Kindle Voyage - First Impressions

[s0ckpupp3t]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Thanks for the image. Fortunately I don't see that issue on mine. I hope your replacement is better. And if you don't easily see an imperfection like the color tinting don't go looking for it!

On the black flecks, if it wasn't for the fact that I have several prominent ones that display in between the lines of text on my usual font settings (and keep drawing my eye), I'd live with it.

No doubt I shouldn't have gone looking for trouble with the screen when was reported on this forum but not readily apparent to my own two eyes.

My apologies to everyone who ran to their Kindles looking for black flecks after reading my post.

[xendula]

My replacement came in yesterday, and the screen is much MUCH worse than the first one (see attached pics. 1st V on left, replacement on right). It's yellow. I said I would only ask for a replacement once, but I think I'll try another replacement. It just doesn't make sense to hold on the a bad screen that bithers me at over $200, and my PW2 is so bad that I don't think i can go back to using it. Mind you, the PW2 went through a few replacemnets until I gave up and kept the least bad one, so even that was not right!

Originally Posted by jswinden

The CS guy said they have been examining some of the Voyages in the office and were seeing the tinting on some of them. So at least its a known issue which CS can see first hand.

Well, that's at least a start, that they acknowlege the issue.

I had to argue back and forth for 30 mins with someone in India until she agreed to send me a replacement within 3 days. Did you talk to someone statesside? I noticed during the PW1 and PW2 returns game that statesside Cs reps seem to have more decision power than Indian/Phillipino reps.

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

I agree, I really wish they sold the H20 here. Does anyone know if there's plans to sell it here in the states?

I emailed customer care to find out the same. After a day, i received a canned response with a link to their retail list, I wrote back, and a day after that they said they did not know if/when the H2O would be available in brick and mortar stores.

For Kindle users who also may consider an H2O and who don't know this: there is no way to call Kobo's Customer "Care" - there is a phone number with a recording to go to their website to request help, and their help comes in an email by the look of it. If I had had a real issue, I would have waited for 2 days to maybe get a resolution.

Originally Posted by s0ckpupp3t

My screen has hundreds of dead pixels stuck on black so it looks like tiny black flecks are scattered all over the screen. I tried resetting the device, turning on page refresh, etc. but the black pixels/flecks never go away. Anyone else have this?

Yes, mine has that, too. They are so pronounced that they bother me, but the lighting is worse to me. I could live with the black specks, though i would perfer not to have any. I don't understand why they are there.

[pghaworth]

Sorry to hear, xendula!

[JoHunt]

Originally Posted by xendula

My replacement came in yesterday, and the screen is much MUCH worse than the first one (see attached pics. 1st V on left, replacement on right). It's yellow.

Of all the Voyages posted so far, that replacement has the the worst screen I've seen Hopefully your next one will be better.

Originally Posted by xendula

My replacement came in yesterday, and the screen is much MUCH worse than the first one (see attached pics. 1st V on left, replacement on right). It's yellow. I said I would only ask for a replacement once, but I think I'll try another replacement. It just doesn't make sense to hold on the a bad screen that bithers me at over $200, and my PW2 is so bad that I don't think i can go back to using it. Mind you, the PW2 went through a few replacemnets until I gave up and kept the least bad one, so even that was not right!

That sucks. It is difficult to tell a lot from posted images as far as readability goes, that might be because I cannot see the actual front light effect, but just curious if you find the yellow tinted areas to have more of a shadowy/cloudy effect than the pink or blue tinted areas. looking back over my PW1s, PW2, and Voyage it seems like the yellow tinted areas were more prone to be cloudy too, that is look like they were smudged. Certainly how my current Voyage is.

Originally Posted by xendula

Well, that's at least a start, that they acknowledge the issue.

I had to argue back and forth for 30 mins with someone in India until she agreed to send me a replacement within 3 days. Did you talk to someone statesside? I noticed during the PW1 and PW2 returns game that statesside Cs reps seem to have more decision power than Indian/Phillipino reps.

Amazon has made it more difficult to easily find their CS telephone number. But I have it bookmarked in my browser. You are supposed to be able to select your order, then it asks some questions, then it gives you the option of getting an email response, a phone call, or using chat. But I couldn't get their website to accept my Voyage as the subject of inquiry, and finally had to enter "other". Because of that i got someone in another country with so much phone noise I could barely understand them. Once they realized I had a Kindle issue they transferred me to the actual Kindle CS and that person spoke fluent English and sounded like they were here in the USA.

[xendula]

^ Thank you, pghaworth, and agreed, Jo. I again had flashback to the PW1 debacle, where you woudln't want to return the bad one you had just yet, in case the replacements would turn out to be worse.

Originally Posted by jswinden

just curious if you find the yellow tinted areas to have more of a shadowy/cloudy effect than the pink or blue tinted areas. looking back over my PW1s, PW2, and Voyage it seems like the yellow tinted areas were more prone to be cloudy too, that is look like they were smudged. Certainly how my current Voyage is.

I wouldn't describe it as a cloudy effect, but the fonts are noticeable less dark on the yellow background, and very close to my PW2. If that had been the very first V I had received, I would likely not even tried a replacement. The first V I got has really sharp, dark fonts, much better than my yellow PW2.

Agreed that Amazon added some extra hoops between customers and call option. I had so much background noise by the time my call had been transferred to kindle support (in India), that I asked her to call me back, and the call quality was still bad.

[sparklemotion]

xendula - you already know my thoughts, but I just wanted to add my voice to the choir anyway and say I'm so sorry, hon. Seriously sucks to get another bad one like that. I really hope you're able to sort getting a good one. After two years of PW troubles and now the voyage, you are so overdue for a perfect one. Fingers and toes crossed for you if you try another one.

Originally Posted by xendula

^ Thank you, pghaworth, and agreed, Jo. I again had flashback to the PW1 debacle, where you woudln't want to return the bad one you had just yet, in case the replacements would turn out to be worse.



I wouldn't describe it as a cloudy effect, but the fonts are noticeable less dark on the yellow background, and very close to my PW2. If that had been the very first V I had received, I would likely not even tried a replacement. The first V I got has really sharp, dark fonts, much better than my yellow PW2.

Agreed that Amazon added some extra hoops between customers and call option. I had so much background noise by the time my call had been transferred to kindle support (in India), that I asked her to call me back, and the call quality was still bad.

You can see it on my mine, just curious if others had it too. It might just be that the yellow to my eyes has some optical effect with the text to make it look cloudier than the other color tints.

....

[Josieb1]

I'm not even starting this game now. I've cancelled my pre order, case and Voyage. I will stick with my PW1 (which will probably stay in a drawer) and I've bought a Kobo Glo for commuting to go with my H20 at home.

Another firmware bug; possibly hardware related: I noticed last night that the "left to read" or location messages on the bottom-left of the screen don't always toggle. I push and push and sometimes it toggles but most often it doesn't. I'm not sure if the pressure button is just not good or whether the FW just doesn't properly control the actions.

[pghaworth]

Originally Posted by jswinden

You can see it on my mine, just curious if others had it too. It might just be that the yellow to my eyes has some optical effect with the text to make it look cloudier than the other color tints.

....

That's exactly like mine, except that mine is very evenly placed all the way across side-to-side, top down to the end of the first third. When turned to landscape position, it looks like someone has painted the screen with watercolor layered on heavily.

[RDaneel54]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Another firmware bug; possibly hardware related: I noticed last night that the "left to read" or location messages on the bottom-left of the screen don't always toggle. I push and push and sometimes it toggles but most often it doesn't. I'm not sure if the pressure button is just not good or whether the FW just doesn't properly control the actions.

I've had the same problem. Very annoying.

After a bit of testing, I've found that there seems to be a much smaller area where the toggle works. The actual print of the left to read numbers and words is also smaller. Definitely not like it is on the PW2 where you just have to get in the general area.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

I've had the same problem. Very annoying.

After a bit of testing, I've found that there seems to be a much smaller area where the toggle works. The actual print of the left to read numbers and words is also smaller Definitely not like it is on the PW2 where you just have to get in the general area.

The target area turns black briefly on the Aura HD. That doesn't happen on touch Kindles?
(I've never owned a touch Kindle.)

[xendula]

I called for a replacement, which should get here on Tuesday. Narry a mention of having to wait until November, but he did want to make me wait until Wed, and I managed to make him reconsider, since I have Prime. I hear others are getting their replacements overnighted, is this correct?

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

After two years of PW troubles and now the voyage, you are so overdue for a perfect one. Fingers and toes crossed for you if you try another one.

Thanks! I need the luck!!! The luck to not get an imprefect screen on a $200 device - kind of crazy, huh.

Originally Posted by jswinden

You can see it on my mine, just curious if others had it too. It might just be that the yellow to my eyes has some optical effect with the text to make it look cloudier than the other color tints.

....

Do you mean that it looks like there are differently shaded clouds over and around certain paragraphs? As if someone smudged over a freshly printed piece of paper? If that's what you mean, I've had that on my PW1s, PW2s and now on the Vs, and I hate it. I believe that's all because of the uneven screen, though, so i never meantioned it as a separate issue. Maybe it is....hmmm.

[Drew0020]

I mean does Amazon have anyone look at these Kindles? Mine was so obviously two colors. I figure when they make the decision to finally ship the final design they must show that it is ready for consumers? I just don't get how this debacle happens?