# Internet Buzzing about K2's LIGHTER TEXT



## Law. Sorreneson

If you are interested in reading about a *solution* to the LIGHT TEXT/POOR CONTRAST on the Kindle 2:

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files

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If you are interested in reading about the *internet buzz * surrounding the LIGHT TEXT/POOR CONTRAST on the Kindle 2:

CNET News investigates contrast issue - "Kindle 2 flaw: Lighter text causing headaches?" The author recommends an "obvious solution" (firmware update):

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10191483-1.html

WIRED News discusses the "fuzzy fonts" and how some users are "seeing red":

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/04/kindle-2-displa.html

PC WORLD investigates lighter text issue and an "Open Letter to Jeff Bezos" (ABC News syndicates the article):

http://www.pcworld.com/article/163089/users_lament_kindle_2_upgrades.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/PCWorld/story?id=7333841

The most prominent tech website, ENGADGET, talks eye strain, the Kindle 2, and Unicode Fonts Hack:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/13/kindle-2-users-complain-of-eye-strain-mull-over-possible-soluti/

A Kindle Podcast discusses K2's readability compared to K1:

http://www.thekindlechronicles.com/
(episodes 33, 34, 40, and EXTRA - Boston PDA Users Group Presentation" - 23:10 min -- 31:00 min)

Kindle Blogs weigh in:

http://kindleville.blogspot.com/2009/03/reading-comfort-kindle-2-vs-kindle-1.html

http://ireaderreview.com/2009/03/09/kindle-2-screen-contrast-light-text-dark-background-solutions/

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/amazon-is-considering-k2-screen.html

Looks like this issue is gaining traction and with any luck, Amazon will respond with a Firmware Update.

*UPDATE (4/11/09): A Kindle User Offers Solutions: *

*https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files*

UPDATE (4/14/09): Kindle User's scientific research appears to back up claim of potential eye strain from lighter text:

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/displaytechnologies

UPDATE (4/23/09): Vellum Publishing, a digital publishing company of ebooks for Kindle, decides to format ALL it books in a bolder font:

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/vellum-publishing-incs-digital-books-for-kindle-2-are-easiest-to-read-97613.php
http://www.newkindlebooks.com/ 
(A video clip of the president of Vellum discussing darker text and skins for K2)

UPDATE (4/25/09): Kindle Boards' own Harvey Chute reports on the font hack that darkens Kindle 2 text:

http://www.kboards.com/blog/2009/04/hack-your-way-to-darker-kindle-fonts/

UPDATE (4/26/09): Crunch Gear has a blog entry callled, "Fix the Kindle 2's light text display" (links to Kindle Board report, this thread):

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/26/fix-the-kindle-2s-light-text-display/

UPDATE (5/1/09): Len Edgerly of the podcast, Kindle Chronicles, speaks at MIT. Among other topics, he discusses the lighter text/poor contrast of the Kindle 2 (23:10 -- 31:00).

http://www.thekindlechronicles.com/
(Episode "EXTRA - Boston PDA Users Group Presentation"; 23:10 min -- 31:00 min)


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## akpak

Maybe I'm silly, since I didn't have a KK, but I have had absolutely no problem with the text on my K2.


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## PJ

Unless I set it to the smallest setting


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## Anthony34

I Read the CNET article.  Pretty fair piece.  I do think there's a difference in readability.  

The K1 text is just darker, making it easier to read.  But I do like photos on the K2!

-A.C.


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## Cuechick

akjak said:


> Maybe I'm silly, since I didn't have a KK, but I have had absolutely no problem with the text on my K2.


Me neither. I use the smallest font too, with my reading glasses a lot of the time. In bright sunlight, which I was using today, no fading and no problems. It took a little getting use to at first but I am all good now.


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## K.L. Christy

I think the difference is more pronounced for Kindle 1 owners who got used to its bolder font.  I notice the difference, but it just means that I take more 'breaks' (to rest my eyes) while reading on my K2.

thanks for the Kindle Chronicles tip...great PODCAST!


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## geoffthomas

It seems to me that the 2.0.2 update made the background lighter - increasing the readability.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

I had a KK but have had no problem reading my K 2. Hasn't bothered my eyes at all.


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## L.Canton

I've had the K1 and now the K2 and yes the text is a bit lighter, but it certainly hasn't given me headaches or eyestrain.


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## FlannelE

While I don't think it's a deal-breaker, Amazon definitely took a step backward with the lighter text. Of all the things to skimp on, it's kind of IRONIC that they chose the actual words you read...

I still love the K2, but for long reading sessions, the K1 is just "easier" on the eyes.


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## K.L. Christy

300 and counting...

http://www.petitiononline.com/12345k2/petition.html

Please take the time to sign the petition. There's power in numbers, and hopefully Amazon will respond to the feedback by sending a FIRMWARE update allowing users to darken the text. The K2 text is noticeably lighter (and slightly less readable) than the K1 on the lower-sized fonts (1, 2, 3).

-Thanks!


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## kevindorsey

They know of the issue.  K3 is when they will correct it.


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## Maxwell

Thanks for the link. K3 is heck of a long time to wait.


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## L.Canton

Being vocal about issues is important, but I have a sneaking suspicion they know about some customers concerns with this already. I'll be interested to see what they decide to do about it.


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## Anthony34

Wow, great link Christy!

Considering that there are 1,300 K2 reviews on the Amazon website, those 200+ signatures represent a significant number. Probably even more people who agree, but aren't into signing petitions.

If I were Customer Service, and I received that many signatures? The petition would probably get forwarded to Amazon product development...if ya know what I mean.  I'm pretty optimistic about a firmware update!


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## pomlover2586

I usually don't sign petitions......and because I never had a K1 I don't notice a difference on my K2.....but the issue is important to many here on Kindleboards and I do think the issue could be solved with a software update via whisper net. The more who sign the better......can't hurt anyway


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## geoffthomas

Did the signature thing.  Nice effort.  At least Amazon will be aware that some K2 owners would like it changed.


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## Law. Sorreneson

I really think we've made progress on the light text/contrast issue. We've gone from Amazon DENIAL, to canned email responses and replacements, to final recognition that this is the #1 consumer complaint about the K2. Based on anectdotal evidence, Amazon is WORKING on the problem:

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/amazon-is-considering-k2-screen.html

After the CNET News article ( http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10191483-1.html ) and once we reached 200 signatures on the PETITION, I think Amazon started to take notice. Let's keep it up!


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## Law. Sorreneson

I really think we've made progress on the light text/contrast issue. We've gone from Amazon DENIAL, to canned email responses and replacements, to final recognition that this is the #1 consumer complaint about the K2. Based on anectdotal evidence, Amazon is WORKING on the problem:

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/amazon-is-considering-k2-screen.html

After the CNET News article ( http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10191483-1.html ) and once we reached 200 signatures on the PETITION ( http://www.petitiononline.com/12345k2/petition.html ), I think Amazon started to take notice. Let's keep it up!


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## intinst

This is arts&historyfan's blog. She is one of our members,.


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## traceyreads

geoffthomas said:


> It seems to me that the 2.0.2 update made the background lighter - increasing the readability.


I have not noticed any difference in my screen or font. Screen is still darker gray than my K1, font is still lighter. I still love it, but I really miss the contrast of my K1.


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## GeorgeGlass

Law. Sorreneson said:


> I really think we've made progress on the light text/contrast issue. We've gone from Amazon DENIAL, to canned email responses and replacements, to final recognition that this is the #1 consumer complaint about the K2. Based on anectdotal evidence, Amazon is WORKING on the problem:
> 
> http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/amazon-is-considering-k2-screen.html
> 
> After the CNET News article ( http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10191483-1.html ) and once we reached 200 signatures on the PETITION ( http://www.petitiononline.com/12345k2/petition.html ), I think Amazon started to take notice. Let's keep it up!


I can guarantee you 200 "signatures" on an internet petition had nothing to do with it.

I did not have the original Kindle, just the Kindle 2. I don't have a problem with the text at all, but I read it at the third smallest text setting because that one is easiest for me to read comfortably. If there was greater contrast, maybe I'd read it with a smaller font, but maybe not. I would like to see an original though, because I'm wowed with the one I have.


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## MarthaT

this is probably the #1 glitch people have, ive been lucky enough that mine didn't have it I guess


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## DD

K.L. Christy said:


> 200 and counting...
> 
> http://www.petitiononline.com/12345k2/petition.html
> 
> Please take the time to sign the petition. There's power in numbers, and hopefully Amazon will respond to the feedback by sending a FIRMWARE update allowing users to darken the text. The K2 text is noticeably lighter (and slightly less readable) than the K1 on the lower-sized fonts (1, 2, 3).
> 
> -Thanks!


Signed it. Usually read on the largest text later in the day when my eyes are tired. Don't notice it as much with largest text but now #4 text is ureadable for me. Hope they can correct this simply.


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## jheydt

I don't know what the problem is with the light text.  I have both a KK and a K2 and don't notice any difference between the 2 units as far as text brightness is concerned.  I guess with all those signatures that there are quite a few people with that problem.

John


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## Dangerosa

kevindorsey said:


> They know of the issue. K3 is when they will correct it.


Did Amazon announce this? Can you post a link? I'm curious to read more about it... thanks!


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## pidgeon92

Dangerosa said:


> Did Amazon announce this? Can you post a link? I'm curious to read more about it... thanks!


No, that was sarcasm.


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## geoffthomas

Gosh Pigeon, you gotta warn us when you use sarcasm or irony.
You know, make it *bold* or in color or use the glitter button.
We may be literate but we can be slow sometimes


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## pidgeon92

geoffthomas said:


> Gosh Pigeon, you gotta warn us when you use sarcasm or irony.


It wasn't my post, I merely interpreted it.


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## geoffthomas

Oh snark! 
I did it again.
Posted before I checked all the details.
And here I thought I was being clever and friendly and stuff.
Well I will keep on trying (I know - I am very trying).


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## artsandhistoryfan

intinst said:


> This is arts&historyfan's blog. She is one of our members,.


And glad to find the place too.

The other day I turned off my Kindle. Just for the heck of it, since I almost never do.

When I turned it back on, my Home screen was now in a wider-bolded looking font when, for the past few weeks, it had been in a wispy, thin font. For me, this is an improvement. The Kindle 1 is in a very bold, heavier font, and I had preferred that.

Anyone else seeing any changes?


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## pomlover2586

Has amazon officially identified the "lighter text" and "fading" issues??


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## DD

K.L. Christy said:


> I think the difference is more pronounced for Kindle 1 owners who got used to its bolder font. I notice the difference, but it just means that I take more 'breaks' (to rest my eyes) while reading on my K2.
> 
> thanks for the Kindle Chronicles tip...great PODCAST!


But, that's exactly why I bought a Kindle in the first place-because I couldn't read DTB's any more because of severe eyestrain. I found I could read a lot longer when I got my K1. On a 'heavy reading day' with the K1, I used to start off with font #4 and progress until later in the day when I was at font #6. Now, with my K2, I have to use the largest text and I still have eyestrain sooner than when I read my K1. With the K2, I can't even see the font sizes 1 and 2 and find it very difficult to read #3 and #4. It seems to me rather ridiculous to make an electronic reader less readable when there is a choice involved. I mean, what's the point?

Don't get me wrong, I love the K2, but I sure wish Amazon would correct this one feature.


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## artsandhistoryfan

DD said:


> Now, with my K2, I have to use the largest text and I still have eyestrain sooner than when I read my K1. With the K2, I can't even see the font sizes 1 and 2 and find it very difficult to read #3 and #4. It seems to me rather ridiculous to make an electronic reader less readable when there is a choice involved. I mean, what's the point?
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I love the K2, but I sure wish Amazon would correct this one feature.


 I definitely see that the new basic font is lighter and I don't like that. Under some light, I can't tell; while in other light it is clearly not as black. But the difference shouldn't be so large that you're affected this way.

Have you done the sunlight test with it? Some units are defective, and the screens will fade in direct sunlight or when turning the pages in direct sunlight. If yours does that, you should call customer service to get a replacement.


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## DD

artsandhistoryfan said:


> I definitely see that the new basic font is lighter and I don't like that. Under some light, I can't tell; while in other light it is clearly not as black. But the difference shouldn't be so large that you're affected this way.
> 
> Have you done the sunlight test with it? Some units are defective, and the screens will fade in direct sunlight or when turning the pages in direct sunlight. If yours does that, you should call customer service to get a replacement.


Mine does not fade in sunlight. I live in sunny SW Florida and I've checked it out. If it did, I would definitely return it. It is the same all the time - just noticeable lighter than K1's text. I can still read on it. It's just not as comfortable to read for long periods. I just don't understand the reason for Amazon to change a good thing.


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## artsandhistoryfan

DD said:


> Mine does not fade in sunlight. I live in sunny SW Florida and I've checked it out. If it did, I would definitely return it. It is the same all the time - just noticeable lighter than K1's text. I can still read on it. It's just not as comfortable to read for long periods. I just don't understand the reason for Amazon to change a good thing.


Well, I'm glad to see it's okay but I wish it didn't have such a bad effect on you. I think what they did was go with a 'finer' font, which is thin and looks, to some people, 'sharper' and 'crisper' but for many people is actually just harder to see on a gray screen. I'm pretty sure they will do something to fix it, to whatever degree, but won't talk about it officially because it would then be seen as a 'flaw' and bad for sales while it is mainly a bad option someone chose there (but for customers affected by it, a flaw!).


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## DD

artsandhistoryfan said:


> Well, I'm glad to see it's okay but I wish it didn't have such a bad effect on you. I think what they did was go with a 'finer' font, which is thin and looks, to some people, 'sharper' and 'crisper' but for many people is actually just harder to see on a gray screen. I'm pretty sure they will do something to fix it, to whatever degree, but won't talk about it officially because it would then be seen as a 'flaw' and bad for sales while it is mainly a bad option someone chose there (but for customers affected by it, a flaw!).


Yes, I'm hoping that if enough Kindle 2 owners tell them about it, they may be able to fix it with a software update. It's not keeping me from using my Kindle. I just have to rest my eyes more often and I find that disappointing.


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## MTscribe

This just gets me...I just got my Kindle 2 a couple of weeks ago and thanks to the many posts here, I made sure to check if it faded in the sun.  It did.  Not as bad as some, but very obvious.  I called CS and was nicely told by the rep on the phone that yes, they had many go out that had that issue and they would be happy to replace it.  THEN...she transfers me to tech support who actually tells me that he had never heard of this issue and they would not exchange it...that it was performing as intended.  Long story short, I fussed enough that he was convinced that all I needed was a hard reset.  Uh, no.  In the end, he fessed that there was obviously an issue and overnighted a replacement.  I am still waiting for it, but very disappointed that with all of the press the fade issue has received, Amazon employees would actually lie like that.


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## koolmnbv

akjak said:


> Maybe I'm silly, since I didn't have a KK, but I have had absolutely no problem with the text on my K2.


I feel the same way! I think most people maybe notice the darker text compared to the KK but since I never got on board that early with k1 ive never noticed a problem with the text on the K2. But if they darken the text due to other complaints i will reap the benefits so i am all for it!


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## DD

artsandhistoryfan said:


> I definitely see that the new basic font is lighter and I don't like that. Under some light, I can't tell; while in other light it is clearly not as black. But the difference shouldn't be so large that you're affected this way.
> 
> Have you done the sunlight test with it? Some units are defective, and the screens will fade in direct sunlight or when turning the pages in direct sunlight. If yours does that, you should call customer service to get a replacement.


Artsandhistoryfan, new development here. I posted this in another thread but wanted to catch up with you here. Yesterday I walked from my dark garage into bright sunlight on a cool day (60's) in SW Florida. I was waiting for my husband and stood reading in the driveway. As soon as I hit the sunlit area, my Kindle text faded drastically. Called CS and on a portable phone, he walked through what was happening with me. My replacement arrives today (overnighted). I sure hope I get a good one this time and not have to go through multiple replacements like some have. I think I will not clothe my Kindle in the new skins I have sitting here until she is a few months old. This problem did not show up for me until after 6 weeks.

Advice to other Kindle 2 owners: repeat the sun fade test after you've had your Kindle for a while!


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## artsandhistoryfan

DD said:


> Artsandhistoryfan, new development here. I posted this in another thread but wanted to catch up with you here. Yesterday I walked from my dark garage into bright sunlight on a cool day (60's) in SW Florida. I was waiting for my husband and stood reading in the driveway. As soon as I hit the sunlit area, my Kindle text faded drastically. Called CS and on a portable phone, he walked through what was happening with me. My replacement arrives today (overnighted). I sure hope I get a good one this time and not have to go through multiple replacements like some have. I think I will not clothe my Kindle in the new skins I have sitting here until she is a few months old. This problem did not show up for me until after 6 weeks.
> 
> Advice to other Kindle 2 owners: repeat the sun fade test after you've had your Kindle for a while!


In a way, DD, that's good news because it means you may have a better experience after all. Crossing my fingers here. If your skins are darker, that will give the illusion of your screen as lighter...

Good luck today!

- A (it's hard to get on these boards lately - lots of small downtimes)


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## kguthrie

Mine has been working great. My eyes fell fine after reading.


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## artsandhistoryfan

kguthrie said:


> Mine has been working great. My eyes fell fine after reading.


K,
That sounds very dire!


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## K.L. Christy

Here's a link to the most vocal forum about the light text/low contrast issue. It's a pretty thoughtful discussion, and there are SO MANY helpful hints to improve readability:

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Please-make-darker-Kindle/forum/Fx2EGRL42MHF15D/Tx24K7JL1P7S1GG/1/ref=cm_cd_dp_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00154JDAI&store=fiona-hardware


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## stevene9

K.L. Christy said:


> Here's a link to the most vocal forum about the light text/low contrast issue. It's a pretty thoughtful discussion, and there are SO MANY helpful hints to improve readability:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Please-make-darker-Kindle/forum/Fx2EGRL42MHF15D/Tx24K7JL1P7S1GG/1/ref=cm_cd_dp_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00154JDAI&store=fiona-hardware





K.L. Christy said:


> Here's a link to the most vocal forum about the light text/low contrast issue. It's a pretty thoughtful discussion, and there are SO MANY helpful hints to improve readability:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Please-make-darker-Kindle/forum/Fx2EGRL42MHF15D/Tx24K7JL1P7S1GG/1/ref=cm_cd_dp_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00154JDAI&store=fiona-hardware


WOW, I never knew the Amazon boards could have such an intelligent, civil discussion. I congratulate them on this very good thread.


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## Kind

No problems for me here.


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## Guest

I've never heard of anyone getting eyestrain from reading the Kindle. I strongly suggest seeing an eye doctor as you may have a vision issue.


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## Law. Sorreneson

ALL Kindle 2's have text that is LIGHTER than the K1. It is what it is:

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home (comprehensive overview)

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/goingnative (Where author cuts to the chase)

For many users, this makes the reading experience either uncomfortable or marginally less optimal than reading on the K1. Again, the difference is slight (say, 15-20%), but it is there. I highly recommend that you visit the blog above for a scientific/engineering perspective. There are also helpful hints to improve readability.


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## Law. Sorreneson

stevene9 said:


> WOW, I never knew the Amazon boards could have such an intelligent, civil discussion. I congratulate them on this very good thread.


Here's another intelligent, civil discussion about the LIGHT TEXT issue:

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home (a comprehensive overview of the issue)

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/goingnative (Where author cuts to the chase)

It basically PROVES that the K2 has lighter text than is optimal. Definitely worth the browse and click.


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## MonaSW

That is an excellent website, thank you for posting it.


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## sjc

Quite the thread and quite the article.  I am a firm believer that companies (Amazon included) should highly monitor issues and hop on a solution ASAP.  Word of a mouth can make or break a company; and issues such as this can reek havoc.  

If this is an ongoing issue (and it appears to be the case); it should be addressed and resolved.  Too many companies go the DENIAL route and in these tough economic times they need to be on top of their game.  
Turning out defective merchandise and ignoring the problem is not good business.  

Amazon has always prided themselves on great CS and quality merchandise...hope they can maintain their standards.


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## DD

Law. Sorreneson said:


> Here's another intelligent, civil discussion about the LIGHT TEXT issue:
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home
> 
> It basically PROVES that the K2 has lighter text than is optimal. Definitely worth the browse and click.


This is a great article. Thanks.


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## Anthony34

Law. Sorreneson said:


> Here's another intelligent, civil discussion about the LIGHT TEXT issue:
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home (a comprehensive overview of the issue)
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/goingnative (Where author cuts to the chase)
> 
> It basically PROVES that the K2 has lighter text than is optimal. Definitely worth the browse and click.


300 signatures isn't just a blip on the radar.

The article sort of confirmed what I've believed all along. While K2 is a great device, it has one major flaw: the text is lighter than the K1. Plain and Simple. I wouldn't say this without fact-checking, but I've ordered 5 replacements, and ALL OF THEM had lighter text than the Kindle 1. Amazon, please take your head out of the sand and address the issue.


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## Anthony34

Law. Sorreneson said:


> ALL Kindle 2's have text that is LIGHTER than the K1. It is what it is:
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home (comprehensive overview)
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/goingnative (Where author cuts to the chase)
> 
> For many users, this makes the reading experience either uncomfortable or marginally less optimal than reading on the K1. Again, the difference is slight (say, 15-20%), but it is there. I highly recommend that you visit the blog above for a scientific/engineering perspective. There are also helpful hints to improve readability.


The article sort of confirmed what I've believed all along. While K2 is a great device, it has one major flaw: the text is lighter than the K1. Plain and Simple. I wouldn't say this without fact-checking, but I've ordered 5 replacements, and ALL OF THEM had lighter text than the Kindle 1. Amazon, please take your head out of the sand and address the issue.


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## DD

NYCKindleFan said:


> I've never heard of anyone getting eyestrain from reading the Kindle. I strongly suggest seeing an eye doctor as you may have a vision issue.


I do have vision issues. That's exactly why I bought my first K1. It was like a dream. I could read for hours and my eyes were fine. With the K2, not so much! I really want to keep my K2 but not being able to read it without the eyestrain and headaches I got with DTB's is a deal breaker.


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## artsandhistoryfan

DD said:


> I do have vision issues. That's exactly why I bought my first K1. It was like a dream. I could read for hours and my eyes were fine. With the K2, not so much! I really want to keep my K2 but not being able to read it without the eyestrain and headaches I got with DTB's is a deal breaker.


DD, I've been waiting to hear from you after your 2nd K2 might have arrived.

Are you saying that the 2nd one is just as hard to read as the first one? And have
you taken this one for that sunlight page-turn test also? Sorry to hear that the 2nd one
might be as bad!


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## DD

artsandhistoryfan said:


> DD, I've been waiting to hear from you after your 2nd K2 might have arrived.
> 
> Are you saying that the 2nd one is just as hard to read as the first one? And have
> you taken this one for that sunlight page-turn test also? Sorry to hear that the 2nd one
> might be as bad!


The second one was not good in different ways. It did not fade in the sun as quickly or as drastically as the first but it did fade. Indoors in normal light, the text was much lighter than the first and the screen was darker. I just couldn't keep it like that. Amazon says they want to keep trying til I get a good one. No explanation about what they're doing to correct this. Thanks for your concern. I'll let you know what happens. The third one arrives by Wednesday.


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## artsandhistoryfan

DD said:


> The second one was not good in different ways. It did not fade in the sun as quickly or as drastically as the first but it did fade. Indoors in normal light, the text was much lighter than the first and the screen was darker. I just couldn't keep it like that. Amazon says they want to keep trying til I get a good one. No explanation about what they're doing to correct this. Thanks for your concern. I'll let you know what happens. The third one arrives by Wednesday.


Wow. I guess they cannot open each package readied for distribution, no doubt elsewhere, but I hope they are on someone's case about this quality-control issue. Good luck and I'll look for your next report.


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## FlannelE

Law. Sorreneson said:


> ALL Kindle 2's have text that is LIGHTER than the K1. It is what it is:
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home (comprehensive overview)
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/goingnative (Where author cuts to the chase)
> 
> For many users, this makes the reading experience either uncomfortable or marginally less optimal than reading on the K1. Again, the difference is slight (say, 15-20%), but it is there. I highly recommend that you visit the blog above for a scientific/engineering perspective. There are also helpful hints to improve readability.


Thanks, Law. Sorreneson. That website is AMAZING! It clearly demonstrates that the Kindle 2 would be sooo much better if Amazon simply darkened the text (or gave us the option). It's now indisputable that the K2 text is lighter than the K1's. Now, where do we go from here?


----------



## FlannelE

Law. Sorreneson said:


> Here's another intelligent, civil discussion about the LIGHT TEXT issue:
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home (a comprehensive overview of the issue)
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/goingnative (Where author cuts to the chase)
> 
> It basically PROVES that the K2 has lighter text than is optimal. Definitely worth the browse and click.


Thanks, Law. Sorreneson. That website is AMAZING! It clearly demonstrates that the Kindle 2 would be sooo much better if Amazon simply darkened the text (or gave us the option). It's now indisputable that the K2 text is lighter than the K1's. Now, where do we go from here?


----------



## DD

FlannelE said:


> Thanks, Law. Sorreneson. That website is AMAZING! It clearly demonstrates that the Kindle 2 would be sooo much better if Amazon simply darkened the text (or gave us the option). It's now indisputable that the K2 text is lighter than the K1's. Now, where do we go from here?


I thought the research in the article was great also. I hope Amazon does something about this.

In the meantime, I was especially interested in his demonstratiion of how a darker skin can make the screen seem lighter. I'm going to try this when my replacement K2 comes.


----------



## intinst

Great article. The level of expertise shown was very impressive. Amazon should hire him to correct their K2 text problem.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

merging these two threads about darkness of text. . .

Ann


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

The most prominent tech website, ENGADGET, talks eye strain, the Kindle 2, and Unicode Fonts Hack:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/13/kindle-2-users-complain-of-eye-strain-mull-over-possible-soluti/


----------



## artsandhistoryfan

Law. Sorreneson said:



> The most prominent tech website, ENGADGET, talks eye strain, the Kindle 2, and Unicode Fonts Hack:
> 
> http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/13/kindle-2-users-complain-of-eye-strain-mull-over-possible-soluti/


Yes. Engadget was doing a summary of Wire's much more detailed story ("via Wired") though it quoted the final stuff...

Wired did a good job, in a small space, on a complicated issue. Ted Inoue, the Fontman, says this on the Amazon forums too.


----------



## stargazer0725

Just an FYI...but I've found that performing an "Alt-G" right after I wake up my K2 (even if I don't have page ghosting), significantly darkens my text.


----------



## K.L. Christy

stargazer0725 said:


> Just an FYI...but I've found that performing an "Alt-G" right after I wake up my K2 (even if I don't have page ghosting), significantly darkens my text.


Yes, that's a good tip. I press "Alt-G" after every single page turn. Would love for "Alt-G" to affect multiple pages, but the text defaults to LIGHT after each turn.


----------



## DD

stargazer0725 said:


> Just an FYI...but I've found that performing an "Alt-G" right after I wake up my K2 (even if I don't have page ghosting), significantly darkens my text.


Yes, I tried it and it does work. If the screen is capable of handling darker text, doesn't this prove that the light text can be corrected without too much trouble? I'm sure people who know much more than I can answer this.


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

PC WORLD investigates lighter text issue and an "Open Letter to Jeff Bezos":

http://www.pcworld.com/article/163089/users_lament_kindle_2_upgrades.html


----------



## FlannelE

"A few customers have said they prefer Kindle 1 with less shades of gray, but for the overwhelming majority it's the opposite -- they enjoy the smoother text and crisper images on Kindle 2," says Andrew Herdener, director of communications for Amazon in a statement, without offering any other details.

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/04/kindle-2-displa.html

More like a few HUNDRED who've been vocal...a few thousands who feel the same. Why is Amazon dragging its feet?

Seems to me like it's a relatively easy fix and would make lots of loyal K2 owners very happy. I mean, we're not talking about a few customers who have vision problems, here. CNET News, WIRED News, PC World, and Engadget have all addressed the issue. Oddly, Amazon is reading from the same script: "a few customers," "16 shades of gray," "uses the latest in e-ink technology." It's almost comical how out of touch Amazon is acting; totally out of character!


----------



## geoffthomas

Wow.
You know in the last week, I had a significant system "burp" while I was using it.
Sometime after having had Whispernet on.
No new version number change.
But the background became lighter - better contrast.
Now using the Alt-G thing. Nice.
Just sayin.......


----------



## artsandhistoryfan

geoffthomas said:


> Wow.
> You know in the last week, I had a significant system "burp" while I was using it.
> Sometime after having had Whispernet on.
> No new version number change.
> But the background became lighter - better contrast.
> Now using the Alt-G thing. Nice.
> Just sayin.......


Geoff,
I reported about a week ago that I decided to turn off my Kindle instead of just putting it to sleep when not using it, and what I saw. When I turned it back on, to my shock, my Home listing of books was far more bolded than it had been before - I had always wondered why they'd chosen to make it so thin and wispy so I very much noticed this.

To me, it was a sign they're working on it. This week, my downloads were done. But then my unit had that little circle going round and round and round, and I decided not to use it while it was doing that. It lasted far longer than any re-indexing would for a mere 3 periodicals and I don't think I ever see the circle doing that for those.

I wondered if it was running some kind of software downloaded (as opposed to firmware). For me, my font darkness has been more consistently darker. My screen looks nothing like the low-contrast examples that have been put out late but I think I had been lucky to get a good unit when it was sent out on the 24th, anyway. That doesn't mean that I don't want the basic font darker, only that the differences with mine are small enough not to be noticeable 95% of the time and that I think the grayness of my screen may be lighter than it is on some units others have received. It's similar to my K1.

I just posted this on the Wired article on Kindle screen fonts, in the comments area, hoping to propose something that might work for those not wanting to risk voiding warranties by changing their fonts, while waiting for Amazon to work on this while not admitting they are  And I might post it on the Amazon forum too, where people are so frustrated about this.

=== My comment at Wired ===
What's been unsaid but discussed much on the forums is that a main problem may have quite a bit to do with the quality control at Masschusetts' E Ink's partner company in Shanghai, which manufactures and assembles the screens.

I don't know how far they go in that or where the Kindle itself might be put together and tested (and how much) or who then boxes these things and where.

There have lately been a number of units that faded in the sunlight, most noticeably upon a page turn.

So, that has become a test of whether or not you have a defective unit.

Amazon quickly does 1-day replacements on those, and lately they have been telling people whose Kindle 2s (within 30-day purchase period) are perceived to have darker screens (than wanted or than their K-1s have) and fonts too light to read comfortably, that they will keep sending replacements until the customer is happy. Of course the customer can just return the Kindle also, for a refund within that 30-day period, for any reason. But the customer doesn't return a unit before getting a replacement unit.

My guess is that Amazon cannot open new Kindle boxes to test the units first but, per forum messages, they have been more than good about replacements.

One of my questions would be what happens to the returned-items.

Until Amazon deigns to officially change anything in this area (but I do believe they're working on it), I recommend that those affected badly but wanting to keep their Kindle-2s,
change their font size to '4' option and then use the feature for DECREASING (we can increase too) the amount of space between lines in order to fit more on the page -- the font will be seen as quite dark and then a shorter distance between lines can be useful if the only problem was darkness of font.

To do this,
press the two lower-left keyboard buttons for Shift and Alt together (use your thumb horizontally) and hold them down while, with your right hand, pressing numbers between 1-9 to either decrease the distance between lines (to see more lines on a page ) or increase the distance between lines.

Amazon's default font size is option 3 on your Aa (font)-key, and its default line-spacing is option 3.

I tend to like my font size at default 3 and line-spacing at option 4 (one higher than default).

But I tried font=4 and found that might work well for others with line-spacing='3' or '2' ('1' does not give less line-spacing with font size 4).

While noticing a slightly lighter font relative to my K1, the differences with mine are really minor and are noticeable only in some light. It does really well under direct sunline.

At http://tinyurl.com/kindle-screen-comparisons I have photos of my K2 and K1 side by side. In my case there's not enough difference to be caught by my camera setup and I'd have to use a tripod and macro setting and do them one at a time because of the field of focus with two on the same shot as I've done.

I'm quite happy with mine although I could be even happier with a somewhat darker basic font and I've been concerned about others' problems though they'd had none with their K1s.

In dimmer light, I use a flexible Mighty Bright Ultraflex 2 clip-on-light using AAA batteries and that can make a very good screen display.
===

Most of that people here know, but I was writing to the comments area of Wired.


----------



## Anthony34

FlannelE said:


> It's almost comical how out of touch Amazon is acting; totally out of character!


Yes, Amazon is being oddly stubborn about a simple fix. It's 2009, folks. We've put a man on the moon, sent a probe to Mars, made history with Obama. Can't we make the fonts darker?


----------



## artsandhistoryfan

Anthony34 said:


> Yes, Amazon is being oddly stubborn about a simple fix. It's 2009, folks. We've put a man on the moon, sent a probe to Mars, made history with Obama. Can't we make the fonts darker?


Joe Wikert's blog, the most well-known Kindle blog, asks for 
feedback from people about how they feel about the screen contrast issue.

Now, an Amazon person was quoted in Wired as saying only a few felt there was an issue, but Joe Wikert has a big readership and the vast majority of those responding wish the font weren't so light.

- http://kindleville.blogspot.com/2009/03/reading-comfort-kindle-2-vs-kindle-1.html

YET, he asks in a new blog entry that people let him know what you'd like him to ask or tell E Ink Corp because he's there this week. He doesn't seem to have read the Wired story or the other media that covered it.

- http://kindleville.blogspot.com/


----------



## Anthony34

When I'm feeling depressed, when my spirits are low, and I'm at my wit's end, I always find comfort in the immortal words of Jeff Bezos:

"I'm a Mother Bear when it comes to guarding our customer experience...The fastest way to upset me and to make me into NOT a nice boss is to NOT have enough care and concern about some aspect of our customer experience." - 3/10/2009, ABC Nightline

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7041777&page=1


----------



## DD

Anthony34 said:


> When I'm feeling depressed, when my spirits are low, and I'm at my wit's end, I always find comfort in the immortal words of Jeff Bezos:
> 
> "I'm a Mother Bear when it comes to guarding our customer experience...The fastest way to upset me and to make me into NOT a nice boss is to NOT have enough care and concern about some aspect of our customer experience." - 3/10/2009, ABC Nightline
> 
> http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7041777&page=1


Ha ha ha ha!


----------



## pawlaw aka MXCIX

If someone has already suggested this, then please disregard, but I was reading in accessories about a case that covers the front of the kindle 2 almost entirely (except for the keys) and would provide the black/gray contrast to trick your eye and possibly make the text easier to read...

here is the thread that starts with a picture of the item...

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,6849.0.html

just thinking...


----------



## intinst

I saw that as well and wondered, also one of the neoprene sleeves might do the same.


----------



## pawlaw aka MXCIX

intinst said:


> I saw that as well and wondered, also one of the neoprene sleeves might do the same.


that's a good idea...I didn't know that you could read the kindle while these sleeves were on...i thought they were just protective...hmmm...you know, something like both of these could prevent folks from having to change out their skins...i would like the contrast but I like my skin too...oh wait, is this an accessories discussion? sorry to digress...


----------



## PJ

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> If someone has already suggested this, then please disregard, but I was reading in accessories about a case that covers the front of the kindle 2 almost entirely (except for the keys) and would provide the black/gray contrast to trick your eye and possibly make the text easier to read...
> 
> here is the thread that starts with a picture of the item...
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,6849.0.html
> 
> just thinking...


You could get the same effect with a dark colored skin (and prettier too )


----------



## K.L. Christy

Anthony34 said:


> When I'm feeling depressed, when my spirits are low, and I'm at my wit's end, I always find comfort in the immortal words of Jeff Bezos:
> 
> "I'm a Mother Bear when it comes to guarding our customer experience...The fastest way to upset me and to make me into NOT a nice boss is to NOT have enough care and concern about some aspect of our customer experience." - 3/10/2009, ABC Nightline
> 
> http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7041777&page=1


LOVE IT!

Seriously though, Amazon is acting like my husband when he refuses to ask for directions: stubborn, obstinate, w/ a sprinkling of false pride.

Actually, no need to ask for directions with the GPS. And the same goes for Amazon. Guys, the technology is out there. And from what I understand FONTS aren't the next frontier in computer programming. So why the river in Egypt? Why the stonewalling?

Turn on the news, Amazon, it's about YOU.


----------



## FlannelE

K.L. Christy said:


> LOVE IT!
> 
> Seriously though, Amazon is acting like my husband when he refuses to ask for directions: stubborn, obstinate, w/ a sprinkling of false pride.
> 
> Actually, no need to ask for directions with the GPS. And the same goes for Amazon. Guys, the technology is out there. And from what I understand FONTS aren't the next frontier in computer programming. So why the river in Egypt? Why the stonewalling?
> 
> Turn on the news, Amazon, it's about YOU.


I think the recent Unicode Hack has demonstrated that even amateur Kindlists can find better solutions to the light text/poor contrast than what Amazon has offered.


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

ABC News has syndicated the PC World article about users' complaints about K2's readability:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/PCWorld/story?id=7333841


----------



## Anthony34

Law. Sorreneson said:


> ABC News has syndicated the PC World article about users' complaints about K2's readability:
> 
> http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/PCWorld/story?id=7333841


Well, at least ABC is balanced. Last month they lauded Jeff Bezos as the Nightline reporter went ga-ga over Amazon's committment toward customer service (i.e., "Mama Bear protecting the customers' reading experience..."). This week, some aspect of the reading experience has been compromised, and ABC called Amazon out for not responding. Kudos, to fair and balanced (to borrow from Fox News) journalism!


----------



## FlannelE

Perhaps font selection, bolding options, and formatting create so much added value to the K2 that Amazon doesn't want to provide it for FREE (i.e., via firmware update). My feeling is, since there are so many people DEMANDING better font options, they'll incorporate that as a SELLING POINT for the K3.

That'll get K2 users to upgrade and buy!


----------



## DD

FlannelE said:


> Perhaps font selection, bolding options, and formatting create so much added value to the K2 that Amazon doesn't want to provide it for FREE (i.e., via firmware update). My feeling is, since there are so many people DEMANDING better font options, they'll incorporate that as a SELLING POINT for the K3.
> 
> That'll get K2 users to upgrade and buy!


I think that would be a very bad business policy for Amazon to adopt toward their loyal K1 and K2 owners. What they would be saying, essentially, is, "Yes, we know we put out an e-reader that is hard to read but, look, now we have one that you can read more easily, but you have to pay for it." Readability should be assumed in an e-reader.

I'm glad to see the word is getting out about the light text problems. Maybe Amazon will start paying attention at some point!


----------



## ladynightshade

Now, see I own a K1 and K2 and I notice no difference. My mothers K1 next to my K2 on the same page of the same book renders no noticeable difference...


----------



## Anthony34

ladynightshade said:


> Now, see I own a K1 and K2 and I notice no difference. My mothers K1 next to my K2 on the same page of the same book renders no noticeable difference...


For most users, the difference becomes noticeable on the size 1, 2, 3 fonts. I had a total of 6 Kindle 2's (5 replacements) and compared 3 more out "in the wild." Without question, the 9 K2s' text was lighter on the smaller fonts (say, 15-20%). I'm pretty sure the issue has been documented:

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/04/kindle-2-displa.html
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/


----------



## ladynightshade

Anthony34 said:


> For most users, the difference becomes noticeable on the size 1, 2, 3 fonts. I had a total of 6 Kindle 2's (5 replacements) and compared 3 more out "in the wild." Without question, the 9 K2s' text was lighter on the smaller fonts (say, 15-20%). I'm pretty sure the issue has been documented:
> 
> http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/04/kindle-2-displa.html
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/


See that's what I'm saying, it may be an issue, but its not for me as i looked on size one two and three, and Eros delivers. He keeps pace with my mothers.


----------



## K.L. Christy

I have to admit, as a K1 owner I was in a bit of denial over the early buzz that the K2's text was actually lighter. The notion seemed absurd. Or maybe since I plopped down $360 for a next-gen Kindle, I didn't want to admit that the CENTRAL FEATURE of the e-reader device - its readability - was actually inferior to its predecessor. I guess I was too invested; maybe I was too attached (I call mine "Franklin"). But one night, after reading for 2-3 hours, I began to experience eye strain, so I took another side-by-side look, and was nearly dumbstruck: the K1's text just seemed to "jumped off" the screen, it was that good.

It took a LONG time to admit it, but yes, there's no doubt in my mind that the Kindle 2 text is a tad less readable than the K1. Does that mean I don't still love my K2? No, I love my K2, that's why I want to make it better. People REALLY need to check out some of these articles in the link below. Some very Loyal Amazon customers and Kindle Lovers are experiencing either eye strain, mild headaches, fatigue, or plain annoyance with the light, wispy K2 text (on the smaller font sizes):

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/articles


----------



## ladynightshade

okay, my question to the K world is this. I read on Eros (K2) for five hours, no eyes strain, on font 2. Then I noticed this thread, and yes i have read the articles. I tried again, reading for five more hours on text 2 then grabbed up Mothers K1 and read for an hour. There was no difference.


----------



## FlannelE

ladynightshade said:


> okay, my question to the K world is this. I read on Eros (K2) for five hours, no eyes strain, on font 2. Then I noticed this thread, and yes i have read the articles. I tried again, reading for five more hours on text 2 then grabbed up Mothers K1 and read for an hour. There was no difference.


Give it a week.


----------



## DD

ladynightshade said:


> Now, see I own a K1 and K2 and I notice no difference. My mothers K1 next to my K2 on the same page of the same book renders no noticeable difference...


Ladynightshade, I'm happy for you that you are happy with your K2 and its readability, truly, I am. That has not been my experience or the experience of many of the people who own K2's. None of the articles I read about this issue say it affects ALL owners of K2. Most articles say 'some' or 'many', but not all. However, it has been shown that the font smoothing does produce a lighter appearance to the text.

I, myself, have had 3 K2's (replacements) and there was quite a bit of variation in screen darkness and font intensity among them. I now have one I can live with. I guess you got a good one on your first try. Others have not been so lucky. One cannot judge if there is a general problem by only seeing one K2 which does not exhibit the problem.


----------



## ladynightshade

FlannelE said:


> Give it a week.


-_- I have some pretty not nice terms coming to mind. But I have done a very, very good deal of reading on both. I owned my K! for over a year, and the K2 is holding his own. And I am a VERY picky woman. Have some optimism.

And thank you DD, I am pleased as well. I'll be watching it, but so far after more than 15 hours of reading its doing fine.  it does look like its a variable thing some are luck some are not.


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

ladynightshade said:


> -_- I have some pretty not nice terms coming to mind. But I have done a very, very good deal of reading on both. I owned my K! for over a year, and the K2 is holding his own. And I am a VERY picky woman. Have some optimism.
> 
> And thank you DD, I am pleased as well. I'll be watching it, but so far after more than 15 hours of reading its doing fine.  it does look like its a variable thing some are luck some are not.


I believe we can all heed the optimism and luck bestowed upon the good ladynightshade. Perhaps the moniker, "ladyluck," would be more appropriate in this instance. I am jealous of your Eros, for many reasons . Most of all, I wish my Kindles (only 4 replacements) had performed nearly as well as your plucky Greek God of...

Kindlers of the World, Unite!


----------



## FlannelE

ladynightshade said:


> -_- I have some pretty not nice terms coming to mind. But I have done a very, very good deal of reading on both. I owned my K! for over a year, and the K2 is holding his own. And I am a VERY picky woman. Have some optimism.
> 
> And thank you DD, I am pleased as well. I'll be watching it, but so far after more than 15 hours of reading its doing fine.  it does look like its a variable thing some are luck some are not.


Sorry...Give it 2 weeks? "Brevity is the soul of wit," an Englishman once wrote, and I was merely suggesting that the reality for many K2 owners doesn't sink in until a few weeks...excitement, awe, and wonder soon devolve into a morbid cycle of eye strain, customer service calls, replacements, more eye strain, excitement, disappointment, more eye strain, optimism about rumors of a firmware update, false hope, more disappointment, more eye strain, vodka.

That English fellow above continued:

"And thus the native hue of RESOLUTION
Is sicklied o'er with the PALE cast of thought..."


----------



## PJ

Most of the articles I read made note that the readability issue was also affected by the vision of the reader.  I think ladynightshade is younger than many of us and thus may not see the same affects as some of us more mature readers with less than perfect vision.  I am 46 but still have relatively good near vision and I did not see the type of difference that would bother me when I compared my K2 to a friend's K1. Although, I do think setting the line distance to 5 which is similar to that of the K1 makes a difference.


----------



## ladynightshade

PJ said:


> Most of the articles I read made note that the readability issue was also affected by the vision of the reader. I think ladynightshade is younger than many of us and thus may not see the same affects as some of us more mature readers with less than perfect vision. I am 46 but still have relatively good near vision and I did not see the type of difference that would bother me when I compared my K2 to a friend's K1. Although, I do think setting the line distance to 5 which is similar to that of the K1 makes a difference.


Merci.

I am 21, and a picky, picky woman. If one darned thing was wrong with my baby i would jump down the throats of the nearest CS, manager, and tech agent that have. I read the articles, the comments and concerns WAY before purchasing my baby which is now two days old. Age, dear ones, does not beget wisdom. Wisdom comes with experience an dI have more than enough for my liking and would trade it any day of the week to be a happy go lucky 21 year old instead of that crap I get. I have put my baby through the gauntlet,there is no fading, no eye strain, no migraines, no nothing. I will GLADLY take pictures of his screen and my mothers screen. It is possible that it is a kindle to kindle issue. I know DD has had some BAD stories, but has hit a happy point. How much of this crap is nit picking and how much of it is legit? If it is such a HUGE issue then why not return the K2 and use the surplus money to get a K1, be happy, and deck it out in the space 150$ you have left over? They know its an issue, it's being address, and if I have any severe regrets in 30 days I'll eat my hat and mail it back. but as a 21 year old technophile I know my tips, tricks, hacks I worked technical support for the iPhone 3 G when it came out. All I can say is whining and moaning over things that can be done is not going to do anything but irk more people more.

As my mother and countless mommas have said before her "If you cannot say anything nice say nothing at all" They know, its being address, its done.


----------



## ladynightshade

Law. Sorreneson said:


> I believe we can all heed the optimism and luck bestowed upon the good ladynightshade. Perhaps the moniker, "ladyluck," would be more appropriate in this instance. I am jealous of your Eros, for many reasons . Most of all, I wish my Kindles (only 4 replacements) had performed nearly as well as your plucky Greek God of...
> 
> Kindlers of the World, Unite!


Simply sated. I love you. Eros was named before he came, perhaps God looks fondly on me. As this is the -only- thing aside form my engagement going well.


----------



## DD

ladynightshade said:


> Merci.
> 
> I am 21, and a picky, picky woman. If one darned thing was wrong with my baby i would jump down the throats of the nearest CS, manager, and tech agent that have. I read the articles, the comments and concerns WAY before purchasing my baby which is now two days old. Age, dear ones, does not beget wisdom. Wisdom comes with experience an dI have more than enough for my liking and would trade it any day of the week to be a happy go lucky 21 year old instead of that crap I get. I have put my baby through the gauntlet,there is no fading, no eye strain, no migraines, no nothing. I will GLADLY take pictures of his screen and my mothers screen. It is possible that it is a kindle to kindle issue. I know DD has had some BAD stories, but has hit a happy point. How much of this crap is nit picking and how much of it is legit? If it is such a HUGE issue then why not return the K2 and use the surplus money to get a K1, be happy, and deck it out in the space 150$ you have left over? They know its an issue, it's being address, and if I have any severe regrets in 30 days I'll eat my hat and mail it back. but as a 21 year old technophile I know my tips, tricks, hacks I worked technical support for the iPhone 3 G when it came out. All I can say is whining and moaning over things that can be done is not going to do anything but irk more people more.
> 
> As my mother and countless mommas have said before her "If you cannot say anything nice say nothing at all" They know, its being address, its done.


Believe me, If I didn't get a good one this time around, I was going to insist on a refund from Amazon. I wanted to give it every chance to work because I loved everything else about the K2 and I had already purchased two covers and two skins that I would have lost money on.

However, the first two K2's that had problems had _real_ problems. It was definitely not my imagination. To charactarize those people who have had bad Kindles as 'whining and complaining', I think, is not fair. These are real issues, even though they may not exist on every Kindle sent out (your first one and my third one). Don't forget, these are Kindle lovers pointing out these issues, not some 'trolls' who have never held a Kindle in their hands, as was the case with many of the complainers about Kindle 1. Much like myself, these people probably really want to keep their Kindles. They just want them to work properly. To be nice and "...say nothing at all" about a faulty $359.00 device just can't be an option.

Please, ladynightshade, with all due respect I urge you to temper your opinion with the knowledge that others have not had the same good experience as you. Don't assume that their problem doesn't exist.


----------



## geoffthomas

Well come on now folks.
My K2 has been "perfect" from the gitgo.
No squeaky case, no fading screen, no hard to read fonts.
Now that does not mean that it could not be better.  The AltG thingy makes my font darker and gives more contrast.
I could swear that when I got mine, the background was darker, so less contrast.  Something seems to have got better.

My point is that I appear to have received a "good" one.
And several of you who are complaining and have sent yours back and received new ones have finally received a "good" one.
That leads me to believe that there are "good" ones.
So the young lady may also have a "good" one. 
Hence she does not NEED young eyes, perhaps.
Just sayin.......


----------



## drenee

My mom's K2 is just fine as well.  I had her take it outside and do the sun test; no problem.  Everything seems to be working great with her K2 as well.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

O.K. folks. . . .let's all agree: some received K2's (or K1's for that matter) with issues. Some did not. For those with issues, in some cases it was potentially a deal-breaker and for some not a major concern. For those who had serious issues, they were either resolved very quickly -- units replaced or whatever -- or it took longer.

The main thing, at this point, is that we're all happy with our Kindles. Remember, we all perceive things through the lens of our own experience. . . . we also need to acknowledge that others have different experiences so their 'lens' may focus differently. That's neither good or bad. . . .it just is.

Ann
<little bitty mod hat on. . . .I'll get a bigger one if I need to!  >


----------



## DD

Ann in Arlington said:


> O.K. folks. . . .let's all agree: some received K2's (or K1's for that matter) with issues. Some did not. For those with issues, in some cases it was potentially a deal-breaker and for some not a major concern. For those who had serious issues, they were either resolved very quickly -- units replaced or whatever -- or it took longer.
> 
> The main thing, at this point, is that we're all happy with our Kindles. Remember, we all perceive things through the lens of our own experience. . . . we also need to acknowledge that others have different experiences so their 'lens' may focus differently. That's neither good or bad. . . .it just is.
> 
> Ann
> <little bitty mod hat on. . . .I'll get a bigger one if I need to!  >


I agree with your statement, Ann. That's the point I was trying to make in my last post. Just because one gets a Kindle that works the first time, is not a reason to deny someone else's bad experience or say the problem doesn't exist. As you say, I really do LOVE my Kindle or I wouldn't have tried 3 times to get it right!


----------



## K.L. Christy

I, for one, migrated from the Amazon Forums to the KindleBoards because I felt more welcome here when I voiced my constructive criticism about the Kindle 2. Though it never got nasty on the Amazon threads, I did get encounter the "love it or leave it" sentiment that just made NO SENSE whatsoever.

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Please-make-darker-Kindle/forum/Fx2EGRL42MHF15D/Tx24K7JL1P7S1GG/1/ref=cm_cd_ef_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00154JDAI

Many loyal K1 users saved their hard-earned cash (during these rough economic times) to upgrade to the K2 with the expectation that, the text would at least MATCH the K1. It doesn't. But like the co-dependent in a dysfunctional relationship, I stick with my beloved Kindle 2 because it offers SO MUCH other illumination: spirit, intellect, HEART.

I know I'm not the only one who has noticed the lighter K2 text, and if I choose to make Amazon or Kindle users aware of this issue, I sincerely think it's a positive thing: dialogue, debate, discussion = progress. After all, if we early adopters had remained silent after the K1's release, perhaps we wouln't have seen the smaller buttons; improved navigation; functional cover; USB recharge; power buttons on top instead of on the back, etc. that make the K2 an overall HIT.

What many of us are asking for isn't much: Amazon should send a firmware update that allows users to adjust the darkness of the text. That's it. Oddly, Amazon has consistently stonewalled, providing non sequitur, canned email responses that tout "the latest in e-ink screen technology," "16 shades of gray," or "this is not an issue." Truth be told, it kind of stings, especially since we're all so accustomed to Amazon's/Bezos & Co.'s earnest and exemplary devotion to customer service.

http://www.petitiononline.com/12345k2/petition.html

So thanks to Ann, Leslie, Harvey, and the entire KindleBoards community for providing a forum. But most of all, for understanding that disagreeing with aspects of the Amazon Kindle does not make one "disagreeable."


----------



## Leslie

Hi KL, welcome. Glad to have you here.

Personally, I am a glass half full vs. a glass half empty type of person. In other words, I believe that people are good, mistakes happen, and most folks want to do the right thing. Defective Kindles exist -- we know that from both K1 and K2. I have been blessed that all of the Kindles I have bought (7 in all) have all worked fine. Clearly some people hit a patch of bad luck and get serial bad Kindles. I truly feel for the people that happens/happened to. If it happened to me, I think I would take the "be persistent, get one that works" attitude. I like my Kindle so much that it has become my preferred reading device, so I would go to great lengths to get one that works properly vs. giving up on the device altogether.

Last weekend, there was a big flap because Amazon de-ranked all books with gay/lesbian content (we have a thread on the issue). What was interesting is how polarized the discussion became (in some forums, not here). There were those who believed it was a vast, giant conspiracy against all GLBT people and the only way to respond was to cancel your Amazon account, vow to never buy from Amazon again, and tell everyone you know that Amazon is the online equivalent of the Evil Empire. Folks never waited to hear exactly how or why this de-ranking happened or what Amazon was doing to rectify the situation. Even when those explanations came, certain vocal folks still held firm to their decision to boycott Amazon forever, even though the reason for the boycott seemed to have disappeared. To me, this is really a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face. 

I see some of these "hate K2 thus hate Amazon because the screen fades" screeds in the same light.

My 2 cents.

L


----------



## ladynightshade

I was only responding to those who were saying "Give it two weeks" or "You'll see" attitude when they could not accept that it is possible that I got a good one. Yes, some people have problems and i'm not denying that, all technology is bound to have hiccups ((again i cite the iPod 1)) but the only way for them to know is we tell them and leave it to them to fix it, whats the point of spoiling everyone else because -you- got a bad one? "Hey I got a bad one but so and son and her friend got a good one." attitudes are much better to take.


----------



## Anthony34

5 Replacements later (!), I have accepted the Kindle 2's text limitations by pressing "Alt + G" after every single page turn.  When that gets tiresome, I switch over to the size 4 font, though I feel like I'm back in grade school with the big, BIG letters. 

And I'm not so sure it's an issue of age, either, since my 11 year-old nephew noticed that the K2's text was lighter than the K1. Alas, my LOVE for the Kindle will keep me waiting...with bated breath for a firmware update. But I'm starting to lose my patience. When did reading a book become so difficult?


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

The letter below (and the information/links within it) represents the most significant effort to improve the readability of the Kindle 2. This letter was posted on the Amazon forums by "Ted-san." Trust me, if you do a little digging, this is a HUGE DEVELOPMENT:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dear Amazon, re: fonts

As you know, there's been quite a bit of discussion regarding fonts and their display/contrast on the Kindle 2. While many people are very happy with their reading experience, there is a community of users who are looking for a way, other than always reading on the largest font sizes, to increase the contrast of the display.
If you've been following the discussion, then you're aware of the detailed analysis which I have done, shown on these pages:
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks

In an attempt to help Amazon resolve this issue in a way that is satisfactory to the widest audience of users, I have made a variety of specific recommendations that would not be onerous to implement. I have also run private tests by modifying a variety of fonts and using these to replace the default serif reading font. These tests have been extremely promising, and I am making the results of these available for your use. You can find the font install files for several of these experiments. I have placed these files, and sample images of their use, on my site:

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files

Best regards. We are all looking for the same thing - a Kindle that is useful to the widest user base."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ted-san adds a disclaimer in a following post:

"I do not encourage anyone to take steps that may invalidate their warranty. Moreover, as soon as Amazon has a chance to review the demonstration fonts, this page will be taken down."


----------



## FlannelE

Law. Sorreneson said:


> You can find the font install files for several of these experiments. I have placed these files, and sample images of their use, on my site:
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


WOW! I couldn't resist so I "experimented" and OMG!!! Better than the K2; better than the K1; even better than real PAPER. It's almost pitiful that it takes a random Kindle User (and not Amazon) to provide such an important upgrade and remedy to the poor contrast/light text. Amazon, the evidence is practically irrefutable: the gray screen requires darker text.

Thank you, Mr. Ted-san. My eyes are finally AT PEACE


----------



## ladynightshade

FlannelE said:


> WOW! I couldn't resist so I "experimented" and OMG!!! Better than the K2; better than the K1; even better than real PAPER. It's almost pitiful that it takes a random Kindle User (and not Amazon) to provide such an important upgrade and remedy to the poor contrast/light text. Amazon, the evidence is practically irrefutable: the gray screen requires darker text.
> 
> Thank you, Mr. Ted-san. My eyes are finally AT PEACE


........I will see how this pans out, but I continue my stance that through vigorous study and magnifying glasses that my sweet Eros has upheld his Godlike name.


----------



## DD

FlannelE said:


> WOW! I couldn't resist so I "experimented" and OMG!!! Better than the K2; better than the K1; even better than real PAPER. It's almost pitiful that it takes a random Kindle User (and not Amazon) to provide such an important upgrade and remedy to the poor contrast/light text. Amazon, the evidence is practically irrefutable: the gray screen requires darker text.
> 
> Thank you, Mr. Ted-san. My eyes are finally AT PEACE


Which experimental font did you find best? Is this fix reversible? Do you install all of the fonts and then choose among them or do you install only the one you like?


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Clarification, please?  Is the font fix/hack only for the K2?  Not that I have any problem with my K1, just askin'. . . .

Ann


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

Ann in Arlington said:


> Clarification, please? Is the font fix/hack only for the K2? Not that I have any problem with my K1, just askin'. . . .
> 
> Ann


K2 only.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Thank you. . . .that was also my impression from checking out the site, but I though it was worth saying outright.  

Ann


----------



## FlannelE

DD said:


> Which experimental font did you find best? Is this fix reversible? Do you install all of the fonts and then choose among them or do you install only the one you like?


I liked the Arial Round Narrow the best. But the Bold Narrow Native was a very close second.

The fix is definitely reversible. The uninstall patch does that (each time).

The author instructs "Amazon" ( ) to install one font, NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME. But "Amazon" can cyle through the 4 fonts by pasting the uninstall file to the Root Directory to set it back to default mode each time. "Amazon" would then need to select "Update Your Kindle" (Settings/Menu) after EVERY uninstall or install.


----------



## DD

FlannelE said:


> I liked the Arial Round Narrow the best. But the Bold Narrow Native was a very close second.
> 
> The fix is definitely reversible. The uninstall patch does that (each time).
> 
> The author instructs "Amazon" ( ) to install one font, NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME. But "Amazon" can cyle through the 4 fonts by pasting the uninstall file to the Root Directory to set it back to default mode each time. "Amazon" would then need to select "Update Your Kindle" (Settings/Menu) after EVERY uninstall or install.


Thanks, FlannelE. I will wait a while until I see if those brave souls who have tried it notice any problems with their Kindles. Keep us posted, please. If this works with no problems, my eyes will be very grateful.


----------



## K.L. Christy

Law. Sorreneson said:


> The letter below (and the information/links within it) represents the most significant effort to improve the readability of the Kindle 2. This letter was posted on the Amazon forums by "Ted-san." Trust me, if you do a little digging, this is a HUGE DEVELOPMENT:
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> These tests have been extremely promising, and I am making the results of these available for your use. You can find the font install files for several of these experiments. I have placed these files, and sample images of their use, on my site:
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


    The fonts are MAGNIFICENT!!! My Kindle 2 looks stunning, glorious with the slightly bolder native font (update_cmodNarrow_install.bin). It basically looks like every page has received an auto "ALT + G."

I almost feel like a hippie girl in the '60's who settled down in the '70's: I'm still mad as heck with Amazon (i.e., the system) for the light text and poor contrast, but I've now found my own piece of Eros, my own eye-popping version of Love... (in the Time of Cholera).

I guess there IS such a thing as "Happy Endings!"


----------



## DD

K.L. Christy said:


> The fonts are MAGNIFICENT!!! My Kindle 2 looks stunning, glorious with the slightly bolder native font (update_cmodNarrow_install.bin). It basically looks like every page has received an auto "ALT + G."
> 
> I almost feel like a hippie girl in the '60's who settled down in the '70's: I'm still mad as heck with Amazon (i.e., the system) for the light text and poor contrast, but I've now found my own piece of Eros, my own eye-popping version of Love... (in the Time of Cholera).
> 
> I guess there IS such a thing as "Happy Endings!"


Good to know. I'm so tempted to try it but I'm afraid to do so too soon in case there are problems that pop up later. I'm dying to see them, though. But since they are reversible....don't know what to do!

Just want to be super-clear - you only install one of the enhanced fonts at a time. Right?

And I'm curious, K.L Christy and Flannel, what font size do you read on and do the new fonts look better at all font sizes?


----------



## K.L. Christy

DD said:


> Good to know. I'm so tempted to try it but I'm afraid to do so too soon in case there are problems that pop up later. I'm dying to see them, though. But since they are reversible....don't know what to do!
> 
> Just want to be super-clear - you only install one of the enhanced fonts at a time. Right?


Yes, I did void my warranty by doing this (not something I could "publicly" recommend ). I was just sooo frustrated with Amazon dragging its feet that I "optimized" first-hand...But no problems popped up for me...I will need to MANUALLY install updates in the future, though (2.03, 2.04, etc.). But the message boards seem to keep ahead of the curve in that department.

I installed. Updated. Installed the "uninstall." Updated. Installed a different font. Rinse & Repeated...So, yes. DEFINITELY a one-at-a-time affair until I found the perfect font. Had I landed on the "update_cmodNarrow_install.bin" first, then I would've just needed to install once.


----------



## Anthony34

Thanks Law!

New fonts work like a dream. Gorgeous!  I hope Amazon reads Ted-san's letter and conducts the font experiments.  You'd think their  Q&A/programmers would've come up with a solution already. Really!

My reaction to the enhanced text was straight out of 2001: "My God...It's full of stars!"  

UPDATE (4/19; 7:03 PM): I'm not encouraging anyone to conduct these experiments since they seem to be meant for Amazon.  But if an intrepid Amazon developer DOES install a .bin file, Ted-san left out an important step: after you've copied the .bin file to the K2's root directory, DON'T USE THE SLIDER TO RESTART. Instead, select "Update My Kindle" from Home/Menu/Settings/Menu/Update My Kindle.  The same process goes for using the uninstall .bin., Amazon.


----------



## DD

Anthony34 said:


> Thanks Law!
> 
> New fonts work like a dream. Gorgeous! I hope Amazon reads Ted-san's letter and conducts the font experiments. You'd think their Q&A/programmers would've come up with a solution already. Really!
> 
> My reaction to the enhanced text was straight out of 2001: "My God...It's full of stars!"


Anthony, can you please tell me step-by-step exactly what you did? You can PM me if you want. I am having trouble. My Kindle won't get through the start-up phase after the update. It's been flashing for 45 min. now. Can't power down. Nothing works. Help please!

I posted a cry for help in a new thread also.


----------



## DD

Trekker said:


> Doesn't sound good....sure hope you didn't brick yours! Hope you find a solution and keep us updated!


Update: Thanks to Anthony, I was able to find instructions on how to put the Kindle into Recovery mode. This allowed my computer to recognize it and I was able to use the uninstall .bin to get things back to normal. I was really sweating there for a while.

Thanks for your concern.


----------



## DD

Trekker said:


> Glad to hear it! You may want to post instructions for the "Recovery mode" in case anyone else runs into the same problem.


I will get that together and do it as soon as possible. It was a lifesaver.


----------



## luvmy4brats

I'm glad you were able to get things back to normal DD. I would have been freaking out (I actually did something similar when jailbreaking my iphone last week..I TOTALLY lost it...all is well though).

Please post the instructions to get into recovery mode just in case other members run into the same issue you did.


----------



## DD

luvmy4brats said:


> I'm glad you were able to get things back to normal DD. I would have been freaking out (I actually did something similar when jailbreaking my iphone last week..I TOTALLY lost it...all is well though).
> 
> Please post the instructions to get into recovery mode just in case other members run into the same issue you did.


Yeah, luv, my heart just returned to a normal rhythm! I will direct everyone to the instructions for recovery mode. I think I should do it in a new thread so that everyone sees it. Coming soon...


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

Anthony34 said:


> Thanks Law!
> 
> New fonts work like a dream. Gorgeous! I hope Amazon reads Ted-san's letter and conducts the font experiments. You'd think their Q&A/programmers would've come up with a solution already. Really!
> 
> My reaction to the enhanced text was straight out of 2001: "My God...It's full of stars!"
> 
> UPDATE (4/19; 7:03 PM): I'm not encouraging anyone to conduct these experiments since they seem to be meant for Amazon. But if an intrepid Amazon developer DOES install a .bin file, Ted-san left out an important step: after you've copied the .bin file to the K2's root directory, DON'T USE THE SLIDER TO RESTART. Instead, select "Update My Kindle" from Home/Menu/Settings/Menu/Update My Kindle. The same process goes for using the uninstall .bin., Amazon.


I'm happy that it's worked out for you. My original posting of Ted-san's letter, I think is still a HUGE DEVELOPMENT. It demonstrates how a small community of tech-savvy Kindle Lovers have put their collective heads together to optimize the kindle's functionality. It also provides Amazon with some files with which to experiment with. Exposure to how GREAT the fonts could look and how easy it is to implement might go a long way towards a potential FIRMWARE UPDATE.

Now, "Amazon" can be interpreted to mean many things, I suppose. But I think the safest approach would be to DIG INTO the research of Ted-San and the early Beta Testers

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/enhancing-your-image
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files
http://www.blogkindle.com/unicode-fonts-hack/ )

BEFORE broadening the meaning of "Amazon." 

Having said that, the research on the blogkindle site offered other beta testers some very detailed step-by-step instructions that (taken together with Ted-san's font installs) might be useful for intrepid Kindled Spirits who are fond of "Experimenting with New Technology" (to borrow from a recent Stephen King novellete!). And by "intrepid Kindled Spirits" I mean "Amazon," of course!


----------



## DD

Trekker said:


> Glad to hear it! You may want to post instructions for the "Recovery mode" in case anyone else runs into the same problem.


Recovery Mode tip posted as an update and moved to Tip, Tricks, & Troubleshooting:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7019.msg143706.html#msg143706


----------



## DD

Law. Sorreneson said:


> I'm happy that it's worked out for you. My original posting of Ted-san's letter, I think is still a HUGE DEVELOPMENT. It demonstrates how a small community of tech-savvy Kindle Lovers have put their collective heads together to optimize the kindle's functionality. It also provides Amazon with some files with which to experiment with. Exposure to how GREAT the fonts could look and how easy it is to implement might go a long way towards a potential FIRMWARE UPDATE.
> 
> Now, "Amazon" can be interpreted to mean many things, I suppose. But I think the safest approach would be to DIG INTO the research of Ted-San and the early Beta Testers
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/enhancing-your-image
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files
> http://www.blogkindle.com/unicode-fonts-hack/ )
> 
> BEFORE broadening the meaning of "Amazon."
> 
> Having said that, the research on the blogkindle site offered other beta testers some very detailed step-by-step instructions that (taken together with Ted-san's font installs) might be useful for intrepid Kindled Spirits who are fond of "Experimenting with New Technology" (to borrow from a recent Stephen King novellete!). And by "intrepid Kindled Spirits" I mean "Amazon," of course!


Thanks, Law. The fonts are great! What a relief it is to read without eyestrain now.

I want to make it clear to other Kindlers that, if you try this hack, the Kindle is to be "Updated" from the Settings menu and that "Restart" is not the equivalent. Others may miss this fact as I did with dire results. After I fixed my mistake, the hack worked like a dream for me.


----------



## Anthony34

An elegant solution might be for Amazon to mimic the user option on Xerox machines. 
You know, that button that says: lighter--light--normal--dark--darker.
Maybe fit it in on the pop-up window for font size/Text-to-Speech?

That way Amazon would NEVER have to admit that their text is too light.  Just give users the option of toggling light to dark!

Thoughts?


----------



## Kindgirl

Wow, what a difference... I chose the bold narrow arial font and it's SO much darker, smoother, easier on the eyes.  Loving it!  God bless hackers!


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

To Replace or not to replace. That is the question. I went through 6 replacement K2's and was never lucky enough to receive a unit with darker text than my original purchase. But I did notice HUGE variations of contrast/light text amongst the 6 inferior replacements.

Ted-san has been hard at work again, and has demonstrated that there are, indeed, variations in text sharpness/darkness amongst the Kindle 2's:

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/k2-differences

I also read that he thought that his ORIGINAL K2 was one of the "good ones!" What this evidence (the microscopic blow-ups are kind of freaky ), seems to confirm is that people are not "imagining" things, and it's not just a matter of perception -- in the "eye of the beholder."

Bottom Line: ALL of the K2's have slighlty lighter text than the K2 (say, 10-15%). Many are even lighter (15-20%). Some even fade in the sun (which would probably mean at least 25% lighter). It will be up to each individual to decide whether to "marry up" via the replacement route (which is a crap shoot). Or to be patient and wait for an Amazon FIRMWARE UPDATE. Some brave souls have reported AMAZING results through "font enhancement":

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files
(Addressed to "Amazon" )

Choices...


----------



## FlannelE

Kindgirl said:


> Wow, what a difference... I chose the bold narrow arial font and it's SO much darker, smoother, easier on the eyes. Loving it! God bless hackers!


Seriously, Amazon should hire Ted-san right now to work on their fonts! I absolutely LOVE my darker text. Like I said before, even better than PAPER since the light gray and BLACK text work better than bright, bright white. What a difference, indeed!


----------



## K.L. Christy

DD said:


> Thanks, Law. The fonts are great! What a relief it is to read without eyestrain now.
> 
> I want to make it clear to other Kindlers that, if you try this hack, the Kindle is to be "Updated" from the Settings menu and that "Restart" is not the equivalent. Others may miss this fact as I did with dire results. After I fixed my mistake, the hack worked like a dream for me.


I'm so happy that your Kindle recovered and that "you can see clearly now, the rain is gone" (I think I'm showing my age!).

For me, the enhanced fonts took me back 10 months to when I first laid my eyes on the Kindle 1. Instantly taken aback and CHARMED!


----------



## Anthony34

combined with a darker skin and the new fonts, I feel like I've upgraded to the Kindle 3!

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/more-than-skin-deep


----------



## sjc

Anthony34:  We hope you are around for a long time on these boards.  I see that you've helped many.  THANKS (from all of us, I'm sure).  

I have the K1 and have not modified anything; though, it is my 3rd.  First two had fading in the sun issues...it wasn't only the K2 with the sun fading thing, though more frequent with the K2 than the K1.

Hope Amazon gets a move on with the issues.  I'm sure that things like this hurt sales; which in turn hurts us in the long run.


----------



## tedsan

Hey folks, 
check out this press release from Vellum Publishing!

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/vellum-publishing-incs-digital-books-for-kindle-2-are-easiest-to-read-97613.php

I encourage everybody to send Vellum their positive feedback. Let's show the world some positive Buzz!


----------



## K.L. Christy

tedsan said:


> Hey folks,
> check out this press release from Vellum Publishing!
> 
> http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/vellum-publishing-incs-digital-books-for-kindle-2-are-easiest-to-read-97613.php
> 
> I encourage everybody to send Vellum their positive feedback. Let's show the world some positive Buzz!


Oh, so YOU'RE Ted-san!!?! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL FONTS!

With regard to Vellum Publishing, why not take it a step further: Let's all download a book from them. I heard that all their books are under seven bucks. This way, we can prove that darkening the font can be a commercially viable business tactic.

Here's their company's website: http://www.newkindlebooks.com/


----------



## tedsan

You are very welcome! It's been my pleasure to demonstrate how people can get the most out of this great product.

I've just been lurking for a while. I was pleasantly surprised by how much better the display could get with just a few "tweaks" and glad that others agree.

I'm still surprised that Amazon refuses to acknowledge the issue and just give us the option to do this officially.
As someone who started and ran a software/hardware company for about 20 years, I saw the value of addressing problems and giving workarounds to issues that might vary user-to-user. It's not difficult to add an option to a menu and provide a couple different fonts.

There's no shame in acknowledging that your product could be improved. Even the best products can be made _even better! _ In fact, this creates a loyal user base that _becomes_ your marketing arm. Some companies get this. When your users rave about how wonderful your products and service are, your sales multiply.

I do give them credit for replacing people's defective units time and again, that's much better than most companies. But this issue has been poorly addressed.

This is a very common issue when companies license their device business. They see devices to be like toasters and TV sets and cars - they are what they are. You bought them "as is" and if you want something better, wait for the next version and buy a new one. They don't "get it."

Amazon likely hired Lab126 (the company that designed the K2) with a contract that included "bug fixes" but not functionality issues. While we could argue about the level of severity of the font issue, legally, it's not a "critical" issue. So Amazon would have to contract with Lab126 for any alterations in the software, which involves lots of red tape and, money. What would be a trivial modification for an in-house development team becomes a big hoo-hah with this type of development arrangement.

While I originally was hopeful that Amazon would release a patch for this issue, I'm less confident now. I believe their silence on this issue is more of a tacit approval of the hacks to improve it. If they wanted to discourage them, they'd release a nasty letter warning against using them. They probably feel that their hands are tied by Lab126 so they can't make an official statement in either direction. As such, I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Bezos was actually applauding the efforts of Andrei Pushkin (the font hack developer) because he knows that it's improving his product in a way he wishes he could!

I'm not totally giving up yet. I'll keep working at this, and maybe we'll get lucky and hit some critical mass where Bezos can take it no more, bites the bullet and just makes this right!

Ok, that's probably more than enough.
Cheers to all!
-Ted


----------



## Leslie

Hi Ted, welcome. Thanks for all his info.

My K2 was not plagued by the fading fonts and poor contrast issues that so many have had problems with, so I didn't pay too much attention to this conversation. But curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try a few of your fonts. First off, let me say, the download and installation worked flawlessly. Thanks for that! First I downloaded the bold narrow native -- it looked good, nice and familiar. Yes, it was clearer and easier to read. But looking at the website, something about the Droid appealed to me. Maybe it's because I like san serif fonts. I downloaded that and...wow! I can actually read it on Font size 3 which I've never been able to do -- on this Kindle or my previous K1. It's amazing!

Like someone said, Amazon should hire you as a consultant and make this fix widely available. It is terrific. Thanks so much for developing this and sharing it with all of us.

L


----------



## FlannelE

Leslie said:


> I can actually read it on Font size 3 which I've never been able to do -- on this Kindle or my previous K1. It's amazing!


The enhanced, optimized, supplemental, wonderkind FONTS work like a charm! But it's important to note that the lighter text/poor contrast issue on ALL OF THE K2's is only really an "issue" with font sizes 1, 2, 3. To be fair, I would even argue that some of the new fonts are best suited for 1, 2, 3, and NOT 4, 5, 6 (a bit TOO bold). Although I have to say that Arial Bold Narrow is superb-looking at size 4.

Let's keep the dialogue moving and the BUZZ humming...I have a feeling that Spring time will finally wake Amazon up and force them to listen to its loyal customers.

Oh yeah, the firmware update IS comming. How can it not? And it'll probably be called 2.2 (not 2.000004)!


----------



## tedsan

I agree - on the larger sizes, the bold fonts can be a bit much.

Ideally, Amazon would implement enhanced fonts by allowing the user to set a lower size threshold. At or below this size, it would use a bold version of the fonts, above this, the normal version would apply. It requires a tad more thinking on the part of the developers, but not much!


----------



## luvmy4brats

I have to say, I also did not really follow this conversation too closely. I haven't had any contrast or fading issues with my K2. Additionally, I usually read with anywhere from font 3-5. A couple of days ago I decided I'd at least give the font hack a shot. I downloaded and installed/uninstalled each of them (except the droid...Now I'm going to have to try that one) My first reaction was that they were too dark (I had it on font 5). Once I moved it down to a 3, I decided I'd live with it for awhile and see how I liked it. I REALLY like the Arial Bold Narrow font. I've discovered I can read at the smaller fonts (at least during the day..not so much when I'm reading in bed at night)



Trekker said:


> The same way that the firmware update for folders/tags is NOT coming.


<Sigh> My Kindle would be perfect if it had folders or tags.


----------



## FlannelE

The light text/poor contrast was never an issue for anyone at fonts 4, 5, 6.  When the letters are that huge (5, 6), gray dental floss would be clearly legible.  That's invariably why many K2 Users are/were completely happy with the readability of their Kindles. If I were reading at font 5, I would be happy, too.  

But I don't like clicking next page every 15 seconds; and I don't want to read text that's bigger than my 7 year-old daughter's storybooks.
I'm sorry if I sound blunt, jaded, even coarse. The reality is, many posters on many threads turned their noses up to ANY criticism of their beloved Kindles. If you examine the K1 side-by-side with the K2, you WILL see that the text on the K2 is lighter on fonts 1, 2, 3 (the font size in the vast majority of published novels).

I loved my K2, gave it 8.5/10 stars...The font hacks just make the Kindle 2 better - way better.  Believe me, they are an absolute marvel - 10/10 stars.


----------



## K.L. Christy

Note: I rant because I NOW see how beautiful reading can be on my beloved Kindle 2
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files

I tried the flavors at "Ted-san's font shack" last week. It is unfathomable that Amazon with its Billion dollar coffers and 100 Million dollar profits couldn't do what a couple of amateur 'radio-shack' enthusiasts did in their downscale basements. In other words, the enhanced fonts absolutely deliver a 5-star product; why couldn't Amazon have done the same?

Reading on the Kindle 2 is now glorious, downright divine with the bolder fonts that Ted-san has provided. If Amazon would only swallow its pride and WORK ON THE PROBLEM (they wouldn't even have to admit they were wrong), then I would be the first to say, "All is forgiven." 
Amazon, please get off your a*s and wash the dishes!!!

Yes, it's personal because READING IS PERSONAL. I expected so much more from a $360 2nd-Generation product in the year 2009. After all, this is America: We cured polio, put a man on the moon, elected an elegant President. 
I think we can make the fonts on an e-reader darker.


----------



## DD

Just noticed there is a new updated font added this morning at 7:12 AM (update_cmodLarge_fonts_install.bin).

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


----------



## Anthony34

DD said:


> Just noticed there is a new updated font added this morning at 7:12 AM (update_cmodLarge_fonts_install.bin).
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


Thanks for the heads-up, DD...and the update, Ted-San. A little too *bold* for my tastes...I'll stick with my favorite enhancement, the awesome Arial Bold Narrow (so easy on the eyes!)

On a lighter note (no pun intended), the across-the-board LOVE FEST for the enhanced fonts combined with some users "downgrading back to the K1" (http://www.pcworld.com/article/163089/users_lament_kindle_2_upgrades.html), has taken me back to my college days, Philosophy 101:

*"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."*

- _Arthur Schopenhauer: Three stages of Truth_

It's hard to accept, but the K2's text is, indeed, lighter than the K1. On ALL units. People laughed and poked fun at the early postings; people waved their Kindled-fists and tried to deny it; people then said, "duh."


----------



## DD

Anthony34 said:


> Thanks for the heads-up, DD...and the update, Ted-San. A little too *bold* for my tastes...I'll stick with the awesome Arial Bold Narrow (so easy on the eyes!)
> 
> On a lighter note (no pun intended), the across-the-board LOVE FEST for the enhanced fonts combined with some users "downgrading back to the K1" (http://www.pcworld.com/article/163089/users_lament_kindle_2_upgrades.html), has taken me back to my college days, Philosophy 101:
> 
> *"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."*
> 
> - _Arthur Schopenhauer: Three stages of Truth_
> 
> It's hard to accept, but the K2's text is, indeed, lighter than the K1. On ALL units. People laughed and poked fun at the early postings; people waved their Kindled-fists and tried to deny it; people then said, "duh."


Well said, Anthony. 

I haven't had a chance to try the new large text font yet and it will probably be too bold for my taste also. However, this could mean I might be able to buy my 82 yr. old Mom a Kindle. She is not able too see even the largest text on either Kindle because of macular degeneration. I am very hopeful...


----------



## luvmy4brats

Anthony34 said:


> It's hard to accept, but the K2's text is, indeed, lighter than the K1. On ALL units. People laughed and poked fun at the early postings; people waved their Kindled-fists and tried to deny it; people then said, "duh."


This is not true. I have both a K1 and a K2. The text is virtually the same on both of my Kindles..I CHOOSE to read at the higher fonts because I choose not to use reading glasses. I could use the smaller fonts without problems on either of them if I choose to. I generally read at a font 3 and as I grow more tired, I up the size of the font. Just because SOME people are having problems, not everybody does. The Arial Narrow Bold that I added a few days ago actually makes the text on my K2 much darker than the text on my daughter's K1..even on fonts 1 and 2. I happen to prefer the Arial over the default and if I had the option when I had my K1, I would have used it on there. Some people (like me) like the font hack just for the ability to use different fonts, not just the contrast issues.

I don't think anybody here has laughed or poked fun at any of the issues others have had. You seem to be under the impression that many of us don't believe that there is an issue just because we say we don't have an issue. That isn't the case. I DO wish Amazon would do something about this. Especially for the people this is affecting. It just doesn't affect me.


----------



## DD

luvmy4brats said:


> This is not true. I have both a K1 and a K2. The text is virtually the same on both of my Kindles..I CHOOSE to read at the higher fonts because I choose not to use reading glasses. I could use the smaller fonts without problems on either of them if I choose to. I generally read at a font 3 and as I grow more tired, I up the size of the font. Just because SOME people are having problems, not everybody does. The Arial Narrow Bold that I added a few days ago actually makes the text on my K2 much darker than the text on my daughter's K1..even on fonts 1 and 2. I happen to prefer the Arial over the default and if I had the option when I had my K1, I would have used it on there. Some people (like me) like the font hack just for the ability to use different fonts, not just the contrast issues.
> 
> I don't think anybody here has laughed or poked fun at any of the issues others have had. You seem to be under the impression that many of us don't believe that there is an issue just because we say we don't have an issue. That isn't the case. I DO wish Amazon would do something about this. Especially for the people this is affecting. It just doesn't affect me.


Luv, you are right. Most people on the boards have been like you and have been very understanding about the problems many of us are having with light text on our K2's. However, there have been posts that have been very negative toward the idea that the text could be lighter, though they are not the majority. Most people here are kind and accepting. That's why I love it here so much. But, I have personally been told by one poster that he has never heard of anyone getting eyestrain from reading a K2 and that I should see an eye doctor. At least one other poster called those of us with light text problems 'whiners and complainers' because she herself did not see any difference between the text on K1 and K2.

So, you just go on being you - sweet, understanding, and accepting of others' plights. But, not everyone is that way. Perhaps those few have created the perception that the light text issue is not being viewed as 'real'; that, and Amazon's silence on the issue.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

OVerall, this thread has been very good, with posters recognizing that different people have different experiences, and that their own experience is not necessarily typical.  Overall, we really only have one major rule on KindleBoards that the rest derive from:  respect for the other person!  Keep up the good work.  I find the lighter font discussion fascinating although I don't have the problem on my K1!

Betsy


----------



## DD

Betsy the Quilter said:


> OVerall, this thread has been very good, with posters recognizing that different people have different experiences, and that their own experience is not necessarily typical. Overall, we really only have one major rule on KindleBoards that the rest derive from: respect for the other person! Keep up the good work. I find the lighter font discussion fascinating although I don't have the problem on my K1!
> 
> Betsy


And, Betsy, this attitude makes you one of the majority here of caring, accepting, and helpful people.


----------



## tedsan

Another updated font available for testing - "Tall".

The LARGE font was posted earlier at the request of one user with vision issues who wanted a super-large/bold font. The "tall" font is more subtle for those who requested a slightly larger font with more delicate proportions. I took the original Kindle font, stretched it vertically to increase its size 15% (a couple points) and horizontally 5%. In this way, it allows a little less text per line, but in a larger size for greater legibility. I've also reduced the boldness of the type and hand-tuned some of the curvier characters to maintain boldness at small sizes without making the rest of the characters too bold.

Testers can find it at the usual location. Feel free to send suggestions for improvement.


----------



## Leslie

Harvey blogged about your font fixes, Ted.

http://www.kboards.com/blog/2009/04/hack-your-way-to-darker-kindle-fonts/

L


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

Ted-San's work with the font enhancements has been a revelation. It deserves its own thread, and as we speak a new one has been started. I encourage all of you to post your font hack/font enhancement related thoughts on his excellent thread:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7233.0.html

We can still continue following the internet buzz surrounding the LIGHTER TEXT. Please keep the community apprised of press, blogs, and threads about the contrast issue.

-Law. Sorreneson.


----------



## tedsan

New font available for testing: Georgia Bold

Some folks indicated a preference for true serif fonts, so I searched through the font libraries for one that would be suitable. Georgia looks pretty good, so I stretched and bolded it just enough to increase its clarity on the K2 display.

The font is a true, book-like serif font. While I personally am not a huge fan of these fonts on the K2, I can see the appeal of the familiar typography.

Note too that I upscaled it one size, so reading in size 1 results in about the same size as the other fonts in size 2. I found normal size 1 to be too difficult make clear without overbolding the rest of the sizes. The added benefit is that the text on the home screen is larger.

The font has one glitch that I can't figure out - apostrophe's don't display properly. If I ever figure that one out, I'll post an update to the font file.


----------



## DD

tedsan said:


> New font available for testing: Georgia Bold
> 
> Some folks indicated a preference for true serif fonts, so I searched through the font libraries for one that would be suitable. Georgia looks pretty good, so I stretched and bolded it just enough to increase its clarity on the K2 display.
> 
> The font is a true, book-like serif font. While I personally am not a huge fan of these fonts on the K2, I can see the appeal of the familiar typography.
> 
> Note too that I upscaled it one size, so reading in size 1 results in about the same size as the other fonts in size 2. I found normal size 1 to be too difficult make clear without overbolding the rest of the sizes. The added benefit is that the text on the home screen is larger.
> 
> The font has one glitch that I can't figure out - apostrophe's don't display properly. If I ever figure that one out, I'll post an update to the font file.


Ted, Just tried the Georgia font and it's great. This and the Large font you put out could make the difference for my Mom who can't read the Kindle text (either K1 or K2) as it is because of macular degeneration.

I checked out Georgia in several books on K2 and the apostrophe's are displaying fine for me at all font sizes.

My favorite so far is the cMod Bold font. Thank you for all the work you are doing.


----------



## tedsan

It will be very interesting to learn if your mother is able to read any of the new fonts.

Anyone out there who is suffering from visual disorders and are trying to use the K2, please share your thoughts. Are any of the new fonts allowing reading where none was possible before? If you have any suggestions for how to create fonts that are readable, please pass them along. I'm happy to do experiments to help those with disabilities.


----------



## auntmarge

On a related problem, Ted and all - is there any chance a hack could be done to lighten the background to what was available on the K1?  I began to think it was all in my head, but yesterday I had a chance to again compare my K2 with my K1, which I'd given to my niece.  Even with her 18-year old eyes she was shocked at how much the lighter background and darker text made reading easier.


----------



## DD

tedsan said:


> It will be very interesting to learn if your mother is able to read any of the new fonts.
> 
> Anyone out there who is suffering from visual disorders and are trying to use the K2, please share your thoughts. Are any of the new fonts allowing reading where none was possible before? If you have any suggestions for how to create fonts that are readable, please pass them along. I'm happy to do experiments to help those with disabilities.


Ted, I just posted about this in the other thread about the font hack.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7233.msg148672.html#msg148672

I won't see my Mom until June, but am anxious to try the new fonts with her. I will let you know.


----------



## tedsan

Notes posted on K1 vs. K2 
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/kindle-1-vs-kindle-2

Thanks to member DD for the screen grabs from the K1 and K2!


----------



## DD

tedsan said:


> Notes posted on K1 vs. K2
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/kindle-1-vs-kindle-2
> 
> Thanks to member DD for the screen grabs from the K1 and K2!


Excellent analysis, Ted. I hope Amazon takes heed.

(No problem at all providing the screen grabs. Only took me a few minutes.)


----------



## DawnOfChaos

GASP!  OH MY!!!!

I'm coming late to the font hack party.  Thank you Ted SO MUCH! I have loaded arial narrow and love it!  I really appreciate your efforts, and hopefully the Kindle 2 brain trust at Amazon will wake up and take notice as well.


----------



## wilsondm2

Ok - I saw Luv's tweet about the font hack and had to try it out.


hmmmm - it is easier to install than the screen saver hack - AND - omg - it makes the screen look beautiful again - the fonts are awesome.

And - I'm not sure if this is just me - but my pictures look more contrasty now - has anyone else seen this?


----------



## FlannelE

Hi Ted-san,

Just wondering what the difference is between Arial Round Narrow (@ size 4) and Helvetica 2 (@ size 3). They look very similar, but I wanted to make sure, appreciate the subtle differences...More words per line? lines per page? A change in darkness?  

Sorry for the barage of questions, but many of us are tracking your font changes like brokers check NASDAQ!

- thanks!


----------



## tedsan

I had to go back and look at them.
The Arial narrow is a bit, um, narrower (no sarcasm, I'm just looking at the fonts blown up for inspection). I'd say it will give you quite a bit more characters per line for a given font height.  Arial is also about 20% bolder - that is, the lines making up the characters are about 20% wider. This probably isn't noticeable because they're all roughly 1 pixel wide. Also Arial is rounder around the edges.

That said, they're a similar style. Perhaps our graphic designer member could contribute more meaningful feedback?


----------



## artsandhistoryfan

DD said:


> Excellent analysis, Ted. I hope Amazon takes heed.
> 
> (No problem at all providing the screen grabs. Only took me a few minutes.)


 But you got it together for him!

I don't know if blogs and, hopefully, online tech news, have been picking 
up on Ted's latest work but I did an entry yesterday about his newest findings 
and then, to support his findings that it's the way individual units render the 
same basic configuration of pixels and only 4 shades, meaning it's a problem
with the circuitry, I linked (again) to 3 photos or sets of photos from people
here, showing clearly how bad the situation can be and no figment of the
imagination of "a few" as that "Communications" person dismissed that with,
even saying that those people wanted only 4 shades.

Good gracious. I hope Jeff Bezos doesn't really back up that kind of treatment 
of customers with real concerns.

The photos tell the story well, as do several forum threads detailing how
many replacements have been made, with some people, before an acceptably
dark-font or light-gray-screen was received.

It's near the top of my blog and has Ted's name in the title.

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com

They'd be so wise to just make Ted's replacement fonts part of the official
3rd party recommendations.


----------



## DD

artsandhistoryfan said:


> But you got it together for him!
> 
> I don't know if blogs and, hopefully, online tech news, have been picking
> up on Ted's latest work but I did an entry yesterday about his newest findings
> and then, to support his findings that it's the way individual units render the
> same basic configuration of pixels and only 4 shades, meaning it's a problem
> with the circuitry, I linked (again) to 3 photos or sets of photos from people
> here, showing clearly how bad the situation can be and no figment of the
> imagination of "a few" as that "Communications" person dismissed that with,
> even saying that those people wanted only 4 shades.
> 
> Good gracious. I hope Jeff Bezos doesn't really back up that kind of treatment
> of customers with real concerns.
> 
> The photos tell the story well, as do several forum threads detailing how
> many replacements have been made, with some people, before an acceptably
> dark-font or light-gray-screen was received.
> 
> It's near the top of my blog and has Ted's name in the title.
> 
> http://kindleworld.blogspot.com
> 
> They'd be so wise to just make Ted's replacement fonts part of the official
> 3rd party recommendations.


Great article, Andrys!


----------



## Anthony34

artsandhistoryfan said:


> no figment of the
> imagination of "a few" as that "Communications" person dismissed that with,
> even saying that those people wanted only 4 shades.
> 
> Good gracious.


Good gracious is right. And a good product now turned GREAT.

10/10 Stars... Important to note the many people who were complaining about LIGHTER text and poor contrast still LOVED their Kindles. We just wanted Amazon to work on this one flaw. They never did. Ted-San has. How many people can say that they've actually made the world a better place? It's not hyperbole to say that Ted-san has improved the quality of many kindle users' reading experience, and I dare say quality of life (yup, my life gets better when I dont' get eye strain) - whether by a decimal point, fraction, or a whole number.

I keep hearing Amazon Reps/CS say, "A few," "figments of our imagination," "there is no problem." Amazon can't keep using the low-tech strategies of the 1970's in this wired, tweeter-linked, blog-go-go world. Just because someone says it's fine doesn't make it so, anymore. The font hacks confirm that the text could be better. Truly a stark contrast (no pun intended) to Amazon's lethargic, tone-deaf, out-of-touch response...

Back to the POSITIVE: What I like best about Ted-sans' stellar contributions is that the man is STILL HARD AT WORK. I really appreciate the detailed notes, descriptions that follow each choice of font. Such a nice, professional touch! And speaking of "professional," how has this guy flown under Amazon's HR radar? HIRE THE MAN, already! (or consult with him as you might learn a thing or two):

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


----------



## K.L. Christy

Anthony34 said:


> Good gracious is right. And a good product now turned GREAT.
> 
> 10/10 Stars... Important to note the many people who were complaining about LIGHTER text and poor contrast still LOVED their Kindles. We just wanted Amazon to work on this one flaw. They never did. Ted-San has. How many people can say that they've actually made the world a better place? It's not hyperbole to say that Ted-san has improved the quality of many kindle users' reading experience, and I dare say quality of life (yup, my life gets better when I dont' get eye strain) - whether by a decimal point, fraction, or a whole number.
> 
> I keep hearing Amazon Reps/CS say, "A few," "figments of our imagination," "there is no problem." Amazon can't keep using the low-tech strategies of the 1970's in this wired, tweeter-linked, blog-go-go world. Just because someone says it's fine doesn't make it so, anymore. The font hacks confirm that the text could be better. Truly a stark contrast (no pun intended) to Amazon's lethargic, tone-deaf, out-of-touch response...
> 
> Back to the POSITIVE: What I like best about Ted-sans' stellar contributions is that the man is STILL HARD AT WORK. I really appreciate the detailed notes, descriptions that follow each choice of font. Such a nice, professional touch! And speaking of "professional," how has this guy flown under Amazon's HR radar? HIRE THE MAN, already! (or consult with him as you might learn a thing or two):
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


You stole my thunder, Anthony! 

Many thanks to Ted-san and to the entire Kindle community who firmly believe that if you love something, then it doesn't stop there. We want the Kindle to be so much more, to realize its potential (anyone out there with kids?). It's been a community effort, and Ted-san, Vellum Publishing, Law. Sorreneson (you go, with your press clippings!), Len Edgerly, Andrei Pushkin, Helenita Jacobs (aka, readnswim who started the Contrast Petition), Harvey Chute ALL desrve credit for understanding an important truth: had we stayed quiet and complacent, these FABULOUS FONTS would never have been realized. That's progress for ya...It takes the love, toil, and persnickity third eye (critical gaze) to improve things.

And improve things we did. From petitions, to podcasts, to emails to Amazon Execs, experiments, letters to the press, forum postings, tweets, blogs, more experiments, phone calls to Customer Service, replacements, more emails, final experiments, and that pulsating, palpable DEMAND for better contrast/darker text, TO THE FONT HACKS...

Progress feels kinda good, huh?


----------



## Law. Sorreneson

K.L. Christy said:


> It's been a community effort, and Ted-san, Vellum Publishing, Law. Sorreneson (you go, with your press clippings!), Len Edgerly, Andrei Pushkin, Helenita Jacobs (aka, readnswim who started the Contrast Petition), Harvey Chute ALL desrve credit for understanding an important truth: had we stayed quiet and complacent, these FABULOUS FONTS would never have been realized.


Thanks for the kind words, Christy. Your work with the contrast petition has been impressive as well. And I agree, it all adds up. David (CNET) and Priya (Wired) probably grew weary with all my emails, but hey, people had to know. Turns out our tight-knit Kindle community worked out a solution on its own with the darker fonts. Hopefully, my next press clipping will be about Amazon's release of a firmware update to fix the light text/contrast issue. I am still optimistic.


----------



## Anthony34

I'm beginning to think that Amazon is trying DESPERATELY to move away from its older demographic base (users over 40 years old), and appeal to younger customers. To that end, the page turns are 20% faster (young people...sooo impatient!), the body is ultra slim (ipod nano, anyone?), and the text, well, the text got lighter and crisper (how it _looks _ vs. how it _reads_). It didn't matter that the actual words on the screen were harder to read since the younger demographic tends to have better vision.

So basically, Amazon is probably willing to take a PR hit with the OLDER market, many of whom have more trouble with the lighter fonts of the K2 (compared with the K1). If Amazon wins over just ONE twenty-something Kindle fan for every 10 senior readers it alienates, I would imagine that Amazon would sign up for that *everytime*. Anything to make the Kindle 2 hip & hyped, instead of an orthopedic shoe.

I'm speaking as a 34 year-old man who is right on the cusp, but has experienced the same irritation, mild headaches, and eye strain (from the lighter text) that older folks have complained about. That is until the Ted-san font hack. Anyway, if you'd like to question/delve into this theory some more, check out this CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10230969-1.html


----------



## DD

Anthony34 said:


> I'm beginning to think that Amazon is trying DESPERATELY to move away from its older demographic base (users over 40 years old), and appeal to younger customers. To that end, the page turns are 20% faster (young people...sooo impatient!), the body is ultra slim (ipod nano, anyone?), and the text, well, the text got lighter and crisper (how it _looks _ vs. how it _reads_). It didn't matter that the actual words on the screen were harder to read since the younger demographic tends to have better vision.
> 
> So basically, Amazon is probably willing to take a PR hit with the OLDER market, many of whom have more trouble with the lighter fonts of the K2 (compared with the K1). If Amazon wins over just ONE twenty-something Kindle fan for every 10 senior readers it alienates, I would imagine that Amazon would sign up for that *everytime*. Anything to make the Kindle 2 hip & hyped, instead of an orthopedic shoe.
> 
> I'm speaking as a 34 year-old man who is right on the cusp, but has experienced the same irritation, mild headaches, and eye strain (from the lighter text) that older folks have complained about. That is until the Ted-san font hack. Anyway, if you'd like to question/delve into this theory some more, check out this CNET News article:
> 
> http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10230969-1.html


If that is indeed what Amazon is going for, then they are forgetting that the older demographic,on the whole, is better able to afford to buy the Kindles (and even multiple Kindles).


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## FlannelE

In the absence of any murmur, statement, or acknowledgment of the problem by Amazon, speculation is bound to fill the void. I'm not sure that I enitrely buy your theory, Anthony. But Amazon's complete stonewalling of the issue lends _some_ credence to this explanation. It's not difficult to see how some people would think Amazon simply doesn't care about this segment of users' reading experience.

Personally, I think Amazon's more concerned about capturing the Stanza/Apple Ipod crowd (who can read on those tiny screens!) than satisfying the early adopters, who just so happen to be older.


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## artsandhistoryfan

Whatever the reasons, I've done yet another blog entry on it and am hoping Wired will follow up on the story as they indicated they might when, on the first write-up at 
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/04/kindle-2-displa/
they asked that people send them side-by-side photographs of the differences between their Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 screens. Mine don't do much good since mine used a good K2 but at least they show it's possible to produce good K2's 

I don't think I've seen people post that they're sending these when they have Kindle 1s but unsatisfactory K2's Have we given up a good opportunity there? Did any here send any?
I know we have some very good photographers here. It could be the luck of the draw that they have good K2's or didn't keep their K1's.

At any rate, I've tried to cover most of it in the latest, and I especially like Ted's animated replacement-fontset examples that rotate. The rave reviews of Ted's fonts by customers with unsatisfactory K2's should be a wake-up call to Amazon and of interest in general.

That's at the top of the blog at the moment, but here's the permalink in case people look later on, at:
http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2009/05/amazon-customer-fixes-kindle-2-dim-font.html

- Andrys


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## K.L. Christy

Anthony34 said:


> So basically, Amazon is probably willing to take a PR hit with the OLDER market, many of whom have more trouble with the lighter fonts of the K2 (compared with the K1). If Amazon wins over just ONE twenty-something Kindle fan for every 10 senior readers it alienates, I would imagine that Amazon would sign up for that *everytime*. Anything to make the Kindle 2 hip & hyped, instead of an orthopedic shoe.
> 
> Anyway, if you'd like to question/delve into this theory some more, check out this CNET News article:
> 
> http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10230969-1.html


TIME Magazine picked up the story and has written an article about this HUGE demographic that Amazon seems to discount in its efforts to LURE the ipod/stanza crowd:

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895251,00.html

The article states, "Amazon may be bothered by the fact that the public knows that Kindle buyers are not all young and fresh-faced like many of the people who own Apple (AAPL) iPhones."

I agree with Anthony about Amazon's catering to the younger audiences at the expense of solving/fixing readability issues of older folks. Anyone ever see an elderly/senior person in ANY of those promotional pics? Anyone?? Amazon probably sees the over-40 crowd and their light text/poor contrast concerns as so much dead weight. I think they want to move on...so by providing a fix to the light text would be a "step back" in their playbook since it would be catering to the demographic that (sorry, folks, but you're going to have to hear this) EMBARRASSES THEM.

It ain't so "cutting edge"/revolutionary when granny & grandpa start carrying Kindles in their Oberons or imitation leather FANNY PACKS...

*http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895251,00.html*


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## Law. Sorreneson

A great audio presentation by Len Edgerly:

UPDATE (5/1/09): Len Edgerly of the podcast, Kindle Chronicles, speaks at MIT. Among other topics, he discusses the lighter text/poor contrast of the Kindle 2 (23:10 -- 31:00).

http://www.thekindlechronicles.com/
(Episode "EXTRA - Boston PDA Users Group Presentation"; 23:10 min -- 31:00 min)


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## FlannelE

If anything, I believe that our being VOCAL about this readability issue probably finds a solution in the Kindle 2.5 to be announced 2 days from now (5/6/09). It's more than likely that Amazon has heard our complaints about the light text/poor contrast and implemented a fix in the Student/Newspaper Version. Who knows, it might also have a choice of fonts, a touchscreen, and folders!

Anyone want to make any predictions on this thread or create a new one? My predictions: 1) darker text 2) whiter screen 3) touchscreen 4) folders 5) stylus for students to write notes 6) improvements in web browsing 7) improvements in Text to Speech

*Dark Horse Improvement: Font Selection *


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## Anthony34

FlannelE said:


> Anyone want to make any predictions on this thread or create a new one? My predictions: 1) darker text 2) whiter screen 3) touchscreen 4) folders 5) stylus for students to write notes 6) improvements in web browsing 7) improvements in Text to Speech
> 
> *Dark Horse Improvement: Font Selection *


I wouldn't be suprised if the Jumbo Kindle had color. Magazines and newspapers tend to be more of a "short-form" reading experience so an LED "color option" could complement the e-ink technology. Users might be able to switch between black-and-white and color.

But I do agree that keeping vocal and providing feedback is the only way that Amazon will improve future generations of Kindles. Just look at those smaller page-turn buttons!


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## Anthony34

Trekker said:


> 2.5 or 3.0, whatever is announced this week won't have it. Color e-ink is still a ways off. The prototypes that are available now look pretty lousy. Not sure what you mean by an LED option but any attempt to add color at this stage will send the price through the roof. I'd say at least another year or two before we see a color Kindle.
> 
> The smaller buttons are a plus but they still get in the way. I'd like to see them placed a little higher on the device so that I can grip right where the buttons are currently located....or have the keypad disabled on the K2 while reading. With the K1 we had to deal with accidental page turns, with the K2 I'm finding myself accidentally bringing up the search feature just as often because the keyboard isn't disabled like it is with the K1.


I meant color like the iPod, Zune, or blackberry - backlit and battery-guzzling. But maybe there will be a "switch" to turn that mode off and read with black-and-white e-ink. Again, I'm just saying "I wouldn't be surprised" if it had a color feature.

I think most users would agree that smaller buttons for the K2 was the right move. I think it was the original Kindle's #1 consumer complaint. But I also agree that the placement of the buttons isn't ideal.


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## Sweet-P

How many people have gotten the fonts edit from Ted-San? He has done quite an outstanding job of providing readable fonts for us who have had problems with the lighter text of the Kindle 2. He has many fonts to choose from to suit just about anyone's need for improved readability on the Kindle. He has helped make my Kindle perfect, and I think it would be nice to make a contribution to Ted for his time and effort in making our Kindle reading experience so much more enjoyable, something Amazon has fallen short of and should have done for us.

So I'd like to encourage all you people who now have a better Kindle, thanks to Ted-San, to consider sending a little *thank you contribution* to him for his generosity. *Come on--let's show him our appreciation! * 

Contact information for Ted can be found at his web site: 
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files

Thanks, Ted!


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## tedsan

Thanks P, you're too kind!

I should add, while I'm happy to take donations to support covering the cost of buying a font editor for all this work, I want to make sure that this isn't being construed as accepting payment for the font files which are either in the public domain or fall under the ownership of others. Should Amazon decide to incorporate any of these fonts, they may need to license the fonts from their respective owners.

It's been very gratifying to see that people are finding this research project to be helpful.

Best to all,
-T


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## Anthony34

It's "Official," Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the *Amazon Kindle DX * with 9.7 inch display (with PICS!):

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/04/amazon-kindle-dx-to-feature-9-7-inch-display/

I'm happy, but I'm not thrilled...Kind of looks like a Kindle 2 with a bigger screen. I guess I was expecting something as sleek as the Plastic Logic model. Also, I had REALLY hoped that the screen would be whiter. If these pics are for real, then we might STILL have to contend with the light text/poor contrast issue.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652)

I just did the font hack just to see....I thought that my K2 font was a-ok but I also read that there were others who didn't think that it was light either, but just tried the hack and were amazed at the difference.

My contrast was fine....but I tried the hack because it is easy and reversable.

AMAZING difference! AMAZING!!  (I did the Hevelica 2 and I like it!)


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## cleee

Edited again:

Okay, so I downloaded the bolder "this might be too bold" Helvetica font to see how it would look and noticed that it does look much better but the book that I am currently reading was showing up in a serif font and now shows up in this Helvetica font instead.  Not sure I like that too much.

Can I install all of those available fonts? How does the book know which font to use? I don't see anywhere that you can change it.  

Also, if I want to put all of these fonts on my Kindle, do I download one font, drag it to the top level, update, then drag another, update.... and so on or can you dump them all in there and update?

Thanks.


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## Chloista

This is an interesting thread because it never occurred to me that there were any problems with reading the Kindle2.  I read for long periods of time, am over 40, and only wear "cheater" glasses for reading (from the drug store).  And I read outside and see the screen clearly.  Guess I've been lucky -- no eyestrain and no problems with seeing the print ever.


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## mobelby

Thank you Tedsan.  Myriad is beautiful and works wonderfully on the K2.
And yes, I tried ALL your fonts.  I was certain Verdana would be my favourite but I was wrong


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## drenee

mobelby, 
I noticed this is your first post.  Welcome to the Boards.  We have an introduction thread.  If you've got a minute, stop over there, start a thread and tell us a little about yourself.  We love giving a hearty welcome to all new members.
deb


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## tedsan

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

The latest update of the Kindle software (after V2.0.3) does not allow using these font install files. If you update, you will no longer be able to use the fonts!
I will convert the fonts once the developers of the "font hack" come up with a version that works with the new firmware.

Please be patient. It's going to take some time for me to go through the conversion process for three different platforms. I'll do my best.


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## Ann in Arlington

Thanks for the update Ted. . . . .we'll be patient.


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## Pushka

Wow, Ted, you are awesome the way you spend time doing this for us.  I love the screensaver hack so much there is no way the wireless is being turned on!


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## Leslie

Ted, thanks for the update! I love the font hack and I think I am just going to wait on the software upgrade. No big deal for me to have the rotating or the PDF support. I can make do for the time being.

Thanks for all you do to help the Kindle community!

L


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## sebat

Thanks for the notice, Ted.  I'm holding off on my update until the new font hack is up and running.


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## auntmarge

sebat said:


> I'm holding off on my update until the new font hack is up and running.


Me too. Ted, you're the man!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Pushka said:


> Wow, Ted, you are awesome the way you spend time doing this for us. I love the screensaver hack so much there is no way the wireless is being turned on!


Note that if you have the font hack installed (or the screensaver hack, for that matter), the Kindle software will not update, so you can turn Whispernet on at will.

Betsy


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## Pushka

Thanks letting me know my hacks are protecting me Betsy.   I know I would have remembered today, and maybe tomorrow, but after that pffft - the memory just isnt as good anymore.


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## 911jason

I uninstalled both the font & screensaver hacks and upgraded to 2.3 today. Then I reinstalled the new Georgia font hack that was posted on Mobileread and the screensaver hack as well. Everything works perfectly! Although, I don't like this version of the Georgia font nearly as much as the one I had previously installed. I'm hoping that Ted's updated version will be better than this one. In the meantime, I'm going to try one of the other fonts to see if I like it better than this version of Georgia.


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## Pushka

Ah Jason, glad it wasnt just me not liking the new Georgia.  I tried Droid last night and liked it much better.


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## 911jason

Edge777 over on Mobileread posted a new version of the Georgia2 font hack that looks just like the old one. Here's the file for K2/K2i/KDX:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=40109&d=1259217600


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## happyblob

That's awesome, Jason. Thanks for the heads-up guys. And Ted knows his stuff.


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## angelad

Wow, this is pretty cool.


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## DYB

How does one install the font hacks?  

UPDATE: Nevermind!  I found the thread with the instructions.


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## Ann in Arlington

Look in the Tips and Tricks board:  Theres a "one stop shopping" thread that has a link to all the things you should need. . . .read carefully, give it a try, and then feel free to ask in one of the threads there. . . someone should be able to help you out.

Good Luck!


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## DYB

Ann in Arlington said:


> Look in the Tips and Tricks board: Theres a "one stop shopping" thread that has a link to all the things you should need. . . .read carefully, give it a try, and then feel free to ask in one of the threads there. . . someone should be able to help you out.
> 
> Good Luck!


Thanks Ann, I found the thread and installed the new Georgia2 font. Good stuff! Why can't amazon do this stuff natively? Very odd.


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## Ann in Arlington

You're very welcome. . . . . . I expect that at some point this will all become easier. . . . .until then, at least there are people who can figure out the really hard parts and give the rest of us something relatively simpler to deal with.


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## DD

tedsan said:


> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> 
> The latest update of the Kindle software (after V2.0.3) does not allow using these font install files. If you update, you will no longer be able to use the fonts!
> I will convert the fonts once the developers of the "font hack" come up with a version that works with the new firmware.
> 
> Please be patient. It's going to take some time for me to go through the conversion process for three different platforms. I'll do my best.


Thanks, Ted. I'm glad I waited to do the software update because I just couldn't get along without your font hack. I continue to wait until you develop your updates for the latest version of software. I guess I'm learning patience, finally.


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## 911jason

DD said:


> Thanks, Ted. I'm glad I waited to do the software update because I just couldn't get along without your font hack. I continue to wait until you develop your updates for the latest version of software. I guess I'm learning patience, finally.


If you don't want to wait, the hacks have already been updated for the new 2.3 firmware. Go back a few posts for the link.


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## DD

Thanks, 911jason.  I saw that but for some reason I didn't think that hack update was the same as Ted's fonts.  I thought I saw a post saying that Georgia2 was not as good.  Are the fonts the same and safe to use?


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## 911jason

The first Georgia that was posted wasn't as good as Ted's... but Edge777 on Mobileread posted a Georgia2 version that is identical as far as I've been able to tell. I'm a very happy camper now! =)

Here's the link to download the one I'm talking about...

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=40109&d=1259217600


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## DD

Thanks for clearing that up, 911jason. I might try that. Is it possible to revert to the previous software version if I don't like it?

*Update:* Tried it. New software installation went very smoothly. The updated font looks great.

Interesting thing, though; the Amazon purchased book I was reading returned to the beginning. Before the software update, I was 62% through it. Also, it is now full-justified when it was left-justified before. I tried removing it from the device and redownloading it but it remains full justified. Has anyone else noticed this?

Corrected at 12:49 PM EST to read "it remains full justified"


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## 911jason

DD said:


> Thanks for clearing that up, 911jason. I might try that. Is it possible to revert to the previous software version if I don't like it?


No, you can't revert to earlier firmware.



DD said:


> Interesting thing, though; the Amazon purchased book I was reading returned to the beginning. Before the software update, I was 62% through it. Also, it is now full-justified when it was left-justified before. I tried removing it from the device and redownloading it but it remains full justified. Has anyone else noticed this?


The book resetting to the beginning was more than likely the result of having not returned to the Home Screen prior to performing the update. So it didn't save your place. When you update or restart your Kindle without first returning to the Home Screen, it's like holding the power button on your computer until it shuts off. It bypasses the normal shutdown/save procedures.

As for the justification, I don't remember my Kindle 2 ever being _ONLY_ left justified. The only time I can imagine you'd see _ONLY_ left justification would be in a PDF file or a Topaz formatted book.

_Edited after Ann's post!_


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## Ann in Arlington

re: justification. I believe _left justification_ means the left margin is straight, not ragged. _Right justification_ means the right margin is straight. _Full Justification_ means both margins are straight.

You don't usually find books that are not left justified. . . . they'd be really hard to read. . .but the right side could be either ragged or justified.


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## DD

Yes, Ann, the whole book used to have the left margin even and the right margin ragged. Now both margins are even causing huge gaps between words. No big deal, just annoying. I tried removing the book and putting the backup that I had on my computer on the Kindle but it was still full justified which makes me think it is the result of something in the update.  

Jason, not all books are the same. Some are left and some are full justified. It seems to be a function of the book and not the Kindle 2. Of course, with the original Kindle, we had control of that function. My Kindle was on the homepage before I updated and I was able to return it to the furthest page read using that menu item.


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## 911jason

tedsan said:


> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> 
> The latest update of the Kindle software (after V2.0.3) does not allow using these font install files. If you update, you will no longer be able to use the fonts!
> I will convert the fonts once the developers of the "font hack" come up with a version that works with the new firmware.
> 
> Please be patient. It's going to take some time for me to go through the conversion process for three different platforms. I'll do my best.


Over on Mobileread, Ted posted that he has completed updating all of his fonts for the 2.3 update...

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/kindlev23fonts


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## DD

911jason said:


> Over on Mobileread, Ted posted that he has completed updating all of his fonts for the 2.3 update...
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/kindlev23fonts


Great news, 911jason! Thank you for letting us know and thank you, Ted, for all your hard work!


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