[wavesprite]

I'm asking for a Kindle2 for my birthday in June...but I'm concerned about how well it reads out in sunlight?  Any opinions?

 

[Jason in MA]

As long as you get one that doesn't have the sunlight fading defect (which is a defect and definitely warrants replacement) the Kindle is wonderful in the sun.  In fact, when there's no defect, the more light you throw on the display, the better it looks.

Jason

 

[marianneg]

It's supposed to be great in sunlight.  There have been some defective K2s that faded in sunlight, possibly due to a bad batch of e-ink screens.  This issue is covered by the warranty; if it should happen to yours return it for another one.

 

[LaraAmber]

If you are concerned about glare, don't be, there isn't any.  I've read my Kindle in bright noon day sun and in near dark conditions with no problem.  Some more good news, unlike some other devices, wearing polarized sunglasses will not give you any weird images (colors, waviness), it looks the same.

Some people have reported the screen fading in light, which is a defect and should be reported to Amazon for a replacement model.  Though I believe the number of Kindles affected by is very small.

Lara Amber

 

[wavesprite]

Wow, you guys are awesome!!!  Thanks for all of the quick responses!!!!

 

[VictoriaP]

Well, the latest numbers according to our poll show that 23% of K2's have the "fading in the sunlight" problem. Out of that 23%, 16.2% find it unacceptable while 6.8% don't think it's bad enough to request a replacement. That's out of 117 people that voted.

I wouldn't call 23% a "very small" number.

I wouldn't either, but you're talking a very small sample statistically to begin with, and one with strictly volunteer participation--those who have an issue are going to be more likely to vote. As an example, I'm not even sure without looking that I've participated in that vote--and I'm one with a perfectly fine screen. Half the time or more, I don't even read threads that don't pertain directly to what I'm experiencing.

I think if the issue truly was at 23%, we'd actually have a far more skewed vote here, and a LOT more screaming on the Amazon boards, because at that point you're talking nearly one in four units. With a reported 300,000 devices sold so far, that would be close to 75,000 problem K2s.

This isn't to say it's not a problem (same with the light text) because both absolutely do exist and have impacted quite a few people unlucky enough to receive those units--it's just a reminder to everyone that the loudest voices on the internet are always going to be those with a polarized opinion. Because of this, polls on the 'net aren't a statistically valid way of gathering reliable information. Amazon will not release this data publicly unless enough of a stink is made over it (or it impacts their bottom line enough to be reported in earnings as a loss), so we may never know how bad it really is.

To me, the sun fade issue is absolutely one of the first things you should check for on a new unit, as soon as weather permits, of course. LOL But it's not an issue that would be worth avoiding a Kindle over. A proper working Kindle is a joy to read outside on, in direct sun or in shade.

 

[EllenR]

Well, the latest numbers according to our poll show that 23% of K2's have the "fading in the sunlight" problem. Out of that 23%, 16.2% find it unacceptable while 6.8% don't think it's bad enough to request a replacement. That's out of 117 people that voted.

I wouldn't call 23% a "very small" number.

I personally am sending back my third K2 with sunlight fading defect.

EllenR

 

[kindle zen]

fortunately my kindle 2 doesn't have the sun fading issue.  i only read few times in direct sun to see if it had the fading problem, otherwise i don't do any sort of reading in direct sun but what little i did i had no problem reading the K2 at all.

 

[DD]

Wow, you guys are awesome!!! Thanks for all of the quick responses!!!!

Oh, we'll take care of you here, wavesprite. Welcome to Kindleboards.

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

Gee, folks, let's not have a food fight here in front of our new member, LOL! I think we can agree that the fading in the sun is a definite problem with some Kindles, that the exact number is not known, but that it is probably a statistically significant number, and that Amazon is committed to getting Kindles that work right in the hands of their customers.

Wavesprite, welcome to KindleBoards!

Another thing we can agree on is that you'll love your Kindle!!! Go for it! Be sure to tell us a little bit about yourself in our Introductions, and when you order your Kindle, let us know, we'll go on Kindlewatch with you!

And they are extremely readable in the sun, given the caveats discussed here already.

And in the meantime, head over to Accessories and pick out some presents for your Kindle!

Betsy

 

[ELDogStar]

Sunrise...

Sunset...

Sunrise...

Sunset.

Eric

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

Ericccc!

How's it going, man?  Great to see you check in!

Betsy

 

[ELDogStar]

Ericccc!

How's it going, man? Great to see you check in!

Betsy

Thank you Betsy.
I missed you ALL VERY much!

Now I am off to 2 lessons...

Eric

 

[Leslie]

For people who have had the sun fading issue...how bright does the sun have to be to make this happen? Do you need a brilliantly sunny beach day or does a normal amount of sun make it happen? It's a little cloudy here today...not too bright. I want to check out this replacement Kindle and make sure it's a-okay before I send the old one back...but I also want to send the old one back, too. So I am wondering how much sun I need to say "I've done the test and it's okay."

L

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

Leslie, here's the other thread on the sun fading
http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=5432.20

Somewhere in there someone says it faded in not-very-bright sun. It's only 3 pages, not too long if you want to browse...

Betsy

 

[Ethan]

Leslie,
SPF 30 or higher smeared over the screen should help. 

 

[DD]

For people who have had the sun fading issue...how bright does the sun have to be to make this happen? Do you need a brilliantly sunny beach day or does a normal amount of sun make it happen? It's a little cloudy here today...not too bright. I want to check out this replacement Kindle and make sure it's a-okay before I send the old one back...but I also want to send the old one back, too. So I am wondering how much sun I need to say "I've done the test and it's okay."

L

My first Kindle faded in just a little sun but the second one took a little more. So, I guess each one is different. To be sure, I would say you really should do it in full sun with no cloud cover and let the sun shine right on the screen so you see the glare and do several page turns. Also turn the menu on and off. Mine faded even the menus. Do and Alt/G screen refresh and then do it again. There's no hurry (unless you're as impatient as I am!). Amazon told me to keep my replacements for as long as I needed to be sure. So, I would wait for a nice bright sunny day. Hope you got a good one, Leslie.

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

(Pardon me for saying this, Leslie) Leslie's a great person, but patience is not her strongest suit.


Betsy

 

[Leslie]

Well, maybe it's impatience, but I like to think of it that I just like to have things taken care of.

L

 

[DD]

Well, maybe it's impatience, but I like to think of it that I just like to have things taken care of.

L

I'm the same way, Leslie. When people say I 'obsess' over things, I just tell them I plan ahead and get things done so that everyone, including me, can relax. I find it very stressful to have loose ends hanging.