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Just keep in mind that most real books you read are printed on recycled paper that's beige, creme, off-white, somewhat yellow, grey, or a little brown anyway. The only "white paper" you actually read would be computer printouts.

I've never had a problem with "real books" and wished they were printed on "white paper" instead, nor have I ever complained about the Kindle display - it was always more than adequate in terms of contrast and colors. It's just the goddamn lag (esp. in the touch screen edition, which makes it so infuriating because of the lack of both tactile and visual feedback). So I'm inclined to just call this a marketing ploy.

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I wouldn't call it a ploy. They are trying to improve the readability of the characters on-screen. Books have very dark lettering, so the beige paper doesn't matter. E-ink, on the other hand, is still working on darkness, and so increased whiteness of the background can be used to bolster contrast.

I have a ereader from Asus that has a slightly yellow, slightly grey screen. I don't know exactly how to describe the color, but it looks like a piece of paper.

I completely agree. I only accept reading technical whitepapers because I have to. When I'm reading for comfort, I don't want my eyes subjected to a harsh white (which is what I feel is implied by them focusing on how white it is). I'd have to see it in front of me to be comfortable saying I could replace my non-lit, non-white screen ereader. If it's pure white, it's a no-go for bedtime reading with sleepy eyes.

I think the difference is that the kindle isn't a "real book" if real books were printed on perfectly white paper (that wasn't glossy) they would easily show up any marks or finger prints on the pages making it distracting to read in the future. This isn't an issue with the Kindle.

It's also possible that off white paper is cheaper to produce which made it the choice for mass produced books for many years leading to us being more comfortable with it than alternatives.

All that being said I've never had a problem with the contrast of the Kindle but that doesn't mean I won't be happier with the new high contrast version, once I get in my hands for a few weeks and read in different lighting conditions then I'll know for sure.

My biggest concern is the page turning of this latest version...

looking at non-marketing pictures of the new kindle [1], it looks like the screen is about the same colour as a paperback page. The real advantage of the white seems to be that the front-lighting is a warm white light, not the bluish light that the nook uses.

[1] http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/6/3295939/amazon-kindle-paper...

The 3rd from last picture compares the old & new Kindles with the backlight off. You can see the new one's color is closer to white, but it's not really that different. They're both still pretty close to a standard paperback.

However, in that picture you can see how much sharper the text on the new Kindle is. That really appeals to me.

I like my 3G, but I think I'd really like the increased resolution. The thing I worry about is turning pages. I like using the buttons on the sides of my Kindle to change pages (even if I think they should be reversed vertically). I'm not sure I like the idea of having to poke the screen all the time and get finger prints on it.

I'll have to see one in person either way. But they've got me interested.

I totally disagree. The biggest (or maybe 2nd biggest if you include battery life) disadvantage of ebook readers has always been contrast.

It was most obvious with the 1st gen, where they were unreadable in anything besides bright, direct sunlight. Even in the current gen, the cheapest paperback is still more readable in lower light than a Kindle or Nook.

Amazon knows its audience with the Kindle ebook readers. It's not gadget nerds, it's readers. Contrast and screen brightness are absolutely key to readers.

Agreed. You can choose from several different color schemes (foreground/background) for text on the Nook Color. I'm most comfortable with the cream colored scheme which is closest to actual print.

Yes. And since I am in charge of office supplies in my group, all the printer paper is recycled, too.

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