How is this different from the last Paperwhite model? I see "improved screen" and "faster processor". It seems like there's also some new software features, but that's just software. Is that all that's new?
To me it reads kind of like the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S. Most everyone who had an iPhone 4 didn't upgrade, but it gave the people with the iPhone 3 an extra nudge to upgrade, and also sends the message "hey guys, we're continually improving the device, even if the updates aren't always huge".
I'm planning to upgrade my old Paperwhite just for the hardware update, Processor and battery basically, I feel my current kindle kinda slow, and the battery dies pretty soon if you're with airplane mode off.
I have the wi-fi on permanently and it lasts more than a week of reading books every single day(backlight set to 12). I don't think I would upgrade just to improve that, it's plenty for me.
The hardware upgrade specifically mentioned processor speed. I would be mildly surprised to learn that Kindles are CPU-bound. I have always assumed the device was limited by the screen's refresh rate.