New Kindle Voyage

[tmf2]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Yeah I totally agree. I would also like a more reasonable choice of font sizes (and fonts too of course). Some of the font sizes change drastically between options rather than allowing us to fine tune the size. Seems like they could give us point size options within a reasonable range rather than just eight static choices.

So true with such a premium price tag this should of been the first thing improved on....I believe KoboHD has those options.

Dennis

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

I wonder if Kindle Voyage readers will have to suffer through the same tiny maps and pictures that we have to on the Aura HD now that they have a super high resolution display? Unfortunately the ebooks just aren't keeping pace to the readers. Start putting high(er) resolution photos in your ebooks, publishers!

Generally speaking, we can't. In order to upload "one file fits most e-readers" we have to play to the specs for the e-ink readers that are not high-resolution because otherwise, you get a box with an x or garbage of the file size is too large to display. I've done a few images in some of my books and let me tell you, it's barely worth the considerable effort. For even a basic 200 by 200 pixel color anything, you have to reduce colors from 256 to 200. Otherwise, no dice on say, Kindle keyboard 3g.

So in order to provide what you're asking, a publisher would have to provide more than one file--and that would be two different products. People wanting the hi-resolution type stuff would have to buy X and those with regular readers or who didn't care, would buy Y.

I'm not saying there isn't a market for it, but it would be a separate file/product to keep track of and it becomes very difficult as you add books to a series--are you selling enough of the hi-resolution book to make it worth continuing the line, etc.

In short, I predict it won't be happening anytime soon.

Originally Posted by mbovenka

I still have the invoice for my original Cybook Gen3 back in 2007. Cybook + cover + S&H: €405,=

Yes, that's euros, not dollars.

Wow! I think I paid around $400 for a Sony PRS-950 way back when. Of course that was a really good 7" reader way ahead of its time. And it had a two-column landscape mode, something Amazon refuses to give us.

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

I wonder if Kindle Voyage readers will have to suffer through the same tiny maps and pictures that we have to on the Aura HD now that they have a super high resolution display? Unfortunately the ebooks just aren't keeping pace to the readers. Start putting high(er) resolution photos in your ebooks, publishers!

I see all sorts of publisher booboos in Kindle books. I think a lot has to do with how they create the images/books. Amazon could in theory have a book creator that would solve most of the issues, but instead they leave a lot of discretion up to the publishers. I've got a book with lots of maps that were so low resolution that I cannot read any of the text in them. I think they probably used tiny postage stamp sized images and those were enlarged during the book compiling stage. All the images in that book are terrible. Amazon gave me a refund on it though. But yes, images have been an issue for some time now, though most books seem to get them embedded correctly.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Generally speaking, we can't. In order to upload "one file fits most e-readers" we have to play to the specs for the e-ink readers that are not high-resolution because otherwise, you get a box with an x or garbage of the file size is too large to display. I've done a few images in some of my books and let me tell you, it's barely worth the considerable effort. For even a basic 200 by 200 pixel color anything, you have to reduce colors from 256 to 200. Otherwise, no dice on say, Kindle keyboard 3g.

So in order to provide what you're asking, a publisher would have to provide more than one file--and that would be two different products. People wanting the hi-resolution type stuff would have to buy X and those with regular readers or who didn't care, would buy Y.

I'm not saying there isn't a market for it, but it would be a separate file/product to keep track of and it becomes very difficult as you add books to a series--are you selling enough of the hi-resolution book to make it worth continuing the line, etc.

In short, I predict it won't be happening anytime soon.

When you buy from Amazon you get a different book file depending on what device you are downloading to. Wouldn't it be possible to simply have a hi-res file uploaded and the Amazon servers would render it on the fly for the downloader?

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

When you buy from Amazon you get a different book file depending on what device you are downloading to. Wouldn't it be possible to simply have a hi-res file uploaded and the Amazon servers would render it on the fly for the downloader?

Theoretically, I think so. But the way it works now if I want to do something like hi-res, I can specify "only supported on these devices" at upload. There's a different "sand box" to play in for working with say, the hi end Kindle Fire. I don't own one and have had no need to upload anything that special. I have noticed the option for that and also seen some of the bits here and there about "these devices only." I know it didn't work that well out the gate--people were able to download things that they couldn't then read well because Amazon allowed the download to happen anyway. I'm not sure of the status, but if I recall correctly it was happening with graphic novels that had been set up to used only on the tablet types of things, but some people were trying them on other devices and they had issues.

What I do know is when I do images for things like "Send to Kindle" stories from my blog, I had to be very careful to make sure the images were small or low enough resolution to make it through/show up. So for example, each short story came with a cover--I had to make that cover small enough that when the Send to Kindle button is selected by the reader, it would show up properly--there is no 'Don't send this part, just send text" when using Send to Kindle buttons. EVERYTHING on that page/post with the button goes. And if the image is too large, either the entire "send to kindle" failed with an error or the text showed up with "X" box.

I certainly can't know what device is on the other end.

I don't know that too many publishers use the Send to Kindle button, but it's just another example of where Amazon would have to be "smart" about an image coming through and know the device it was going to--and then shrink accordingly. Again, it should work because Amazon grabs the post, you (the reader) log in to your account and then say "Yes, send it." So technically Amazon should know WHICH type of device it is sending to at that time. But right NOW, if the picture is too large, FAIL. If I've sized everything correctly, you get a black/white picture on the e-ink device and if you have a color unit, you get color--but it's the same picture.

Amazon provided the code for the Send to Kindle button.

I just downloaded a book today that had a map at the beginning (Fantasy of course). It was garbage. I wrote the author and told him it was too large. Now that same map might show up fine on some of the higher end devices, but right now...Amazon just sends what it has and if it doesn't happen to work, you get all kinds of wonky things from "no file" to garbage to an X.

[Kumabjorn]

Have yo contacted Amazon's publishing arm about this? This is something that needs to be handled on their end and it is all about CS something they otherwise seems very adament about.

[xendula]

Just wondering: did any of you also receive an Amazon survey asking about what features would make you buy your next ereader? I received it a few weeks ago and now wish I had taken screenshots, but I distinctly recall the following features they asked about: water resistance, social media, page-turn buttons, more storage, lit screen, price.

So, I really thought the next Kindle would be waterproof and have page turn buttons. I wonder why they sent out the survey just weeks before announcing the KV.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Have yo contacted Amazon's publishing arm about this? This is something that needs to be handled on their end and it is all about CS something they otherwise seems very adament about.

I'm not sure if you're asking me or someone else, but no, I haven't contacted them. In general, I don't find the lower-resolution stuff to be an issue and had never even considered the idea that Amazon could change the resolution on the fly until the above poster asked me about it. I do get maps in fantasy books now and then, but I don't find them particularly useful in e-format anyway because you can't really flip pages the way you do in a book.

So, it never really occurred to me to even ask about it! It could be a useful feature and it would make my life easier because then I wouldn't have to fiddle with covers for the stories. I might even consider doing other artwork -- chapter artwork or such if it were easier than it is today!

Originally Posted by xendula

Just wondering: did any of you also receive an Amazon survey asking about what features would make you buy your next ereader? I received it a few weeks ago and now wish I had taken screenshots, but I distinctly recall the following features they asked about: water resistance, social media, page-turn buttons, more storage, lit screen, price.

So, I really thought the next Kindle would be waterproof and have page turn buttons. I wonder why they sent out the survey just weeks before announcing the KV.

No I didn't get the survey. Instead they send me endless requests to rate products I've bought, answer questions about products I've bought that are asked by potential buyers, and send me links to zillions of things they think I might like to buy. They are truly a SPAM machine!

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by xendula

Just wondering: did any of you also receive an Amazon survey asking about what features would make you buy your next ereader? I received it a few weeks ago and now wish I had taken screenshots, but I distinctly recall the following features they asked about: water resistance, social media, page-turn buttons, more storage, lit screen, price.

So, I really thought the next Kindle would be waterproof and have page turn buttons. I wonder why they sent out the survey just weeks before announcing the KV.

Hmm. I never received it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kaufman

Based on page 31 of the user manual, it appears that both the buttons and the feedback can be turned off.

Can just one side be turned off or is it all or nothing?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by badbob001

Also consider that the recent Kobo Aura H2O is $180 ($40 cheaper to the Voyage non-ad version), has the same resolution but on a 6.8" display, has the same 4GB storage but is sdcard expandable to at least 32GB more, AND waterproof.

And supports ePub.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kaufman

I have an Aura HD and am selling it for the Voyage because - to me - the Voyage is the first eReader that has gotten ergonomics right.

I have to very highly disagree. I have a 650 and a T1 and both of them are very easy to turn the page uing the left or the right hands. In fact, Sony is the only one to use swiping and swiping means that there is no tap point. You just swipe anywhere on the screen in the correct direction to change the page.

The problem with the Voyage as I see it is that if you have the buttons on, it will be too easy to accidentally change the page due to pressing the buttons since they sit where you'd hold the Voyage to use the touch screen.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

It's my biggest gripe with amazon kindles. Why, oh why, won't they simply give us more options? Fonts, margins, line spacing, etc. They're fairly basic options and it's such simple addition. It's really hard to understand why they're so resistant. The competition has a big advantage in those areas.

I'd consider the new Kobo, but I want the the page turn buttons on the voyager and the higher ppi, plus the amazon software. So I'll stick with kindle, but alas..

The font size blows up between the first, second, and third largest sizes. I'm not sure how they determined what those sizes should be. Maybe some intern just made them up, or maybe oodles of time money and effort went into the research. But no matter what, fixed number of size choices will inevitably leave some customers unhappy because of the Goldilocks problem.

They haven't changed it because

1/ they don't want to bother changing the Aa menu. This is a perfect case of letting the user interface dictate functionality. That Aa screen has not changed since at least the K3. It was designed to be easily navigated using the 5 way controller and now we are stuck with it. It's a good thing the K3 had no front light, else we would be stuck with 8 light levels represented by sun smileys. They could change the menu a bit or add an advanced menu for additional tweaking but why bother because ...

2/ most people are okay with the choices anyway and even if they are not perfectly happy they don't stop to think how it could be different. [I'm kind of baffled by folks who think their (insert product name here) is perfect as is and there is nothing they would want differently or change; of course many of the same are first in line to pre-order whatever new thing (insert company name here) produces]. Anyway, the ones who are really unhappy can jailbreak their kindle, or go somewhere else. LOL j/k about that last part because ...

3/ it's not like Amazon has any real competition anyway. And besides, do you want...

4/ Jeff Bezos to demean himself by introducing features the not-competitors have had for years? I think not!

Shoutout to NiLuJe and all the devs for the fonts hack.