters you could buy for much cheaper. If you already own a Kindle and still have the AC adapter or have one for a smartphone laying around, you could also use that. If you are experiencing diminished vision like me, tired of relying on external light sources, or simply looking for a new E-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite is the way to go. The improved performance, bright backlight and improved usability of the touchscreen has made this a very satisfying purchase. The reliability of my previous Kindle provides the comfort of knowing this Kindle will be my reading buddy for at least the next few years.