Galaxy Note, iPad Mini, and Kindle Paperwhite screens

I think the Kindle Paperwhite is by far the best B/W Kindle yet, by a large margin. The ingenious frontlight system really helped with the Kindle's dark-screen problem.

Still, it's remarkable to me that despite the very high resolution of the screen, 212 pixels per inch, it still looks a lot fuzzier than, say, the Galaxy Note (185PPI), or even the iPad Mini, which has less pixel resolution, about 160PPI.
(The difference is more noticable in real life than in photos.)

I think it's just that the E-ink screen of the Kindle depends on tiny plastic balls floating in liquid instead of precisely carved pixels in metal and silicone. So I'd guess that the "pixels per inch" is a theoretical number based on how many little balls there are, rather than the actual picture detail that the screen can resolve.

It's nothing that stops enjoyment or reading on the Kindle, but it's just remarkable.

But it also means that even though the Samsung Galaxy Note is an inch smaller (and so fits in a pocket), you get at least as clear text as on the Kindle, perhaps even more so. In other words, what you gain in size with the Kindle, you lose in clarity. Then the questions are only about eye-sight, price, and how sensitive you are to backlit screens.
(The Note has an issue: that the bezel is very narrow and it's hard to handle it without accidentally trickering page turns or other events. But this is a broad issue with tablets which I hope somebody is working on: how to hold them easily and practically.)

(All pics are clickable for more detail)

iPad Mini and Kindle Paperwhite 

iPad Mini and Kindle Paperwhite

(Notice how the photo seems fuzzy on the right, even though it is one photo, and the devices were in the same plane.)

Samsung Galaxy Note and Kindle Paperwhite