Kindle Voyage - First Impressions

[PatrickNSF]

Originally Posted by soondai

You are out nothing.

...other than my gas money back to Best Buy to return the "less defective" unit, my gas money to UPS to return the "more defective" unit to Amazon and, most valuable, my time.

Don't misunderstand – I love shopping with Amazon (second only to Apple) and have been a Prime member since January 25, 2012. And we spend thousands and thousands of dollars there each year. But their hardware launches are often less than stellar.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pghaworth

Same here. Wish I had been one of those that got a great one.

I think we've now clearly demonstrated that it's not a case of having a "great" Voyage, but being insensitive to what others perceive as colour hues on the screen. It's very noticeable in this thread that, on the whole, the same people who are dissatisfied with the Voyage were also dissatisfied with the PW, while people who were happy with the PW are also happy with the Voyage.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think we've now clearly demonstrated that it's not a case of having a "great" Voyage, but being insensitive to what others perceive as colour hues on the screen. It's very noticeable in this thread that, on the whole, the same people who are dissatisfied with the Voyage were also dissatisfied with the PW, while people who were happy with the PW are also happy with the Voyage.

It's the same thing I was thinking; I see many of the same people here that I also saw in the PW2 and PW1 threads. I think those people will never be satisfied with any front-lit reader, except if they get one that actually *is* 100% perfect, but I think that chance is almost 0%.

What I would like to know however, is how people unsatisfied with current front-lit readers regarding color, lighting and evenness read normal books in the past. Most paperbacks are not perfectly even in color, they're not white (far from it, they're mostly yellow), and when using a reading light, you'd have an epic amount of shadows.

[JoHunt]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

It's the same thing I was thinking; I see many of the same people here that I also saw in the PW2 and PW1 threads. I think those people will never be satisfied with any front-lit reader, except if they get one that actually *is* 100% perfect, but I think that chance is almost 0%.

The screens are backlit In all fairness, some who have posted here about screen problems have purchased Kobo's and appear to be satisfied with those screens.

Personally, if I don't like a product, I send it back and move on to something else. I just can't get my head around continually re-ordering/returning something hoping I will get something I like.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

It's the same thing I was thinking; I see many of the same people here that I also saw in the PW2 and PW1 threads. I think those people will never be satisfied with any front-lit reader, except if they get one that actually *is* 100% perfect, but I think that chance is almost 0%.

What I would like to know however, is how people unsatisfied with current front-lit readers regarding color, lighting and evenness read normal books in the past. Most paperbacks are not perfectly even in color, they're not white (far from it, they're mostly yellow), and when using a reading light, you'd have an epic amount of shadows.

I won't go near the Voyage as I am very sensative to uneven screens, but saying that I have the following perfectly even screens.

Kobo H20 ( every time I pick this up I am amazed by the clarity of the screen) it is yellow, but perfectly even
Paperwhite 2 (bought this week) cream, nearly white screen.
Kobo Glo (2 year old ereader bought three weeks ago) white screen

I'm not spending £169 on an ereader that does not have the screen advertised by Amazon

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by joehunt

The screens are backlit

No e-ink e-reader is back-lit. They are all front-lit.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

No e-ink e-reader is back-lit. They are all front-lit.

... and eInk screens can't be backlit for the simple reason that they are completely opaque.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I won't go near the Voyage as I am very sensative to uneven screens, but saying that I have the following perfectly even screens.

Kobo H20 ( every time I pick this up I am amazed by the clarity of the screen) it is yellow, but perfectly even

But you did have an H2O with an uneven screen, didn't you? These issues are not unique to Amazon.

[JoHunt]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

No e-ink e-reader is back-lit. They are all front-lit.

Oops

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Kobo H20 ( every time I pick this up I am amazed by the clarity of the screen) it is yellow, but perfectly even.

Would color hue variations be as noticeable on a yellow screen as on a white screen?

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But you did have an H2O with an uneven screen, didn't you? These issues are not unique to Amazon.

Yes I did, but the one I have doesn't have an uneven screen. I was just replying to those who feel that some of us are unduly fussy and would never be happy with an e-ink screen, or see one without a defect.

Also eveything is relative to cost. for a premium cost, I'm talking about the Voyage here, I expect a premium screen and for Amazon to even say the uneven tones are normal is adding insult to injury, especially when they produced an ereader last year, the PW2, that practicly eliminated uneven screens.

Amazon have obviously now realised they have a problem and can't admit it, all they can do is try and improve quality going forwards. Personally I'll consider the next version of the Voyage, but not this one, and every time I get tempted I look at my 'perfect' ereaders and realise the potential hassle isn't worth the risk.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by joehunt

Would color hue variations be as noticeable on a yellow screen as on a white screen?

They would if the bottom of the screen was lighter.

My 'perfect' (well to me anyway) screens. The light isn't good here, it's daylight but quite dark, all on the same page at max brightness. Picture taken with my iPad so not brilliant.

Glo, H20, PW2.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

It's the same thing I was thinking; I see many of the same people here that I also saw in the PW2 and PW1 threads. I think those people will never be satisfied with any front-lit reader, except if they get one that actually *is* 100% perfect, but I think that chance is almost 0%.

What I would like to know however, is how people unsatisfied with current front-lit readers regarding color, lighting and evenness read normal books in the past. Most paperbacks are not perfectly even in color, they're not white (far from it, they're mostly yellow), and when using a reading light, you'd have an epic amount of shadows.

Well, that is untrue as I love my Kobo H20. And I was one of the people that was very vocal on the PW1 and 2 threads as I had a hard time finding decent ones. I even like my PW2, but the font is more washed out. It did take me a few tries to find a good PW2, but it was moreso due to other imperfections. Color hues on one, screen was very crooked on another and another had a bunch of glaring pinholes, etc.

My main issue is seeing color hues. Clearly some people are more sensitive to it than others. I wouldn't want to read a paperback that had blue, pink, and green tones on it.

It was impossible for me to find a PW1 I was happy with (color hue issues galore) and it was the same for the voyage, although I only tried one voyage and returned it, but I saw enough pics online to know it wouldn't work out for me. I now have the H20 and I'm extremely happy with the first one I received. Evenly lit screen and no color hues. So it's really not a matter of us being too picky to enjoy a reader with a light at all. Some of us simply have more sensitive eyes and see colors that others don't on some of the devices. In my case, I've only had an issue with Kindles.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

Some of us simply have more sensitive eyes and see colors that others don't on some of the devices. In my case, I've only had an issue with Kindles.

Could be eyes, or could be that the brain is just filtering it out as being irrelevant information, in the same way that most people stop being consciously aware of the screen refresh on an eInk device after using it for a few hours.

Anyway, whatever the cause, obviously the important thing is to find a reader that's right for you. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about it!

[jj2me]

FWIW, another "healed itself" Voyage review appeared today on Amazon Customer Reviews.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by jj2me

FWIW, another "healed itself" Voyage review appeared today on Amazon Customer Reviews.

... which kind of reinforces my suggestion that, after using it for a while, your brain simply stops being consciously aware of the colour hue.