New Kindle Voyage

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Remember the Kindle Classic... yea, the very first one with the nice buttons along the side that you could easily press. (I still have mine, actually passed it down to my daughter).

The big complaint was, "When I hand my kindle to someone, they change the page."

I think that's gonna happen with this device. Isn't it?

Those complaints were addressed in the Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Kindle keyboard, and Kindle 4 non touch.

The pressure sensitivity of the Kindle Voyage buttons can be adjusted and they can be turned off. I suspect that Amazon will get complaints about all the confusing choices, then learn what works for the middle 67% and hard wire that into future models, and the rest of us will again be out of luck.

Originally Posted by johnnyb

Still, this is yet another Amazon product that is not dedicated to "raising the bottom line for our customers", something which doesnt seem to work to well for Amazon in some markets...
I'm pretty certain that the Fire Phone was heavily preordered as well and they sold quite a few of them in the beginning but for Amazon, a product which doesnt keep selling still a failure. That's what makes this super-expensive Kindle so awkward in their product lineup (despite the fact that Amazon is the _perceived_ "quality-leader" in ebooks): it does not add anything substantial to the device, it is merely a gimmick-enriched "deluxe" version of the same form factor to which they attached the label "for the dedicated reader", when clearly they make the most substantial part of their business with "casual readers".
Now the Kobo Aura H2O is just the opposite, and is, strictly speaking for even more dedicated readers, because is is slightly bigger, with much improved screen real estate (because dedicated readers wont mind, it's their main item) and more robust (water resistant, can be taken to more places without worrying). This is not to describe the "dedicated reader" but to point out what kinds of features people who use their devices heavily might find more attractive.

Not sure about the Kobo as I haven't read the specs, but keep in mind there is a huge difference in marketing an item as water resistant as opposed to water proof. I have a couple of expensive cameras that claim to be water resistant. That means simply that they can get a few tiny drops of water on them without frying the electronics. It does not mean you can drop it in the ocean or swimming pool and expect it to survive, nor even expose it to a steady rainfall or lawn sprinkler. Unless the specs specifically say it is water proof to a depth of X, it is probably not as water resistant as you might think.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Those complaints were addressed in the Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Kindle keyboard, and Kindle 4 non touch.

The pressure sensitivity of the Kindle Voyage buttons can be adjusted and they can be turned off. I suspect that Amazon will get complaints about all the confusing choices, then learn what works for the middle 67% and hard wire that into future models, and the rest of us will again be out of luck.

I have a kindle keyboard and everytime I pick the thing up it changes pages. What was supposed to have been done with it to fix that?

[Arrghus]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Not sure about the Kobo as I haven't read the specs, but keep in mind there is a huge difference in marketing an item as water resistant as opposed to water proof. I have a couple of expensive cameras that claim to be water resistant. That means simply that they can get a few tiny drops of water on them without frying the electronics. It does not mean you can drop it in the ocean or swimming pool and expect it to survive, nor even expose it to a steady rainfall or lawn sprinkler. Unless the specs specifically say it is water proof to a depth of X, it is probably not as water resistant as you might think.

Yeah, but there are videos (Engadget springs to mind) of the Kobo H20 being dunked in water. It can even be used while submerged! Basically, the waterproofing is a just in case... you know, your water bottle leaks in your back. You knock your coffee over it while reading during breakfast, etc.

The water resistance or proofing, however it is phrased, means the Kobo can survive in the bathtub for up to 30 minutes. That is not a gimmick.

EDIT: Just to throw my tuppence in... I bought a PW2 literally days ago. Kinda miffed that this announcement came when it did, but the UK price plus the standard official cover = £209! I paid £139 for my PW2 plus official cover (I had a £10 off coupon). As much as I miss the physical (but somewhat stiff) buttons of my Nook STG, are they worth an extra £70!? I would forsake buttons for the ability to turn off justified text--something I'm forced to do in Calibre before e-mailing books to my device.

Originally Posted by Arrghus

Yeah, but there are videos (Engadget springs to mind) of the Kobo H20 being dunked in water. It can even be used underwear! Basically, the waterproofing is a just in case... you know, your water bottle leaks in your back. You knock your coffee over it while reading during breakfast, etc.

The water resistance or proofing, however it is phrased, means the Kobo can survive in the bathtub for up to 30 minutes. Thjat is not a gimmick.

EDIT: Just to throw my tuppence in... I bought a PW2 literally days ago. Kinda miffed that this announcement came when it did, but the UK price plus the standard official cover = £209! I paid £139 for my PW2 plus official cover (I had a £10 off coupon). As much as I miss the physical (but somewhat stiff) buttons of my Nook STG, are they worth an extra £70!? I would forsake buttons for the ability to turn off justified text--something I'm forced to do in Calibre before e-mailing books to my device.

The screen is also higher resolution on the Voyage than on the PW2, so that is another reason to pay more if that appeals to you. Buttons are no big deal to me, but screen resolution is. And a 41% increase over 212 ppi is quite significant if the light layer doesn't muck it up.

[thinkpad]

I don't know if this reader is for me, I still like the physical buttons on my K2. But I guess I could be pursuaded. I need to see some hands on user interaction, especially from this forum before I make up my mind.

Light sensor sounds like a gimmic that annoys more than it solves.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by thinkpad

I don't know if this reader is for me, I still like the physical buttons on my K2. But I guess I could be pursuaded. I need to see some hands on user interaction, especially from this forum before I make up my mind.

Light sensor sounds like a gimmic that annoys more than it solves.

Ever device I've ever had that has a light sensor lets you turn it off it settings. I highly expect this will be the case.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Atunah

The page presses can be turned off though. I swear I read that somewhere, I wish I could recall where now. Is there a user manual already? Maybe that is where I saw it, or someone else mentioned it.

This is from the manual ...

PagePress: Enable the page turn controls on either side of the screen, and manage feedback provided and pressure sensitivity.

And ...

Pressure Settings: Select the amount of pressure required to turn a page. To test each setting, use the lines and dots located on either side of the screen. Select Low if you want to apply the least amount of pressure.

I'm guessing the second quote refers to onscreen pressure (now that I re-read it).

Another quote from the manual ...

PagePress: To page forward or back in a book, squeeze either side of the screen. Use the line to page forward, and the dot to page back. You can keep your right or left thumb resting on the pressure-sensitive controls. To adjust the pressure required to turn a page, or the feedback you receive when a page turns, go to Settings, Reading Options then PagePress. You can also use PagePress to navigate your library on the Home screen.

User Manual link ...

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/c...r_Guide_EN.pdf

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ever device I've ever had that has a light sensor lets you turn it off it settings. I highly expect this will be the case.

Yes, you can turn off the light sensor.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by thinkpad

I don't know if this reader is for me, I still like the physical buttons on my K2. But I guess I could be pursuaded. I need to see some hands on user interaction, especially from this forum before I make up my mind.

Light sensor sounds like a gimmic that annoys more than it solves.

I have a couple of K4's (and had a K1, several K2's, several K3's....). I LIKE the side buttons (once they fixed the too-sensitive K1) cuz I alternate which hand is holding the reader. Read for 6-8 hours straight, and you have to change hands a bit! [I love to live in my ereader on weekends. Finished 10 Vorkosigan books in the last 21 days. Yeah, I guess I'm in the dedicated reader demographic.]

I think I'll go try out the kindle ereader on my iPad air, to see how much I hate the "touch screen to change page". If I set the brightness to quite dim, how does that compare to the "paperwhite" brightness? I've stuck with the original epaper due to very sensitive eyes. [On bad days I wear three pairs of sunglasses at a time to drive home.]

I was about to dive into the new $79 bottom end Kindle, but the lack of buttons may kill it for me. And the lack of dim e-ink might kill the Voyage for me. I'm not sure I can test a paperwhite long enough in a store to tell if it will hurt me, in long reading marathons.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Same here. A drawback for living in Amazon's backyard.

Anywhere Amazon has distribution centers you now have to pay taxes. For a while Amazon fought this, then they finally gave up. That's why I pay taxes in Texas now because they have a big distribution center right up the road. That's also why some folks in this area (not in my current zip code) can get same day delivery.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I have a kindle keyboard and everytime I pick the thing up it changes pages. What was supposed to have been done with it to fix that?

Umm, put it in screen saver when you lay it down? Or, if you pick it up with your fingers on the keyboard and don't touch the page turn buttons up the side, it oughtn't to turn pages. The keyboard buttons aren't supposed to turn the page.

edit: this does NOT apply to the K1. But the later kindle-keyboard should work as I've described.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Arrghus

Yeah, but there are videos (Engadget springs to mind) of the Kobo H20 being dunked in water. It can even be used underwear! Basically, the waterproofing is a just in case... you know, your water bottle leaks in your back. You knock your coffee over it while reading during breakfast, etc.

The water resistance or proofing, however it is phrased, means the Kobo can survive in the bathtub for up to 30 minutes. Thjat is not a gimmick.

EDIT: Just to throw my tuppence in... I bought a PW2 literally days ago. Kinda miffed that this announcement came when it did, but the UK price plus the standard official cover = £209! I paid £139 for my PW2 plus official cover (I had a £10 off coupon). As much as I miss the physical (but somewhat stiff) buttons of my Nook STG, are they worth an extra £70!? I would forsake buttons for the ability to turn off justified text--something I'm forced to do in Calibre before e-mailing books to my device.

Don't they have the 30 day return policy there? You could return it and have them send on out the new one? Of course someone above said the shipments are now out to Dec. So you wouldn't get it for a couple of months...

I did a screen capture of the Verge review video to look at the Display Settings on the Voyage. Looks pretty much unchanged from PWs. So if you were wondering what they are, here are the Display Settings:

[kaufman]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I did a screen capture of the Verge review video to look at the Display Settings on the Voyage. Looks pretty much unchanged from PWs. So if you were wondering what they are, here are the Display Settings:

But perhaps, not the final settings. They do still have a month.