Support NeoGAF

[entremet]

Just noticed this today while reading.

Not all the titles are converted yet, but this is a huge improvement.

My biggest gripe with the Kindle has always been the sloppy typesetting.

These changes should improve readability.

Left is old/Right is new.

New Font

Amazon's Kindle e-reader is a lovely single-purpose gadget, with an industrial design ethos that, in its singular focus on the purity of e-reading, even Dieter Rams could love. The iOS and Android apps are even great. But no matter what gadget you read on, the Kindle's typography and typesetting has always been a bit of a disaster, with six different typefaces, that are barely suitable for reading an actual book. (Who reads books in Futura, anyways?) As for the typesetting, "hideous" is the word many type lovers would use to describe it.

But today, Amazon is making a big step towards better typography on the Kindle. Not only are they unveiling Bookerly, the first typeface designed for the Kindle for scratch, but they're finally solving the Kindle's typesetting problems with an all-new layout engine that introduces better text justification, kerning, drop caps, image positioning, and more.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3046678/the-kindle-finally-gets-typography-that-doesnt-suck

 

[mandiller]

When is this coming for the Paperwhite? Would love to see whether it's improved a lot.

 

[brianmcdoogle]

A better font, with better justifying, it seems, but still not a good font.

 

[metsallica]

Not till later this summer for the devices, app-only for now. Wonder if my aging 2nd gen will get it...

 

[aaaaa0]

Not only are they unveiling Bookerly, the first typeface designed for the Kindle for scratch

Wat. I hate serif fonts. Such unnecessary visual noise. My choice on the Kindle is Helvetica.

Study after study has concluded none or marginal readability difference between serif and sans serif fonts.

So the only deciding factor to me, is how clean the resulting text looks.

Thus, san serif all the way.

 

[Zaph]

Thank fuck, no more ugly rivers. Or at least a lot less.

 

[Barbacoatl]

That fi kerning.

 

[besada]

I went to finish read Seveneves by Neal Stephenson and my Kindle app told me it had a new font. Bookerly is okay. I didn't have a big problem with the default font, but Bookerly is better.

 

[wingwah]

Very annoying how Kindle Voyage users have to wait until later this summer for the update.

 

[GtwoK]

That fi kerning.

*ligature

 

[entremet]

Very annoying how Kindle Voyage users have to wait until later this summer for the update.

Also android users too.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Changed to bookerly on my iPad but not sure where to change it back.

 

[Stinkles]

"Disaster " is hyperbole bordering on hysteria.

It was fine, with imperfections.

 

[Barbacoatl]

*ligature

Right, but not the best choice for readability purposes.

 

[diggmcbadass]

They should put comic sans as the default font.

 

[ClayKavalier]

Very annoying how Kindle Voyage users have to wait until later this summer for the update.

No kidding. I bought their flagship reader and people on a device made by a different company get an update first. Ridiculous.

I'm not bothered though, on principle I'd like to have it available but the fonts and typesetting or whatever have never bothered me, and I've been reading on a Kindle for close to five years now.

 

[345triangle]

i actually really like caecilia as a reading font, but this new one might look better on my voyage. glad about the spacing, too, even if it's only happening book-by-book.

 

[ajim]

What's better than kindle from a readability perspective?

 

[takriel]

What's better than kindle from a readability perspective?

Kindle Paperwhite is the best imo.

 

[ZackieChan]

Right, but not the best choice for readability purposes.

No way. Give me ligatures or give me death.