When the very first Kindle was made available back in 2007, it was much too pricey for my budget. (In spite of its cost of $399, it sold out in 3 1/2 hours.) I longed to be among those early adopters, but at those prices, it wasn’t possible. So, I started a shoebox-bank and gradually built a good amount of $, and by the time the Kindle 2 hit the price point of $259, I was financially ready to jump in….. and it changed my reading life.

The Kindle Keyboard came next, and I still own that model. I primarily use it in the bathtub, because it is easy to turn pages with the keys while the kindle is protected in a zip-lock plastic bag.

I ordered the Touch when it came out about 2 years ago, anxious to try out the new touch screen, but I didn’t keep it a full week. That model was awful. I was constantly losing my place as the ‘touch’ was too sensitive, and it consistently landed me in places that I didn’t want to be. Finding my way back to my last-read spot was ridiculously time consuming. I quickly sent that one back to Amazon. (Their return policy is quite generous… you have 30 days to send back a Kindle.)

And now … the Paperwhite. I bought this model last September and I’ve used it every day since. I’ve traveled with it. Used it outdoors and inside. And at night …. every night.

So what do I think?

Verdict: Best Kindle EVER.

When I originally posted my thoughts about this model, I lamented the lack of hard keys to click the pages. I don’t miss them anymore. The Paperwhite is so responsive to touch that a simple touch with my thumb turns the page instantly.

And to my delight, the touch sensitivity has been completely accurate. It has never skipped pages or jumped oddly in any way. It has been perfect.

I do not miss the physical keyboard at all (but I never rarely type anything on my Kindle).

Highlighting is now a new favorite activity of mine. I LOVE to highlight on the Paperwhite. A simple touch and slide over the area you wish to save, and *poof* the job is done. (In contrast, since I am still using the Keyboard occasionally (in the bathtub), I went to highlight something the other day and touched the Keyboard screen out of habit. Silly me. I then remembered that I had to do it the ‘old’ way, with the cursor button. Humpf! That was too much work The Paperwhite’s touch ability to highlight is much, much better (easier!) than ever before).

Checking on the definition of a word is also an easy happy task on the Paperwhite. I never thought it was a chore on the Keyboard, but it certainly is when compared to the ease of the Paperwhite. Just touch the word and there it (the definition) is.

I’ve used the Paperwhite in all kinds of light, from the bright sun of a Caribbean beach to the darkness of my bedroom (I read every night before going to sleep). The Paperwhite is perfect in ALL of these conditions. Remember ….. you cannot see an iPad screen or a Kindle Fire screen in bright sunlight. Those are backlit screens and they wash out.

But the Paperwhite screen is made of e-ink. Reading in the sun is like reading on paper. The brighter, the better. And then, at night, the built in light is awesome. This light is completely adjustable. When set to it’s fullest brightness, the screen resembles a back-lit screen. (Remember… even though at full brightness it looks like a back-lit screen of a computer or tablet, it is NOT a back-lit screen. This is important. An e-ink screen is much easier on your eyes and does not interfere with sleep.) With the dimmer, you can soften the light so that it is just perfect for your comfort as you rest before sleep. Not too bright…just right.

The size is wonderful. Small enough to carry in a purse and not even notice that it is there until you want it.

Battery life is awesome. I use it a LOT and I probably plug it in for a charge maybe once every OTHER week or even more. I rarely think about it. AND… I could probably extend that if I turned off the wireless.

The Bad? I have only one objection, and that is how the “Award Winning Books” gallery appears on the bottom of the home screen. While I don’t think anyone would actually buy a book in error, I just don’t appreciate the ‘push’ of merchandise, there. I would rather the homescreen just showed books that I personally own and are available to me on my Kindle.

There had been a lot of flack about the light and a few smudge spots at the bottom of the screen on the Paperwhite. Seriously… in my opinion this is much ado about nothing. I don’t even notice it.

I truly am a huge fan of this e-reader. I could go on about the x-ray, fonts, etc, but if you have stuck with my ramblings for this long, I’m sure your patience has come to an end.

The Paperwhite is great. Nuff said.