Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft is the corporate’s first colour e-reader, and for me, that implies something: Comedian books. Future there’s alternative colour content material in the market (like youngsters’s books or even textbooks) as an grownup and a superhero nerd, comics will be the explanation why for me to proceed in on Amazon’s costliest Kindle. Sadly, nearest spending at some time with it, I’m no longer precisely proud of the Colorsoft’s comics-reading enjoy. There are unquestionably enhancements over studying comics on a extra conventional pill, however for many public, the tradeoffs simply gained’t be use it.
Why get a colour e-reader for comics?
Thus far, mainstream comedian books have had a rocky transition to virtual. In contrast to their text-based opposite numbers, you’ll’t learn them on black-and-white e-readers with out shedding their all-important colour, which most often approach maximum public flip to conventional LCD drugs just like the iPad to learn them in lieu. Sadly, that may get a bit of tiring nearest a couple of hours, and the battery drain is not anything to sneeze at.
The Kindle Colorsoft, at the floor, solves the ones issues. It’s not the first color e-reader, however it’s without a doubt probably the most leading—after I reviewed it, I famous that it does have quite higher colour accuracy and no more artifacting than the contest. In a really perfect global, it might be like maintaining a paper comedian reserve on your hand, with an easy-on-the-eyes e-ink show and a library at your fingertips. Sadly, that’s no longer the arena we are living in.
The colours simply don’t decrease it
Most likely the very first thing you’ll understand when opening a comic book reserve at the Kindle Colorsoft is how a lot much less colourful the colours are. If the use of a black-and-white Kindle approach lacking out for your comedian’s coloring, after the use of a Kindle Colorsoft doesn’t totally clear up that. The software can most effective show a complete of four,096 colours, and past that sounds remarkable at the floor, it pales compared to the billions of colours even the most cost effective LCD pill can spill out. Take a look at this Sonic the Hedgehog comedian displayed on each the Kindle Colorsoft and my historical Sixth-gen iPad. There’s a completely other vibe relying on which software you learn on!
‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ comedian on iPad (left) vs. Kindle Colorsoft (proper).
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
To be truthful, that’s a reasonably fresh identify, and used comics do secure up a slight bit higher, because the printing modes worn to make them again after had been additionally restricted in what number of colours they might spill out. In the event you learn a quantity of unfashionable titles, the Colorsoft may secure up higher—Uncanny X-Males’s ’80s run appears nice-looking delightful at the software, for instance. However pay near consideration, and also you’ll understand the nearest compromise you’ll must create past studying comics at the Colorsoft.
‘Uncanny X-Males’ on Kindle Colorsoft
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
The display is simply too miniature
Like maximum colour e-readers, the Kindle Colorsoft has a smaller display, at 7 inches when leisurely diagonally. That’s high quality for novels, however for comedian books, it’s approach much less dimension than you may well be worn to.
The standard American comedian reserve is 11.75 inches diagonally, which means that content material at the Colorsoft goes to be shrunken unwell to suit. This has the advantage of disguising the software’s low answer (black-and-white content material at the Colorsoft is proven at 300 ppi, however technical boundaries approach colour content material is 150 ppi), however too can create some textual content just about unattainable to learn. 11.75 may no longer pitch a lot larger than 8, but additionally needless to say the Colorsoft’s display is in a quite wider side ratio than maximum comedian books, so that you’re additionally moving to have to place up with letterboxing making the image even smaller. Take a look at my bodily version of Batman: The Lengthy Halloween in comparison to the similar comedian at the Colorsoft.
‘Batman: The Lengthy Halloween’ in print (left) vs. Kindle Colorsoft (proper).
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
I’m too used to place up with the type of squinting I’d want to do to learn that. Sure, you’ll zoom in through pinching at the display, however on account of e ink’s low refresh price, it’s approach too sluggish to trouble with on each and every web page, particularly since you’ll want to stay up for a couple of refreshes to scroll thru all the zoomed symbol.
Preferably, comics readers would wish a larger color e-ink device—the ones exist, however they’re nice-looking expensive, and are supposed extra for businesspeople to pull notes on than for the common particular person to learn with. There’s no longer actually a consumer-level solution for this but, and any person hoping Amazon’s software would walk that needle will reduce sorely disenchanted.
Deny comedian reserve apps
I will be able to settle for that the Kindle Colorsoft used to be at all times going to come back with some compromises. Amazon can’t magically create e-ink monitors extra colourful, or create immense colour e-ink units extra reasonably priced. Even with the ones problems, a colour e-reader may well be a a laugh option to experience a comic book each and every now and after, possibly when your ocular are feeling strained or while you’re touring. I wouldn’t virtue it as my primary comics studying software, but when I may simply load up my library on it, it generally is a great additional to have in my bag.
It’s a embarassment, after, that getting access to comics at the Kindle Colorsoft is a ache. Like several Kindles, Amazon’s colour e-reader is locked to its ecosystem, and that implies comedian availability is scattershot.
What do you assume to this point?
Presently, I learn maximum of my Western comics throughout the DC Universe Limitless and Miracle Limitless apps. Positive, paying about $10 a past for every isn’t ideally suited, however I’ve slowly come round on those services and products, due to their all-you-can-read fashions and their immense libraries. You’ll be able to in finding maximum titles from every writer going way back to the Thirties on those platforms, and purchasing a past or two of club date while you get an itch to learn a particular form is way inexpensive than purchasing every factor piecemeal. Plus, more moderen comics get added to those services and products as they’re exempted, and past your get admission to to them relies on your explicit subscription tier, availability is most often a bit of extra worthy on those apps than on alternative virtual services and products.
Credit score: Jason Cohen by way of PCMag
Which is why my greatest factor with the Kindle Colorsoft is that you’ll’t virtue both of those apps with it. Rather, you’ll want to purchase every comedian factor you need to learn at once from the Amazon bundle, which is able to get expensive speedy, although you’re subscribed to Amazon High or Kindle Limitless.
The primary quantity of Wonderful Spider-Guy, for example, is to be had thru High, and the second one is on Kindle Limitless, however the remains price $6 a pop, and most effective include 10 problems a work. For the sort of long-running form, that’s a quantity to pay if you wish to learn the whole lot, particularly in comparison to what you’d get with the Miracle app, which do business in all the comedian going again to the Nineteen Sixties in its per thirty days value, along maximum the whole lot else the corporate has ever printed.
And that’s speaking about accrued problems. For comics which can be most effective to be had as unmarried problems, most often more moderen ones, you’ll must pay $5 for every. Future that’s no longer so sinister in comparison to shopping for bodily copies, in comparison to alternative virtual choices, two problems can be all you’d have to shop for earlier than subscribing to an app would provide you with higher worth. Since I will be able to nice-looking simply get thru a unmarried factor in a part month, I will be able to already really feel the ache that may placed on my pockets.
The Kindle bundle is splendid for indie comics that aren’t simply to be had in other places, and I’ll admit that there’s a positive delight in purchasing to possess, even digitally. However a significant software for studying virtual comics nonetheless must no less than give readers the way to subscribe to probably the most platforms from the 2 greatest comedian publishers. With out that, you’ll most likely must pay greater than it’s possible you’ll differently, and that’s no longer even stating that Amazon’s bundle may no longer have the whole lot you need to shop for.
If no longer for comics, why purchase a Kindle Colorsoft?
Perhaps I’m being nitpicky. For a aimless person, the Kindle Colorsoft may well be use it only for the atypical status the place you may want colour. It could actually show your copy covers in colour, and I’m certain youngsters would in finding image books extra enticing with it. However even a extra at ease person will run into issues right here—on account of the colour clear out baked into the Colorsoft’s display, even black-and-white content material will come throughout as shimmery, which is able to harm distinction or put distracting splotches of rainbow for your show. If that sounds find it irresistible would hassle you, I’d counsel the inexpensive Kindle Paperwhite in lieu—you gained’t simply lower your expenses, however gets a greater enjoy.
Because of this that a significant portion of the Colorsoft’s target audience goes to be adults, and specifically hardcore customers at that. If that’s the case, I simply can’t bring to mind any medium that’s were given as a lot colour content material for them as comedian books, which means that the Kindle Colorsoft wishes as a way to secure up towards alternative units for studying them. And past e-ink is straightforward at the ocular, there are nonetheless too many compromises for me to mention it’s use it but. I’m certain some public can create it paintings, particularly if they simply learn a particular form or are OK with getting their content material in other places and after manually transferring PDFs to their Kindle, however maximum public will nonetheless be higher served with an iPad.
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