Problems with newer versions of Kindle firmware
This thread doesn't make sense to me.
Let's break it down..
On an e-ink e-reader, the screen only refreshes when the page is turned. It is not continuously refreshing. This is not a monitor we are talking about here.
So, unless the issue is something physical like the resolution of the panel or the coating reflectivity or the contrast ratio between black and white on the panel, what else is there? I can think of two things.
Backlight, I saw a good Kobo the other day outside in the sun without the backlight on, and it looked very legible and clear. But if you are using backlight, then sure, that might have PWM. I don't think the newest Kindles let you turn off the backlight, but the Kobo does, though it probably does have PWM (who knows?).
Font rendering.. being able to adjust anti-aliasing and the bytecode interpreter is a good thing to have, and I can't say who does it better or worse but if you are careful with the font you use, no matter the settings, you should be able to find a font that works for you. Beyond the technology of the original design (e.g. the original Microsoft core web fonts were designed without AA being expected to cover up things and they are very well hinted for low resolution displays), the shape and weight of the letters are a very subjective personal preference. For example, I dislike Bookerly, Amazon's new Kindle font. I think it sucks. Here is one font I played with recently that I liked, IM Fell DW Pica, sideload/install it into your device's fonts folder and give it a try: https://fonts.google.com/download?family=IM%20Fell%20DW%20Pica
Sunspark Backlight
I think for me, it is the backlight. When you put the Kindle to sleep, you can see the page briefly before the lock screen, and the page looks fine then.
Unfortunately you can only make the backlight lower or higher, even at the lowest setting, it is still on. Hopefully this can be changed by jailbreaking.
I don’t have a kindle, but another possibility for the issue is the method used to update the page during a page turn. I’ve noticed playing the solitaire game on my Kobo that there’s a lot of flickering of the card area for maybe a second when a card is turned, I assume to eliminate ghosting that would otherwise be present on eInk. I found that this flicker can trigger my symptoms after a while. So far I haven’t noticed issues turning pages on the Kobo, but it’s also been a few months since I read a book on it - I can’t definitely say that it’s still OK for me since it’s been updating and/or my sensitivity could have increased. Maybe the Kindle page update mechanism changed at some point in a way that’s more triggering.
jen There are only two ways it can update the page generally. The original way which is to draw a black screen, then white, the other way is a # where it will just erase and draw the text but not the background and you can change the # interval before it does a full page refresh. However you mentioning a game, it's possible that the cards might be animated in which case maybe it is refreshing the card.
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Wow… never thought I would see a Kindle thread here
Yep something is not right. An e-ink display should be static. Could you check your environment especially nearby lightings and see if there were any recent change that may cause your problem?
ryans Oh, this happened to you too! I'm sorry to hear that, and at the same time it is interesting to confirm that someone besides me has had the same problem.
I am currently using my sea salt solution (see other thread) while waiting until I can get the Kindle into the hands of someone who can downgrade it for me.
Best of luck and keep me posted!
AGI How interesting! Simply changing the font was enough to restore your ability to use the Kindle! Do you have a Kindle basic, I assume? What was the old font, and how did you change it back? I am very eager to try this. (Others had suggested this to me in the past, but I wrote it off as a highly unlikely solution) Glad to hear about your success!
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daniels The original font is Caecilia, and it's still on your device. Simply select the font you wish to use from the settings in your book.
Incidentally, a comment about fonts in general on any device, size them appropriately for the viewing distance. I don't have (and do need) reading glasses, so for handheld devices I need to make the font size quite small not large. This creates the effect of it being further away and thus easier for me to focus on at a close distance. If the letters are bigger, even tho they look nice, at a close distance my eyes cannot focus properly on larger letters anymore like they used to when I was younger. On a monitor it is the opposite, I need larger letters and I am further away from the screen. There are other technical things as well, but I wanted to mention the thing about size, because most people think they need bigger letters, but that's not actually the case every time.
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daniels Following @Sunspark 's suggestion I restored the font to Caecilia, and the discomfort disappeared. I cannot remember what the font had changed into. It could be that, had I pushed through, I would have got used to it, but why change something that works?
Yes, my Kindle is not that old (2019 if I recall correctly), but still the basic model without LED lighting.
Good luck!
Highly recommend the keyboard kindles. they're pretty fragile, but only around $30 on ebay. any touch screen has an IR-LED