# What feature on your PW most surprised you?



## Mandy (Dec 27, 2009)

I'd venture to say that while reading a book (particularly a paper book), most of us rarely bother with getting a dictionary out and looking up an unknown word. Since I upgraded from a K2 to a PW, I've found I absolutely LOVE the convenience of touching and highlighting a word to instantly see the definition. I love it so much that I've made it a habit to look up every word that I cannot readily define, and I challenge myself to find at least one new word in every book I read. Other than the ability to read comfortably in bed with a soft-lighted screen, the touch-screen access to the dictionary is by far my favorite new feature!


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## KimberlyinMN (Dec 30, 2009)

I also seem to use the dictionary feature much more than previous non-touch Kindles. In fact, just the other day, I tapped my laptop monitor at work to get a definition of a word. RATS! It didn't work.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

KimberlyinMN said:


> I also seem to use the dictionary feature much more than previous non-touch Kindles. In fact, just the other day, I tapped my laptop monitor at work to get a definition of a word. RATS! It didn't work.


 

I've never used the dictionary feature much, I don't think I read very difficult books.  But I've always loved the dictionary feature. For me, the ease of highlighting pleases me. I highlight things to remind me to share them with hubby...

Betsy


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I've always liked the dictionary features of all my kindles, but I don't have a paperwhite.  I have the $69 kindle and the Fire HD 7".  The dictionaries work very well on them.


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## backslidr (Nov 23, 2012)

I like the time left to read in chapter and book most. It lets me know if I have the time to finish a chapter before my next project or whether to stop now. It's been one of the most helpful features for me.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I was surprised at how much like the touchscreen. I came from a K3. 

But the feature that turned out to be one I liked more than I thought was the time left. I really like that one.
I also have used the wiki thingy more often and the dictionary. I think the touch screen just makes that go much faster. 

So the time left I guess was my most surprising. Although I have it mostly set at time left in book, not left in chapter as I like to read large chunks of books at once.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Like Atunah, I wasn't sure I'd like the touchscreen, but I do -- very much.  It's got a nice texture and is not at all like a 'shiny screen' touch screen -- as on tablets and phones.  No fingerprint issues at all.

The 'time in chapter' is a nice feature, too, that I've really come to like.  I can be reading at bed time and decide when I get to a 'stopping place' whether I feel like going on or not based on how long the next chapter is.

'course, that can be a problem too.  I was reading a James Patterson brand book -- one of the 'Womens Murder Club' -- and that style is all extremely short chapters.  Everyone is only a minute or two long.  So I keep thinking, 'I can read another minute.' or 'I can read another 2 minutes'. And before you know it, it's an hour later and I realize it's WAY past my bedtime!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm surprised that the "time left" is something that people like so much....  

One of the things I love about my Kindle  is that I can stop anywhere and it knows where I stopped.  I don't much care where I stop--chapter or middle of the chapter.  

I can't say I use the time left much...if it's an exciting passage that I want to keep reading, I keep reading (assuming I don't have to go into the doctor's office, or something).  If it's time for me to stop, I stop.  If I have to leave to do something else because I'm being called or there's a time element, "time left" in chapter doesn't really change that, I still have to stop.  *shrug*  Different strokes, clearly!    But then, I've never been a "read to the end of the chapter" kind of girl--that's what bookmarks were for!

Betsy


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## Mandy (Dec 27, 2009)

I, too, have found I enjoy the 'time left in chapter/book' feature. It gives me an idea of whether I want to stick it out and finish the chapter or if it's best to stop reading for the moment. It makes sense too...I'm sure I'm not the only one who would pause while reading a paper book so I could thumb to the end of the chapter to see how long it would take to complete it.

I really enjoy the touch screen too. At first I wasn't too sure because I would constantly accidentally touch the screen and turn the page, but I'm getting used to it. I also love having a cover view, particularly for my collection in the Cloud. I can glance through my huge collection of freebies and have an idea of what each book is about instead of playing a guessing game based on the title alone.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I love the combination cover/PW  which automatically turns the PW on and off.  Now I expect it - and my KK isn't cooperating!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

bordercollielady said:


> I love the combination cover/PW which automatically turns the PW on and off. Now I expect it - and my KK isn't cooperating!


<chuckle> yeah. Sometimes I open my basic kindle and wonder why it hasn't turned on. {face palm} I need to push the button.


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## Riverrun (Nov 29, 2011)

I like the ease with which I can now sort my books into collections, change them from on to the other, etc. Seems much easier with the PW.

River


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

I too love the "touch word" dictionary feature. While I have always considered myself reasonably literate, I find that there are a lot of words that I "sort of" know and certainly understand them in the context of the sentence used; however that doesn't mean I really know a precise definition. I use the dictionary a fair amount.

Steve


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## Meka (Sep 8, 2011)

I love that I can purchase a book from with in the sample, and the sample is automatically removed,  replaced with the book and my place in the book saved. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Meka said:


> I love that I can purchase a book from with in the sample, and the sample is automatically removed, replaced with the book and my place in the book saved.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


Isn't that great? If I used samples, I would love that.  It's a relatively new feature.

Betsy


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I love that sample feature too. It works just as well if you get the book from the computer, which is usually how I buy my books. I rarely do it from the kindle.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

I have recently discovered Xray. That was an ingenious and much apprecieated feature!


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## LKeenan (Apr 27, 2013)

The sample feature was a surprise when i first got my regular kindle and useful! the dictionary feature was the best, increasing/recalling vocabulary was my main reason for picking up reading again. 

as for specifically the pw, the other day i used the xray feature for the first time to help with what is often a problem for me. i have very poor short term memory and if a character has been out of the book for a few chapters i can go back and find the details of his/her first introduction. awesome. 

another thing was being able to look up spanish words. i've been trying to learn spanish, i downloaded a spanish elementary reader for kindle and it's so easy to just hit the word and get the english translation! so great. 

and before i received my pw i had no idea there was an autowake feature option, that alone is worth getting the pw, i can't begin to tell you how much i deplored using that power button, so awkward, i really don't know how other paperwhite users without a magnet or autoawake cover tolerate that. 

the covers wasn't a surprise, but how useful and easier to view has been quite a delight. I have my my 6 main collections in cover view and it's perfect "new", "finished", "over it", "samples" "non-fiction", "stephen king", and it's all i need so far. just loving that. 

oh, and i did not have any idea there would be a cloud until i turned on the PW. that is perfect, absolutely awesome. This way i keep my pw materials at a bare minimum. Like i have series of novels but don't keep the future books on the PW. if i've read part 1, i have part 1 in finished, part 2 in "new", and part 3 in the cloud. i keep only 50 unread books on my pw and the rest sit on the cloud til they're ready to come into the mix. great feature.


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## Meka (Sep 8, 2011)

mcostas said:


> I have recently discovered Xray. That was an ingenious and much apprecieated feature!


OMG yes....the Xray feature is awesome for character heavy books!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

LKeenan, what does "over it" mean?


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## kindlematt (Mar 1, 2013)

I love the frontlit screen. It really does make it a lovely reading experience, without lighting up the room.


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## laughinggravy (Feb 28, 2010)

All of it 
I also used the dictionary the other day - Devices and desires, Engineer's trilogy - wonderful books and cool to get to grips with the tech language, not that you need it for the narrative, but fun to know.

But the samples thing isn't working for me, phooey! Aha, I think just in writing that I know why.... I put my sample in the collection, but I guess when I decide to buy it, the book downloads out of the collections waiting to be filed. Perhaps that's why it doesn't work for me, the downloaded book can't 'find' the sample it is replacing. mayhap.

I love the backlight. No more hubby wondering why I can curl up next to him and have to sit there reading - let alone the 'when are you going to turn the bedside light off?' Now I can be my ole insomniac self, guilt free, and be curled up next to him reading without disturbing him. Honestly, I have never had a gadget that fills my specific need so perfectly. Means I'm spending less time with my audio books and have recaptured the pleasure of reading until the eye lids droop  

It is def easer to sort out your collections with the touch screen. Took for ever on the K4, I have around 550 books and it is true that having so many makes the Pwhite a little sluggish, but only when hopping around outside a book. In the book itself it makes no diff and since that's where I spend most of my time, I'm prepared to trade off sluggishness for library size. silly really since I'm not usually far from wifi - guess i'm a horder 

Love it all. Except that my page back option is a little bananas, and forward can be a little bananas too. several page and looping, several touches to get back to the right place. Not frequent.


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## LKeenan (Apr 27, 2013)

Toby said:


> LKeenan, what does "over it" mean?


means i started it, and then was over it (didn't like it so didn't want to continue). lol. I put them in there b/c i might go back some time in the future, but...


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

The X-ray.  I didn't think it would be useful, but more than once it has helped me remember who a character is when I've forgotten.


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## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

I love being able to filter out the collections/papers and just show books on the home page. 

If I had too many collections on my old K3, it would bump the book I was currently reading to the next page. That was annoying. I am so glad they added the filter to the PW!


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

EmilyG said:


> I love being able to filter out the collections/papers and just show books on the home page.
> 
> If I had too many collections on my old K3, it would bump the book I was currently reading to the next page. That was annoying. I am so glad they added the filter to the PW!


Wait, I didn't know you could do that. How do you filter them out? (I assume you don't mean just sorting by Author or Title, since that shows everything). The PW shows fewer lines per page than the K3 so when I have mine by Collection, I have to go to page 3 to get past them.


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## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

Dragle said:


> Wait, I didn't know you could do that. How do you filter them out? (I assume you don't mean just sorting by Author or Title, since that shows everything). The PW shows fewer lines per page than the K3 so when I have mine by Collection, I have to go to page 3 to get past them.


On the home page, touch My Items. Select Books. To get the collections back, select All Items. I love having an uncluttered home page!


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

EmilyG said:


> On the home page, touch My Items. Select Books. To get the collections back, select All Items. I love having an uncluttered home page!


Wow, thank you! I didn't realize that would hide the collections. Great!!!


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## KimberlyinMN (Dec 30, 2009)

EmilyG said:


> On the home page, touch My Items. Select Books. To get the collections back, select All Items. I love having an uncluttered home page!


Cool! I didn't know this either. Any book (or doc) NOT in a collection will display on the screen. Nice....!!


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## KimberlyinMN (Dec 30, 2009)

I definitely love the front-lit screen. I had brought my K5 outside yesterday and then came in to cool off. I was kind of bummed that I couldn't see the screen because it was too dark in the living room. (Turning a light on during the day just seems wrong - well, and lights hurt my eyes.)  Yep, I had to get up and go get my PW from the bedroom. Well, actually, I just decided to lay down on the bed and read.


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

WoW! So many features I didn't know about. I am now the proud new owner of the PW. It was a gift for my birthday. I didn't think I would love it as much as I do. Before this I used a phone app, and found the glare hard on my eyes at night, so at first the screen was the best feature for me. But reading through this thread shows me I have so much more to learn. There are features I didn't know existed. I love that I can look up a book description before choosing which book to read (I always forget because I tend to download a whole bunch at once).


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## freelantzer (Apr 28, 2010)

Meka said:


> OMG yes....the Xray feature is awesome for character heavy books!


Totally! I've had my PW for almost a year, and I never really saw the point of X-ray. Then I started reading Under the Dome this summer and suddenly I understood.


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## Mandy (Dec 27, 2009)

EmilyG said:


> On the home page, touch My Items. Select Books. To get the collections back, select All Items. I love having an uncluttered home page!


Thank you! I have three collections on my PW (all three are authors since I have quite a few of their works) and I wasn't fond of the way they always stayed at the top of the home page. I prefer the home page to display the books I'm reading or will soon read. Problem solved!


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