Kindle Paperwhite. (Supplied)
The Kindle Paperwhite and the new version of the Kindle are now available here in Canada.
Both are available through various retailers, including Staples, The Source and Shoppers Drug Mart as well as through Amazon.ca.
You can also buy e-books through the Canada Kindle Store accessible from your Kindle and Amazon.ca. The online store offers over 1.5 million titles, over 250,000 of which are exclusive to the Canada Kindle Store. In addition, there are over 50,000 French-language titles and over 35,000 free books.
According to the press release, the Kindle Paperwhite is the “most advanced e-reader ever built.” The 6-inch electronic ink display has 62% more pixels and 25% more contrast than the previous generation Kindle and has a built-in front light to make reading easier.
The 169 mm x 117 mm x 9.1 mm device is 77% thinner than the previous Kindle and has an eight-week battery life (based on a half an hour of reading a day, with the lighting level set at 10). It comes with 2 GB of internal storage (roughly 1,100 books) and about 1.25 GB of online storage. The 3G version weighs 222 g and is available through Amazon.ca for $199, while the 213-g Wi-Fi only version is available for $139.
Kindle. (Supplied)
In contrast, the regular Kindle is smaller and lighter. The 165.75 mm x 114.5 mm x 8.7 mm device features the same 6-inch electronic ink display but weighs only 170 g and has a month battery life (based on half an hour of reading a day). It comes with same storage as the Paperwhite. This Wi-Fi only device is available through Amazon.ca for $89.
But the big question is whether Canada will eventually get the Kindle Fire – Amazon’s answer to the tablet market. No word on that today. But here’s hoping…
