It’s here! This is a photo of the box of my new Kindle Voyage. (And as a happy start ….. the box was wrapped in “frustration free” packaging.)
This Kindle comes with the usb cord, but no adaptor. I don’t view that as a problem, however, because after years of living with mobile phones, iPads and Kindles, well, I have quite a collection of those little plugs.
When you order a Kindle from Amazon, it arrives fully registered and ready to go. It takes maybe a minute or two to get through the setup, adding it to your wireless network, and adjusting the time.
I immediately downloaded the book I am now in the middle of reading, and it opened to my “last page read” within seconds.
The screen is absolutely brighter and sharper than the Paperwhite. The print is crisp and sharp. The Voyage is noticeably lighter, too. But the BIG draw for me …. was the side push buttons.
I do a lot of reading in bed, and much of that is done on my side (rather than on my back). This one-handed position makes screen-swiping nearly impossible. As much as I loved the Paperwhite, I missed the buttons on my Kindle of yesteryear.
And now the Voyage brings them back. Amazon has taken the just-about-perfect Paperwhite and moved it up a notch!
The push areas are on the side of the screen. They are not raised, they are not buttons. The area is indicated by a line and a dot on the edge of the screen. When you give the spot a push to turn the page, you feel an ever-so-slight vibration. It’s perfect. I can turn pages with the touch screen when I can…. and push the sides when I can’t. Perfect!
The on/off button is in the back (that’s different) and (to me) irrelevant. Other than that, most everything else feels very familiar if you have used a Paperwhite. Control panel at the top, touch controls, etc. The lit screen is as wonderful as ever (even brighter) and now adjusts automatically to the lighting in the room.
Bottom line…. if you have a Paperwhite and don’t miss the button-ability, I don’t think there is any reason to upgrade. The Voyage is better, but it’s not cheap, and a Paperwhite is still a great eReader.
But if you do upgrade to the Voyage….. you’ll love it!!
I’m not alone in my praise. (“Best eReader in the market” shows up in reviews over and over again.)
Kindle Voyage review: Amazon’s e-reader is too good to be merely a Paperwhite 2
Sounds great, but one question. The “automatic” light adjustment thing. Can you override it? I’m very fussy about the lighting, because my eyes are bad, and I would definitely worry that the Kindle’s idea of what should work might not be the same as mine. If I can push it up or down a notch, fine. If not, it’s probably not going to work for me. I do like the idea of the buttons again, though…
Yes, Marcia! As a matter of fact, I overrode mine immediately. 🙂 I feel just as you do. I tried it out in the room where I was, and it lowered the brightness a bit. I wanted it ALL the way up. So I’m in control again. But …. the buttons are great!!!
Great to know. My Paperwhite is still working fine, other than it has NEVER, EVER held a charge longer than two days, so I’m not looking to upgrade quite yet. But probably in the next 6 months or so. The new one sounds perfect!
It is. Perfect. 🙂
Great info. Since I’m not eligible to upgrade my phone for a million years, maybe I’ll make myself feel better by upgrading my Paperwhite. 🙂
I’ve been in love with my Kindle since the very first one. But this one is special. So was the Paperwhite. One review said that they are glad that Amazon didn’t name it the Paperwhite 2, because it deserves a new name…. it’s that good.
How did you get one? The website says they’re not available until Dec 1st.
They are shipping now, BUT you have to have ordered it a long time ago. I ordered mine on September 19. The December 1 date is a ballpark “available” IF you order it now.
You tempt me. It sounds wonderful 🙂
It is! It is!
I’ve still got the original Kindle and I’m very happy with that 🙂
I’ve been in love with my Kindle since the very first one. Each time I was skeptical …. how could this wonderful-ness be improved? But they did. That said ……. I still use an older model in the bathtub and it works perfectly. I really appreciate that Amazon did not make the older models obsolete. They are just as good today as ever. One of my dearest friends is still reading on the white original, and it’s all good. The newer features like touch definitions, X-ray and backlighting are all wonderful ….. but not necessary for a good basic reading experience. 🙂
True – I don’t use any of the features apart from Back, Home and Go To. Oh, and I occasionally change the font size. I don’t need a more complicated machine 🙂
More to learn …….. and more to forget!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂