Poor reviews not just for Vox: Fire too!

[Cdesja5]

New York Times article about problems Kindle Fire is having. Interesting read! Some issues that the Vox doesn't have...
Quote:
The Kindle Fire, Amazon’s heavily promoted tablet, is less than a blazing success with many of its early users. The most disgruntled are packing the device up and firing it back to the retailer.
A few of their many complaints: there is no external volume control. The off switch is easy to hit by accident. Web pages take a long time to load. There is no privacy on the device; a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing. The touch screen is frequently hesitant and sometimes downright balky.
All the individual grievances — recorded on Amazon’s own Web site — received a measure of confirmation last week when Jakob Nielsen, a usability expert, denounced the Fire, saying it offered “a disappointingly poor” experience. For users whose fingers are not as slender as toothpicks, he warned, the screen could be particularly frustrating to manipulate.
Full article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/te...exprod=myyahoo

[hpulley]

Jakob poohpoohed all 7" tablets which is going too far I think. He should try the zoom function to avoid inadvertant presses.

No volume controls on the Fire is bad though I wish my Vox also had a pause/play button like my Playbook. It is annoying that I need to bring the Vox out of sleep, unlock it and press pause to stop it from playing. The Playbook also stops playing when you unplug headphones; any player do that on the Vox?

[Suzanna]

I can understand the criticism. These are budget devices and are not full-fledged tablets. I have to say, though, I really question the decision to put the on/off switch on the bottom of the device! I imagine I'd be hitting that thing all the time.

We need to keep in mind, though, that these reviews are not always accurate. The media doesn't always do a good job in reporting about these devices. We've seen similar criticisms leveled against the Vox that just weren't true. (Poor display? I don't think so!)

[pokee]

User reviews still seem to be as good as they were when the Fire first came out (solid 4 stars). And man - they've sold a sh*tload of those things...there's over 5000 user reviews!!!

[hpulley]

amazon is the gorilla for sure. Not my cuppa tea but they'll sell.

[oldyellr]

When comparing these tablets, I'm sure the viewers start out with preconceived notions based on what they themselves like or own. The other day I saw a comparison between the Kobo Vox and Kindle Fire on Youtube. The reviewer completely trashed the Vox as appearing "cheap", pointing out all kinds of frills and features on the Fire, and downplayed areas where the Vox was better. It all depends it you're after simplicity or gee-whiz bells and whistles. He also couldn't get the Vox touch screen to work for him in several instances, which is weird, because I find it extremely sensitive.

[hieronymos]

Originally Posted by oldyellr

He also couldn't get the Vox touch screen to work for him in several instances, which is weird, because I find it extremely sensitive.

When you look at the status bar of the Vox in the video, you'll see it's still syncing. Engadget for example set the tablet down first and started the review when it was ready.

[Glenn56]

Originally Posted by oldyellr

The reviewer completely trashed the Vox as appearing "cheap", pointing out all kinds of frills and features on the Fire, and downplayed areas where the Vox was better.

I think I've now read or viewed almost every comparison between the Vox and something else, and 4 out of 5 times the bias against the Vox has been ridiculous.

One review listed the features of each, but only listed the main features of the Vox, and every piddling little thing about the other one, making it look on the page as if one had way more to offer than the other.

Another review compared the Vox to the old Kindle - then complained that the Vox was way heavier.

[msxman]

too many people are thinking of these has tablets and not colored e-book readers with benefits.

[Reader Paradice]

....in my post, ' reviewer burnout', I left out one feeling that pervaded (in my personal opinion...) most trashing reviews of the Vox as compared to the Kindle Fire;

...it seemed, (there will be readers who might agree, and of course others that will not...) that there was a severe bias towards the Vox, because it was manufactured for a Canadian company, and not one based in the United States, not one that had any financial footprint in the United States, and finally, one that did not employ any United States resident/workforce.

OK, I came out and typed it. I feel that the reason that a lot of reviewers were trashing the Vox so badly, and ignored equal to, or mostly comparable features and/or performance, was a very motivated 'read' to keep profit and sales within the United States this holiday season. Obama's BUY AMERICAN, can pervade the commercial and citizen culture when you look at how badly America's economic performance has been over the last four years. It is abysmal. So, I feel that whether directly, or subliminally, a lot of reviews were already in the mindset of 'no matter HOW GOOD or even mundane, this Canadian company's product is....the review is going to try and steer the consumer away from the investing of' and onto a tablet either produced by an American company, or of a non U.S. producer that has a 'doing business' footprint on U.S. soil, generating payroll and taxes.

This is my personal opinion on the above, and I have no actual conspiratorial 'proof'. But if you really parse the 'trash' reviews...this pervasiveness REEKS of it. I believe, anyway.

[taming]

Originally Posted by Reader Paradice

. I feel that the reason that a lot of reviewers were trashing the Vox so badly, and ignored equal to, or mostly comparable features and/or performance, was a very motivated 'read' to keep profit and sales within the United States this holiday season.

Kobo did a very soft launch. They may not have sent out tons of freebies to the tech writers or wined and dined them. That kind of thing seems like a more likely explanation to me.

The tech blogs have dumped on other Kobo devices in the past and have done stupid stuff, like not connecting the devices which would have downloaded the release firmware. If I were Kobo, I might have made the decision not to treat them like royalty.

This is, of course, wild speculation, too.

[Whoover]

Originally Posted by taming

They may not have sent out tons of freebies to the tech writers or wined and dined them. That kind of thing seems like a more likely explanation to me.

Totally agree with this statement. You can never discount this kind of behind the scenes favouritism. (I am speculating as well BTW )

I am seriously considering purchasing a Vox at the moment. It just seems like it will be exactly what I want. Not a tablet, but more than a standard eReader, and something I can read magazines, graphic novels & comics on - as well as load library books onto.

The reviews haven't completely put me off yet. The positives outway the negatives for me, and I'd like to invest in a Kobo machine (in some ways it reminds me of Apple vs PC, i.e. Amazon/Sony vs Kobo!). The only thing that's stopping me is how they address the Sleep of Death in the coming weeks.

[Conor]

Originally Posted by msxman

too many people are thinking of these has tablets and not colored e-book readers with benefits.

95% of what I wanted a tablet for is web browsing and email. A 7 inch one fits nicely between my smartphone and netbook, and I could see no point in paying twice as much for a faster tablet.

[pokee]

Yeah, and now the Nook Tablet is out and it's being endorsed by Jane Lynch! GOD - and I was excited when the Vox was mentioned in a local Futureshop ad than ran for about a week! Most people - especially Americans - have no idea what Kobo even is, so they're bound to call anything they make crap...

[Donnageddon]

Originally Posted by pokee

Most people - especially Americans - have no idea what Kobo even is, so they're bound to call anything they make crap...

Correct, there is no conspiracy against Kobo as a Canadian company. Most Americans see "kobo Vox" and assume it is Japanese (or Italian) product from an unknown company. I doubt very much they have any idea it is from Canada.

I have a Kobo touch and love it!

And I have a Sony, and a Kindle Fire, and origin of the company that produces it had nothing to do with my purchase decision.

Hell, they are all manufactured in China, or Taiwan anyway.