Should I get the discounted PW2 (WiFi) or the Voyage?

[twowheels]

Ah, so you actually were asking about RAM. That's rare. :-)

In my opinion, it really doesn't matter. It's a lot like processor speed. What really matters is the final experience. We're not talking about a general purpose computer here, but a specific device designed for a specific purpose. A very well written and highly optimized piece of code running on very weak hardware could run circles around poorly written code running on more powerful hardware. Is that the case here? Who knows. What we do have to go on is reports about how the experience is, which is all that really matters, right? :-)


Some examples that might delve into technical details that you might not follow:

• Active polling loop vs event driven. The former would keep the processor from sleeping, consuming excessive battery, wasting CPU time.
• Convoluted algorithms vs. simple optimized algorithms: Wasted CPU time, taking longer to turn pages, wasting RAM for instruction space vs data space.
• Memory leaks: Gradually filling up the RAM making less and less available until the device becomes slow or unstable.
• etc...

As an example. I have a 10 year old hand me down computer that I installed Linux on to use at work which runs circles around my much newer and much more capable system that IT installed Windows and a bunch of their garbage on. Spec-wise the Windows computer should easily beat the Linux computer, but the Linux computer is far more responsive and stable.

[susan_cassidy]

4Gb is the amount of storage, not RAM.

[NorthernReader]

Thank you again for your answer.

I don't fully understand the meaning behind these technical terms, but I can grasp the essence of it. Is it comparable to the iPhone having less RAM but feeling more responsive because of how iOS works?

For the end user I agree the experience when using the device is more important than technical specs. I have read about people wanting to put Android on their (Kobo) reader so it might have to do with that as well.

I am now going to await the arrival of my PW2 without any worries. Thanks!

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by NorthernReader

I don't fully understand the meaning behind these technical terms, but I can grasp the essence of it. Is it comparable to the iPhone having less RAM but feeling more responsive because of how iOS works?

Yes! That's exactly the example I wanted to use, but was afraid to turn the thread into an iOS vs Android war. :-) I chose the Windows vs. Linux example as it seems less controversial.

[DaleDe]

Generally more RAM is needed for an Android device but not so much for a pure Linux eBook reader. The OS needs some RAM and the book needs at least a couple of pages worth. Generally when you see the device has 1G it is because it is Android which is generally not optimized for eBook use.

Dale

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Generally more RAM is needed for an Android device but not so much for a pure Linux eBook reader. The OS needs some RAM and the book needs at least a couple of pages worth. Generally when you see the device has 1G it is because it is Android which is generally not optimized for eBook use.

Dale

One task for which a reasonable amount of RAM is beneficial is PDF display. A complex PDF document can require a lot of RAM to correctly render.

[Hitch]

Hi, all:

FWIW, as I now have a PPW2 and a Voyage, the one thing I will say, absolutely, is that the Voyage's navigation at the top of the screen (to access home, the TOC, etc.) is FAR FAR FAR superior to the PPW, which has been a source of frustration to me ever since I got it.

Just in case anyone else comes along and reads the thread.

Hitch

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Hi, all:

FWIW, as I now have a PPW2 and a Voyage, the one thing I will say, absolutely, is that the Voyage's navigation at the top of the screen (to access home, the TOC, etc.) is FAR FAR FAR superior to the PPW, which has been a source of frustration to me ever since I got it.

Just in case anyone else comes along and reads the thread.

Hitch

What is the difference?

Shari

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by Hitch

FWIW, as I now have a PPW2 and a Voyage, the one thing I will say, absolutely, is that the Voyage's navigation at the top of the screen (to access home, the TOC, etc.) is FAR FAR FAR superior to the PPW, which has been a source of frustration to me ever since I got it.

Don't they have the same interface?

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by HarryT

One task for which a reasonable amount of RAM is beneficial is PDF display. A complex PDF document can require a lot of RAM to correctly render.

I already said that!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by shalym

What is the difference?

Shari

Originally Posted by twowheels

Don't they have the same interface?

Hi:

They certainly LOOK the same, but the Voyage seems to have a "dedicated" area at the top for the home/nav menu--with the PPW2, I was constantly trying to get the nav to come up, pressing here, there--getting definitions for words, for example, instead of the nav. The Voyage, for whatever reason, seems to have a bigger area that works. That's simply anecdotal, from my end, in terms of usage thus far.

Hitch

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by Hitch

They certainly LOOK the same, but the Voyage seems to have a "dedicated" area at the top for the home/nav menu--with the PPW2, I was constantly trying to get the nav to come up, pressing here, there--getting definitions for words, for example, instead of the nav. The Voyage, for whatever reason, seems to have a bigger area that works. That's simply anecdotal, from my end, in terms of usage thus far.

Interesting. I have a PW1 and have zero problems hitting the top menu. It comes up consistently every time (and I just now tried it to confirm, and no matter where I tapped in that region, it came up perfectly every time).

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Interesting. I have a PW1 and have zero problems hitting the top menu. It comes up consistently every time (and I just now tried it to confirm, and no matter where I tapped in that region, it came up perfectly every time).

I would never deny that it could be cockpit error. ;-)

Hitch

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Hi, all:

FWIW, as I now have a PPW2 and a Voyage, the one thing I will say, absolutely, is that the Voyage's navigation at the top of the screen (to access home, the TOC, etc.) is FAR FAR FAR superior to the PPW, which has been a source of frustration to me ever since I got it.

Just in case anyone else comes along and reads the thread.

Hitch

Which ePub capable Readers do you have?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Which ePub capable Readers do you have?

Crap, Wolfie:

Nook, NookColor, Droid Samsung Tablet, MS Win8 Lenovo Yoga Thinkpad reader (sorry, forget which software, will post back later as to what that is), iBooks on iPad first-gen, Droid HTC One ePUBreader (also have to post back which one it is). Oh, a Kobo Aura. I think that's it.

Hitch