With the Colorsoft, Amazon is now selling its first Kindle reader with a color e-ink display. In the practical test, the device proves to be a real eye-catcher and is also largely technically convincing. However, this has its price.
Amazon took quite a bit of time to show its colors with a Kindle reader. The Colorsoft, which has now come onto the market, is actually the manufacturer's first device with an e-ink display, while competitors like Onyx have been doing this for a long time. But Amazon has never been in a hurry to release new e-book readers, because the US company's business here mainly comes from selling books – regardless of what they are read on.
Basically a Paperwhite with a color display
The 290 euro Colorsoft looks and feels like a Kindle Paperwhite. The IPX8 waterproof newcomer also has largely the same dimensions at 127.6 x 7.8 x 176.7 millimeters, it is only 0.1 millimeters wider.
The small difference is probably due to a new light guide with nitride LEDs, which, according to Amazon, in combination with algorithms, “improves color and increases brightness without blurring details.” This seems to have been successful, at least the Colorsoft's display looks better than, for example, the Onyx Boox Go Color 7.
Light and handy
The technical difference is also reflected in the weight; at 219 grams, the Colorsoft is 8 grams heavier than the current Paperwhite. But that doesn't make it any less handy. The Kindle with a color display also feels light and can be easily held for a long time thanks to a wide bottom edge.
The difference in endurance is more serious. According to Amazon, it lasts up to three months for the new Paperwhite, so the Colorsoft runs out after two months at the latest. How long an e-book reader lasts depends mainly on how bright the display is set. You can leave this to an automatic system that does its job well in a leisurely but pleasantly inconspicuous manner.
The brighter, the crisper
With Colorsoft, however, you often move the brightness control on the touchscreen to the right yourself. This is usually not necessary to read text well. With 300 pixels per inch (ppi), the color e-book reader displays it just as sharply and in daylight or in illuminated rooms there is often no need for support from the LEDs housed in the frame.
However, colors and contrasts look much crisper on a bright screen. Even then, they are not comparable to those of an LCD or OLED display; the Colorsoft's e-ink screen also produces the pastel tones typical of the technology.
To be able to read small text easily in comics, you can jump from panel to panel.
(Photo: kwe)
In order to optimize the display of comics, graphic novellas, magazines or books with lots of colorful illustrations, there is a special adjustment option in the settings: You can change the color style Bright instead of standard choose. The effect is not very big, but it makes a visible difference.
Extra settings for comics
There is another problem, especially with comics: Because of the relatively small display, text in the images is often so tiny that it is hardly readable. Zooming is an option, but it spoils the fun of reading. Instead, there is the option to double-tap an image field. You can then go through the so-called panels one after the other. At the end of a page you see an overview before moving on to the first image field on the next page. Turning pages isn't instantaneous, but it's pretty quick if you don't have an animation.
Although the color resolution is reduced to 150 ppi, the enlargement of the panels means that the display does not become pixelated. A so-called ghosting, in which you can see previously displayed content slightly “shine through” after turning the page, as if the paper was too thin, cannot be seen with the Kindle Colorsoft, even at the highest brightness level.
Conclusion
If you need color for comics etc. and you don't have a problem with being limited to Amazon's offerings, then the Kindle Colorsoft is the right choice. If you only see color on the covers of the library, you don't have to spend 290 euros, then the new Paperwhite for 170 euros is the first choice.
