The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite being a conventional monochrome e-reader makes it less appealing than colour tablets like its sibling, the Kindle Fire HD. However, for people in the habit of intense reading, the Paperwhite is more gratifying.

According to Engadget.com, Amazon made two versions, one with Wi-Fi for $119 (Shs 305,830) and one with Wi-Fi plus 3G cellular for $179 (Shs 460,030). Prices climb to $139 (Shs 357,230) and $199 (Shs 511,430), respectively, if you order the Kindles without what Amazon refers to as "special offers" -- meaning ads.

Amazon says the touch display on this fifth-generation Kindle boasts of 62% more pixels (212 pixels per inch resolution) and a 25% increase in contrast over earlier versions.

Goretti Nassali, a lecturer and proud owner of a new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, says, "When you examine the screen, the font looks crispy with brilliant contrasting."

Engadget.com says Amazon's other marketing feature is the front-lit display that lets you read in the outdoor or in a dark bedroom.

Through its patented technology, the Paperwhite distributes light evenly underneath an anti-glare layer and down toward the display, away from the reader's eyes.

Amazon is also claiming battery life of up to two months, based on half an hour of reading a day with the backlight on.

Nassali says: "The Paperwhite can detect your reading speed and alert you on how long it will take to finish a chapter or the entire book, which I find practical."

She goes on to point out that it has new hand-tuned six font styles, eight adjustable sizes and holds up to 1,100 books - more like a portable library.

Amazon says the Paperwhite weighs only 7.5 ounces (0.213 kgs) and has adaptive Wi-Fi enabling it to download books in less than 60 seconds. The Kindle Paperwhite has also got a store of other brilliant features like display of non-Latin characters and parental controls to restrict access to the Kindle Store, Cloud, and Experimental Web Browser from children. It also has an ultra-light and thin cover, featuring a premium textured leather exterior and a subtle woven nylon interior.