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   Amazon Announces New Kindle Paperwhite

   Josh Centers

   Amazon has [1]announced an updated version of the Kindle Paperwhite,
   the company's touchscreen, backlit ebook reader that debuted in 2012,
   with a number of enhancements and new features for parents and serious
   readers. The new [2]Kindle Paperwhite costs $119 (or $139 without ads)
   and will ship on 30 September 2013. You can preorder it today.

   First, the obvious upgrades. The new Paperwhite retains the 6-inch
   screen of the previous model but features a new display technology with
   higher contrast. Additionally, the processor is 25 percent faster for
   peppier book opening and page turning, and the touch grid is 19 percent
   tighter, for better response to touches. Also, the built-in light has
   been improved to reduce eyestrain.

   [3][tn_Kindle-Paperwhite1.jpg]

   As welcome as those updates are, they pale in comparison to the new
   software features. Foremost among them is [4]Kindle Page Flip, which
   lets you skim through a book without losing your place. To complement
   Page Flip are inline footnotes, which display footnote text in a
   pop-up, again without losing your place. While Amazon suggests that you
   could use Page Flip to refer back to the map of Beyond the Wall in
   George R.R. Martin's '[5]A Dance With Dragons,' I suspect these two
   features will be particularly appreciated by students and academics.

   [6][tn_Kindle-Page-Flip1.jpg]

   Two other new features are aimed at parents and children: [7]Kindle
   FreeTime and [8]Vocabulary Builder. FreeTime expands the concept of
   parental controls to not only limit what your kids can read, but to
   actually encourage them to read. Parents will be able to select books
   for their children, and FreeTime will provide a report on what the kids
   have read, as well as award badges when they hit milestones. The
   Vocabulary Builder compiles words looked up in the dictionary into a
   single list, and will build flashcards for interactive quizzes.

   [9][tn_Kindle-Paperwhite-Free-Time.jpg]

   [10][tn_Kindle-Paperwhite-Vocab-Builder1.jpg]

   Speaking of the dictionary, another useful feature is [11]Smart Lookup,
   which adds information from Kindle X-Ray and Wikipedia to the
   dictionary definition. The example Amazon gives is the term 'credit
   default swaps' in Michael Lewis's '[12]The Big Short.' Older Kindles
   would merely define the individual terms, but the new Paperwhite will
   recognize it as an important phrase, and give a more thorough
   explanation.

   Finally, the Kindle Paperwhite gets social, featuring integration with
   Amazon's recently acquired [13]Goodreads social network. You'll be able
   to see what your friends are reading, share excerpts, and rate books on
   Goodreads.

   [14][tn_Kindle-Paperwhite-Goodreads.jpg]

   Also new for all Kindle users is the new [15]Kindle MatchBook service,
   which is reminiscent of iTunes Match for books. MatchBook gives you the
   opportunity to obtain free or discounted Kindle copies of eligible
   physical books that you've purchased from Amazon. For more details,
   check out '[16]Amazon Announces Kindle MatchBook,' 3 September 2013.

   Overall, the new Kindle Paperwhite looks to be the best standalone
   ebook reader yet, with thoughtful improvements for students and
   parents. It is the first Kindle I've seen that could provide solid
   educational benefits over conventional books. While Apple's iPad is a
   wonderfully versatile device, this new Kindle Paperwhite offers a
   focused ebook reader that beats the iPad handily (for this particular
   purpose!) on price, size, weight, and lack of distraction. While I'm
   sure many of these new features will eventually make their way to the
   [17]Kindle iOS app, I can't wait to try out the new Kindle Paperwhite.

References

   1. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1851497
   2. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AWH595M/?tag=tidbitselectro00
   3. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/Kindle-Paperwhite1.png
   4. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-imageproduct18
   5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dance_with_Dragons
   6. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/Kindle-Page-Flip1.png
   7. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-imageproduct20
   8. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-imageproduct21
   9. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/Kindle-Paperwhite-Free-Time.png
  10. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/Kindle-Paperwhite-Vocab-Builder1.png
  11. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-imageproduct22
  12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Short
  13. http://www.goodreads.com/
  14. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/Kindle-Paperwhite-Goodreads.png
  15. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1001373341
  16. http://tidbits.com/article/14075
  17. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kindle-read-books-ebooks-magazines/id302584613?mt=8&&at=10l5PW

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